标签： Bahamas

One week ahead of the country’s hotly contested general election, the Bahamian government has finalized a deal to purchase all outstanding shares of the Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC), a move Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis says will deliver an average 37 percent reduction in electricity bills for residential and commercial customers across the island.

Under the terms of the acquisition, GBPC will align its pricing structure with the national tariff schedule already in use by Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), bringing Grand Bahama’s electricity rates in line with what consumers pay in other regions of The Bahamas. Davis confirmed that cost savings will appear on customer bills as early as the next billing cycle.

“This decision was made with a clear purpose: to bring down the cost of electricity for the people of Grand Bahama and place this island inside our national energy strategy,” Davis told reporters. He added that the rate cut will reduce overall cost of living for local families and boost the competitiveness of Grand Bahama’s business community, supporting long-term economic growth on the island.

The government executed the acquisition through a newly created special purpose entity, the Grand Bahama Electricity Company. The transaction received full funding from loans issued by Standard Chartered and Scotiabank, with the Bahamian government serving as guarantor for the borrowing.

In addition to consumer savings, Davis outlined three core policy benefits of the move: it integrates Grand Bahama into the government’s national energy strategy, strengthening the island’s overall investment climate; it preserves all existing jobs, benefits and the current Bahamian management team at GBPC; and it lays the groundwork for GBPC to access international development support for future energy projects.

The timing of the high-profile utility acquisition, coming just days before voters head to the polls, has sparked questions about political motivations behind the announcement. Davis rejected calls to delay the reveal until after the election, arguing that governing does not pause during campaign season.

“Why do I have to defend a move?” Davis said. “Governance don’t stop because election is in the air. We still have to govern, and this transaction has been in the making for quite a while. The process just happened to be ending now. Should we abandon it when we’re going to be able to bring relief to the people of Grand Bahama immediately? We will bring relief now. I have nothing to defend, other than to say I’m bringing relief to Grand Bahama.”

For the immediate future, GBPC will continue normal operations under a transitional framework designed to avoid service disruptions while pricing structures are aligned with national standards. Over time, the utility will be gradually integrated into the government’s ongoing national energy reform program. The acquisition brings an end to Canadian energy firm Emera’s 13-year tenure as the majority owner of GBPC, after Emera first acquired a stake in the company in 2010.

Davis thanked Emera for its years of management of the utility, noting that additional details on the transitional process will be released to the public in the coming weeks. Karen Hutt, executive vice-president of corporate development for Emera in The Bahamas, framed the ownership transfer as a “watershed moment” for both the company and the island.

“This transition of ownership from Emera to the government provides a historic opportunity for Grand Bahama power and the island of Grand Bahama to play a pivotal role in the nation’s energy future under The Bahamas comprehensive and progressive national energy policy,” Hutt said.

Nikita Mullings, GBPC’s chief operating officer, reassured customers that the ownership change will not impact the utility’s core service commitments. “Today’s announcement is a big one for us here at Grand Bahama Power, but it does not change what defines us,” Mullings said. “Our commitment to safety, reliability and service excellence remains unchanged, and it does not change our shared responsibility to our customers and this community.”

Energy Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis explained that the acquisition will deliver tangible benefits to more than 17,000 households and over 1,500 small and medium-sized businesses across Grand Bahama, framing the move as a critical step toward pricing fairness and regulatory consistency across the country. For years, Grand Bahama consumers faced drastically higher electricity rates than customers in other parts of The Bahamas under the previous private ownership structure. To illustrate the gap, Coleby-Davis shared that a 495 kilowatt-hour bill in Grand Bahama’s Pineridge neighborhood cost $200.09, while the same usage on Long Island cost just $121.38 under BPL’s tariff— a difference of nearly $79, translating to a 39.3 percent savings after alignment. Similarly, a 1,424 kilowatt-hour bill in Grand Bahama’s West End cost $700.21, compared to $481.50 for the same usage in New Providence, delivering a 31.2 percent savings for local customers after the change.

The minister added that the national policy’s low-income protection, which sets a zero base rate for households using less than 200 kilowatt-hours of electricity monthly, will now extend to Grand Bahama, putting thousands of dollars in annual savings back into the pockets of vulnerable families.

Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey noted that the acquisition addresses decades of constituent complaints about unsustainably high energy costs on the island. “For too long, families and businesses have carried the weight of extremely high electricity costs,” Moxey said. “This Davis administration has heard the cry and meaningful change is here to address this vexing legacy issue, not years down the road, but with your next billing.”

Davis confirmed that the government has not yet made a decision to change GBPC’s name, and will consult local residents on any potential rebranding. He also linked the acquisition to his broader campaign promise to revitalize Freeport and Grand Bahama’s economy. “I have committed myself that while I have the ability to do it, I will try to bring back the magic to the city and I dare say we are well on the way,” Davis said.

Six years after Hurricane Dorian devastated large swathes of Abaco, leaving thousands of residents homeless and economically shattered, anger is boiling over over the Davis administration’s last-minute pre-general election decision to erase all outstanding electricity bills for residents of Grand Cay and Moore’s Island – while leaving similarly devastated mainland Abaco communities without any comparable relief.

Survivors across hard-hit mainland settlements including Marsh Harbour, Dundas Town, Spring City and Murphy Town have decried the selective relief as a transparent, insulting political gambit that ignores the ongoing suffering of thousands of Dorian survivors who have yet to recover from the 2019 storm.

Neulessa Major, a lifelong Marsh Harbour resident whose home suffered catastrophic damage during Dorian, described the unequal treatment as a slap in the face to all mainland Abaco residents still picking up the pieces. Her $55,000 home roof was completely destroyed, all her personal belongings were ruined by storm surge and wind, and she was unable to move back into her repaired property until 2022. Today, she says massive outstanding utility bills burden most families and business owners across central Abaco – none of whom were offered the debt forgiveness extended to the two smaller island communities.

“When I learned that only certain groups were getting their entire balances wiped clean, I was shocked,” Major said in an interview. “All of central Abaco was hit just as hard, with these enormous bills that people can’t possibly pay. Six years on, we still have people living in tents and temporary dome shelters. A lot of homes look finished from the street, but step inside and there aren’t even floor tiles. The government acts like everything is fine for us here, but it’s not.”

The controversial debt cancellation came two weeks ahead of the national general election, after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis visited Grand Cay and publicly promised the relief to voters there. Government officials defended the move, framing it as a resolution to long-running billing disruptions triggered first by Hurricane Dorian and later by the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials noted that Grand Cay and Moore’s Island residents faced unique hardships including limited banking access, extended travel and business restrictions, and that accumulated debt accrued through circumstances outside consumers’ control. The government confirmed the outstanding balances would be covered through an offsetting agreement with Bahamas Power and Light.

But that explanation has done little to ease the anger among mainland Abaco residents, who point out they weathered the same storm and the same subsequent economic crisis, with many still struggling to rebuild. Major emphasized that many Marsh Harbour residents did not wait for government aid to begin rebuilding their homes and businesses, only to be saddled with crippling utility debt that the government has refused to address.

She also called out the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) for a separate recently revealed government-funded gift card program that saw small $300 gift certificates distributed to Abaco residents just ahead of the vote – a move she dismissed as insufficient and politically motivated. The Tribune previously confirmed that more than $200,000 in public funds was used for the gift certificates, which bear the signatures of PLP officials despite being a government initiative.

“A $300 gift certificate six years after we lost everything? What is that even supposed to cover?” Major asked. “A lot of people might celebrate a small handout right before an election, but that doesn’t fix what’s broken here. I was even offered $500 in cash at my door by campaign workers – I refused it. I don’t want a personal payout. I want the government to actually do something for our community.”

Lorane Burrows, a Dundas Town resident whose home was damaged in Dorian, shared Major’s fury, noting she was forced to pay outstanding water and sewerage bills even after her storm damage left her facing major financial strain. “They need to get out,” Burrows said. “This was a slap in the face to all of us. They’ve done nothing for Abaco, nothing for people like me who are still hurting. They failed us entirely.” Burrows confirmed she and all eight voting members of her household will not support the PLP in the upcoming election.

Rochelle Lightbourn, a 55-year-old Spring City resident who lost all her belongings when her rented home was destroyed in Dorian, argued the selective relief is a clear political calculation. “I think they’re doing this because they know they’re going to lose these districts, and they’re trying to buy back support,” she said. “It’s not going to work. I still haven’t even replaced everything I lost six years ago.”

Lottie Williams, a 64-year-old Spring City resident who lost the entire back section of her home in the storm and had to be rescued by emergency crews, said relief should have been extended to every Abaco resident impacted by Dorian. “Ninety-five percent of the homes in Spring City were destroyed,” she noted. “I understand those outer cays have challenges, but we fought for our lives here, we came home and rebuilt on our own, and we got zero help from this government. High electricity bills affect all of us. It’s just not fair to only write off bills for two small communities when we’re all struggling. That money should have been spread out to everyone who needed it.”

Many residents also recalled the slow, burdensome process of restoring power after the storm, noting that even long-term local residents were forced to produce extensive documentation just to reconnect service, despite the small community where most homeowners and occupants were already well-known to utility officials. For many, the compounding stress of Dorian’s destruction followed by the economic collapse of the COVID-19 pandemic left them unable to keep up with accumulated utility costs – a hardship the government has only chosen to address for a select few, weeks before voters head to the polls.

A political firestorm has erupted in the Bahamas over the distribution of Treasury-financed gift vouchers in Abaco that bear the names of non-government employed Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) election candidates and party officials, with Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell becoming the first sitting government leader to publicly endorse and defend the controversial program.

Mitchell’s unapologetic support for the initiative puts him sharply at odds with many within his own party, where multiple PLP figures have privately voiced shock that more than $200,000 in taxpayer money was allocated to the voucher program. Prime Minister Philip Davis has also refused to publicly address the growing controversy, leaving Mitchell’s outlier stance even more notable in the context of intra-party dynamics.

The decision to attach non-government PLP affiliates’ names to public-funded assistance has sparked intense debate over whether the program violates anti-electioneering laws. The Bahamas’ Parliamentary Elections Act explicitly criminalizes giving, offering, or funding gifts, cash or other benefits with the intent of swaying voter behavior or securing a candidate’s election to Parliament.

Speaking at a raucous PLP campaign rally in Bimini Saturday night, Mitchell brushed off widespread criticism from the opposition, arguing that Abaco residents prioritize access to tangible assistance over quibbles over political branding on the vouchers. “Duane Sands is an amazing fella, he is complaining because vouchers were being given out in Abaco and he says the PLP is connected in giving out those vouchers,” Mitchell told the crowd. “Well, let me ask you this, you think the people in Abaco care whose name was on the voucher? They want the vouchers, they want the help, that’s all that is necessary, and I’m happy the PLP is connected with giving out the vouchers. Give out more vouchers, the more vouchers you give out, the better.”

Mitchell also pivoted to attack the opposition’s own record of ethical missteps, pointing to a past court case involving former opposition figure Frank Smith where a judge cited a multi-million dollar contract awarded to a key prosecution witness. “He has no complaint to make about giving out vouchers and trying to influence voters,” Mitchell said of Sands.

The foreign minister doubled down on his defense of the program, asserting the entire initiative was ethically sound and framing opposition pushback as a deliberate tactic to halt the PLP’s public outreach work. “The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, there is no offence connected with it,” he said.

Opposition Free National Movement (FNM) leader Michael Pintard has strongly condemned the Davis administration, accusing the government of breaking national law by using public funds to distribute gift certificates branded with PLP candidates’ names. Pintard has called the action an “egregious” violation of election rules and is pushing for criminal charges to be filed against responsible parties.

Chris Lleida, chief executive officer of Premier Importers, the firm handling the vouchers, confirmed that the certificates were issued at the formal request of the Bahamas’ Ministry of Finance, confirming the program’s official government backing.

Long queues, multi-hour wait times, and widespread confusion during the Bahamas’ recent advance poll have thrown the Parliamentary Registration Department (PRD)’s preparedness into sharp question, stoking growing fears that the far larger and more complex general Election Day could face similar catastrophic dysfunction.

The final ballot of the day was not cast until 10 p.m. – a full four hours after the official scheduled closing time of 6 p.m., marking a dramatic breakdown of the electoral process that unfolded against a backdrop of weeks of criticism from the opposition Free National Movement (FNM). Prior to the advance poll, the ruling government had repeatedly dismissed opposition concerns, defending the PRD’s ability to manage the election. This week’s voting, however, laid bare severe operational strain across polling stations nationwide: some electors waited more than five hours to cast their ballots, while countless others abandoned the process in frustration, and multiple locations kept voting open far past the official close to clear massive backlogs. Even some candidates from the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) were forced to acknowledge major shortcomings in the advance poll’s organization.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was visibly agitated during a visit to the Sadie Curtis polling location and declined to answer questions from press corps. Former PLP Cabinet minister and MP Leslie Miller, who accompanied Davis, told reporters he waited two and a half hours to vote at the Doris Johnson site, and called for a doubling of available polling space ahead of the general election. “It took me two and a half hours to vote today, okay, tremendous,” Miller said. Several other high-ranking PLP figures including Sebas Bastian, McKell Bonaby, Myles Laroda and Mario Bowleg echoed Miller’s call, noting that more space was urgently needed to reduce crowding, particularly for elderly and disabled voters. Bastian added that the problematic advance poll experience would guide necessary adjustments before Election Day.

Operational issues were apparent from the moment polls opened at many locations. At Kendal Isaacs Gym, a site serving three major constituencies, delays began immediately when the exit door remained locked at opening, creating a massive bottleneck that sent lines swelling out into surrounding areas. Voter Tavia McIntosh said the check-in process inside the station functioned smoothly, but described the outdoor crowding as totally disorganized. “You see the crowd? It is unorganised,” she said. “I hope it [the general election] doesn’t be like this.” Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles ultimately traveled to the site to intervene and restore order.

At Thelma Gibson Primary School, voters reported widespread confusion over directional guidance, with many being sent to multiple wrong locations before finding their correct polling station. Seventy-six-year-old voter Cynthia Sealy told reporters she was redirected twice before reaching the correct spot. Other common complaints across sites focused on a lack of basic amenities for waiting voters, with many electors forced to stand for hours in direct sun without adequate shelter. At the CV Bethel polling location, FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands highlighted extreme overcrowding, noting that one advance polling room had been assigned to nearly 1,200 registered voters. “Perhaps one of the worst situations of the day is Bamboo Town has 1,200 people on the advanced poll, and one room,” Sands said. “One. One. One. So people have been waiting four, five, six hours. Okay?”

Tensions boiled over at the HO Nash polling site after multiple people were permitted to cut in line, sparking loud protests from waiting voters who decried the process as unfair. Multiple elderly voters suffered medical distress amid the heat and long waits, with at least one voter fainting. A 75-year-old elector abandoned the line after just 45 minutes, saying he could not physically tolerate the conditions, and noted he had never seen such dysfunction in decades of voting. “This ain’t the first election these people been through,” he said. “They been through many and I ain’t never seen it like this.” Another voter, Michelle Dames of Mount Moriah, also left without casting a ballot, calling for systemic changes to better accommodate vulnerable groups. “Somebody just fell out over there from standing so long,” she said. “Even though some persons are trying to provide chairs, that ain’t cutting it.”

Beyond basic operational management, FNM legal advisor Khalil Parker raised more serious procedural concerns. He pointed to reports of pre-signed ballots and completed counterfoils found before voters arrived at stations, the lack of a properly segregated voter list for advance poll participants, and a last-minute decision to allow electors with approved applications to vote even if their names did not yet appear on the official register. “So now, we have to deal with the fact that there’s going to need to be a reconciliation between those who voted, but were not on the register, and those who voted and were on the register to make sure that when we begin on election day, there is a mitigation or a correction or an updating of the official records at PRD, so that duplicating voters isn’t a substantive concern in that event,” Parker explained. He added that the FNM would demand an urgent meeting with PRD leadership to resolve all outstanding issues before the general election.

Despite widespread cross-party criticism, the PRD has maintained it remains fully prepared for the upcoming general election, noting that Election Day will feature more polling stations, additional staffing, and expanded logistical support compared to the advance poll. The department acknowledged the delays and confusion, attributing the issues to an “unprecedented” level of voter turnout that outstripped official projections. “This is the first time in Bahamian history that this number of persons has participated in the advance poll, with especially strong participation among elderly voters,” the PRD said in a statement. The department added that it has launched an internal review to identify bottlenecks and will implement targeted adjustments to improve voter flow and inter-agency coordination before Election Day.

Critics have already pushed back against the PRD’s turnout explanation, however, pointing out that all advance poll participants were required to pre-register, giving election officials an exact, advance count of how many voters were expected to cast ballots on advance polling day.

A viral campaign-season clash has put former NBA player turned parliamentary candidate Rick Fox under intense public and political scrutiny, after circulating footage showed him lunging at a local man during a heated dispute over public space for campaign tents. The confrontation, which unfolded on Wednesday in Garden Hills where Fox is running for a seat as Member of Parliament, sparked widespread debate online after the footage was picked up by major U.S. entertainment outlet TMZ, drawing international attention to the altercation.

The widely shared video, which circulated publicly one day after the incident, captures the moment tensions boiled over during a disagreement over a pre-reserved spot for a campaign tent. The man involved, wearing a blue-and-yellow long-sleeve shirt, told Fox’s campaign team that he had already claimed the location for his own use. When Fox questioned whether his claim followed local event guidelines, the man dismissed the rules outright with an expletive-laden rejection. In response, Fox moved aggressively toward the man, forcing his campaign manager Carlyle Bethel to physically step in and restrain him as the situation escalated.

Even as Bethel struggled to hold him back, Fox broke free of his manager’s grip, shouting that the opposing group were nothing but bullies. He then turned toward the person recording the video, flexed his muscles, and issued a public challenge, saying he was “right here for y’all, all day long.” Throughout the rest of the footage, Fox repeatedly labels those involved in the disagreement as bullies, as shouting matches continue between members of both groups.

In the aftermath of the video going viral, Fox addressed reporters to push back against criticism of his actions, arguing that the circulating footage omitted critical context that preceded the confrontation. He claimed the incident was triggered by the man making violent threats against him, his campaign team, and Bethel specifically, framing his outburst as an act of self-defense and protection for the people working with him. “If you’re going to swear and threaten people’s lives, then I’m going to react. I’m going to defend my team, I’m going to defend myself, I’m going to defend anybody who is in the area,” Fox told reporters, adding that some local actors are accustomed to acting as bullies during campaign season, and that his campaign would not tolerate intimidation tactics. He also claimed that law enforcement had responded to the scene and charged the man involved with criminal offences related to the threats.

However, official police statements directly contradict Fox’s account of the incident. Chief Superintendent Sheria King, a police department spokesperson, confirmed that no arrests or charges were filed in connection with the confrontation, and no evidence has been brought forward to support Fox’s claim that death threats were made against him or his campaign manager.

The incident has raised urgent questions about Fox’s temperament and ability to serve in public office, as voters and political observers assess his conduct ahead of the upcoming election. What began as a local dispute over campaign logistics has quickly become a high-profile controversy that could shape voter perceptions of the candidate in the tightly contested Garden Hills race.