Minister of Labour, National Insurance and the Public Service, the Hon. D. Shane Gibson is pictured at right conversing with Baha Mar’s, Senior Vice President, Mr. Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands at left. Also pictured at left is Ms. Viana Gardiner, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Counsel for Baha Mar; Ms. Kirsty Cowper, Director of Recruitment and Human Resource Administration; Ms. Tabitha Pratt, Human Resource Manager for the Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar and at right Robert Farquharson, Director of Labour. Baha Mar’s Senior Vice President, Mr. Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands and Mr. Luis Fernandes, Managing Director of Rosewood at Baha Mar recently paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Labour, National Insurance and the Public Service, the Hon. D. Shane Gibson on Friday, 25th of July 2014. Mr. Sands who was also accompanied by Ms. Kirsty Cowper, Director of Recruitment and Human Resource Administration; Ms. Viana Gardiner, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Counsel for Baha Mar; Ms. Tabitha Pratt, Human Resource Manager for the Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar informed Minister Gibson that Baha Mar is on target for its December 2014 opening. Baha Mar’s officials disclosed that four senior Baha Mar employees are currently interning at Rosewood Resort properties where they are receiving international training and exposure on how to provide exceptional customer service. The senior executives also provided Minister Gibson with an update on Baha Mar’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI) which recently graduated its first class which included 150 individuals, with its second graduating class comprising an additional 170 persons slated for August 19; and another 360 persons for another term. The Baha Mar team, also revealed that more than 300 Bahamians recently started training at Baha Mar’s Casino Gaming school. Mr. Sands explained that Baha Mar’s casino will employ up to 750 to 800 Bahamians and will be staffed by 90 percent of Bahamians. During the meeting Minister Gibson commended Baha Mar’s team, stating that “Baha Mar is making good progress.” Minister Gibson stressed that he wants to ensure that Bahamians are given first preference as well as every available opportunity to apply for jobs at Baha Mar. Also in attendance were Mr. Marco Rolle, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and National Insurance; Mr. Robert Farquharson, Director of Labour and Mr. Colin Wright, Consultant with the Ministry of Labour.  Read More →

TRIBUTE BY PRIME MINISTER THE RT. HON PERRY G. CHRISTIE AT THE FUNERAL OF EDMUND SPENSER MOXEY 1ST AUGUST, 2014 When I heard of the passing of Edmund Spenser Moxey last Monday morning, I immediately released a statement expressing sadness over the loss of a man who had not only etched his name in glory as a frontline soldier of the Peaceful Revolution but who had also been revered for decades as an authentic cultural icon of the modern Bahamas. In that statement I expressed to Ed’s widow, Sylvia, and to his children and wider family my personal condolences and the sympathies of the entire nation. I renew those sentiments here this morning. In doing so, I pray that Mrs. Moxey and her family will be comforted in their bereavement by the knowledge that a good man and great Bahamian has gone home to his reward after a life of service, a life of sacrifice, a life of courage, a life of love for his fellow man, and a life of impressive accomplishment that made our nation better. I feel especially honoured and touched that Ed’s family extended an invitation to me to say a few words of tribute at this funeral service.  Although Ed’s political path diverged from mine in the mature period of our lives, there was a time, much earlier on, when we were close comrades-in-arms; kindred spirits joined in struggle for a common cause. Indeed I have always credited Ed Moxey as one of the persons who was chiefly responsible for introducing me to politics. Back in the mid 60’s when the struggle for Majority Rule was gaining momentum among the youth of our country, a group called the National Committee for Positive Action – the NCPA – entered the fray. It was a pressure group and think-tank for the PLP but, even more than that, because of its high-octane energy and outspokenness, it opened up a new front for the war on the minority government at the time. Ed Moxey was an important member of the NCPA, “this happy band of brothers”, as Shakespeare would have termed it, and it was this same Ed Moxey who personally introduced Lionel Carey and myself to the NCPA. He took us under his wing and took us along to the meetings. He was the person who recruited me and who sponsored me for membership in the NCPA. Thus began my political career, a career that Ed Moxey launched for me all those many years ago. Even way back then Ed was a man of fiery passions and strong convictions. He remained that way throughout his life. He was a great fighter, courageous and unflinching in the face of aggression. But perhaps even more consequential than that, Ed was also a dreamer, a great dreamer, especially in relation to the cultural development of The Bahamas. Looking back now, as inevitably we do on an occasion like this, we see all too clearly and perhaps a little late, that Edmund Spencer Moxey was a true visionary when it came to cultural development and community uplift. Indeed historians will see in the ideas he espoused and the projects he introduced when he was Parliamentary Secretary more than 40 years ago that Ed was a man way ahead of his times. For better or for ill, priorities were ordered differently back then and, frankly, Ed was something of a Lone Ranger around the proverbial table of national decision-making. Culture was for many a dispensable sideline to national development. It was not a big thing. But for Ed it was the heart and soul of the Bahamian people. He was absolutely convinced that it was the key to the re-building of broken communities and broken lives. And he was equally convinced that it was only through cultural development that we could spiritually re-connect with our African roots, something that he saw as essential to the emerging sense of national identity and our own individual appreciation of who and what we are. And so, long before Urban Renewal came along, Ed Moxey was out there beating the drum – sometimes quite literally beating the drum – for community development and uplift through the medium of culture, backed up by the robust intervention of the state to remediate poverty and sub-standard living conditions in the inner city. That was Ed’s vision; that is what he wanted; that is what he fought for. He was indeed a man ahead of his times. The man we pay tribute to today, Edmund Moxey, was, however, a man of many parts. He straddled many worlds and had many passions and pursuits. He was a politician who served in Parliament for ten years; he was, as I have just noted, a cultural warrior who believed in things Bahamian; he was a musician extraordinaire; he was a telecommunications technician; he was a businessman; and he was a community activist. But above all, Ed loved people and strove always to serve them to the best of his ability and with complete sincerity of purpose. He made friends and acquaintances easily all across the social spectrum. He enjoyed the camaraderie and social bonding that came through chatting, arguing, bantering or sharing a good laugh. Indeed it was from this wellspring of affection for people and his concern for the plight of the underprivileged that Ed’s passion for politics came. He wanted to be in a position to help people. This deep and sincere love of people lay at the heart of his career as a politician. He was a man of the people and for the people. Even today, several decades after he exited politics, the old people of Coconut Grove still remember Ed fondly as an attentive and caring member of parliament; as someone who went to bat for them; and as someone who stayed in close touch with them as an MP. History will recall that Ed Moxey, at the age of 33, was among the group of 18 PLP members elected to the House of Assembly in the 1967 General Election. It was a game-changing moment in the history of The Bahamas, one that ushered in Majority Rule. Sadly, they’re nearly all gone now, the men who strode in triumph along Bay Street, amidst the adoring crowds, to take their seats in the House of Assembly as the first black government in all of Bahamian history.  With Ed’s passing, there are now only five of the 18 left: the Hon. A.D. Hanna, Sir Arthur Foulkes, Warren Levarity, Dr. Eldwood Donaldson, and Maurice Moore. That’s the remnant from the class of ’67. All the others are gone now, and Ed is the latest to take his leave. As an MP for one of the most depressed areas of the country, Ed lobbied tirelessly for infrastructural improvement: for the paving of roads, for the installation of street lights, for the provision and extension of running water, and for a health clinic and pre-school.  Today, the Coconut Grove Clinic on Acklins Street with a pre-school attached to it remains a memorial to Ed’s efforts. But as fine a record as Ed had in that regard as an MP, his cultural contributions rank even higher. Having inherited his father’s musical genius, Ed brought it to full flower. He had a particular passion for indigenous music, especially Rake and Scrape. It was not surprising that he sought to infuse this and other forms of artistic expression into the Bahamian cultural scene. Inevitably, even if painfully for some, one cannot omit to mention Ed’s signature creation, Jumbey Village – a themed village designed to give expression to the cultural heritage of the Bahamian people. It was a place where musicals and plays were staged for the benefit of the common man. Interestingly enough, much of this output was conceived, written and produced by Ed Moxey himself with the help of others. Sadly, Jumbey Village did not stand the test of time but it continues to loom large in popular memory as a cultural mecca whose bright promise was never fully realized but whose time may yet come again as we focus more and more, as Ed himself did way back when, on how vitally important and potentially transformative, arts and culture are to our well-being and sense of identity. Indeed, the biggest tribute we could ever pay to Ed Moxey and the pioneering work he did in this area of cultural development would be to explore in earnest the feasability of integrating the Jumbey Village concept into the Urban Renewal Programme. That would be the finest and most useful thing we could ever do to not only celebrate but to perpetuate the cultural legacy and the community upliftment vision of Edmund Spencer Moxey. I counted Ed Moxey a friend of long standing. His father, George “God Bless” Moxey, and my own father were close friends, fellow musicians and neighbours. But Ed and I were friends in our own right and I always had a great personal affection for him. Indeed one of my first actions upon coming to office as Prime Minister in 2002 was to cause Ed to be able to earn a living from his musical skills by hiring him as a consultant in the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture. And just three weeks ago, just a very short time before his death, Ed was named by my Government as one of the 41“Cultural Warriors” on the 41st occasion of the Independence of The Bahamas. But let there be no mistake about it: these were not gifts for Ed. Instead he deserved them. He had earned them. He got them on merit. And so I come here this morning to bid farewell to a friend, to my first sponsor in politics, to a loyal and patriotic Bahamian, to a good and decent man who contributed much to the life and times in which he lived and fought as a political and cultural warrior. I will miss him. May His Soul Rest In Peace!  Read More →

A 37 – year man is in custody after he was arrested for Stealing from a Vehicle and Causing Damage on Thursday 31st July 2014. According to reports, around 6:30pm, Flying Squad officers acting on intelligence arrested the suspect at East Street South, who was wanted for questioning reference to Stealing from a Vehicle and Causing Damage. 2 SUSPECTS ARRESTED BY CENTRAL DIVISION OFFICERS FOR STOLEN VEHICLE Two men ages 38 and 30 are in custody after they were found in possession of a Stolen Vehicle on Thursday 31st July 2014. According to reports, around 6:30pm, Central Division officers were on patrol on Meeting Street, where they arrested the two suspects who were found in possession of a 1996 vehicle reported stolen in 2012. The suspects will appear in court at a later date to be formally charged. FLYING SQUAD OFFICERS SEIZE FIREARM According to reports, shortly after 5:00pm on Thursday 31st July 2014, officers from the Flying Squad acting on intelligence went to a park located at St. James Road, where they uncovered a shotgun. No one was arrested for this seizure. POLICE are appealing to anyone with information regarding any crime, no matter how small or insignificant (the tip) may seem, to anonymously call Police at 919 or CRIME STOPPERS at 328-TIPS (8477) (New Providence) or 1-242-300-8476 (Family Islands) .  Read More →

VICTIM BELIEVES FORMER OWNER IS IN A RACKET! Live fottage of Honda being stolen. REPORT FROM VICTIM – A Honda accord 010  black four door tan – cloth interior was stolen at the begging of July from the area of Faith Gardens between the hours of 10-3 no wrecker no glass. Broke cameras show were the person just walk up to the car dress down in  black. Couldn’t really see the face walk to the car; he pushed the key in the car and drove off. It is a strong belief that the car was stolen from the person who I  bought it from. He sold it to me with one key but the person who he bought the car from sold it to him with 2 keys. WHAT A COUNTRY! There is a strong belief that he came back for it! BP I had the car no more than 3 months. It was on rims 3 days after the rims was recovered off a next car from a person who is the best-friend of the guy I bought the car from. The same guy was den locked up and release on bail! He still refuse to talk and let the CDU know were the car is! Or were did he got the rims from. The car was last seen in the East area around  Fox Hill area! ANY INFORMATION  or tips WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED !!! $1000 REWARD FOR ANY HELP IN FINDING THE CAR all information would be confidential!  Read More →

Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, brings remarks to graduates of the second cohort of the National Training Agency. A ceremony marking the event was held at the Holy Trinity Activities Centre on Monday, July 28. Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, presents Mr. Victor Gardiner an award for outstanding performance in Auto Service during the second graduation ceremony of the National Training Agency. Nassau, The Bahamas – More than 200 persons have graduated from the government’s national training programme. This second cohort graduated after 14 weeks of intensive training. Several graduates have already been employed in various industries. A ceremony marking the event was held at the Holy Trinity Activities Centre on Monday, July 28. Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Perry G. Christie was in attendance and delivered remarks. “This is yet another proud moment for Bahamians,” said Mr. Christie. “This programme provides the opportunity for Bahamians to excel in a cross section of disciplines and empower themselves to improve their lives.” Praising the accomplishments of former Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Cynthia Pratt, Mr. Christie said people like her who started out in humble beginning should inspire Bahamians. “There are no limits to what you can become, so do not take this training lightly,” he said. “When you look at a person like Cynthia ‘Mother” Pratt, you can’t help but be inspired. She grew up in poverty but was able to transcend her circumstances and become the first female to ever hold the post of deputy prime minister of the country.” Also in attendance was the Minister of Labour and National Insurance, Hon D. Shane Gibson. He encouraged the graduates to take advantage of all opportunities, which come their way. “When I was a young man, one of the things that I always tried to do, was to take advantage of all opportunities that I could get,” he said. “I made it my business to pursue opportunities, so I would urge you not to ignore opportunities that may come your way.” The National Training Agency became a duly legislated autonomous entity on 19th November 2013. Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, presents Ms. Dacota Higgins an award for outstanding performance in Allied Health Care during the second graduation ceremony of the National Training Agency.  Read More →

FirstCare Medical Plan, R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas and Ministry of Education award three students with prizes valued at more than $1k. All smiles! – The winners of the 2nd Annual FirstCare Medical Plan Autism Awareness Essay Contest received prizes valued at more than $1k. Corporate sponsors included The Shoe Village and Custom Computers. Pictured left to right: Grand prize winner Raphieal Newbold, 1st runner up Ari Brathwaite and Mr. Munroe representing 2nd runner up Janea Munroe. Nassau, Bahamas – FirstCare Medical Plan in association with R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas and The Ministry of Education awarded three students with prizes valued at more than $1k at the award ceremony for the second annual Autism Awareness Essay Contest. More than 65 high school students from across The Islands of The Bahamas including islands as far south as Acklins and as far north as Grand Bahama submitted essays on the topic “Autism in The Bahamas: Inclusion, Advocacy and Dispelling Myths.” “It is encouraging to see so many Bahamian students take part in this essay contest,” stated Marcellus Taylor, Deputy Director of Education responsible for Planning and Transformation. “We have already seen the great returns on the government’s investments in special education. We have witnessed students on the autism spectrum who have been integrated into mainstream educational institutions and are now sitting national exams.” A panel of judges including Ms. Barbara Dorsett of The Ministry of Education, Mrs. Bridgette McPhee of R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas and Mrs. Athena Pratt of First Care Medical Plan judged each essay independently. After two rounds of judging, the essays with the highest scores were selected as the winners. A Clean Sweep – Queen’s College Students claim all three winning spots in the 2nd Annual FirstCare Medical Plan Autism Awareness Essay Contest. Pictured left to right: Margo Gibson, Marketing Manager, The Shoe Village; Corinna Neely, President, FirstCare Medical Plan; Mr. Munroe representing 2nd runner up Janea Munroe; 1st runner up Ari Brathwaite; grand prize winner Raphieal Newbold; Mario Carey, President, R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas; Marcellus Taylor, Deputy Director of Education, Ministry of Education and Maria Tsavoussis, Deputy Head High School, Queen’s College. Raphieal Newbold Jr., a twelfth grade student at Queen’s College penned the winning essay and recounted his experience watching a toddler interact lovingly with his older brother who is affected by autism as an example for all to follow. In his essay, Newbold noted, “We can eradicate the teasing, the frowns and the harsh interferences. Together we can see significant improvement and advancement.” Newbold received a $300 cheque from FirstCare Medical Plan, a gift certificate from The Shoe Village and an electronic gift from Custom Computers. Two runners-up were selected. Queen’s College eleventh grader Ari Brathwaite, was announced the first runner-up and tenth grade Queen’s College student Janea Munroe was announced the second runner up. The runners-up received cash prizes from FirstCare Medical Plan as well as gift certificates from The Shoe Village. “FirstCare Medical Plan is committed to raising awareness for this developmental disorder that affects so many Bahamians both directly and indirectly, stated Corinna Neely, President of FirstCare Medical Plan. “We are incredibly encouraged by the great response the essay contest generates. Knowing that students are researching the disorder, learning more about how it affects others and linking that knowledge to personal interactions with those affected by autism can only help in fostering inclusion in the community.” Mario Carey, President of R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas expressed hope for further inclusion, highlighting the recently tabled Disabilities Act, which he states “gives our population of special needs citizens a lot of rights, a lot of power and equal opportunity.” Carey, flanked by his son Cole – who is a U.S. National Honour Society member with Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, outlined the many initiatives that R.E.A.C.H. is spearheading. He noted the recently concluded 14th annual summer camp hosted in partnership with the Ministry of Education that provided complimentary activities for more than 196 children over a four week period. He also announced the launch of the Best Buddies program in The Bahamas, a global volunteer movement that seeks to integrate those with autism spectrum disorders into the workforce. Corporate volunteers welcome those with autism spectrum disorders into the workplace where they are assigned a buddy who works with them one-on-one with the ultimate goal of securing rewarding jobs that will allow adults with autism to become part of mainstream society. The government has already committed to building a full centre for the disabled, complete with education, training and recreational facilities on a 20-acre site on Gladstone Road. FirstCare Medical Plan has pledged to host the Autism Awareness Essay contest for many years to come and plans to become a Best Buddies corporate member.  Read More →

Damaso Gray, 4th place finisher in the logo design contest in the 19thCommonwealth Education Ministers receives his prizes. Pictured from left is Ambrose Fernander, Ministry of Tourism; Nicole Campbell, Permanent Secretary; Mr. Gray and Marcellus Taylor, Deputy Director. from left 2nd Conference of - BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna. Nassau, The Bahamas – The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced the winner and finalists of the logo design competition for the 19thof Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) and unveiled their submissions during a press conference, July 28. Daniel Hanna’s maypole design signifying the unity of all participating countries in the 19CCEM to be held in The Bahamas from June 22-26, 2015 was the overall winning entry. “It is a collective product that signifies unity. It does not matter the paths that cross around the maypole, they merge and mesh,” said Hanna of the 1000 delegates expected to participate in the conference.” Hanna received a Samsung Galaxy S5, a Mini iPad and $1,000 cash prize. Damasco Gray, the 2nd place winner received a Samsung Galaxy 5 and $750 and Daniel Williams, third place finisher, won a Samsung Galaxy 5 and $500. Attracting some 50 entries including submissions from artists in several Family Islands, Jerome Fitzgerald, Minister of Education, Science and Technology described the competition as a “national undertaking”. “This logo will tell the world that the 19thin The Bahamas,” said Minister Fitzgerald. “After its unveiling today, it will appear on all literature, bags, shirts, paraphernalia and in all print and digital media including  CCEM is being held the website and Facebook page associated with the conference.” The Education Minister said the logo identifies the conference and allows The Bahamas, as the host country, to brand it in a unique way. “In addition to proclaiming the theme, Quality Education for Equitable Development: Performance, Paths and Productivity”, the artists had to show the importance and the inter-connectedness of these elements to education leaders and the 2.2 billion citizens of the Commonwealth,” he said. He reiterated that the conference will facilitate the exchange of best practices in education, promote goodwill and foster mutual respect and cooperation between delegates and member states. The conference, which will be held at Atlantis, Paradise Island, is intended to:*increase the understanding of Commonwealth ministers and senior officials of critical issues in education;*examine barriers to equity, access and quality education and identify key enabling factors to address these issues;*gain the commitment of Ministers to specific actions identified at the conference and*discuss the process for aligning plans and strategies to support the achievement of the new goals and targets of the Post-2015 education development framework within the Commonwealth’s priorities, processes and platforms.  Read More →

Nassau, The Bahamas – Government officials of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Republic of Haiti have come together at the Melia Nassau Beach Hotel in a trilateral meeting to discuss matters involving trade, immigration and the improvement of the agricultural sectors. During the trilateral meeting, The Bahamas and Haiti have signed four Agreements pertaining to trade, cooperation, and migration. “Through the Framework Agreement for Bilateral Cooperation; the Agreement on Trade and Technical Cooperation in Agriculture and Fisheries; the Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments; and the Joint Project Cooperation Agreement between the National Port Authority of Haiti and the Port Authority of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, The Bahamas hopes to strengthen our relationship with the Republic of Haiti,” said Prime Minister Christie. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Honorable Fred A. Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and His Excellency Thomas Jacques, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of the Republic of Haiti, sign the Framework Agreement for Bilateral Cooperation. His Excellency Peter Bekingham, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands (right) speaks with Haitian president, Michel Martelly His Excellency Peter Bekingham, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bahamian Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.  Read More →

BP MAJOR BREAKING REPORT >>> A foreign missions office in the capital employee bank accounts have also been compromised… Someone leaders in the banking sector like Nathaniel Beneby from RBC should assure the public that they have these incidents under control! Nassau, Bahamas — Troubling news have hit the banking sector today where only readers of Bahamas Press knows detectives are battling a major cyber crime activity in the country. Sources close to an investigation now underway confirm residents are being hit by a banking scam that has left their accounts wiped clean. BP will not name the institutions at this time but we can report, police are on top of the situation and are investigating at least two persons inside the banking industry. And here’s what we know…. Over a week ago the owner of the Tropical Dreams Motel on Dry Hill Road in North Palmetto Point Eleuthera reported to police in Governor’s Harbour that on July 24th persons unknown to him on several occasions have accessed both his personal savings and the motel’s bank accounts on the island. We can confirm someone inside the bank with the assistance of technology, removed without the permission of the bank’s client as much as $10,000. But this was not the only incident. Just last week a major embassy mission here in New Providence experienced the same where all of the bank account of Bahamian employees were wiped clean of funds. COP Ellison Greenslade's team of officer are now looking into the matter. Greenslade has been trained extensively in such matters and we trust his abilities to arrest the situation. How these incidents have occurred is still unknown, but we at BP would ask officials to look into a personality on Grand Bahama and they just might get their answer. We are advised the hacked accounts have been done with duplicate accounts created; causing funds to be transferred into the duplicate account leaving the victim’s account empty. Only an individual with vast computer hacking and a record of fraud can do such nastiness! Police should close in quickly on this suspect before they destabilize our financial institutions. We are told while nothing has been said about these incidents in the WUTLESS DUTTY MEDIA; bankers have moved with emergency meetings to safeguard their systems and are working with international agencies to get to the bottom of this matter. As we said earlier – detectives should look at a person [SUSPECT] of interest out of Grand Bahama! We have been reliably informed that a number of victims have been showing up at police stations around the country. WHAT IN THE HELL IS DIS? Bahamas Press is asking when will someone assured the public from the Banking sector that they have the situation under control? We report yinner decide!  Read More →

Ed Fields, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Atlantis; Marvin Major, Branch Manager, CIBC FirstCaribbean Harbour Bay; and Marie Rodland-Allen, Managing Director CIBC FirstCaribbean, cut the ribbon on the new state-of-the-art ABM unit in the Marina Village at the Atlantis Resort. Nassau, Bahamas – CIBC FirstCaribbean has installed a dual currency Automatic Banking Machine (ABM) in the Atlantis Marina Village on Paradise Island to the benefit of both area staff and local and international visitors to the popular harbour side shopping and entertainment strip. Senior Management of CIBC FirstCaribbean and Atlantis gathered to inaugurate the new ABM and welcome the machines first enthusiastic customer, Atlantis guest, Laurie Berry. Sherwin Hilton CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Business Support Manager welcomes Laurie Berry, the very first customer to the new ABM unit at the Marina Village at Atlantis. The machine is the latest in a series of installations and upgrades CIBC FirstCaribbean has been making to its ABM network across the Island. The machine, which dispenses both Bahamian and American currency and provides sophisticated, fast and efficient e-banking services 24/7, follows similar installations at CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Bay Street branch and at the Sir Lynden Pindling International Airport. Managing Director, Marie Rodland-Allen, stated that Paradise Island was the logical next location for their new technology roll-out, as the closure of the Paradise Island branch earlier this year left CIBC FirstCaribbean customers who live or work on the island, missing the convenience of their home bank. “The machines at the airport and Bay Street branch have been well received by our clients, visitors and staff as a progressive and timely service addition. We realised Paradise Island would benefit too, especially with the ABM’s accessible location for visitors to the island and for the many Atlantis staff who are also customers of the Bank and looking for convenience in executing their day-to-day banking activities. Our response so far has been enthusiastic and we look forward to continuing to serve.”  Read More →