Internet leaders gathered in the Caribbean this week to discuss how the region can develop its digital infrastructure.

The two-day State of the Internet Symposium took place in Basseterre, St Kitts, 4-5 December and brought together representatives from the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and the Caribbean Network Operators Group to discuss internet-related trends, policies and challenges.

Other items on the agenda included roundtable discussions on protecting and controlling digital data, critical internet infrastructure, intellectual property, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

The Hero World Challenge takes place in Nassau this week, bringing 18 of the world’s best players to the Albany Resort to compete for the $1 million prize.

Hosted by Tiger Woods, the high-profile tournament is one of the biggest events in the Bahamas’ sport and tourism calendar.

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The Bahamas Development Bank (BDB) is in the midst of a major reform effort to ensure that it can meet international expectations for national development, including support for the United Nations sustainable development goals.

In addition to business process re-engineering to improve service quality, the bank is also developing a new strategic plan.

The plan will integrate the need for climate change mitigation, environmental sustainability, gender equity and financial inclusion while ensuring that the bank is focused on development that will tangibly increase economic empowerment for Bahamians.

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Indications are that The Bahamas’ domestic economic activity remained mildly positive in October, following the passage of Hurricane Dorian, according to the latest economic report from The Central Bank of The Bahamas.

Specifically, tourism output was supported by gains in the New Providence market and the unaffected Family Islands.

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As part of its “Bahamas is Open for Business” marketing campaign, the Bahamas Tourist Office in Plantation, Florida in conjunction with its partnership with Hubbard Radio Alpha Media Network, in West Palm Beach, will conduct three special editions of The Bahamas Travel Show.

The show was designed to further heighten The Bahamas’ brand, increase market visibility, engage loyal listeners, increase visitor interest and bookings to its destination and simultaneously, promote the latest developments, trends and tourism activities occurring in and around the Islands of The Bahamas.

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The Bahamas has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at its 31st Assembly, taking place in London this week.

The island nation joins Jamaica as the only countries from the Caribbean region on the 40-member IMO Council and was granted the position in recognition of its “special interests in maritime transport or navigation.”

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Lombard Odier & Cie (Bahamas) Ltd marked a major milestone this year, celebrating 40 years of business in The Bahamas.

In 1979, the Geneva-based bank saw potential in the local market and began its operations in Nassau bringing the same values, expertise and technology from its head office to service clients in the jurisdiction.

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The Bahamas has become the latest country of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to ensure trade continuity with the UK following on from the ten-year-old economic partnership agreement (EPA) signed between the Caribbean Forum and the European Union.

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The Bahamas has officially launched a digital transformation programme that will make it possible for all major government services to be accessed online.

The programme dubbed, The Government’s Digital Transformation To Strengthen Competitiveness is being funded by a $30 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and will be implemented in phases over a six-year period.

Its main aim is to remove delays and “red tape” that citizens and business interests encounter when doing business with the government.

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The Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) recently hosted a successful round of meetings and events in Dubai as it moves to explore opportunities in the Middle East.

The Bahamas’ delegation, which included BFSB CEO Tanya McCartney, Minister of Financial Services Elsworth Johnson and Bahamas’ Ambassador to the UAE and the State of Qatar Tony Joudi, had a full schedule last week as they introduced the UAE to The Bahamas’ financial services portfolio.

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