Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation Hope Stachan met with members of the Bahamas Insurance Association (BGIA) at the Ministry November 8, 2012.

Minister for Grand Bahama Michael Darville said November 6 that the planned Bahamas International Investment and Business Forum slated for February 20-21, 2013, on Grand Bahama is testament to the government’s commitment to the island.

Minister Darville’s comments came during a press conference at the Grand Lucayan Resort to launch the upcoming forum.

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“The Bahamas is one of those destinations that have so many unique features and Grand Bahama is one that we wanted to highlight with this conference,” he [Khaalis Rolle] said, citing the island’s strategic advantage in shipping and logistics.

This is an excerpt from The Freeport News as it appeared on November 8, 2012. For updates or to read the current version of this post in its entirety, please click here.

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For couples dreaming of tying the knot in true pirate fashion, it’s time to grab your parrot and treasure chest: weddings at sea just got a whole lot easier.

Thanks to the Bahamas’ recently passed Marriage Act, couples can now be legally married onboard ships registered in the country while in international waters.

The legality of weddings performed aboard cruise ships is dependent upon the marriage laws of the country in which the ship is registered.

Pictured: One of the many “neighborhood concepts” on Royal Caribbean’s ‘Oasis of the Seas‘. Central Park is an open air park found mid-ship on deck 8. Nassau is one of the many ports of call for the Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

This is an excerpt from The Huffington Post as it appeared on November 8, 2012. For updates or to read the current version of this post in its entirety, please click here.

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CARICOM Secretariat, Turkey, Greater Georgetown, Guyana–Picewell Forbes, Plenipotentiary Representative of The Bahamas to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), November 6 presented his Letters of Credence to Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, at the CARICOM Secretariat.

The third Plenipotentiary Representative of The Bahamas to CARICOM, Ambassador Forbes is a veteran broadcaster and communications specialist.

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Sir Sidney Poitier was in The Bahamas last weekend to attend an event in his honour. The Oscar-winning actor had one of the Paradise Island bridges named after him. Watch a video of the event here.

To effectively compete against other offshore financial centres, The Bahamas needs to increase its visibility and effectively market its portfolio of products, according to chief executive officer and executive director of the Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) Aliya Allen.

“We are considered a leader in wealth management,” she told attendees at a recent seminar in Nassau. “We have a very good product as a jurisdiction, but it is now time that we increase the visibility of The Bahamas brand.”

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Innovative new financial products can help give The Bahamas the edge over other offshore jurisdictions, as well as helping the country target the lucrative Brazilian market, according to industry experts.

In August this year The Bahamas launched its latest generation of the Super Qualified Investor Funds, or SMART Funds. The SMART Fund 007 will be offered to investors who are prepared to make a minimum initial investment of $500,000.

Speaking at Accountants’ Week, which runs this week at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Hotel, partner at Graham Thompson & Co Linda D’Aguilar (pictured) praised the fund model and said it would cater to the Brazilian market, as well as other international investors.

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Accountants are on the frontline of ensuring The Bahamas maintains its edge in an increasingly regulated global economy, according to Minister of Financial Services Ryan Pinder, who today urged members of the profession to be in a “constant state of education and keep appraised of the international landscape.”

Speaking on the second day of Accountants’ Week 2012, Minister Pinder discussed the concept of mitigating risk and how enhanced compliance regulations would impact the industry.

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Prime Minister Perry Christie returned to the Cove Eleuthera resort development site last week to assess damage caused by Hurricane Sandy and said he was impressed by the progress being made on the project. Watch a ZNS news report here.
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