The Bahamas has a solid Internet infrastructure, and is a favourable jurisdiction for data privacy. This has been affirmed by Richard Douglas. He moved to The Bahamas from Canada in the 1990s to explore opportunities in the IT space. By the late 90s, data centres were built, with the local phone company and the cable … Read More
E-Business & ICT
E-Commerce Platform Launched
[Bank of the Bahamas](http://www.bankbahamasonline.com) has unveiled its e-commerce platform as a major part of the institution’s growth strategy to recalibrate its business model to better suit the business environment. Effectively, the facility will act as a clearing and settlement house for e-commerce transactions; it will be the first in The Bahamas to fully facilitate online … Read More
New E-Government Services Platform
Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham today launched a $10.2 million e-government initiative, noting *”Today marks a significant milestone for the Bahamas. Today we change the concept of service delivery by moving government services from the counter only to the computer screen also.”* Persons are now able to renew driver’s licenses, pay real property … Read More
BTC Privatisation Paves Way for Centre of Excellence
Yesterday the Government of The Bahamas and [Cable and Wireless Communications](http://www.cwc.com) (CWC) signed a share purchase agreement and shareholders agreement governing the terms of CWC’s acquisition of 51 percent of the shares of the [Bahamas Telecommunications Company](http://www.btcbahamas.com) (BTC) for a consideration of $210 million plus $7 million stamp tax. Later in the day, in the … Read More
E-Government Platform
The Bahamas Government has committed a “significant sum of money” to launch its new e-Government platform that will go live in July 2011. The platform revamps the public service, enhancing efficiency of operations and service delivery. When govnet.bs launches, Bahamians will be able to pay business license fees, fines, real estate property taxes, renew drivers’ … Read More
BTC and Cable and Wireless Communications Sign MOU
The Government has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with [Cable & Wireless Communications ](http://www.cwc.com)(CWC) for the sale of a 51% interest in the [Bahamas Telecommunications Company](http://www.btcbahamas.com) (BTC). CWC is a global, full-service communications company which operates leading communications businesses through four regional units – the Caribbean, Panama, Macau and Monaco & Islands. … Read More
ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference Adopts Hyderabad Action Plan
The concluding day of the fifth World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10), held from 24 May until 4 June, adopted the Hyderabad Action Plan. The Hyderabad Action Plan outlines a road map to foster the global development of information and communication technology (ICT) networks and services over the next four-year cycle. The roll out of next-generation … Read More
IPBS launches new e-Banking module
##Latest version exploits web based technologies to deliver greater banking functionality## [International Private Banking Systems](http://www.ipbs.com) (IPBS), the specialist provider of wealth management software for the private banking sector, today announced the launch of an enhanced e-Banking module. The software allows wealth management providers to deliver a superior user experience to their customers with enhanced banking … Read More
BACH Goes Live
The Bahamas Automated Clearing House (BACH) went live on January 22. *“The advent of the Clearing House will affect every single person who deposits money to a chequing account, writes a cheque or wishes to pay a bill online,”* said Brian Smith, BACH Business Manager. *“By speeding up the time it takes for deposits to … Read More
New Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority
The Public Utilities Commission (the PUC) has transitioned to the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) as the regulator for the electronic communications sector in The Bahamas. The Communications Act 2009, which gives URCA full powers of regulation and of oversight of the sector, came into force on 1 September 2009. This signaled the start … Read More
The Hon. K. Peter Turnquest was born on August 22nd, 1964 in the Bahamas and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Prairie View A&M University, and his MBA from Nova Southeastern University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has been in public and private practice for over 30 years in the area of financial accounting and reporting, audit, corporate services, merges & acquisitions, receiverships and liquidations. Mr. Turnquest has had wide business experience having led international sales and manufacturing operations in several countries.
A former Attorney-General of The Bahamas and one of Her Majesty’s Queens Counsel, John’s practice concentration are financial services law and regulation, corporate governance, business restructuring & insolvency, and commercial litigation. He has also been advisor in several major acquisitions and mergers within The Bahamas, and also in acquisitions by or mergers with regional entities.
The Honourable Brent Symonette presently serves as the Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration. In May 2017, Minister Symonette was elected as the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of St. Anne’s, Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas. An alumnus of Brunel University in Middlesex, England, he graduated with a BSc (Hons.) in Law and Political Science. He is a Barrister-at-Law having been called to the Bahamas Bar in 1978. Mr. Symonette is a respected and experienced politician having served in many governmental capacities for approximately thirty (30) years. His political career began in 1987 where he was appointed to the Senate of The Bahamas serving in this capacity for two consecutive five year terms. In 2002, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Montagu Constituency. During his parliamentary career he served as Minister of Tourism and Attorney General, Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement Party (FNM), Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.
Valdez K. Russell serves as the principal of VKR Insights, a communications and reputation management agency. Throughout his professional career, Valdez has been instrumental in facilitating public relations and communication strategies to help individuals and organizations to build relationships and influence change.
Diego Zuluaga is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, where he covers financial technology and consumer credit. Before joining Cato, Zuluaga was Head of Financial Services and Tech Policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. While at the IEA, he authored papers on the social value of finance, the role of offshore centers, the regulation of online platforms, and the taxation of capital income, among others. His work has been featured in print and broadcast media, such as the Times, Newsweek, and the Daily Telegraph. Zuluaga is a prolific public speaker as well as a former lecturer in economics at the University of Buckingham.
Ms. Christina R. Rolle is the Executive Director of the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, having been appointed effective 26 January 2015. Ms. Rolle has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Over the course of her career, Ms. Rolle has acted as Director and Deputy CEO for a prominent international private bank and held various senior managerial positions with local and other international institutions including Head of Trust and Fiduciary, Head of Risk, Compliance and Corporate Governance and Manager of Banking Services.
Mr. James H. Smith is currently in retirement since June, 2007. Before then, he served in Parliament as a Senator and in the Cabinet of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas as the Minister of State for Finance during the period 2002 to 2007.
Llewellyn Boyer-Cartwright is a partner in Callenders & Co., The Bahamas’ oldest law firm and recipient of numerous international awards of recognition including the Corporate International Global Award.
Michael Allen has professional expertise in corporate and commercial law, including derivatives law as it relates to the participation by Bahamian entities in financial derivatives transactions, real estate & development, aviation law and wealth management.
Linda Beidler-D’Aguilar joined Glinton Sweeting O’Brien as a partner in July 2015. In her practice she specializes in the structuring and creation of vehicles (including investment funds) for multinational institutional clients as well as private clients; she also advises on corporate transactions, securities law (including public and private offerings) as well as general commercial matters.
Ryan Pinder has been a partner in the law firm of Graham Thompson since January 2016. His practice areas include banking law, corporate and commercial law, investment funds, securities law, capital markets, trusts and estate planning and structuring. He specialises in financial services solutions, planning and wealth management for high net worth individuals and families, and their associated companies and businesses throughout the world.