Castrol Quote of the Day: June 07, 2016

Consider this: "If you look at your vehicle as an investment (even though its book value drops quickly), rather than a possession - you should treat it dearly. Use 'Castrol' superior engine lubes and your car will serve you well in return."

Brought to you by Bay Street Garage. Visit our listing page on BahamasLocal.com.

The Department of Inland Revenue wishes to advise members of the public, specifically business owners, that a Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC) is necessary when doing business with the government and has been in effect since July 1st, 2015.

The Financial Administration and Audit (Amendment) Act 2015 part IIB lays out the legal basis for provision of the TCC.

Businesses should note that the TCC will be issued to taxpayers who are compliant with their tax obligations to the government.

The certificate is required for individuals who:

1. Wish to do business with the government or a public body,
2. Wish to collect monies for services rendered to the government or a public body
3. Wish to register ownership or change ownership of a taxable good;
4. Receive concessions under the provisions of legislation (i.e. churches, schools, etc).

The certificate will be valid for a period of one month where the value of the contract is $10,000 or more or six months where the value of the contract is less than $10,000.00.

Before the department can issue a TCC, several agencies are contacted to ensure that the taxpayer is up to date with all its obligations to the government:

• Customs
• Immigration
• Business License
• Value Added Tax (VAT)
• Road Traffic
• Real Property Tax
• National Insurance

All applications must be made online by visiting vat.revenue.gov.bs.

For further information, visit the Department of Inland Revenue’s new website at www.inlandrevenue.finance.gov.bs/, email taxinquiries@bahamas.gov.bs or call (242) 461-8050.

Source: Department of Inland Revenue

Solomon's Fresh Market teamed up with Doctors Hospital, the Bahamas Medical Center and Tristar Agents and Brokers Ltd. to host a health fair and fun walk at the store's Old Fort Bay location.

With the goal of educating the community on how to make simple lifestyle changes to improve overall health, the event kicked off at 7 a.m. with a three-mile fun walk through the Clifton Heritage Park.

Organizer and AML Foods Ltd. Brand Manager Monalisa Sweeting hailed the event a success. "Saturday was a great opportunity for our brands and business partners to share healthy food options and fitness tips with our customers," she explained. "Across all of our retail food store brands we strive to educate the community on healthy food options and the importance of health screenings. This is our first year hosting the health fair and fun walk at Solomon's Old Fort Bay and we were able to provide screenings for approximately 250 shoppers."

Four power-packed, 20-minute health talks took place between 12 p.m.- 5 p.m., with topics ranging from healing your gut through microbiota transplants to the benefits of a plant-based diet. Speakers also presented overall health and fitness tips and emphasized the importance of donating blood.

Renea Bastian, vice president of marketing & communications at AML, thanked all who supported the event. "A special thanks to all of our customers and vendors who participated in the health fair and fun walk, particularly our partners at Doctors Hospital and Bahamas Medical Center for providing us with dynamic speakers and for the use of their mobile blood bank."

Shoppers participating in the health talks were entered to win a free mammogram and a one-month membership to Bahamas Medical Center's gym. In between the educational sessions, customers sampled food, took part in live workout demonstrations and visited vendor booths including Club One Fitness, Lowe's Wholesale, Kurlee Belle, EF Nation, Abaco Neem, The Cancer Society of the Bahamas, REACH Bahamas and the Bahamas AIDS Foundation. Students from the Windsor Preparatory School were also on hand and shared tips on ways to recycle locally. AML Foods raised a total of $1680 during the fun walk to donate to the Clifton Heritage Park.

Participants in Solomon's Fresh Market Fun Walk

Doctors Hospital Screens shoppers at Solomon's Fresh Market Old Fort Health Fair

Tasty treats and healthy alternatives sampled at Solomon's Fresh Market Old Fort Health Fair

Healthy treats sampled at Solomon's Fresh Market Fun Walk and Health Fair

Fresh Market shoppers at recent health fair at Old Fort Bay location (Photos: Solomon's Fresh Market)

By Shonalee Johnson

Significant progress made with 2016 launch date to be confirmed in coming weeks

Olympic Channel Services (OCS) today announced that it has to date reached cooperation agreements with 27 International Sports Federations (IFs) to collaborate on content for the Olympic Channel, marking another significant step on progress toward launch.

IOC President Thomas Bach, who recently chaired a joint Olympic Channel Board of Directors meeting at the newly inaugurated OCS facilities in Madrid, said: “The Olympic Channel will mark a major shift in how the Olympic Movement connects with young people all year round. The International Federations have embraced the Olympic Channel and we look forward to working with them on the exciting programming and promotional opportunities. The newly formed Olympic Channel team is making steady progress, with the emphasis on ensuring the product is right and the quality of the programming matches our ambition. We look forward to announcing the 2016 launch date in the coming weeks.”

Mark Parkman, General Manager of Olympic Channel Services, said: “Preparations for the launch of the Olympic Channel are on course and the announcement of these cooperation agreements with our IF partners is another important step forward. We expect to make further announcements regarding collaborations with other IFs and stakeholders in the near future. Content production has begun, the technology and platforms are being tested, and there is a growing sense of energy and excitement here among the Olympic Channel team as we prepare for launch this year.”

The creation of an Olympic Channel was one of the key recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020, aiming to provide a new way to engage young people and core fans in the Olympic Movement, while also promoting the Olympic values on a consistent basis.

The Channel will broadcast live sports events, news and athlete stories, as well as historical Olympic footage and official films from the IOC’s archives. There will also be a focus on educational and youth-oriented programming, sustainability, sports science and nutrition, and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

The Olympic Channel Services team now consists of more than  60 full time employees, representing 20 different nationalities. The Olympic Channel team is composed of experienced broadcast professionals and innovative content-producers working out of two main bases of operation. The commercial and distribution departments are located at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the technical and production units operate out of Madrid, Spain. The facility to house the Olympic Channel in Madrid is now complete and the OCS production team has begun working with leading production companies from around the world.

The Olympic Channel collaborations aim to complement the International Federations’ current broadcast and distribution arrangements. The Olympic Channel team is currently working with the IFs to create innovative partnerships, including live event coverage, highlights, magazine shows, news coverage and original programming.

The IFs with whom OCS has concluded agreements include:

Badminton World Federation (BWF) International Basketball Federation (FIBA) International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) International Boxing Association (AIBA) International Canoe Federation (ICF) International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) International Fencing Federation (FIE) International Golf Federation (IGF) International Gymnastic Federation (FIG) International Hockey Federation (FIH) International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)  International Judo Federation (IJF) International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) International Ski Federation (FIS) International Swimming Federation (FINA) International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) International Tennis Federation (ITF) International Triathlon Union (ITU) International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) United World Wrestling (UWW) World Archery Federation (WA) World Curling Federation (WCF) World Rowing Federation (FISA) World Rugby (WR) World Sailing (WS) World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)

In addition to on-going discussions with other IFs, the Olympic Channel Services team is working to build and strengthen collaborations, including with athletes, National Olympic Committees, Rights-Holding Broadcasters (RHBs), Worldwide TOP Partners, Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, candidate cities, recognised sports organisations, as well as with major digital and social media platforms.

Source: International Olympic Committee