THE Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has appointed Kathleen Smith as chief executive with effect from April 2, 2012. The appointment, which is for a five-year term concludes a competitive search begun in June 2011.

Mrs Smith is an appointment from within. In 2000, she joined the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which preceded URCA, as a financial analyst, and later held the position of senior case officer.

In January 2011, she was appointed director of policy and tegulation. In this capacity, she has been URCA's most senior executive since August 2011, when the chief executive position became vacant.

A Certified Public Accountant, Mrs Smith's professional experie ...

By PAUL G TURNQUEST

Chief Reporter

pturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE RECRUITMENT of foreign officers to assist in the fight against the rise of violent crime is one among a list of recommendations put forward in a new crime study conducted by noted psychiatrist Dr David Allen.

In this, his latest report on crime, Dr Allen highlights that he has utilised a clinical epidemiological approach to analysing the root causes of crime over the last five years (2007-2012) by analyzing data from diverse focus groups in the community.

For the case of the study, these focus groups included families of murder victims, chronic drug addicts, troubled teenagers and parent groups, church focus groups, pu ...

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

ROYALFIDELITY Merchant Bank & Trust yesterday said its newly-launched insurance trust was the first such specific product to enter the Bahamian market, aimed at ensuring life insurance policy proceeds were "used as intended".

Michael Anderson, RoyalFidelity's president, told Tribune Business that the product was designed to place the proceeds from life insurance policy payouts into a trust structure, where a trustee - acting in accordance with the late policyholder's 'Letter of Wishes' - ensured the monies were distributed as intended.

The structure, the investment bank head explained, was intended to prevent family dispu ...

Nassau, Bahamas -

We
are pleased to announce that on

March 30th 2012, B.R.E.E.F. (The
Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation) will hold its next gala event!

"The Bootleggers' Ball" is celebrating
a Bahamas when our oceans were filled not only with ships laden with
barrels of forbidden liquor, but an abundance of groupers, lobsters and
other
marine-life.

The event is to be held at

Albany, Bahamas, and tickets are
available through the BREEF office, Caves Village.

The

evening will recreate the 1920s, and the grand traditions of that era
with a mock casino, silent auction, live music for dancing...