A prominent Bahamian accountant and well-known banker, Mr. Gowon N.G. Bowe is no stranger to providing quality insight and commentary on some of the nation’s most pressing economic issues.

Now, the (former) College of The Bahamas graduate is poised to deliver a historic contribution to his alma mater by delivering the Commencement Address for the University of The Bahamas’ (UB) first ever virtual commencement exercise on Monday, 29th June, 2020.

Mr. Bowe’s myriad accomplishments, experience,

and general fiscal savvy has distinguished him as a leading voice on economic and financial issues.

He will seek to use that elevated status and economic know-how to impart key pointers and tips for success to approximately 500 UB graduates, most, if not all of whom will undoubtedly be expected to survive and contribute meaningfully to both a local and global economy reeling in the wake of the crippling COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mr. Bowe, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), presently serves as the Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Fidelity Bank & Trust International Limited, including its publicly traded subsidiary, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited.

Prior to that role, he was a Partner and Advisory Leader with a Big Four (4) Accounting firm, namely PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). It was in that firm that Mr. Bowe had been on a fast-track through the ranks in both The Bahamas and the United Kingdom firms.

He is presently the Director and Treasurer of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean; Immediate Past Chairman of The Bahamas Clearing Banks Association; Immediate Past President of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) and former Chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC).

Mr. Bowe has served as engagement leader on some of the largest audits and consulting projects for private and public sector entities, as well as serving as leader of accounting and audit technical, risk and quality functions.

He is also a regular presenter/facilitator at seminars and training sessions, as well as speaker at business/accounting related discussion forums and media programmes.

Mr. Bowe has also regularly provided keen insight and commentary on The Bahamas’ fiscal concerns, with his various contributions to national issues extensively chronicled in the Business sections of The Bahamas’ leading newspapers.

Mr. Bowe is a proud graduate and alumnus of St. Anne’s High School and UB. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting with First Class Honours and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

He was also the recipient of the University Medal for the Commerce Department due to his high academic achievements.

Later, Mr. Bowe completed the Uniform Examination of Certified Public Accountants on his first attempt and placed second overall in the state of Georgia, USA.

Mr. Bowe is married to Mrs. Evanne M. Bowe (nee Archer), and the father of two children, Dylan N.K. Bowe and Aryanna S.M. Bowe.

The prime minister gave an uninspiring address to the nation yesterday. He told us nothing new, repeating information on COVID-19 contained in his wrap-up contribution to the 2020-2021 budget debate in the House of Assembly last Monday. And, he used a national address to berate [...]
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On Wednesday July 1st, 2020, international flights will resume for inbound visitors as the government of The Bahamas moves into the third phase of restarting air travel disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In preparation for the return of international passenger traffic, officials at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) are reviewing preliminary flight schedules and working closely with key stakeholders to ensure the safety of all airport users.

“As we enter this final reopening phase and welcome visitors to the destination and residents back home, our focus is on ensuring that all airport partners are ready on July 1st to support the additional safety protocols put in place by the government to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” said Vernice Walkine, President & CEO of Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD).

“From an airport perspective, we anticipate a gradual uptick in arrivals and departures over the next two to three weeks. The phased approached to restarting air service has allowed our team to successfully test new safety protocols in real time. As we move forward in this new normal of operating in a pandemic, we are using the best practices learned to date to guide our plan.”

Current flight projections show a total of six flights arriving from the United States on July 1st starting with Delta Airlines’ inbound service from Atlanta to Nassau at approximately 11:30 a.m. Six flights are scheduled for departure on day 1. Airlines have scheduled direct service to Nassau from key US gateways such as Charlotte NC, New York (JFK), Denver, Houston, Baltimore, Newark, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale along with service from Toronto, Canada.

LPIA welcomes visitors with new COVID-19 safety protocols.

Passengers traveling to and from Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) can expect new protocols on departure and arrival. Starting July 1st, all inbound travellers will be required to complete an electronic Health Visa prior to travel. All visitors, Bahamian citizens and residents will be asked to present a Negative PCR COVID-19 test and confirmation of their approved Health Visa upon entry or return to The Bahamas. The test should be taken no more than ten (10) days prior to the date of travel. For more information on testing requirements, visits https://travel.gov.bs/.

On arrival at LPIA, passengers should expect to have their temperatures taken as we begin to welcome guests. Persons showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be referred to the local health officials at the airport for further testing and evaluation.

Immigration officials will provide all visitors with a flyer outlining mandatory guidelines by the Government of The Bahamas to protect visitors and residents against the spread of COVID-19.

The safety and security of all passengers, tenants and staff at LPIA remains a top priority for airport officials. Existing protocols will continue into the final phase of reopening. In addition to social distancing floor markers and signage implemented in phase one, plexiglass barriers are also in place at major points of interaction between travellers and airport staff. All passengers are required by law to wear masks or a face covering in public spaces including airport terminals with the exception of passengers under the age of two. Only ticketed passengers will be allowed in the terminals with the exception of persons accompanying minors travelling alone, elderly passengers or those with restricted mobility.

Cleaning and sanitation schedules will continue to focus on high touch point areas in the terminals and nightly cleaning will focus on utilizing fogging machines and electrostatic sprayers to disinfect.

Retail and food & beverage partners at LPIA have also implemented safety protocols in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Seating has been reduced in all food courts at LPIA by 30 % and new cash handling guidelines are in place to minimize contact at the point of checkout.

Passengers are reminded to contact their airlines for specific travel schedules and to arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic travel and three hours before international travel. Arriving early will allow extra time to check in and be processed for boarding. For airport updates, visit www.nassaulpia.com or follow @nassau_airport on Facebook and Instagram. For more information on regulations for visitors travelling to The Bahamas, visit https://www.bahamas.com/tourism-reopening.

Bodybuilding and fitness athletes could return to the gyms this Wednesday, as those training facilities will be open for the first time since mid-March. The BBFF National Championships have been pushed back, set for October 24. The CAC Championships will now be held on November 19-21, in Bridgetown, Barbados. FILEWith a definite date on the opening of gyms across the island now established, bodybuilding and fitness athletes can now get back to their regular workout regiments in hopes of preparing their bodies for competition. The Northern Bahamas Championships, which was making a return to [...]
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