Principals of Gonet Bank & Trust, presented the government with a $200,000 cheque to support the Bahamas’ Pavilion at 2020 Expo Dubai. Accepting the cheque on behalf of the Bahamas Government, October 3, 2019, at the Office of the Prime Minister was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Peter Turnquest.
Also in attendance were: Senior Advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister, Joshua Sears; Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates & The State of Qatar His Excellency Tony Joudi; Executive Director/Small Business Development Centre, Davinia Grant; CEO/Executive Director, Tourism Development Corporation Janet Johnson; Consultant to Bahamas Pavilion Expo 2020, Dr. Tyrone McKenzie; CEO/Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Jeffrey Beckles; Architect Michael Diggiss; and principals of Gonet Bank & Trust, CEO Nicholas Gonet, Managing Director Ahmed El Shahawy, and Executive Chairman of The Board, Mr. Patrick Feuz.
Deputy Prime Minister Turnquest thanked Gonet Bank for their generosity and also thanked Ambassador Joudi for approaching the bank to assist with the event. He said that the Bahamian people were also appreciative of the private banking sector for continuing to support the country.
“We are aware of the difficulties that the financial sector has faced in recent years and so we wish to thank you for your confidence in The Bahamas,” said the Minister. “Expo 2020 is a great opportunity for us post Hurricane Dorian to show that our country is still open for business. This is a part of the world that we have not historically pursued aggressively, so we are happy for this opportunity to expose not only our natural elements of sun, sand and sea but also our products and services.”
Ambassador Joudi expressed condolences to the Bahamian people for the devastation left by Hurricane Dorian last month and said that this gesture of goodwill was a means to highlight the country to a different part of the world.
“We want to present to the world that we are supporting The Bahamas,” said Ambassador Joudi. “Some 190 countries will be represented at World Expo 2020 so this is the perfect launching pad to expose the country to the world especially after the passage of Hurricane Dorian.”
Executive Director of the Small Business Development Centre, Mrs. Davinia Grant also expressed appreciation for the donation and said that this opportunity would showcase local entrepreneurs to the rest of the world. “Our agency will be representing entrepreneurs so individuals will not only experience the Bahamas via art and culture but also via our products.” Her team will manage the retail store and will be assisted by the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association (BHTA) and the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC).
Executive Chairman of Gonet Bank & Trust, Ltd. Patrick Feuz said that they were pleased to be a part of this venture. “The Bahamas has been ‘good’ to the bank since its arrival here, therefore we were excited for this opportunity to be good corporate citizens and gave back. Once we were approached by Ambassador Joudi to assist, we were very pleased to be a part of it and to make a meaningful contribution, which we hope will encourage others to support.”
Gonet Bank & Trust Ltd. is a Swiss Bank that has been operating in the Bahamas since 1982. The bank offers financial services to private clients and has been in the private banking sector for over 170 years.
Photo; L-R: Principals of Gonet Bank & Trust Ltd. presented a $200,000 cheque to the Government of the Bahamas to assist with the Bahamas’ Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai. The presentation was made on Thursday, 3rd October 2019 at the Office of the Prime Minister. Pictured l-r: Architect, Mr. Michael Diggiss; Executive Director/Small Business Development Centre, Mrs. Davinia Grant; CEO/Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Jeffrey Beckles; Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates & The State of Qatar His Excellency Tony Joudi; CEO, Gonet Bank, Nicholas Gonet; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Peter Turnquest; Executive Chairman of The Board of Gonet Bank, Mr. Patrick Feuz; CEO/Executive Director, Tourism Development Corporation Ms. Janet Johnson; Managing Director, Gonet Bank, Ahmed El Shahawy; Senior Advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Joshua Sears; and Consultant to Bahamas Pavilion Expo 2020, Dr. Tyrone McKenzie.
(BIS Photo/Raymond A. Bethel, Sr.)
