Government

Premier David Burt today offered his congratulations to the Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 

Premier Burt said: “I look forward to working with the new Prime Minister and his Ministers in Bermuda’s interests. Next month’s Joint Ministerial Council will be the first opportunity to engage with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office teams since the change in Administration.”

The Customs Department is introducing a new feature to improve transparency around importing goods to the island using the Customs Automated Processing System (CAPS).

From today, Monday, 24th October, the department will email the importer on any Bermuda Customs Declarations (BCDs) in cases where the party submitting the BCD has a different CAPS ID than the person importing the goods.

From Tuesday 25th October, seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine will be available for priority groups through their doctor or the Flu Express at a cost of $15.00 per person (for adults and children above 12 years). Anyone over the age of 65 years will receive the seasonal flu vaccine free of charge. 

Registration for flu vaccine
We invite the public to give their consent online for flu vaccine in order to minimize paperwork on arrival and reduce wait times.

Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs is pleased to announce that the Draft Blue Prosperity Plan consultation period is extended from November 12 to December 31, 2022. This extension will give the public and key stakeholder groups more time to understand and provide feedback on how the Plan will shape the economic and environmental decisions around Bermuda’s marine environment.

Breast Cancer Awareness month is every October, and today, October 21^st is National Mammography Day.

The Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, JP, MP, shares the following message about the significance of mammography.

“Today serves as a reminder of the importance of healthy breasts and the impact of breast cancer.Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women worldwide. In Bermuda, it is the number one diagnosed cancer in women.

On Friday, October 14, 2022, the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme (BOPP), in partnership with the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS), held a Young Leaders Engagement Session at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo. 

The Ministry of Economy and Labour is aware of individuals and families that continue to need financial support. It is incumbent on this Government to ensure they can keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table. To that end, the Supplementary Unemployment Benefit (SUB) has been extended to 30 November 2022.

“I am pleased to announce that the payroll tax rebate that this Government promised in July for workers making less than $96,000, is being delivered today,” said Premier and Finance Minister, David Burt.

“It is regrettable that this innovative first-time programme was delayed as we ensured that there were no issues with the Auditor General when these funds are audited. However, I am pleased that the Government is now moving forward on tax relief for working families. 75% of Bermuda’s workforce is eligible to apply for this payroll benefit today.

“I am pleased to announce that as of tomorrow, 19 October, the Department of Marine and Ports Services will resume the published ferry service on the Orange route from Dockyard to St George’s,” said Minister of Transport, the Hon. Lawrence Scott. “The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Works were committed to running the Orange Ferry schedule in time for our cruise ship arrivals in October through December.”

On Friday, the Minister of National Security, the Hon. Michael Weeks joined Commissioner of Corrections Keeva Joell-Benjamin, her senior management team and the Prison Officer’s Association (POA) on a tour of the Westgate Correctional Facility. 

Minister Weeks has committed to visiting the departments under the remit of the Ministry, with the aim of listening to, discussing and inviting feedback on the critical matters that are affecting the sections of the uniformed services. 

The Ministry of Social Development and Seniors would like to advise the public that starting October 17th,  2022, the Ministry Headquarters will be relocating to the 6th Floor Veritas Place, 65 Court Street, Hamilton HM12.

The office will be closed to the public from Monday, October 17th, through Wednesday, October 19th. 

Telephone service and email are operational. Telephone: 444-2466 Email: msdshq@gov.bm 

The Ministry would like to thank you for your patience during this time.

Good Morning.

You may have heard me often say that there is no tourism without transport, and it is in that context in which Bermuda has welcomed 310,587 cruise passengers to our shores this season, with an approximate economic impact of $131.5M. This is an increase of $28.2M in economic activity since the original projections at the beginning of the year. As of 5 October, there are 39 more calls in the fourth quarter period estimated to bring a further 63,778 passengers to Bermuda by the end of the year. To date, we have received 127 cruise calls.