Press Release
The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) Bahamas paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Economic Affairs Jerome Fitzgerald on July 21 at his Ministry offices, marking the first engagement between the branch and the newly appointed Minister.
STEP Bahamas was represented by Chair Anayah Miller Orelien; Chair Emeritus and STEP Bahamas Conference Chair Theo Burrows; Co-Deputy Chairs Ronique Bastian and Keisha Larrimore-Smith; Directors Natasha Major and Chrislyn Stubbs; Officer Jamal Miller; and former Chair and industry leader John Lawrence. The Minister was joined by Permanent Secretary Reginald Saunders, Director of Financial Services Brandace Duncanson, and Ministry Officer Achara Grant-Wash.
Chief among the items discussed was the 5th Annual STEP Bahamas Conference, scheduled for March 2027. The branch requested the Ministry’s commitment to serve as Presenting Sponsor for the upcoming year, continuing a relationship the branch said it values highly.
STEP Bahamas also outlined its ambition to deepen its local footprint through educational programming and trust and estate-related community initiatives, and welcomed the opportunity to partner with the Ministry and its agencies, including the Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB), on such efforts. The branch reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Ministry’s work to promote The Bahamas internationally as a premier financial services jurisdiction, with particular emphasis on trusts and estates.
Branch representatives noted that the core objective of STEP Bahamas and its annual conference is to bring international expertise and knowledge to local practitioners, building on the experience already present within the jurisdiction. Representatives said the access to information that the branch provides its members is the same value it hopes to extend to the Ministry, in support of the Ministry’s own goals and its lasting impact on the industry.
For its part, the Ministry indicated its interest in strengthening ties with the private sector and in receiving documented, evidence-based advice for the Minister’s consideration on matters of policy. The Minister expressed his wish that STEP Bahamas serve as a bridge between the Ministry and industry, offering expert advice and recommendations on legislative changes and prospective initiatives.
The Minister confirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting STEP Bahamas, including the STEP Bahamas Conference.
