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Premier on Brexit process

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Turks and Caicos, April 12, 2017 – Providenciales – “Late last week, as Premier, I received a joint official communique on the critical matter of Brexit from Mr. Robin Walker, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Rt Hon Baroness Anelay, Minister of State for the Overseas Territories.

“The country would recall that I traveled to the UK for a Meeting on February 7, 2017 that was attended by Overseas Territories (OT) Leaders and representatives from all inhabited territories of HM Government of Gibraltar participating as observers. The UK OTs also used this opportunity to meet in its separate association (UKOTA) to share our immediate and individual concerns.  The UK Government has since triggered Article 50 to begin the process for the UK to leave the EU. This process is expected to take about 2 years”, said Premier Hon. Sharlene Robinson.

She continued; “The Turks and Caicos Islands and all other OTs will be affected by this decision and we have already in the meeting of February 7th, 2017 shared our concerns with the Rt Hon Baroness Anelay and Mr. Robin Walker. The Turks and Caicos as a beneficiary of EU funding continues to have this as an immediate concern and to a lesser extent the freedom of movement. The UK had then and as recent as last week, has again committed to a dialogue with its OTs and it is proposed that this dialogue be managed through expert-level, sector specific roundtable meetingsThe UK has set dates for the sector specific roundtables and Tracy Knight of the Premier’s London Office will attend on TCIG’s behalf.”

In addition to the technical round tables, the FCO will continue to hold discussions with OT representatives on wider policy issues and interests linked to EU exit, including OT priorities and options for their future relationship with the EU.

The Joint Ministerial Council Terms of Reference has been issued and the UK – Overseas Territories JMC on European Negotiations Framework for Technical Level Dialogue states that the aim of these round tables will be:

  1. To ensure that the UK Departments have comprehensive information on OT interests in relation to EU exit in areas of their policy competence;
  2. To understand OT desired outcomes on areas of EU negotiations that affect them;
  3. To develop further the technical papers produced on key issues in advance of the next meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC);
  4. To feed into development of UK policy and its evolution during the EU negotiation.

The UK Ministers and Territory Leaders have agreed to two further political meetings of the JMC in 2017.   “This is an important issue for the Turks and Caicos Islands and I will continue to update the people of these Islands on this issue as it develops.”

Press Release: TCIG

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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