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There will be a greater British presence in the TCI

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Turks and Caicos, August 3, 2017 – Providenciales – When Colin Roberts, then Director for the Overseas Territories at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated that: “There will be a greater British presence in the Turks and Caicos Islands after the Elections”, meaning the 2012 Elections, many persons did not grasp the full gravity of those words or how far-reaching they would be! I would like to put those words in the context of pronouncement, real or imagined; that some nearly two thousand British troops will be descending on Turks and Caicos Islands to clean up the mess of illegal persons living within our borders.

I will start with the ominous words of Sir Robin Auld that there was “high probability of systemic corruption in government and the legislature and among public officers” in the Turks and Caicos Islands and that it must be stemmed from the root and branches. We saw the SIPT investigations and now the trials that have been ongoing for nearly two years of former Government ministers and associates for engaging in alleged acts of corruption, amongst other things. We see custom officers, immigration officials and as of late, police officers and officials being charged with corruption offences. Even though, to my recollection, no one has yet to serve a day in prison resulting from the prosecution of those offences; the mere fact that they are out there, raises the possibility of conviction and imprisonment.

Many of us may not be worried, but after I have laid out this analysis, there should be the need for greater concern in the indigenous Turks and Caicos Islander population – if, these two thousand or so British troops come to our shores. This notion might not be as farfetched as you might presume, because the Governor in his press release of 29th July 2017 has intimated as much by his words “following recent incidents additional and specialised support (including from outside the Islands) is being put in place already”.

Let me start with the words enshrined in our 2011 Constitution which came into force in 2012. In Section 55, Qualifications of electors and entitlement to vote, reads:

“(1) (b) (ii) he or she is resident in the Islands and has been so resident for no less than twelve months, in the aggregate, out of the two years immediately preceding the qualifying date or he or she is a member of Her Majesty’s Forces…

Now, turning to the definition of Turks and Caicos Islander, under “Section 132 (2) An Ordinance shall prescribe the conditions under which a person may be granted the status of a Turks and Caicos Islander, and those conditions shall include, but not be limited to conditions set out in subsection (3). (3) The conditions referred to in subsection (2) are that – (a) an applicant is a British Overseas Territories Citizen by virtue of a connection with the Islands or a British Citizen who either – (ii) has been legally resident in the Islands for a period of at least ten years.”

With this in mind, when a number of public officers are removed by virtue of them being allegedly corrupt or charged with corruption, who better to fill the void than members of Her Majesty’s Forces. These persons would have been stationed or billeted here to clean up the immigration mess and secure our borders. By the time they would have captured and processed the illegal migrants, repatriated them as part of the exercise, a number of vacancies would have been created. The beautiful thing here is that not only will they fill these slots with members of Her Majesty’s Forces; their personnel will not be required to be in possession of work permits to work in the Turks and Caicos Islands. How egregious! More to that, they would be able to vote in the upcoming 2020 Elections! What disruptive a FORCE would these people be when they can vote for a British person who would have come to the Turks and Caicos Islands immediately following the suspension of the 2006 Constitution on 14 August, 2009?

Brexit is certainly a reality now. The British can start the draw-down of its troops responsibility to the EU, and no better place to put them, but here, as part of the resurgence of the real and true British Imperialism.

We have to certainly watch out for what will be on offered as greater ties to the apron-strings of the UK once talks begin in honest as part of the British disentanglement from Europe! What Trojan horse will they offer us in the guise of a better working relationship, when in truth and in fact, the times when we really and truly needed their help, they were absent.

We do not need any further strings to be attached for the British to live up to their Constitutional responsibilities. The current government must exact stringent terms as part of the exit strategy for the deployment of troops here to rid us of the illegal persons in our midst. We do not want to become like Jamaica when they had a snake infestation problem. The Jamaican government introduced the mongoose to eradicate the snakes, but when the snakes were gone the mongoose became an even bigger problem! If we don’t pay attention to the lessons of history – in particular Caribbean history, we are bound to repeat them!

Release: Royal Robinson

 

 

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DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM REGULATIONS INTRODUCES “RATE YOUR RIDE” SYSTEM FOR TOURISTS VISITING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March, 2024 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Department of Tourism Regulations is proud to unveil the “Rate Your Ride” system, a new initiative designed to enhance the vacation experience for tourists exploring our picturesque islands.

The “Rate Your Ride” system empowers tourists to provide valuable feedback on the quality of transportation services they receive while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through an easy-to-use online form, tourists can rate factors such as cleanliness, comfort, safety, and professionalism of drivers, helping us to assure the highest quality of service standards across all modes of transportation.

By participating in the “Rate Your Ride” system, tourists play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that every visitor enjoys safe, comfortable, and convenient travel throughout their stay in the Turks and Caicos.

The code will also be publicly accessible through the cooperation of volunteer drivers who will make the rating code available in their vehicles. Flyers and stickers displaying the code will be distributed at hotels, resorts and airports. The mandated display of these codes is expected to align with the rollout of our tourism regulations in 2025.

For more information about the “Rate Your Ride” system and other initiatives by the Department of Tourism Regulations, please visit gov.tc/tourismregulations/or contact us via telephone at 946-4970 and email at tourismregulations@gov.tc.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES CONDEMNS RECORDING OF PERSONS WHO ARE IN CRISIS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March 2024– The Department of Behavioral Health Services is appealing to the general public to refrain from recording and circulating videos of persons who may appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Persons may struggle with very common conditions such as Anxiety and Depression or be diagnosed with more serious conditions like Bipolar Disorder or Psychosis.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about various mental health conditions and how they may manifest. In addition, there are a number of negative perceptions and misconceptions that society exhibits towards people with mental health problems. However, just as we would show care and concern for someone diagnosed with Cancer, or any other physical illness, in the same way, we need to be as caring and helpful to persons with mental illnesses”– stated Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Services, Dr. Alicia Malcolm.

The Department is urging the public to call the following numbers if you see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis:

338-5473/338-3616: Providenciales, North or Middle Caicos

338-3614/338-3612: Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay

338-6301: Nights and Weekends

If someone is putting themselves or someone else in immediate, serious risk of harm, call 911.

The Department of Behavioral Health services is here to help and provides the following services which are free and confidential:

Location of above services:

o             Sam Harvey Building, Down Town, Providenciales,

o             Primary Health Care Department, Cheshire Hall Medical Center, Providenciales 

o             Department of Behavioural Health, Duncombe Alley, Grand Turk

 

Let’s all do our part in creating a community where people with mental health problems feel respected, supported and cared for. 

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/ or the Department of Behavioral Health Services Faceebook on https://www.facebook.com/TCIDBHS/.

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Breaking Ground: TCI Could Lead in Regional Communication Standards

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Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 27th March 2024: The PR, marketing, and communications sector is poised for potential growth and could lead the Caribbean region in terms of industry standards says Damian Wilson. Wilson’s suggestion comes after the release of a new research report into the current trends and future direction of the sector as a possible emerging industry in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

Wilson is the report’s author, which conveys the findings of research which he initiated. “One of the key research results is the considerable optimism by industry practitioners and government alike, with persons seeing growth potential. I believe that we can become regional leaders in this field. I believe that one of the initiatives that could be used to do this is by establishing a ‘TCI Centre of Communications Excellence’ within the TCI Community College. Such an institute would be dedicated to communication and media innovation with a particular focus on digital communications and ICT,” says Wilson.

He further explained, “I believe that the PR, marketing, and communications sector, like much of the country, is at a crossroads and could have an even greater impact on our socio-economic fabric. Some may have concerns about our small size, but I believe this makes us far more agile than our neighbours. All in all, any potential growth must be underpinned by new investments, professional development, and a strategy to integrate the sector into the broader economy.”

Wilson also said that he sees his research as a first step in understanding our own industry sectors in the TCI and would love to see more profound research and analysis conducted. He’s hoping that the report will spark discussion along those lines. The report is entitled ‘Current Trends and Future Direction: A Preliminary Report on the PR, Marketing, and Communications Sector in the Turks & Caicos Islands’. Anyone wanting a copy of the report can contact Damian Wilson via his email, damian.wilson.pr@gmail.com.

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