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Ministry of Border Control and Employment Introduces Shift System at Providenciales International Airport

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#TurksandCaicos, March 10, 2018 – Providenciales – The Department of Immigration in the Ministry of Border Control and Employment, on March 4th, introduced a shift system of work for its employees that are designated to the Providenciales International Airport, in response to historical anomalies in staff earnings, inefficiencies in operations and expenditure and as mandated by an Internal Audit Report’s findings on overtime paid to airport staff and its recommendations.

While the system is newly introduced, the move to such has been discussed with staff over the years and in March of 2017 the Internal Audit Department released a report on its findings and key among the recommendations was the implementation of the long talked about shift system.

The shift system seeks to normalize the pay rates for overtime, regularize the long work periods that staff are currently exposed to and improve the overall efficiency of the operations of the Department and particularly at the airport.

The shift system has major benefits to both the Government as well as employees: improved efficiencies and better utilization of human resource, justifiable and more controlled incurred overtime cost; regularization of hours worked to eliminate fatigue and excessively long work periods; more opportunity for personal/family time and periods for rejuvenation. Shift systems are not new to TCIG as well as the Prison, Police and other agencies currently operate on shift systems

The Department recognized the efficiency of schedules of staff being aligned to flight arrivals, as the audit found that whilst TCIG was contracting hours of employment from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, there were very few arrivals before 12 pm and peak capacity between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

Management however further recognized that in order that a shift system be effective, it required additional human resources and budget appropriation for the payment of overtime, as the other recommendation by the Audit Committee was that the rates in the Public Service Handbook be used instead of the flat rates of $10 per hour that were historically paid.

The report further identified that staff previously worked excessive hours without days off and that this was impacting the work of the organization. This move presented an increase of 100% of the current overtime payments, funding which the department could not sustain. However, the staff push for payments of the Public Service Handbook rates, which is due them, compelled management’s move to implement the system.

It is unfortunate that on implementation, shortfalls on human resource resulted in excessively long lines and unduly long waits in the entry process for visitors and other travelers arriving on Sunday and Wednesday, March 4th and 7th, respectively.

The Ministry and Department appreciates and recognize the value of tourism to the TCI economy and the critical role that Immigration Officers play in welcoming our visitors, and on receipt of these reports, management immediately consulted and further met with the Deputy Governor and Minister of Border Control and Employment to address concerns, with a view of implementing mitigating measures.

Management’s commitment to the ongoing and continuous improvements in the Ministry of Border Control is evident in the recent promotion of 7 Assistant Immigration Officers to Immigration Officers, the provision of necessary and critical tools and other resources and the regularization of their work hours and overtime rates and payments.  The department has also recruited 3 additional new candidates and with an additional recruiting exercise to shortly get underway.

We apologize to all persons and businesses affected over the past few days and assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to ensure that we meet our visitor’s expectation and experience.

We take this opportunity to thank staff for their hard work and to congratulate those who received promotions this week.

Release: TCIG

 

 

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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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