TCI News
TCI: Exports weak at just over 1% of Imports; Department of Trade to change the trend
#Providenciales, June 1, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – A soaring increase in imports has bolstered the country’s revenues generously but the story is far more concerning when it comes to export earnings for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Statistics Department figures from 2018 expose income from exports as just barely over one percent of income from imports, and the experts have advised the Turks and Caicos to fix this problem.
The biggest export for the Turks and Caicos Islands is rum. Hard liquor accounts for some 20 percent of the reported $10.5 million in export earnings according to the OEC or Organisation of Economic Complexity.
The OEC website tracks countries across the globe and gives the TCI a ranking of 210th in the world for exports. The OEC shares that conch is the second largest export accounting for 11 percent and lobster is third, at 9.3 percent of exported goods in 2017.
The Turks and Caicos Statistics Department reports that in 2018, the country earned a mere $5.8 million from exports. Imports are listed as have brought in $487.3 million dollars in 2018.
The Organization of Economic Complexity posts that export earnings have been sinking by an annual rate of over 33 percent since 2012. The TCI Department of Statistics reveals that exports plummeted in 2017 to a mere $2.3 million in earnings but rose significantly in 2018.
What all facts point to is that the TCI is charting a negative trade balance. This archipelago brings in over $480 million dollars more in goods than it sends out; at least that this the 2018 picture.
But there a Department coming for that, says Premier and Trade Minister, Sharlene Robinson. Trade is the facet of her cabinet portfolio which gets the least amount of attention and that fact is expected to be radically altered within this new fiscal year.
“Following the conclusion of the COSME program the Government decided accept and implement much of the proposed recommendations and strategies and consequently approved the establishment of a Department of Trade, Industry and Consumer Affairs to facilitate the development and growth of trade and business in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
The concept of a Department of Trade has already been ratified at the Cabinet Level and Magnetic Media questions about this intriguing announcement revealed that a myriad of opportunities and new legislation is coming to govern trade in the TCI.
“The department will see three staff members; Director of Trade, Director of Consumer Affairs and Trade Officer all are required to have a legal background. Under the department a National Trade Facilitation Task Force will also be established and will develop and implement a comprehensive action plan on measures to improve and increase trade.”
Although it is very, very slow going, Brexit is influencing this strategy by the Turks and Caicos explained the Office of the Premier.
‘The Premier and Minister of Finance Investment and Trade during her Budget Address for the 2019/20 Fiscal Year said, “The timeliness of this undertaking is especially significant given the anticipated impact on our access to the European market on account of the UK’s planned withdrawal from the European Union. We have commenced discussions with the UK Department for International Trade on participating in future UK free trade agreements should the UK cease to be a member of the European Union”.
Initially, the work of the department will be exploration of opportunities and adequate response to that information with the creation of a climate of trade in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This is no easy feat.
“The department’s main aim will be to develop bilateral trade agreements or formal arrangements with new and existing trading partners. The Department also seeks to provide assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses (particularly MSMEs) as it relates to laws and procedures governing international trade including exports, rules of origin, market access etc. The aim is also to promote consumer education and awareness and will ensure the enforcement of the Consumer Protection Ordinance (2016).”
As for when the appointments will happen and when the requisite legislation will be drafted, approved and passed into law, there were no specifics. However, the Office of the Trade Minister did say, “It is expected that support legislation will be completed and posts for Trade Officer and Director of Consumer Affairs filled within the 2019/20 Financial Year.”
The Department of Trade, Industry and Consumer Affairs will fall under the Ministry of Finance, Investment and Trade.
#magneticmedianews
#tciexportsweak
Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Correspondent
#TurksandCaicos, April 25, 2024 – He was busted at the Howard Hamilton Providenciales International Airport on Friday, April 16, 2024.
He allegedly had in his luggage four (4) rounds of 6.5mm ammunition on his departure to his homeland in Oklahoma in the United States of America (USA).
Ryan Watson and his wife were arrested and placed into police lock up. Both were later granted police bail, and upon return to police station the Monday after the couple’s arrest, the husband alone was charged by detective Police Constable Kimberlee Markland for
unlawful possession of the four rounds of ammunition.
Watson was escorted to court on Tuesday, April 23rd, placed before the learned Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin and remanded to His Majesty’s Prison until his sufficiency hearing on June 7, this (2024) year.
His counsel, Mr. Oliver Smith KC and his junior assistant Mrs. Kimone Tennant immediately sought bail for him in the Supreme Court which was heard the following day (Wednesday April 24) before her Ladyship Ms. Tanya Lobban-Jackson and was granted bail, without hassle in the amount or $15,000.00 cash or surety.
The Crown, in the person of senior public prosecutor Ms. Tassja Mitchell did not oppose bail.
Magnetic Media can report that once again on the afternoon of the Tuesday April 24th, after the accused RYAN TYLER WATSON, 41 was remanded by the Magistrate’s court, the U.S. Embassy issued an warning to it’s citizens and travelers to carefully check their bags when traveling to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) as TCI authorities are strictly enforcing firearm and ammunition laws and if found you could go to prison for 12 years.
A real question of great concern and public importance is: should the TCI courts sentence tourists to the full mandatory minimum of 12 years imprisonment for simple possession firearm and/or ammunition.
The succinct answer is: Yes!
The Court of Appeal, just last month said in its written judgment that “ALL PERSONS,” including tourist/visitors must go to prison if found guilty or pleas guilty to firearm and ammunition offences.
However, there remains the concern about how much time in prison a judge should give a visitor regardless of the existence of exceptional circumstances.
Should the judge imprison a visitor to the territory, who may have been wrongly informed, for example, the full mandatory minimum term or must a reduced prison term be imposed.
If TCI judges start to give less than the mandatory minimum to tourists/visitors, it is being strong and widely advocated by senior defense attorneys that the same must apply to local or residents of these Islands, who may also present exceptional circumstances.
Arguments about the equity in delivery of justice is what drove the question to the Court of Appeal late in 2023. The decision came this past February.
‘We cannot find ourselves sentencing tourists regardless of exceptional circumstances to lesser sentences, and when those same exceptional circumstances are found in local cases, it’s being ignored by our judges.’
Human Rights Attorney, Sheena Mair has on more than one occasion argued this point; including in firearm and ammunition bail applications. She would put the very same judges and prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution on the spot by reminding the judges and the prosecutors that precedent has been set.
‘You’ve just granted bail to a tourist for firearm and ammunition but now here’s a local person, same charge but because he’s a local he can’t get bail? He has to be remanded pending a trial that could take years before it’s heard?’
Mair has valiantly outlined the wrong in this and clearly stated this practice is “not fair” and it’s “not proper administration of justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Ms. Mair further complained that tourists would plea guilty to possession of firearm and ammunition and be released on bail pending sentencing but as for a local, he or she has to wait on remand at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending sentencing.
The attorney criticizes the optics of such decisions and is on record reminding the Judge that the Court of Appeal has already set out that the law applies to everyone; visitors and locals alike.
A police statement issued Wednesday April 24 informs: “Today (April 24th), Mr. Watson appeared in the Supreme Court and, following a bail application, was granted $15,000 bail with the following conditions:
1) Not travel out of TCI without the court’s permission.
2) Surrender his passport and all other travel documents to the court
3) Report to Grace Bay Police Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 am-4 pm,
4) Reside at the given address in Providenciales; any address change will be provided before the court.”
The American from Oklahoma whose story is trending in the US and has been carried by leading news networks was joined by a host of loved ones at the Courthouse.
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