News

There will be a greater British presence in the TCI

Published

9 years ago

August 3, 2017

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 29^th 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

Bahamas News

Monument Supports Hands for Hunger With Paradise Plates Debut

Published

3 days ago

October 14, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ leading wine and spirits distributor, proudly supported Paradise Plates, Hands for Hunger annual fundraiser with a flavorful offering of its newest product, Monument Beverage Co.

Monument, which launched this July and is available across six major islands, made its Paradise Plates debut. Guests enjoyed three bold flavors: Peach Passion, Ginger-Lime and Melon Fizz as they socialized throughout the evening.

Monument brand ambassadors engaged guests with knowledge on the ready-to-drink beverage’s unique taste and look. Many attendees were delighted to learn that Monument is 100% Bahamian-made and owned and enjoyed seeing the various national landmarks on the packaging.

The booth was adorned with vibrant brand colors, striped arches, tropical florals and a photo worthy backdrop featuring Monument cans filled with florals cascading down the wall.

At the end of the event, the entire Monument inventory had finished, making Monument’s Paradise Plates debut a huge success.

For more details on Caribbean Wines & Spirits, new products and specials, visit www.cwsbahamas.com today.

Bahamas News

Schweppes ‘the Art of Mixology’ Dazzles at Paradise Plates with Nemiroff Vodka

Published

4 days ago

October 13, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

NASSAU, Bahamas — Schweppes, in collaboration with Nemiroff Vodka dazzled guests with handcrafted cocktails during Paradise Plates, Hands for Hunger’s annual fundraiser held at Atlantis’ Imperial Ballroom.

The evenings’ theme, 70’s: Paradise Disco, inspired bold and delicious sips from Schweppes and Nemiroff. The beautiful disco themed Schweppes booth, adorned with LED signs, lush greenery and hanging black and gold metallic orbs shined throughout the room.

Schweppes’ brand representatives and mixologists dressed in chic 70’s speakeasy attire engaged attendees throughout the night. Guests enjoyed receiving knowledge of each product and experiencing the vibrant energy of brand representatives.

Nemiroff Vodka, which is locally distributed by Caribbean Wines and Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor; offered a unique variety of vodkas which made the perfect blend with Schweppes. Guests enjoyed, Nemiroff’s Honey Pepper, De Luxe, Burning Pear, Wild Cranberry, and Bold Orange vodkas throughout the night.

Fan favorite cocktails of the night were: the Wild Cranberry Tonic and the Bold Orange Fizz.

Following a positive response at Paradise Plates, CWS is offering Nemiroff and Schweppes specials at local liquor stores for the entire month. With the purchase of any 1-liter Nemiroff vodka, enjoy a complimentary three-pack of Schweppes mixers, to recreate the magic of Schweppes and Nemiroff.

Cara Douglas-Adderley, Senior Marketing Director for Caribbean Bottling (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products and CWS shared the inspiration behind the Schweppes and Nemiroff promotion.

“We are thrilled to have paired Schweppes and Nemiroff for Paradise Plates this year, creating a premium cocktail experience for guests. After receiving such positive feedback, we wanted to extend that experience to consumers at home. Throughout October, consumers can visit their favorite watering hole, buy any 1-liter Nemiroff bottle and receive a free three-pack of Schweppes.”

Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to offer Schweppes, Coca-Cola’s premier mixer in collaboration with Caribbean Wines & Spirits and Nemiroff Vodka at Paradise Plates in support of Hands for Hunger’s mission.

For more information on CBC’s philanthropic work, new products and specials, visits www.cbcbahamas.com today.

News

Beaches Turks & Caicos gives Enid Capron Primary a pre-term facelift

Published

1 week ago

October 10, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — Beaches Turks and Caicos has refreshed the grounds of Enid Capron Primary School in Five Cays, Providenciales, ahead of the new school year, with a landscaping team from the resort, pruning and cutting back overgrown branches to give the campus a cleaner, safer look.

The project focused on the school’s exterior plantings, where tangled growth had begun to encroach on walkways and outdoor learning areas. The team spent time trimming hedges, thinning dense shrubs and removing deadwood to improve sightlines and airflow around the buildings.

Assistant Landscaping Manager, Kemar Jones said the work at Enid Capron is a regular priority for the department, which views community giving as a core part of its mandate. He noted that supporting local schools, particularly through hands-on environmental work, has long been a focus area for his team.

Jones, said the effort reflects the group’s wider commitment to the islands. “As a team, our goal is to give back to our communities and especially providing support for the environment and education,” Jones noted. “The team is always ready to share our skills with making the school environment more comfortable for our students and teachers.”

General Manager Deryk Meany framed the project as part of Beaches’ broader approach to working alongside the community beyond the resort gates. “At Beaches Turks and Caicos, we operate as a team not only within the confines of the resort but also with our communities,” Meany added. “Being able to share our varied skills is always our main focus. Providing a comfortable learning environment allows for a greater relationship with our educational collaborators.”

He added that the resort seeks opportunities to support range of school-based initiatives, from environmental and leadership clubs to creative programmes.

Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Rachel Taylor described the landscaping mission as a continuation of a long-standing relationship between the Ministry and Beaches Turks and Caicos. “This mission from our major private sector supporter, Beaches Turks and Caicos is a long standing activity,” Taylor said. “At Enid Capron Primary School, we are treated as family. Once we reach out to the resort, they have always responded in a positive way.”

Hon. Taylor said the support is particularly valuable in the areas of education and community development, where consistent private-sector engagement can amplify government efforts.

Nelene Swann, vice principal at Enid Capron Primary welcomed the refreshed grounds as a boost to morale before classes resume. “This is what true collaboration looks like,” she noted. “This is more than a facelift for the school. The team from Beaches Turks and Caicos has shown true commitment in adding to this learning environment for our students and teachers.”

She said the improved landscaping contributes to a more comfortable and inviting campus for all stakeholders. “This is a good way to start the new school year. This facelift will certainly make the facilities here at the school more appealing to our students, teachers and parents.