Connect with us

News

TCI Govt wants island hunkered down by Thursday

Published

on

 Turks and Caicos, September 5th, 2017 – Providenciales – Schools and offices will be closed on Thursday.  An evacuation order for Salt Cay will be given today.  Merchants are warned against price gouging.  Storm shelters are listed and evacuation routes identified.  An amnesty period is on for illegal migrants and the DDME is identified as the real source for storm information related specifically to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Magnetic Media was among the media houses at the Office of the Premier on Monday afternoon where country leaders spelled out what the nation is facing as we prepare for Hurricane Irma.
 
Governor John Freeman stated, “I anticipate issuing an evacuation order for Salt Cay tomorrow morning and there will be advice provided in terms of low-lying areas also fairly rapidly to make sure that people are alert as possible.”
In addition, Dr. Virginia Clerveaux, Director of DDME explained, “From a category 3 storm, you’re looking at a very strong storm and based on the shifting of the storm moving slightly south, we’re now expecting to either get the storm passed directly over us or to have the righter bands affecting the Turks and Caicos Islands and what the experts in the field are saying is that the righter side of the storm, the right bands, are actually stronger. “
Deputy Governor, Anya Williams also added, “as it currently stands, the prediction from the Met office is that by Thursday morning we we should start to see some changes in the weather and then we should have hurricane impact winds and so on on Thursday evening. If that is the case we will be looking at winding down services possibly as early as Wednesday evening so that persons have enough time to be in their own communities and to prepare for the storm. “
The Minister in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delroy Williams had strong advice for the public stating, “We would like to urge all residents and businesses not to take the storm lightly. Prepare yourself. The director have given you a list of all the shelters in the area. What you should do is to take keen notice of which shelter is nearest to you. Prepare yourselves, have a family evacuation plan.”
Premier Robinson then added, “And while you’re looking out for your employees please look out for those persons who will be purchasing merchandise from you. It’s important that we continue to say that we don’t have price control in Turks and Caicos but we can have price gouging and we really want to encourage you to not engage in that sort of activity over the next few days.”
Another debrief with the media is set for Wednesday as the Governor Dr John Freeman, Deputy Governor Anya Williams, Premier Sharlene Robinson, Minister of Home Affairs Delroy Williams and DDME Director Dr. Virginia Clerveaux all continue with stakeholder meetings for the next three days.  Again schools and government offices will be closedThursday to brace for Hurricane Irma.
By Deandrea Hamilton

News

Register of Interests of the Members of the House of Assembly 

Published

on

#TurksandCaicos, September 29, 2023 – The Integrity Commission advises that the Register of Interests for Members of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly, as at 31st December 2022 has been completed.

Members of the House of Assembly are required by the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution, Section 103(2), and the Integrity Commission Ordinance (the Ordinance), as amended, Section 52(1), to file with the Commission, Statements of Registrable Interests.  The Commission would, therefore, like to inform members of the public that, it has compiled the information contained in these Statements of Registrable Interests and has produced The Register of Interests 2022 for the Members of the House of Assembly, as at 31st December 2022.

The Register of Interests 2022 is now available for public inspection at the following locations:

  1. House of Assembly in Grand Turk
  2. Office of the Premier – Grand Turk and Providenciales
  3. Office of the Integrity Commission – Grand Turk and Providenciales (during the hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm from Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 4:00pm on Fridays.)
  4. Office of the District Commissioner – Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Salt Cay and South Caicos.

The Register can be viewed at these locations during normal working hours or at a time that is convenient for the respective offices.

For further information or any assistance please contact the Integrity Commission:

By telephone at:  946-1941(Grand Turk Office) or 941-7847 (Providenciales Office) By e-mail at: secretary@integritycommission.tc or info@integritycommission.tc

Continue Reading

Bahamas News

Grand Bahama to be CARGO HUB, as Bahamas & Qatar ink MOU 

Published

on

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#TheBahamas, September 29, 2023 – With moves to deepen ties, governments of The Bahamas and Qatar have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to solidify agreements in principle surrounding the development of aviation and other related services.

This is according to Chester Cooper, The Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister  of Tourism, Investment and Aviation in a Facebook post.

This comes after The Bahamas Government in a press release on September 24th, revealed that Cooper,  was set to meet with the head of Qatar Airways to have talks regarding “multiple mutually beneficial aviation opportunities for both countries.”

The release also said the deputy prime minister and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investment and Aviation are working on “forging strategic partnerships with several Middle Eastern countries to strengthen ties to The Bahamas and the Caribbean,” and this new signing is indicative of such efforts.

Following the September 25th signing, on September 27th, Kenneth Romer, Deputy Director General  of Tourism for The Bahamas informed via Facebook some details of the agreement saying, “we have now established a framework for cooperation and formed strategic partnerships with Qatar Airways, Qatar’s Transport, Aviation and Investment Agencies and The Qatar Aeronautical Academy, that will benefit our country.”

Regarding further efforts for the improvement of The Bahamas, Cooper announced on Facebook again on Tuesday September 26th that both countries are working  to make Nassau a passenger hub for Latin America and the Caribbean adding that talks are being held for Grand Bahama as a cargo hub.

Additionally, as the press release informed, Cooper is preparing for an on ground visit of Bahamasair domestic operations by Qatar Airways Technical team sometime in October.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Guyana to build regional food hub

Published

on

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

#Guyana, September 29, 2023 – Guyana is making moves to become the primary food production center for the Caribbean, going ahead with plans to develop a USD$14 million regional food hub.

In fact, as reported by the Observer, the facility has already been identified on the country’s Soesdyke /Linden Highway.

Guyana seems to really want this to become a reality and Zulfikar Mustapha, Agriculture Minister, expressed this, highlighting what Guyana has over its Caribbean sister Islands.

“We want Guyana to be the food hub, the primary production hub of the Caribbean so that we could supply the Caribbean.  What we have, our colleagues in the Caribbean don’t have.  We have arable flat land and abundant fresh water,” he said, adding that with the multi-million dollar US investment, the country can, “modernise the infrastructure, and start ramping up the productions.”

Also, the Agriculture Minister pointed out that the project is geared to make for a more competitive local Agriculture industry as well as developing high-yielding varieties, pest-resistant and climate-resilient varieties.

Additionally, in the facility’s development, Guyana, Mustapha said, will work with Belize.

In fact, with more on Belize’s involvement, Dr. Ashni Singh,  Finance Minister, informed that the Government is in talks with the Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley about sourcing inputs from northern Brazil and transporting them through Guyana to Barbados and vice versa.

Singh also reportedly revealed that the project will help develop the growing logistics industry in Guyana.

Considering regional food import cost, with this development, Guyana is the leading Caribbean Community country pushing ahead with plans to reduce the multi-billion dollar regional food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025, the Observer says.

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING