TCI News
Compensation coming for Hurricane Shelter staff, Long Bay member wants pay increase for volunteers
#Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands – April 3, 2018 – The Government has finally approved payment to shelter managers and workers who have for months been wanting and awaiting compensation. During House of Assembly convening last week, it was determined that the workers are due some $55,167 and during Holy Week, the application for the money was approved by parliamentarians. 
“This is our fifth contingency fund withdrawal application and this is in relation to the shelter workers. We have actually laid on the table already several contingency warrants, Mr. Speaker largely, about four of them are related to hurricane expenses. Spending works such as cleaning, fuel, overtime payment which was approved yesterday for those workers who are under the public service ordinance and are allowed to be paid overtime and of course today we are looking at the payment of shelter workers and there is also an arrangement for volunteers who have also been approved,” said Minister of Finance, Hon Sharlene Robinson in laying the supplementary appropriation last Tuesday.
Concern was expressed by several members of the Opposition PNP; one set of comments by the appointed member for the Progressive National Party were expunged from the records due to the strong charge against those in leadership. Still, the Leeward and Long Bay member was able to make the point that the funds, in her view, should have been included in the January-February supplementary which was as a result of the hurricanes.
“I do have the concerns about the delays and in reading the annex to the report is shows that the request was made in November 2017, a decision was taken in January 2018 to segregate the payments from shelter managers for a final submission that was made in January,” Hon Akierra Missick continued with, “…when we had the major supplementary in January/February of this financial year that the funds for the shelter workers and volunteers should have been considered at that time as that budget was really addressing changing around funding as a result of hurricanes Irma and Maria.”
Four of the five contingency warrants made within the 2017-2018 fiscal period were brought on by the hurricanes, which is estimated to have cost the Turks and Caicos over half a billion dollars in damages and losses. The Finance Minister objected to earlier charges that she was directly responsible for the payment coming, only now to the shelter workers and stood in the HOA to explain the process, which first had to have Cabinet approval.
“Even though supplementary was passed in January, even though it was submitted to UK in December; it had not been approved in Cabinet to be included in the Supplementary and if you recall the process to us getting here today, this withdrawal warrant was laid on the table of the House it was referred to the Appropriations Committee and then it is included in the Supplementary.”
The Member for Leeward and Long Bay district during her contribution on Tuesday March 27, 2018 also drew attention to the sacrifice of the volunteers and a need, in her view, to boost their remuneration from $12.50 per hour.
“I must also say Mr. Speaker that I hope in the upcoming financial year, the upcoming budget that we look at an increase for volunteers. A hundred dollars for an eight hour shift, Mr. Speaker while they are caring for others leaving their families and homes exposed or if they were damaged during the storm, not being able to attend to them is not much of an incentive for new volunteers to sign on.”
The Premier, Hon Sharlene Robinson, who laid the contingency warrant in the House of Assembly last week Tuesday invited members to support the application for the extra money to pay the shelter staff. The Premier also assured that her office will expedite payment for shelter workers and the approved overtime payees as soon as the paperwork arrives on her desk.
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
PROVIDENCIALES — New commercial Crown Land applications are facing a six-month pause as the Turks and Caicos Islands Government takes inventory of its holdings.
During Cabinet meetings held July 15 and 16, an immediate six-month moratorium was approved on the acceptance, processing
and approval of new applications for commercial Crown Land grants, leases and allocations.
The pause will remain in place pending completion of the Crown Land Inventory Review. Cabinet’s summary did not state what prompted the review or indicate whether availability of commercial Crown Land is a concern.
The two-day meeting also advanced major consumer legislation. Cabinet approved the National Fair Competition Policy 2026 and drafting instructions for a Fair Competition Ordinance, moving TCI toward stronger consumer protection and fair competition rules.
In Grand Turk, Cabinet approved rezoning land in the North West Suburbs from low-density to medium-density residential use to facilitate a new apartment development.
Cabinet also advanced fisheries reforms, water legislation allowing private and public-private investment, minerals legislation and appointments across tourism, health and finance.
Progress toward establishing a TCI Credit Union was also noted.
PROVIDENCIALES — Major development projects outside Providenciales received Cabinet attention on July 8, with Government approving agreements connected to the redevelopment of Dellis Cay and a resort development in North Caicos.
Cabinet approved a Development Agreement between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Desarrollos Hotelco DC Ltd. and
Desarrollos Hotelco Astoria Ltd. for the redevelopment of Dellis Cay.
The long-discussed private island development sits between Providenciales and North Caicos and its return to Cabinet signals another step toward redevelopment.
Cabinet also approved amendments to an agreement involving SPR LND Ltd. (Royal Reef) and TCIG Development Agreement for a resort/hotel development in North Caicos.
Other decisions included approval of the First Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2026 for onward transmission and the appointment of Cindy Ewing as Chair of the Invest TCI Board, effective August 1 for three years.
Cabinet also noted consultation outcomes concerning changes to business licensing, approved professional membership expenses for qualifying Telecommunications Commission staff and approved advice relating to the Interim Clinical and Estates Services PPP.
The July 8 meeting was chaired by Acting Governor Anya Williams.
Photo Credit: Royal Reef (Keith)
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