TCI News
Perception corrected; UK not micro-managing TCI money and spending says Governor
#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – Thursday April 12, 2018 – The PDM Administration has been encouraged by the United Kingdom to draw from the country’s healthy financial reserves to expedite reconstruction following 2017’s hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The statement came as Governor, His Excellency, Dr. John Freeman opened a first-of-its-kind media breakfast meeting in Provo – where members of the TCI media core were given unfiltered access to the Governor on anything and everything related to TCI governance.
In concluding his opener, the Governor shared with media that, “I should add that in terms of identifying funding to meet immediate post hurricane renovations and repairs the UK has not restricted this in any way, and has encouraged TCIG to draw as necessary on its financial resources including if necessary on it comparatively large reserves.” 
This position contrasts starkly with the popular view that the Government has been encumbered by the British when it comes to more swiftly spending public monies on public needs.
The Governor, when questioned directly about this perception said that view is one of the long held perspectives which paints an incorrect picture of the UK’s role in TCIG spending. The Governor, Dr. Freeman at his office in Raleigh House on Leeward Highway explained that much stringency has disappeared with the nullification of the role of the CFO.
“There is a framework agreement between TCIG and the UK Government.. is designed to help ensure the finances are soundly administered but provided the strategic goals set under that framework are being met, and currently they are.. the UK is not imposing any restrictions. It is quite wrong when people blame the UK as some awful gorgon out there stopping you getting your hand in the till; after all the big difference between a few years ago and now is that there is not Chief Financial Officer.
The Governor frankly expressed that there was a time the CFO was controlling and approving spending directly as a UK appointed official, but those days are over. 
“The Chief Financial Officer, when he was here under the ordinance provided for, initially, every single expenditure above 10,000 I think it was, had to be approved by him, subsequently it was shifted to $75,000 but the powers of the Chief Financial Officer were extremely extensive and that wasn’t an accident. The UK wanted that after the troubles you had a few years ago where the country was close to bankruptcy but that went last year. We don’t have a Chief Financial Officer.”
Dr. Freeman said he was keen on the opportunity to clarify the very common misconception and explained that the UK was prepared to even see the Turks and Caicos run a deficit budget if necessary due to the catastrophic hit of the back to back hurricanes, which cost the Turks and Caicos over half a billion dollars in damages and losses.
“Though the outturn figure for the Budget for the concluding financial is now going to be significantly in surplus, it was not anticipated in December or early January that it would be and that would have required running a deficit budget, running a deficit budget. And the UK did not stand in the way of that. And why didn’t they stand in the way of that? Because they could see that certain monies would need to be spent and they are not trying to micro-manage everything and saying keep your hands out of the till.”
The Governor explained that any member of the Cabinet can attest to this fact. Adding that it is really a matter for the elected administration – led by Premier Sharlene Robinson, who is also the Minister responsible for Finance – to chart the course they feel is best and fiscally prudent.
“Nobody bites into their reserves imprudently. It’s taken a long time to build up the level of reserves this territory has got and nobody should wantonly spend the money, but if there is an immediate, current need it is possible to do that. It is also possible, if you wish, to borrow against reserves on the international markets and the UK would not oppose that.”
The TCI public has been critical of the PDM Administration and the pace of recovery post the hurricanes. The UK has been subject to the rebuke as there has not been much work done in the aftermath of the terrible storms.
His Excellency reminded that the Turks and Caicos enjoys a very enviable credit rating which would make borrowing easier.
Five media houses were represented at the press breakfast held today, April 12, 2017… it may be the first in a string, said Governor Dr. Freeman.
Almost two million visitors recorded in 2025
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – The Turks and Caicos Islands saw an increase in stayover arrivals in December, seven percent higher than the corresponding period in 2024.
Preliminary data suggests that stay over arrivals by air for the month of December was 66,427 in comparison to 62,610 in December 2024.
From January to December 2025, preliminary visitor arrival numbers totalled 640,754; on par with the number recorded for the same period of 2024.
Stay Over Arrivals YTD December 2024/2025
The first quarter of the calendar year attracted the largest number of arrivals with visitor arrivals three percent higher than the first quarter of 2024. Reduced airlift from the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably the Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue services, was however felt from the second quarter (April to June). As a result, visitor arrivals dropped three percent in the second quarter.
By the third quarter of this year (July to September), geopolitical and economic conditions in the key source markets, namely the United States, led to further contraction of arrivals. In the last quarter of 2025, arrivals were impacted in October due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa but additional airlift from the USA and Canada resulted in an increase in arrivals in November and December.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant of Experience Turks and Caicos, said December’s increase in stayover arrivals is an encouraging indicator of the sustained interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination.
“While we note and continue to monitor geopolitical shifts that affect us, Experience Turks and Caicos is focused on increasing marketing initiatives in our primary source markets. We have spent the last two years investing in groundwork such as crucial travel advisor training to assist them in selling the destination more effectively. In the next fiscal, we will be building on those initiatives with co-op activities with partners as well as out of home advertising to increase visitation to our destination,” he said.
In Cruise, the preliminary count of passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346, a 22 percent increase over last December. This growth follows the berthing of 11 additional ships in Grand Turk this month.
From January to December, the cruise sector continued to outperform the same period last year, as the 1.3 million total cruise passengers recorded, marks a five percent Year-on-Year increase. 
The cruise sector experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2025, with passenger arrivals surpassing last quarter by 53 percent. In the second and third quarter however, several cruise lines adjusted their itineraries as vessels were pulled from the fleet or from the Caribbean region, which resulted in fewer passengers.
Arrivals dropped seven percent and 10 percent in the second and third quarters, respectively. Double digit growth was recorded in the last two months of Quarter 4. This growth however, was not sufficient to outweigh the drop in arrivals experienced in October, following the cancellation of cruise calls due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Despite the late-quarter rebound, arrivals for the final quarter of 2025 closed six percent below the same period in 2024.
News
The Department of Trade, Industry & Fair Competition to Host Export Readiness Workshop Under the theme “Empowering TCI Businesses for Local Growth and Global Markets.”
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 11 February 2026: The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) coordinated a multi-agency enforcement operation on Thursday, 29 January 2026, led by the Planning Department, with support from the Crown Land
Unit, the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, and security provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. The operation, carried out at three different locations in Providenciales, formed part of ongoing government efforts to address unauthorised development and illegal occupation of land in accordance with governing legislation.
The operation commenced in Blue Hills, where five Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on unauthorised structures identified on Block and Parcel 60502/48.
Enforcement activity then moved to a second location off the Leeward Highway near Caicos Lodge, where six Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on additional unauthorised structures on Block and Parcel 60802/66.
The final phase of the operation took place in The Bight, where three unauthorised structures were removed, with all debris cleared from the site in keeping with established safety and environmental protocols.
The Informal Settlements Unit remains committed to working alongside its partner agencies to support lawful development, protect public and private land, and ensure that planning regulations are enforced in a coordinated and transparent manner across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Similar joint operations will continue as part of the Government’s wider strategy to address unauthorised development and informal settlement activity.
