TCI News
TCI: Sakera Cook Appointed As Ministry of Home Affairs Head of Secretariat
#TurksandCaicos, April 13, 2018 – Providenciales – The Turks and Caicos Government is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Sakera Cook as the new Head of Secretariat within the Ministry of Home Affairs. Mrs. Cook holds an MBA in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing from Everest University formally Florida Metropolitan University.
Having recently returned to the Turks and Caicos Islands from the United States of America, where she functioned in a diverse variety of settings, including as a Gateways Vacation Specialist with Jet Blue Airlines; Benefits Advisor at Aon Retiree Health Exchange in Orlando, Florida and as a Financial Advisor at SunTrust Bank in Orlando, Florida, which included ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements including Bank Secrecy Act, Anti-Money Laundering, OFAC, USA Patriot Act, Privacy Act and Community Reinvestment Act; Mrs. Cook took up a temporary post in the Ministry of Health Contract Management Unit some months ago before being formally appointed to the post on Head of Secretariat on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018.
Mrs. Cook prides herself as being a highly-motivated and driven individual, known for her professionalism, leadership, organizational skills, passion and dedication to any task and is married and is the mother of two daughters.
Commenting on her appointment Mrs. Cook said; “I’m profoundly grateful and honored to be selected for this position and to be a member of a dynamic team in this ministry in particular and the public service in general. My gratitude is of course extended to all of those persons who supported and guided me throughout my personal, academic and professional journey. I am determined to use my skills and experiences to ensure that this ministry is as strong as possible and ultimately to do whatever is best for my beloved country.”
Deputy Governor Anya Williams in congratulations Mrs. Cook said; “We are pleased to welcome Mrs. Cook to the Turks and Caicos Islands Civil Service and to congratulate her on her new role. The post of Head of Secretariat is a very important role that covers a wide range of responsibilities particularly in a dynamic ministry such as the Ministry of Home Affairs which is responsible for Social, Gender, Prison, Fire, Disaster Management, Communication and other services.
“As Head of Secretariat, Mrs. Cook will be responsible for coordinating the political and administrative interfaces between the Minister and Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Home Affairs and will be responsible coordinating the secretariat function in the Ministry, which includes liaison between the Permanent Secretary and Minister, and between the Permanent Secretary Board, Cabinet, and House of Assembly for the purpose of progressing the business of the Ministry through the political and administrative processes.
“There is a requirement to review and keep track of issues coming to the Permanent Secretary and Minister from the House of Assembly, Ministry, TCIG and outside , to assist in the preparation of responses to parliamentary questions and the preparation of media and other releases and to also maintain a database of policy and legislative plans and proposals within the Ministry amongst numerous other duties.
“Mrs. Cook has demonstrated a keen interest in and knowledge of the responsibilities of her new role and we wish her well.”
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.
