TCI News
Team TCI finishes strong at 2018 Flow CARIFTA Games!
#TurksandCaicos, April 5, 2018 – Providenciales – This past Easter weekend, March 31st – April 2nd, the team of thirty one (31) strong athletes from the Turks and Caicos Islands left their mark at 2018 Flow CARFITA Games hosted at the Thomas A Robinson (TAR) National Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas (named after the Olympic sprinter from The Bahamas whose first medal was in 1956).
In the overall medal standing after three (3) days of events, Team Turks and Caicos returns home today with a total of four (4) medals, putting them in ninth place out of a total of twenty eight (28) participating Caribbean countries.
“This is the third year of Flow’s three year partnership with NACAC as the title sponsor and exclusive broadcast partner of the CARIFTA Games and for the first time Flow customers in more than twenty countries including the Turks and Caicos had mobile access to unprecedented live coverage of the world’s best junior track and field meet via the Flow Sports Mobile App,” explained Flow Country Manager, Delleriece Hall.
Day 1 – Saturday, March 31st
On Day One of the competition, first time CARIFTA athlete hailing from South Caicos, Katrelle Pierre, threw a distance of 45.24m in the U17 Boys Javelin event, earning his place on the medal stand with a bronze, and TCIs first medal at the games.
Day 2 – Sunday, April 1st
On Day Two, the team of first time CARIFTA Junior athletes – namely, Darren Pierret, Wooslyn Harvey, Daveon Durham, and Joshua Meghoo – won the bronze medal in the U17 Boys 4x100M Relay with a time of 44.34s, earning TCI their second medal.
At the 2017 Flow CARIFTA Games we saw Jamaica College athlete, Wilkenson Fenelon, finishing in second place for the Boys Octathlon Open, one-point shy of a gold medal. This year, Fenelon returned with a vengeance, capturing first place after a gruelling eight events, earning TCI their third medal.
Day 3 – Monday, April 2nd
On the final day, all eyes were on the U20 Boys 800M. The Jamaica College athlete, Ken Reyes, ran a strong final ending his CARIFTA tenure, capturing the silver medal with a time of 1:50.46m, earning TCI their fourth and final medal on the final day of the competition.
“We are extremely proud of all our athletes for such an outstanding performance at the 2018 Flow CARIFTA Games. We wish to congratulate all the medallist who have set the bar for many other aspiring athletes, and whose names will be in the history books of the TCI for many years to come,” commented Flow Marketing Communications Executive, Darron Hilaire.
More exciting sports action is in store for Flow customers as Flow Sports is also the official Caribbean broadcaster of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (GC2018) starting April 4 in Queensland, Australia. Flow customers can now catch live and exclusive coverage of the events on Flow Sports 1, Flow Sports 2, or via Wi-Fi or mobile data on Flow Sports 1 App.
Release: Flow
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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