TCI News
Greening TCI Month: Keeping the TCI Beautiful by Nature
#TurksandCaicos, May 31, 2018 – Providenciales – World Turtle Day wrapped up a successful month of eco-awareness in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Greening TCI Month, an initiative led by the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR), kicked off on Earth Day (22 April) and was marked by a number of fun and informative activities.
The ‘We say NO to straws’ campaign, launched on Earth Day, saw a total of 17 hotel and / or restaurant establishments pledge to not use plastic drinking straws in their drinks. The annual TCI Shines clean-up campaign, hosted by the Turks & Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association (TCHTA), gave the community an opportunity to commemorate Earth Day and keep our islands clean.
The DECR have also run a number of school competitions, themed around environmental stewardship and our islands’ biodiversity, engaged with schools through tree plantings and presentations and educated the community at large through an extensive social media campaign.
Most notably, the DECR hosted the first, annual Turtle Olympics, in the Nation’s capital, on 19 May in honour of World Turtle Day. Young people from across the island joined in fun, educational activities to learn about marine conservation and how we can protect our sea turtles and the other marine creatures we share our environment with. Prizes included re-usable straws, cutlery and bags, sponsored by the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, to make sure that the boys and girls of Grand Turk can do their part in keeping our oceans plastic free!
Similarly, the DECR hosted a ‘Read with Us’ event at Primary schools across Providenciales, on Wednesday 23 May, in an effort to create awareness about plastic in our oceans and its harmful impact to us and our environment.
The DECR would like to thank the following establishments for their support in the ‘NO to straws’ campaign:
| · The Landing Bar & Kitchen | · Asu on the Beach |
| · Retreat Kitchen Vegetarian Café & Juice bar | · Ocean Club Resorts |
| · Da Conch Shack & Rum Bar | · Neptune Villas, Las Brisas Restaurant & Bar |
| · Mis Amigos | · Cocovan |
| · The Palms, Turks & Caicos | · Seasalt Personal Chef Services |
| · Pelican Bay Restaurant & Bar | · West Bay Club, Turks & Caicos |
| · Pavilion at the Somerset | · Zest!, and Stelle at the Ganzevoort |
| · Lupo Restaurant | · Turks & Caicos Collection |
The DECR would also like to thank the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, The Turks & Caicos Tourist Board and the TCHTA for their support and collaboration.
Let everyday be Earth Day and become a steward to your natural environment: appropriately dispose of your garbage, make use of re-usable containers, shopping bags, straws and cutlery and help keep our islands Beautiful by Nature! In the words of John F Kennedy: “One man can make a difference, and everyone should try”.
Release: TCIG
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)
-
News1 week agoFacts According to the Turks & Caicos Premier About His Constitutional Amendments
-
News1 week ago80 DAYS. $80 MILLION. – PDM Demands Answers from Government
-
News1 week ago“The Contract is The Problem, Not The Hospitals”
-
News1 week ago
Premier Lays Out Cost of Hospital Dispute
-
News6 days agoPAY FIRST. QUESTION LATER.
-
Education1 week agoDr. Candice Williams Appointed First Vice-President of Regional Higher Education Association
-
Health3 days ago47,459 MEASLES CASES, 44 DEATHS ACROSS AMERICAS
-
News3 days agoELECTRICITY BILL SHOCKER: PELICAN ENERGY WARNED GOV’T