Connect with us

TCI News

Health remains leading cost to Turks and Caicos, absorbs over $100m of Budget; Premier lists Top 10

Published

on

#Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday June 27, 2018 – The lion’s share of the 2018-2019 Budget for the Turks and Caicos Islands is once again allotted to Health and health care costs.   

Premier and Finance Minister Hon Sharlene Robinson on Monday June 18 presented the long awaited National Budget, and while the figure for spending this fiscal year is historic; the leader for greatest expense to the public purse is not new.

Taking up 26.4 percent of the National Budget is Health announced Hon Robinson who added that the $76.5m price tag for the Ministry which encompasses health, human services, environmental health, agriculture and sports – did not include the over $30m assigned to the National Health Insurance program.

“Approximately 33m will be transferred to the National Health Insurance Board to facilitate the treatment abroad program and to subsidize the healthcare costs for wards of the state, the indigent population and utility charges for the hospitals.  While this  allocation is eight percent lower than the revised budget for 2017/18 it accounts for 11.4 percent of the planned expenditure and 11.8 percent of forecast revenue,” explained Premier Robinson to the Speaker of the House.

The Premier explained that other expenses linked to the TCI Hospitals which are owned by the people and managed by InterHealth Canada is above last fiscal year estimates.   

Infrastructure payments to the TCI Hospitals was revealed as $20.7 million, which equates to 7.2 percent of overall budget expenditure.

The second biggest expenditure item is Education, Youth and Library Services which in the projection shows the Ministry will require $43.7 million for operations this fiscal year.

At No. 3 for spending in the projected Budget and Estimates was the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning which will receive $31.7 million, followed by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police which has been allotted $28.8 million.   

The fifth largest budget allocation is to the Ministry of Finance, Investment and Trade with $19.7 million, followed by Home Affairs which is given $14.5 million for the new financial year if the proposal is passed as is.

Seventh largest expenditure to the Turks and Caicos Islands in the projected Budget is to the Ministry of Border Control and Employment at $11 million, followed by the Special Investigation and Prosecution which tops Tourism to absorb $9.1 million of the public purse.  Tourism is ninth on the list of top 10 expenditures at $8.6 million dollars and pulling up the rear, in the 10th spot as listed by the Premier and Finance Minister, was the Attorney General’s Chambers with $6.9 million in the new fiscal year.

Other notables were:  Governor’s Office to get $7 million; the House of Assembly to receive $3.1 million; the Office of the Premier and District Administration at $3.2 million; the Director of Public Prosecutions Office with $1.6 million for operations and the Deputy Governor’s Office with an allotment of $2.5 million once the Budget passes.

Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.

Caribbean News

TCI Police Detective Holden Speaks Up on Blue Hills Rapes

Published

on

Dana Malcolm  

Staff Writer  

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – Following the announcement that several women had been robbed and assaulted in Blue Hills in the past weeks, Magnetic Media queried why the Police would wait until they had a man in custody to release an alert. 

TCI’s newest addition to the top brass Detective Superintendent Dean Holden, Head of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection, told us that it initially appeared to be an isolated offence and not part of a series of incidents. 

“The full circumstances needed to be investigated to ascertain the facts before a public alert could be considered. Misinformation in such a case would only cause unnecessary public concern and confusion and could adversely impact the investigation and the safeguarding of persons involved—” he said. “Even now there is no definitive information that these offences are linked, and investigators remain open-minded.”  

Holden claimed an early alert with limited information could have hindered the investigation and they were trying to protect the women who may not have wanted to be identified based on where they lived.  

As it turns out, the public concern was very much warranted, because there have been more violent sexual attacks, and more victims got hurt, forcing their hands.  

“When further similar offences were committed, the overriding principle of sustained public protection was considered, hence the alert/release issued,” he said. 

That alert was coupled with the news that a man had been arrested. Whether those further similar incidents could have been prevented if the public was informed earlier and taken extra precautions, is the underlying question. To date, we don’t know how many victims there are. 

Police have increased patrols in the Blue Hills area and condemned the crimes as unacceptable. They have not indicated if anyone was charged for the offences yet.  

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Louise Garland Thomas High School are TCISS Inter-High Track & Field 2023 Champions

Published

on

#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – After a festive three days of competition, the TCISS Inter-High Track & Field Championships 2023 have concluded with the A. Louise Garland Thomas High School reigning as Champions. Featuring a great turnout, eleven schools from across the Turks and Caicos Islands met to compete at the National Stadium March 9-11, 2023.

The competition was stiff among athletes, who were all competing for top spots and by extension a spot-on Team TCI’s CARIFTA 2023 team. From high-spirited invitationals to entertainment by DJ Shakes, spectators enjoyed the best Nationals competition yet.

Overall results:

  •     1st Place: A. Louise Garland Thomas High School
  •     2nd Place: Clement Howell High School
  •     3rd Place: Marjorie Basden High School

Twenty athletes have been selected for Turks and Caicos Islands National CARIFTA Team, some who would have competed in the TCISS Inter-High Track & Field Championships 2023 and some living abroad.

Here are the athletes:

  1. Roniesha Johnson U-17 Girls CHHS
  2. Branary Delancy U-17 Girls LGTHS
  3. Krysann Williams U-20 Girls LGTHS
  4. Anesha Varus U-20 Girls CHHS
  5. Lynn Antoine U-20 Girls Unattached
  6. Chyna Simmons U-20 Girls BWIC
  7. Rayvon Black U-17 Boys Denbigh/Jam
  8. Renaldo Registre U-17 Boys RGHS
  9. Jarmal Missick U-17 Boys HJRHS
  10. Melique Evans U-17 Boys CHHS
  11. Love Joseph U-17 Boys LGTHS
  12. Kaeson Garland U-17 Boys MBHS
  13. Shamar Garland U-17 Boys HJRHS
  14. Alieandio Durham U-20 Boys CHHS
  15. Bernard Hyde U-20 Boys CHHS
  16. Markey Zepherin U-20 Boys CHHS
  17. Rayvon Walkin U-20 Boys KC/Jam
  18. Anthon Walkin U-20 Boys KC/Jam
  19. Alidavidson Higgs U-20 Boys JC/Jam
  20. Darvioun Rigby U-20 Boys Keiser/USA

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Head of British Army in TCI

Published

on

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos recently hosted the head of the British Army who has now been made a member of the local regiment.  

Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff  (CGS) spent a mid-March weekend in the country and it’s a visit Governor Nigel Dakin hopes will be rewarding for the TCI Regiment in the future.  The Governor said as much in the Instagram post announcing the visit.  

“He is now an Honorary Colonel of our Regiment.  That’s an enormously important step for us because it gives our Regiment a champion working at the very top of UK Defence,” Dakin said. 

The visit also included Lord Mark Lancaster, Former Minister for UK Armed Forces who Dakin acknowledged had championed the petition for OTs to even have their own military forces. 

The men met cordially with the Regiment and then saw them in action officially.  The Premier was also part of the meetings, so too the Maritime Police and Radar, the Tactical Firearms Unit and National Security Secretariat Dakin explained.  The top man was impressed with the regiment as he told Dakin how proud he was to be associated with the troupe.

One stop in the tour was Dockyard, the Providenciales community where so much grief was felt and caused over the past year.  Also a suspected have for illegal migrants and contraband. 

“Very pleased to see this relationship established before leave. It says much about the distance already traveled and it bodes very well indeed for the Regiment’s future.”  He said.  Fitting that Dakin’s last guests should be Britain’s security experts considering his investment in Border security in the TCI during his tenure.

Dakin will bid the country farewell by the end of March. 

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING