TCI News
OECD listed but never informed of concerns on TCI investor policy, Premier calls clarity and proof of any breach
#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – October 22, 2018 – It is not true that the Turks and Caicos is blacklisted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation, OECD for one of its investor incentive programs and there will be no change to that program according to Premier and Finance Minister, Sharlene Robinson, who on Friday addressed the issue.
“The TCI and other countries does not have to make amendments as the programs are legitimate and are not being used for any illicit activities, particularly not to avoid payment of taxes. The Turks and Caicos’ transparency program is aligned with the international standards on tax information sharing and is fully compliant,” said Robinson at her office in Provo to the media core.
The Turks and Caicos was among countries on a list published in a UK Guardian news article which cites the TCI Investment Permanent Residency Certificate program as ‘suspect’. The policy, managed jointly by Invest Turks and Caicos Agency, the Ministry of Border Control and the Governor’s Office has landed the TCI onto the infamous list of countries allegedly misbehaving in its financial services sector. The Premier of the country says this list is not rightly named as she called on the OECD to clear up the negative perceptions.
“I wish to state clearly, that the Turks and Caicos Islands has not been ‘blacklisted’. She continued with, “Quite frankly, I wish to state that the OECD does not produce a blacklist of any anomalies that countries might have but more a list of high risk situations. The media has turned this list to a blacklist and I believe the OECD should call for a correction to these stories and will certainly write to them, inviting them to do so.”
Premier Robinson explained that if the OECD is truly troubled by the investment policy, then it has been silent on the matter with no communication to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government about the PRC program.
“The OECD has to produce substantial facts that countries are in breach of the standard and make a case for revision or removal of the program. We are not in receipt of any such correspondence and certainly wish to state our continued commitment to running a clean jurisdiction and will continue to comply with international standards.”
The UK Guardian article was published on Tuesday October 16, 2018, under the headline: ‘Tax evasion: blacklist of 21 countries with ‘golden passport’ schemes published’. The article online is essentially a news story on the OECD’s reported concern about the ease of wealthy investors to get residency status in the named countries, opening the door to possible tax avoidance.
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.
#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:
- Roniesha Johnson U-17 Girls CHHS
- Branary Delancy U-17 Girls LGTHS
- Krysann Williams U-20 Girls LGTHS
- Anesha Varus U-20 Girls CHHS
- Lynn Antoine U-20 Girls Unattached
- Chyna Simmons U-20 Girls BWIC
- Rayvon Black U-17 Boys Denbigh/Jam
- Renaldo Registre U-17 Boys RGHS
- Jarmal Missick U-17 Boys HJRHS
- Melique Evans U-17 Boys CHHS
- Love Joseph U-17 Boys LGTHS
- Kaeson Garland U-17 Boys MBHS
- Shamar Garland U-17 Boys HJRHS
- Alieandio Durham U-20 Boys CHHS
- Bernard Hyde U-20 Boys CHHS
- Markey Zepherin U-20 Boys CHHS
- Rayvon Walkin U-20 Boys KC/Jam
- Anthon Walkin U-20 Boys KC/Jam
- Alidavidson Higgs U-20 Boys JC/Jam
- Darvioun Rigby U-20 Boys Keiser/USA
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.
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