TCI News
Premier sets record straight, no write offs, beneficiaries revealed
#TurksandCaicosIslands – March 7, 2019 –
On February 18th, the following Bills were read in the House of Assembly for the first time and it was publicly announced that the Debate would take place on March 4th and 5th :
The Hotel Tourism and Restaurant Taxation Bill (HRTT) which provided an overhaul to the Law passed since 1985 allowing for a modernization of the law and a strengthening of the collection of taxes;
The HRTT (Amnesty) Bill which allowed for an Amnesty commencing April 1st and allowing for a waiver of all penalties and payable on any outstanding taxes due and payable under the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism (Taxation) Ordinance for the years up to and including the year ending 31 March 2019.
The HRTT (Validation) Bill which sought to ratify past actions.
Regrettably not all persons were able to hear the Debate in the House of Assembly where three serving former Ministers quite adequately shared their thoughts on why we were where we are today.
Of particular concern was the Amnesty Bill that offers relief to 41 local and expatriate owned Businesses. I offer again the following facts as stated during the Debate:
There has been NO WRITE OFF OF TAXES for any Business.
Financial Implications
There are currently 41 establishments that are in arrears position of which 7 have been refferred to AG Chambers, 15 have paid the entire principal amount but not the interest (not accruing), and 19 have made no payments. (interest accruing).
Of the 19 businesses, Beaches TCI and Club Med collectively account for 96% of the amount outstanding. Should these businesses opt to benefit from the Amnesty, $28,638,820 of principal will be collected and $85,191,912 in interest will be forfeited.
Total amounts in arrear of principal and interest are $29,684,123 and $89,147,690 respectively as at January 31, 2019.
On the matter of Beaches, three former Ministers of Finance currently serving correctly summed up the situation as it relates to Beaches. Hon Derek Taylor spoke to the fact that the actions should be considered for what it is: a cleaning up exercise; Hon Royal Robinson offered that it was a matter that the issue has run on so long and now the “chickens have come home to roost and certain adjustments must be made” and Hon Washington Misick stated that he believe that this was a genuine oversight by all Governments: PDM and PNP since 1997. I agree with all save for the fact that I have every reason to believe that the immediate past Minister of Finance had knowledge of this matter and in fact his Party has issued a Release saying that he commissioned the Audit that revealed the Findings. The Audit covered September 2014 – August 2016 and it revealed that though Beaches and successive Governments operated on the understanding that it should pay 60% of the 12% tax, there was no written evidence save a letter written by Hon Washington Misick in 2014 confirming this to be the practise. Despite the findings revealing the oversight on the part of all successive governments, my Government has requested the payment of the full 100% of taxes for this period. I wish to thank the Revenue Control Unit for its work. In addition I wish to assure the public that Beaches and Club Med continues to pay its monthly taxes before the statutory deadline.
As it relates to Club Med, who since its opening has been allowed to pay 40% of the 12% tax under a Development Agreement. This Development Agreement has since expired and the former Administration had continued to collect under the same rate under the expired Agreement.
To this end, the Revenue Control Unit had to asssess both establishments on 100% and this is the matter before us.
Only Penalties are proposed to be written off. Penalties under the current Ordinance calculates monthly at 10% compounded. For an amount outstanding of $29,684,123, the total penalties are $89,147, 690. To be clear all businesses owing under this Audit are now attracting 240% in interest/penalty on the original taxes owed. As an example if a business owes $10,000 in taxes, it now attracts a penalty/interest of $38,000.00 for the Audit period. While penalties have been put in place to deter late payments, we believe the rate of 10% compounded monthly was too onerous and have reduced the rate and how it is calculated going forward under the new Ordinance passed on Monday.
I wish to confirm that local businesses will benefit under this Amnesty. Despite there being no request by the Opposition for a list of proposed beneficiaries, I now release the list of businesses that stand to benefit under the Amnesty Program and encourage them to take advantage of the offer that allows payment plans for up to 2 years. I appeal especially to locally owned businesses that have popular standing. We are more than happy to be able to provide such an opportunity.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 20 February 2026 — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in collaboration with key
government agencies, coordinated a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Block and Parcel 60609/33 in the Five Cays area.
The exercise was led by the Crown Land Unit, pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land. The ISU coordinated the operation, with support provided by the Planning Department and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, while the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured security throughout the activity.
The enforcement action followed a series of inspections conducted by the Crown Land Unit throughout Five Cays, which identified several illegally constructed buildings made of concrete and timber on sections of the subject parcel. In keeping with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance, occupied structures were served Letters of Illegal Occupation, delivered by hand to occupants and
posted on structures where individuals were absent. Incomplete and unoccupied structures were served Notices of Unauthorized Occupation pursuant to section 22 of the Ordinance. A total of ten (10) Letters of Illegal Occupation and three (3) Notices of Unauthorized Occupation were issued during the exercise.
The Informal Settlements Unit reiterates that these coordinated enforcement exercises form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to uphold the law, protect Crown land, and manage informal settlements in a structured and lawful manner. Members of the public are reminded that unauthorised occupation and development on Crown land is unlawful and subject to enforcement action.
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.
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