TCI News
TCI: Alrisa Gardiner appointed as Primary Health Care Manager
#Providenciales, August 16, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – The Office of the Deputy Governor is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Alrisa Gardiner to the post of Primary Health Care Manager.
Ms. Gardiner is a graduate of the Raymond E. Gardiner High School in North Caicos and has successfully completed programmes in General Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Nursing. She began her professional career in 2001 at the Grand Turk Hospital and in 2002 was transferred to the Myrtle Rigby Health Complex in Providenciales where she worked in bedside nursing as a Registered Nurse and Midwife.
After completing the public health nursing programme in 2005, Ms. Gardiner joined the Primary Health Care Department where on occasion, she acted for the Senior Public Health Nurse. In 2012, She completed a Masters of Public Health degree at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Ms. Gardiner led a research project in 2012 with the title “Barriers to Parent-Teen Communication regarding sex in Providenciales”. Her paper was accepted and presented at the 61st CARPHA research conference held in the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 2016, the study was published in the West Indian Medical Journal. As Senior Public Health nurse, she was responsible for the Expanded Programme on Immunization, which focuses on vaccination of the population against vaccine preventable diseases, one of public health’s greatest successes.
Ms. Gardiner stated; “I am truly thankful for and humbled by this opportunity to serve as the Primary Health Care Manager. I would like to thank the people who have encouraged and supported me throughout my career; my family and friends, the team of nurses in Primary Health Care and my colleagues in the health, locally and regionally. This task ahead is a monumental one and I do look forward to effectively and efficiently executing my role to ensure that the primary health care department continues to provide quality services to the people of these Turks and Caicos Islands. My goal is to achieve the ministry’s vision of “a healthy and empowered people throughout the life cycle in communities conducive to healthy living”.
Commenting on the appointment, Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service Her Excellency Anya Williams said; “It gives me great pleasure to formally congratulate Nurse Alrisa Gardiner on her promotion to the post of Primary Heath Care Manager. Alrisa is an ardent and devoted civil servant who is passionate about healthcare, the importance of early preventative care and the impact that improved primary health care can have on the people of these islands. She has demonstrated over the past decade her strong commitment to the Primary Health Care Department and is a highly skilled professional.
We wish her well in her new role and know that she will do exceptionally well as the new Primary Heath Care Manager of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
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)
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