#GrandTurk, Turks and Caicos Islands – October 22, 2020 — Amid fears of rapid Covid-19 spread on the voting day, the Elections Department proposed advance polling for Coronavirus patients and those in quarantine centres to curb the possible spread of the deadly virus.
According to a statement
by the Department of Elections, those who have tested positive for Coronavirus,
and quarantined, will be permitted to vote a day before the general elections late
this year or early next year.
The proposed amendments
to the Election Ordinance prescribes several measures to avert the risk of a
rapid spread of the virus during the polling process.
In light of the
Coronavirus presence in the island region, the amendment to the TCI Election Ordinance
aims at maintaining voters’ safety during the pandemic.
In the statement sent to the public on October 13, 2020, the Supervisor of
Elections Dudley Lewis urged members of the public to provide feedback through
hard copies or email addresses provided in the statement.
According to the
statement sent out last week, voters who wish to vote should apply for approval
from the supervisor within ten days of the statement.
The statement
further explained any individual approved by the supervisor to vote in the
advance poll would enjoy full support and rights, identical to those upheld on general
election day expected late this year or early 2021.
However, the
approved voters will be required to authenticate their approval to participate
in the advance polls or be denied the chance to vote at the advanced poll.
“A voter who is
approved to vote at an Advance Poll shall be allowed to vote in like manner as
he would have been entitled to do on the day appointed for taking the poll,
except that he shall not be allowed to vote at advance poll unless he produces
proof of approval to vote at Advance Poll,” reads part of the statement.
The elections
supervisor also stated that there are safety protocols in place instituted by
the top Medical Officer in a bid to control and regulate Coronavirus positive
voters and those in the quarantine facilities.
Additional
safety protocols have also been established for voters diagnosed with
Coronavirus, and those under quarantine are hopeful of participating in the
advance polls.
The Proposed Safety Protocols
According to the
Department of Elections statement, any voter tested positive or from quarantine
who wishes to take part in upcoming advance polls should make and submit an
appeal to the Elections Supervisor within ten days from the day the statement
was issued, but not later.
When the request
is accepted, the voter should inform the officials from the Ministry of Health
about his/her intention to go to the polling station before leaving the
isolation facility for the officers to prepare.
Besides that,
the voter will also be required to produce proof of permission to participate
in the advance polls before gaining access to the polling station.
Additionally, the
voter should use a private or personal car to go to the polling station.
While at the station,
he or she must put on an N95 or KN95 mask covering the mouth and nose, gloves,
face shield, and a disposable gown.
The voter should
also keep a physical distance of at least six feet from others at the station
as much as is practical.
Moreover, the
advanced safety protocols state that the voter should comply with all other
protocols set at the station and wash their hands with soap for at least 20-seconds
to kill any covid-19 virus that might have come into contact with the hands.
Also, traveling
to and from the quarantine facilities by the voters is restricted to direct
routes only, and the voter should return to the isolation centres immediately
after casting a vote.
After the
polling exercise is over, the used polling stations will undergo deep cleaning
in preparation for the main polling day.
If the proposal
is approved, the advance election polling process is expected to kick-off at
8.00 AM and wrap up at 4.00 PM.
Consultation on the proposal concluded October 21.
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#TurksandCaicos, April 19, 2024 – In an attempt to move to 24-hour-a-day operations Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is steadily recruiting Air Traffic Controllers to work at the Providenciales/Howard Hamilton International Airport, according to Godfrey Smith, TCIAA CEO, reporting to the Appropriations Committee.
Speaking on April 8th Smith said a cabinet paper would be sent soon requesting six more Air Traffic Controllers to make round the clock operation at the Provo International possible and to open the airport in Grand Turk till 12 a.m.
Currently, 17 posts are filled and seven are vacant.
Smith was candid with his responses to recent industrial action from ATCs which led to resignations and firings.
“What we have to do is find systems to mitigate such actions and that has to start with filling these jobs, putting people in that want to work and doing right by people – and we always try to do right by our staff. Persons may not think that we are but we always do – we ain’t pick no fight,” he said in the meetings held at the NJS Francis building ahead of the National Budget Communication.
Smith indicated that recruitment was an issue across the board, ‘we need to find ways to recruit a little bit better’ he told the committee. Also in need of a push was capital spending or projects according to the CEO, who said the agency had ‘not been very good’ at meeting that mark but insisted they had recognized the issue and could do better.
A very important key performance indicator drawn up by the TCIAA is increasing passenger satisfaction at the Howard Hamilton International Airport. For the TCIAA part of this means a 30 percent increase in seating by Q2 of this year.
When queried on if they could even handle this increase the CEO said,
“The fact of the matter is we already have the capacity there. What we need is to make the service a bit better.”
Staff shortages have become such a frustrating issue that the TCIAA is instituting a scholarship program created by Authority Chairman, Selvyn Hawkins
“What the board wants to do is basically allocate $25,000 annually for a scholarship and they’ve approved it already.”
This process would cover tuition and all other costs for one student.
The student would return as a summer intern and other breaks to work at the TCIAA and upon graduation, assume a role at the company.
“We identify a particular skill we need, we go after it and we build capacity that is in a nutshell the nexus of the program,” Smith said.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is allocated $49 million this financial year; over $20 million goes to salaries.
Company delivers fastest speeds nationwide and boosts service reliability
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS, APRIL 19th, 2024 – More connections, faster speeds and greater support for customers. This is the promise from communications and entertainment provider, Flow TCI, as it embarks on an initiative to provide households with enhanced connections, greater overall reliability and now, for the first time, speeds up to one gigabit person second.
FLOW TCI Country Manager, Joanne Missick shared: “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We listen to our customers and want to exceed their demands, so we are focused on delivering unmatched value with customer centric products and services that are future proof. Flow subscribers on our Fibre Extreme package can now access up to one gigabyte speeds and subscribers on our Fibre Plus and Fibre Max package, as of April 1st, are also now benefitting from up to 5x more speeds.”
This is third speed boost for Flow customers in the last two years. This comes under the umbrella of the the Company’s recently launched “Working for You” campaign, where technicians are going into the neighborhoods across the island to conduct repairs, decommission copper cables, and increase the brand’s visibility in local communities.
“To date several neighborhoods have been served by technicians and the company will continue to go across the islands to ensure each neighborhood receives personal attention. We recognize that over the past few months some customers have experienced issues with the quality and delivery of our services. This is not what we stand for. Flow remains committed to providing technology and innovation that enables growth and positively impacts lives”, says, newly appointed Head of Technical Operations, Simeon Thomas.
Thomas adds, “We have been closely monitoring and reviewing every aspect of our network and there is room for improvement across each of the islands. Where we find shortcomings, we are taking concrete actions and assigning our technicians to rapidly make all necessary adjustments and improvements for our customers”.
Flow has made significant investments in expanding and modernizing its infrastructure and delivering a more robust and reliable network paving the way for the country’s digital transformation.
#TurksandCaicos, April 19, 2024 – In an explosive, self-proclaimed, final budget speech to the people of the Turks and Caicos, Harold Charles, Governors Appointed Member is expressing frustration that many Turks and Caicos Islanders are locked out of top jobs in the country and unable to build wealth.
”I’ve been in this country for 50 years and I’ve noticed all those big developments that come in— the majority of [managers]are foreign people. After 50 years, when are we going to have Belongers manage those businesses?” Charles asked. “I’m upset, I’m frustrated [this is] their home. They have nowhere else to go—- If we don’t empower our Turks and Caicos Islanders we will never get out of living paycheck to paycheck.”
Charles echoed what thousands of locals have been saying for years about the failure of successive governments to get the economic success in the country on a level that residents can participate in it. The member maintained that not only were many locals working for scraps overseas and at home, but that it was the prerogative of the government to create avenues for them to move upward.
”I know the government’s heart is in the right place but somehow we’re not getting it together. I’m talking (about) both PDM and PNPs. It must change. There are many islanders overseas taking crummy jobs when all this opportunity is in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Calling on the government to enforce laws which allow islanders to get a foothold in lucrative industries, Charles maintained that TCIG could not let investors come and do as they liked.
”We have all these big companies making millions. They brag about how much they’re making, yet how much do they contribute to the development of our people?”
Charles encouraged the government to mandate that locals were hired in the large developments, taking place across the country.
Capital projects and their execution was another issue that the member highlighted
”Over the past three years in office, we seem to be dragging our feet when it comes to the execution of projects,” he said, “the last budget reflected bitter-sweet sentiment.”
The government managed to spend $29 million of a $57 million capital project budget in 2023/24 financial year.
“Mr. Speaker prior, we promised the people infrastructural investment, improved roads, ease with doing business with TCIG, more scholarships, increased home care, a $900,000 special needs school.”
The Appointed member was also frustrated with the amount of money being allocated to crucial areas including the absence of allocations for a special needs school.
”We were promised that no Turks and Caicos Islander would be left behind while I appreciate the government’s commitment to ensuring this. I am concerned that the relatively low level of funding allocated to education and infrastructure may hinder the effectiveness of effort,” The member stressed.
Closing his speech, Charles maintained that it was “crucial that the sectors receive additional support in order to provide citizens with the necessary resources and opportunities for their development.“
Mr. Speaker it is imperative that we allocate our resources adequately and streamline processes to enhance the ease of doing business with the Turks and Caicos Government. We must priortise increasing service delivery capacity in critical departments such as the customer service department, the register of records, the department of motor vehicles and the list goes on,” express Charles.
Charles reminded that there is a growing demand on the services TCIG provides, especially as the country enjoys unprecedented, year on year, exponential economic growth.
Charles alongside Jameka Williams (Government Appointed Member) Willin Belliard (Governor’s Appointed Member number one) and Alvin Garland (Opposition Appointed Member) will very likely be the last set of appointed members in the House of Assembly of the Turks and Caicos as it transitions to a wholly elected parliament.
Harold Charles indicated it was unlikely he would join any leadership race describing the 2024-2025 Budget contribution as likely his final.