TCI News
Beaches Turks & Caicos postpones reopening; four year legal matter with TCI Gov’t needs resolve
#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – October 9, 2020 – Beaches TCI regrets to announce that it has been forced to postpone the reopening of the hotel which was planned for October 14, 2020 until November 18, 2020.
Since 1995, Beaches has faithfully paid taxes in accordance with our Development Agreement(s) and other written governmental commitments. Beaches does not owe any taxes to the TCIG. In fact it is the TCIG which owe Beaches tax refunds on several items on which we have overpaid. To be clear, Beaches is not asking for any favours nor any forgiveness from the payment of taxes as there is nothing to forgive. Indeed, we have never found ourselves in such a situation in any other jurisdiction in which we operate.
Breaches of our Development Agreement(s) and other legally binding commitments have yet to be resolved for nearly 4 years, despite tireless efforts by Beaches. The Board of Directors has therefore mandated that the re-opening of Beaches be postponed.
Negotiations with the TCIG are ongoing and Beaches will continue to make every effort to have these matters fairly resolved. There is absolutely no reason why this matter cannot be resolved before the end of October as the issues are not new and have been discussed time and time again for 4 years. Beaches is deeply concerned about the impact on its team and the wider community in the delayed re-opening particularly since this year has presented horrendous difficulties for so many. Beaches is ready, willing and able to start negotiations immediately.
TCIG’s inaction for nearly 4 years has forced Beaches to delay its re-opening. To date, the TCIG has not demonstrated the same care and deep concern for the citizens and communities of the TCI, by allowing this matter to remain unresolved for so long. We hope and trust that the TCIG will treat this matter with the speed, sincerity and good faith that it demands.
We wish to emphasize that our commitment to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands since Beaches opened its doors in 1995 has never waivered. Neither has our profound sense of responsibility as we fully recognize that Beaches is the most significant economic engine, ranging from being the largest employer, foreign exchange earner, taxpayer as well as generating 70% of the airlift to the Island. Beaches fully recognizes that it is the people who are the lifeblood of any country and Beaches is first and foremost a partnership with the people of the TCI.
In the meantime, our team members have been fully trained over the last several months in the Covid-19 Beaches Platinum protocols which we have adopted to ensure that the entire hotel environment is safe for our team and guests.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been the greatest challenge which the travel and hospitality industry has faced in our lifetime. We are mindful of the tremendous effect it has had on all stakeholders, including airlines, tour operators and travel agents. Our tour operators, travel agents and airline partners will be kept abreast of our reopening plans.
We are as anxious as our team members to get back to the job that we do so well. We recognize, as we have always done, that we are partners with the Government in the economic recovery of the TCI and we will do our part.
We are optimistic about the future. Together we have emerged from 911, devastating hurricanes, and other crises, better and more resilient.
WE WILL DO SO AGAIN.
Press Statement
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, April, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos will be losing yet another banking branch following confirmation of reports that CIBC FirstCaribbean bank in Grace Bay will be shut down on Friday March 31st.
CIBC representatives confirmed the shutdown to MM Thursday March 30th. Employees at the Leeward Highway branch moved over to the Grace Bay branch in January to allow for necessary upgrades and expansions to infrastructure. That shift lasted for four months and employees were scheduled to move back to Leeward Highway in early April. No mention of a closure to the Grace Bay branch was made in the January 12 press release that detailed the upgrades.
Citing those upgrades, which are now complete, Managing Director of the Bahamas Operating Company, responsible also for TCI, Dr. Jacqui Bend said, “CIBC FirstCaribbean is continuing to work on a number of initiatives aimed at
improving the processes and technologies that our teams use to support our clients and employees alike. We have committed further investments in simplification, automation, and security across our bank and, as always, our clients will be the beneficiaries of this renewed effort,
It’s a repeat of the firm’s new mantra focused on self-service and digitization that has seen the local presence of the country’s oldest bank diminish more and more.
CIBC defends the decision explaining that retail client services had already been ceased at that Grace Bay branch and the closure of it earlier this year, while expansion Leeward Highway’s location was designed to ‘reconfigure and improve’ their network for the future.
“While there may be a few teething issues being encountered while our teams and clients adjust to their new surroundings, our teams are working with an ‘all hands on deck approach’ to expedite service to our clients,” she said in the statement shared with Magnetic Media.
The shifts to more digitized services eliminates the in person experience and residents have voiced discontent with the strategy. Earlier this year CIBC First Caribbean indicated they would pare down services and the in branch experience at their Grand Turk location.
It left Grand Turk with no banks within which they could enter to get that ‘human touch’. While there was outrage, Government remained silent.
Since January 3rd, customers of the bank have had to shift to the digital approach which now requires smaller cash deposits and smaller cash withdrawals to be made via ABMs, which are more state of the art and it also means applying for many of the banking features online.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 31, 2023 – Belief in themselves and an inspiring new coach has caused a dramatic shift in the Turks and Caicos National Men’s Football team according to captain Billy Forbes; the TCI National Men’s
Football team secured two impressive back-to-back wins.
“The guys are buying in now, having a coach that they can look up to, who has played professionally before– it’s really amazing,” he explained. “For me, I’m really proud of the guys because three or four years ago that would have been us losing the game probably like 6-0, something like that. For us to go down 1-0 and come back and win it- I think that was fantastic, you can’t really ask for much more.”
He was speaking to the press after a March 28th match against Bonaire. The team is on a winning streak following back-to-back victories over the US Virgin Islands and Bonaire in the Concacaf Nations League. The most recent match with Bonaire almost looked like a miss just one minute in- but as Forbes said they pulled it together. Coach Hayden Mullins, former Crystal Palace, Portsmouth, and National English Footballer detailed the nail-biting match.
“I thought we started slow; we gave a goal away in the first minute,” he said. “The pleasing thing for me is we went
from one nil down to 2-1 up at halftime. We had something to build on. Full assessment? The game had everything, we had a red card; we missed a penalty; we went goal down; but the resolve and the character from the guys was perfect. It’s exactly what we’re looking for.”
Sebastian Turbyfield (# 1 goalkeeper), concurred with his captain and coach. Turbeyfield performed quite a few gymnastic feats to keep TCI in the running throughout the match. He described his teammates as having a completely different resolve and promised they would only be getting better from here.
Mullings said the team is one that the country can be proud of and ‘could definitely get out of league C.”
The men returned to the country on March 29th.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 31, 2023 – Earth Day is coming up on April 22, 2023, and the Department of Environment and Coastal resources is hosting a poetry competition for TCI youth to mark the event. 
Students of all ages are encouraged to write a sonnet to celebrate the TCI’s natural beauty; the winning poem will be published in the Times of the Island Magazine.
The deadline for poems to be submitted is April 30, 2023, and students should submit their poem via email to aavenant@gov.tv or in person to any DECR office. Entries must include the student’s name, age and school.
The department promises that there are prizes to be won for the top poets.
April 22 marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement 53 years ago and helps demonstrate support for environmental protection. The theme for this year is “Invest In Our Planet.”
This year‘s theme follows years of missed climate action goals by governments globally, including poor climate
financing. The Turks and Caicos and other small island developing states are particularly at risk environmentally because of the growing threat of climate change.
Currently the country is working through the Environmental Health Department DECR, Fisheries Department, and more to create sustainable fishing, farming, and marine practices that will benefit the country economically, but also protect its natural flora and fauna.
Projects include sargassum research, coral nurseries to rebuild the country’s coral reef, farming in schools, marine spatial planning to create an effective plan for the use of marine resources, participation in the UK Blue Belt program to protect local marine life, and much more.
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