#TurksandCaicosIslands – December 22, 2020 – The pace and procedure of financial support to thousands of Turks and Caicos Islands people amidst the catastrophic Covid-19 pandemic has attracted some commendation but mainly it has elicited stinging criticism.
Government last week rushed through the House
of Assembly a measure to grant a Christmas loan of up to one month’s salary to
Civil Servants, while casually accepting that as many as 2,000 people who
applied for stimulus cash were still waiting the promised funds.
The first stimulus payouts began in April,
yet of the 9,000 people who had applied and the 7,165 applications which were
approved, there remains nearly 400 people, eight months later, who have yet to
be paid.
The fact is revealed in the 61-page
Appropriations Committee Report which guided debate on the recent Budget
Supplementary.
Families across the country have been
devastated by the pandemic’s walloping effect on travel and tourism. In some households, both mother and father
lost income or experienced a drastic reduction in salary.
Public sector salaries were uninterrupted
during the pandemic, yet the urgency of the government was clear and the
Christmas loan for its workers was fast-tracked.
The same sense of resoluteness was less
tangible in relation to the thousands who have been pining for their stimulus
monies.
Taxi and public license drivers still
wait. In a press conference, it was
announced there is a $500,000 allotment to this category of workers. However, until they work out an arrangement
with the National Insurance Board, the free funding is frozen.
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From the report: ‘Taxi Drivers Stimulus – The Taxi Drivers
stimulus is still outstanding as the Ministry of Finance is awaiting confirmation
from the Taxi Drivers that they had entered into arrangements with NIB’
In the second round of Economic Stimulus, the
TCI Government offered $600 to Turk and Caicos citizens who were adversely
impacted when the national lockdown and subsequent raft of restrictions were
imposed from March to July.
The deadline for applications was December 9
and 3,129 Belongers applied for the financial help. The Report did not state who, if anyone, had
received the payout.
The Appropriations Committee Report informed
90 percent of the 900 Business applications approved are paid; however it means
90 local companies, months later, are still hanging on in hope for the critical
cash.
Also striking in the report is the stated
reduction of $5.5 million in funding to the Economic Stimulus plan. However, the same report informed that the
Committee approved $19.3 million as the new budgeted sum for the stimulus. This
agreed figure falls nearly $12 million below the previously budgeted $25
million dollars for financial support to workers amidst the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the country is apparently swimming
in cash due to, what can only be labelled, a wise savings strategy firmly
guided by British oversight of the once fiscally beleaguered territory.
In the Report presented in the House of
Assembly on December 16, 2020 it is outlined that cumulatively, TCIG has $155
million dollars set aside.
The breakdown is: the National Forfeiture Fund: $6.4 million;
National Wealth Fund: $25.8 million; the Development Fund: $26 million and
Unrestricted Cash: $96.8 million.
While some countries committed to monthly
payments up to a specific number of weeks of stimulus money to people who
suffered lost wages as a result of the unexpected, unprecedented impact of the
coronavirus pandemic, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government opted for a
one-time only payment approach.
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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — The Turks and Caicos Islands could soon be facing a major tourism problem: thousands more stray dogs.
It’s a likely consequence of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ban on US puppy imports, says Potcake Place K9 Rescue founder and director Jane ParkerRauw in a new video produced by Visit Turks and Caicos Islands.
The collaboration between the country’s leading tourism website and the charity dog rescue—which works to reduce the local population of homeless dogs—sheds light on how the CDC ruling has disrupted the charity’s operations and is contributing to an alarming rise in the country’s homeless dogs.
“It’s going to take years of getting back from [the progress we’ve lost] over the last 14 months,” said Parker-Rauw in an interview with VisitTCI. “I can’t stress how in such a short period of time, this is going to have such an impact on tourism here.”
On Aug. 1, 2024, the CDC’s ban on importing dogs less than six months old into the US took effect. The ban aims to prevent the introduction of DMRVV (dog-maintained rabies virus variant) into the US.
Since then, Potcake Place has been unable to find homes for hundreds of puppies. For the first time in the rescue’s 25-year history, they have had to turn away dogs.
“If we allow stray dogs to overrun the islands, it will inevitably affect the experience of our visitors and the tourism industry as a whole,” says Daniel J. LeVin, executive editor of VisitTCI. “Visit Turks and Caicos Islands works hard to promote the Turks and Caicos as one of the world’s premier travel destinations, and that means supporting efforts that protect the environment, community, and visitor experience.”
Many residents of Providenciales remember a time when wild dogs were shot to keep packs in check, or more recently, the fatal attack of a North Caicos woman in 2012 by feral dogs.
Large stray populations pose health and safety risks, deter tourists, and strain public resources. Many puppies the Potcake Place has had to turn away since the ban began have likely already had puppies themselves, says Parker-Rauw.
The impact of controlling a potentially explosive population of homeless dogs could have serious negative effects on the Turks and Caicos tourism industry, as seen in countries like Turkey.
“Two dogs in six years, if none of their offspring die, will produce 62,000 dogs,” says Parker-Rauw. “This is a major problem.”
The United States accounts for over 80% of visitors to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the vast majority of Potcake Place’s adoptions.
Since the ban came into effect, US adoptions have dropped from roughly 500 per year to just five per month, says Parker-Rauw. Getting older puppies to the US is challenging, as they’re too large for airline cabins and not permitted in the hold of planes traveling between Turks and Caicos and the US.
Potcake Place has been advocating for a revision of the ban to allow puppies from lowrisk rabies or rabies-free countries into the US. Turks and Caicos is a DMRVV-free country, and all puppies adopted through Potcake Place are fully vaccinated before travel.
This collaboration is one of several that Visit Turks and Caicos Islands has spearheaded this year to promote sustainable tourism. Both the video and an expanded article can be found at www.visittci.com/news.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant, Experience Turks and Caicos
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – (October 6th, 2025) – The Turks and Caicos Islands has once again reaffirmed its status as the Caribbean’s premier beach and romance destination at the annual World Travel Awards.
At the ceremony held in Saint Lucia on October 4th, the destination was named the region’s Leading Beach Destination and Most Romantic Destination. Turks and Caicos has captured the Leading Beach Destination title every year since 2015 and the Most Romantic Destination award for seven consecutive years.
“It is no secret that the Turks and Caicos Islands is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, and we are honoured that voters continue to recognise this. Our pristine waters and secluded settings also make the destination one of the world’s most romantic getaways, especially for couples seeking luxury and intimacy. On behalf of Experience Turks and Caicos, I extend sincere thanks to the World Travel Awards and to everyone who voted in support of our islands,” said Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant, Experience Turks and Caicos.
Experience Turks and Caicos would like to extend congratulations to our hotel partners and stakeholders who also won regional recognition at the World Travel Awards.
Beaches – Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort 2025
The Palms – Caribbean’s Leading All-Suite Hotel 2025
Ambergris Cay Private Island Resort – Caribbean’s Leading Private Island Resort 2025
InterCaribbean – Caribbean’s Leading Cabin Crew 2025
Turks and Caicos Islands Awards
Windsong Resort – Turks and Caicos Leading Boutique Hotel 2025
The Palms – Turks and Caicos Leading Hotel 2025
Grace Bay Club – Turks and Caicos Leading Luxury Resort 2025
The Shore Club – Turks and Caicos Leading Resort 2025
Four-bedroom Oceanfront Penthouse @Windsong Resort – Turks and Caicos Leading Hotel Suite 2025
Avis – Turks and Caicos Leading Car Rental Company 2025
Caicos Dream Tours – Turks and Caicos Leading Tour Operator 2025
Olympia Destination Management Company – Turks and Caicos Leading Destination Management Company 2025
The Turks and Caicos Islands now has an opportunity to win ultimate recognition in global travel and tourism with three global nominations in the World Travel Awards for the following:
World’s Leading Beach Destination World’s Leading Island Destination World’s Most Romantic Destination
The “World’s Leading” categories are the highest in the World Travel Awards programme. Voting runs from October 6th -26th October 2025. Votes can be cast by travel professionals, media and tourism consumers, with the nominee gaining the most votes announced as the 2025 World Travel Awards winner.
Turks and Caicos, September 21, 2025 – On Sunday, September 21st, 2025, the United States Coast Guard Southeast (USCG), working in coordination with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) Marine Branch, the TCI Regiment, and the TCI Border Force, intercepted a vessel carrying 103 migrants bound for Providenciales.
The suspicious vessel, first tracked by the USCG, was stopped at sea and later secured by the Sea Guardian vessel, which towed it safely to South Dock Marina. Upon arrival, the migrants were disembarked and handed over to the TCI Border Force for processing.
A breakdown of those on board confirmed:
75 males (including two minors)
28 females (including two minors)
This interception marks the 18th such operation in 2025, bringing the total number of migrants detained this year to 1,510. The RT&CIPF thanks the USCG and local agencies for their close cooperation, noting that this successful outcome demonstrates the effectiveness of layered security measures protecting the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Force reminds the public that illegal migration is dangerous and life-threatening, and violations of the law will not be tolerated.
Anyone with information on illegal migration is urged to contact the nearest police station, call 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 or via the P3 app.
Photos Courtesy: Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force