News
TCI: Two Month Election Win Anniversary, another bankable announcement by PNP Govt through the Treasury
#TurksandCaicos, April 21, 2021 – It was an announcement long past due for thousands of Turks and Caicos Islanders who learned on March 1 they would benefit from the millions of dollars which had been set aside for cash support during the Coronavirus pandemic. No hurdles to hop, no rivers to cross because the only qualification this time around was being a citizen of the country.
It was a landmark move and a rare occasion which gave the indigenous people of the territory a feeling of advantage; and it was credited to the quick work and empathy of the newly elected Washington Misick administration of the Progressive National Party.
“Less than six (6) weeks since taking office and four (4) weeks since approving this program, I am pleased to say that over twelve thousand (12,000) persons have been able to benefit from this programme with cheque distribution having begun on Friday, 26 March, 2021.
This was no small undertaking as it required the careful consideration, time and effort of a number of key stakeholders across government including the support of my Cabinet and House of Assembly colleagues, but most importantly the operational support of my Finance Team that did an excellent job in the roll-out delivery of this programme,” said Hon Washington Misick, Premier and Minister of Finance, Investment & Trade in a statement on April 9.
On the two month anniversary of winning 14 of 15 seats at the polls, Misick and his team would have another popular announcement reach the masses, via a government issued media statement. It extended the Citizen’s Relief $1,000 cash grant programme from wrapping up on April 25, to instead conclude with cheque distribution and delivery of some cheques to the end of June.
“To ease the congestion at the various TCI Treasuries and reduce the wait time for collection, approved citizen relief stimulus recipients are advised of the following amendments that have been made to the cheque distribution process: Extension of the date for collection of grant payments. The final day for collection of Citizen Relief Stimulus cheques will be on 30th June 2021,” informed the Ministry of Finance.
The requirement for in-person collection of cheques made the already super-sized undertaking, a mammoth venture logistically and it got complicated for the Finance Team when the in-person requirement during cheque distribution could not be met by qualified and approved applicants.
For some individuals, they were trapped abroad caught in the UK lock down. For others, medical treatment and urgent matters out of country prevented an in person pick up of the waiting cheque within the given timeframe. In the case of the inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison, a system had not yet been agreed on how those qualified would secure their cheques and others who were simply unable to bear the long lines due to health constraints or illness; all of which represented reasonable scenarios which left hundreds out.
The PNP Administration went on record to say the purpose of the cash stimulus was to get the $1,000 into the hands of citizens of the country, to exhaust the approved $14.5 million to support residents who suffered economically over the pandemic.
“Recognizing the negative impact that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had on our islands over the last year, my government in its second but first substantive Cabinet meeting on 1st March 2021 approved the payment of one thousand dollars ($1,000) to all eligible Turks and Caicos Islanders and British Overseas Territories Citizens (BOTC) that have been residing in these islands during the last twelve (12) months,” said Premier Misick in that April 9 statement commending his finance team.
“For this, I express my profound thanks to the leadership of the Ministry of Finance, the Permanent Secretary of Finance, Mrs. Athenee Basden and Deputy Secretaries, Mrs. Shonia Thomas-Been and Mr. Stuart Taylor; the Director of ITT, Mr. Andre Mills and his team for leading on the development of the application portal and all technical requirements; the Director of Statistics and his team for providing review and vetting support; the Accountant General, Mr. Hemant Sinanan and his team for their work on the payment and distribution system, as well as support provided from the Deputy Governor Her Excellency Anya Williams, the staff of Revenue Control Unit and Customs Department on the roll out of the programme.”
Despite these efforts, there continues to be extreme lines at the Treasury’s Office in Providenciales and the department has now publically acknowledged the need to make some allowances.
“For applicants who are seeking medical treatment overseas (along with persons who accompanied them), subsequent to their citizen relief grant being approved, the cancelation of the stimulus cheque will be delayed up to the earlier of the applicant’s return to the island or three months from the date the cheque was printed.
Applicants who fall within these criteria would be required to submit a written request along with supporting documentation to the tcicitizenrelief@gov.tc email address.”
In those cases, the Treasury Office informed: “The supporting documentation would include, but not limited to the following: Copy of travel itinerary departing and returning to and from the TCI; Medical documentation to support claim of overseas treatment; Name of Applicant and Citizen Relief Application number.”
For those, unable to physically make the journey to pick up the waiting cheques; the Treasury Office again demonstrates a willingness to have them benefit from the program.
“Citizen Relief Stimulus recipients who are disabled or confined to their home (in Turks & Caicos Islands), the Treasury will be providing a cheque delivery service to the applicants’ home. To utilize this facility approved applicants are asked to make a written request, for the delivery of the cheque to tcicitizenrelief@gov.tc. The request must include the following:
a copy of the approved applicant ID; application number; phone number and address for the cheque to be delivered.”
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Crown Land Unit, with coordination and support from the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise in the Five Cays area on Thursday, September 17, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to address the illegal occupation and unauthorised use of Crown land.
The exercise brought together representatives from the Crown Land Unit, ISU and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force. Security for
the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Inspections were conducted across several parcels of Crown land throughout Five Cays, where instances of illegal occupation and unauthorised use had been identified.
During the exercise, a total of forty (40) Section 22 Notices of Unauthorised Occupation were served in accordance with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance. The notices related to various forms of unauthorised occupation and use of Crown land, including incomplete structures, shipping containers, derelict vehicles, trailer chassis, building materials and other items.
Where persons were not present, notices were affixed to the relevant structures or items. The exercise forms part of the Crown Land Unit’s continuing efforts to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land and to ensure that identified instances of unauthorised occupation are appropriately addressed.
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands reminds the public that Crown land must not be occupied, developed or otherwise used without lawful authority.
The Crown Land Unit, supported by the ISU and its other partner agencies, will continue to identify and address instances of illegal occupation of Crown land across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Persons affected by notices issued during enforcement exercises are encouraged to comply with the requirements outlined and to seek guidance from the relevant authorities where necessary.
Nassau, The Bahamas, October 22, 2026 — The National Computer Incident Response Team of The Bahamas (CIRT-BS) has issued a cybersecurity advisory warning businesses, government institutions and other organisations about the growing threat posed by Akira ransomware, a cybercriminal operation capable of stealing sensitive information, disrupting networks and demanding ransom payments.
Active since March 2023, Akira operates through a Ransomware-as-a-Service model, with affiliates exploiting weaknesses in computer networks to gain unauthorised access.
Once inside, attackers can steal confidential data, disable recovery systems and encrypt files, preventing organisations from accessing
critical information.
Particularly concerning is Akira’s use of double extortion, threatening to publish stolen information unless victims pay. Some attacks involve data theft without encryption.
The October 22 advisory identifies vulnerabilities involving Cisco and SonicWall firewalls, VPN services, Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol, Veeam backup systems and outdated Windows and Linux operating systems. VMware ESXi and Nutanix AHV environments are also potential targets.
Attackers may exploit unpatched software, stolen login credentials and inadequately secured remote-access applications, including AnyDesk and RustDesk.
Warning signs include unexpected administrator accounts, unusual remote logins, unauthorised software installations, suspicious backup activity, mass file changes and ransom notes.
CIRT-BS recommends immediate security updates, multifactor authentication, restricted remote access, stronger network monitoring and secure backups maintained separately from operational systems.
Organisations should also remove unnecessary internet exposure of remote desktop services, limit administrative privileges and regularly test backup restoration.
The advisory does not identify any confirmed Akira attack against a Bahamian organisation but highlights vulnerabilities that could expose institutions to serious financial and operational disruption.
Cybersecurity incidents can be reported to CIRT-BS at soc@cirt.bs or through its official website.
News
BermudAir Launches Service to the Turks and Caicos Islands on October 26th, Expanding Air Connectivity Ahead of Winter Season
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (October 22nd, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands welcomes BermudAir as the airline begins its service to the destination on Monday, October 26th, marking the start of a wider expansion that will connect us with additional cities across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
BermudAir’s service will begin with a new nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Providenciales. The flight will depart from the Howard Hamilton International Airport at 8 am on Monday morning and arrives at 7.40 pm. Aboard the inaugural flight will be a delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands led by Experience Turks and Caicos and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA), and will include Deputy Governor, Her Excellency Anya Williams, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, as well s representatives of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA), the board of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Authority, Invest TC and local media.
BermudAir will operate the Fort Lauderdale–Providenciales route three times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, through May 3rd, 2027. making it easier for business travellers with the schedule offering the potential for same-day return trips. The airline is also launching nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Belize City, Belize, on the same schedule, offering travellers in South Florida direct access to both destinations.
The new service introduces BermudAir’s premium leisure inflight experience to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flights will operate on Embraer E190 aircraft configured without middle seats, giving every passenger a window or aisle seat, alongside complimentary snacks and beverages.
Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Zhavargo Jolly, welcomed the airline’s arrival, noting the importance of expanding airlift to support the continued development of the destination’s tourism industry.
“Air connectivity remains one of the most important factors in the continued development of our tourism industry. BermudAir’s expansion represents an opportunity to strengthen our connections with key international markets while opening new doors for our sister islands. I am particularly encouraged by the planned direct service between Newark and South Caicos, which speaks directly to our vision of expanding tourism opportunities across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our objective is to ensure that improved connectivity translates into greater economic activity, stronger local businesses and more opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders to participate in and benefit from tourism.” said Minister Jolly.
Commenting on the significance of the new route for the country’s development, the Honourable Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development (PPID), stated: “The introduction of BermudAir’s new service is a testament to the continued growth and development of our aviation sector. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, alongside the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, remains dedicated to enhancing our airport infrastructure to accommodate increased airlift. We are committed to working to ensure that our facilities provide a seamless, world-class experience for all incoming passengers and we warmly welcome BermudAir to our shores.”
The Fort Lauderdale launch is the first of several new services BermudAir plans to introduce to the Turks and Caicos Islands for the 2026–
2027 winter season. Additional connections to Providenciales are scheduled from:
- Bermuda to TCI and Grand Cayman: Beginning December 18th, 2026
- Anguilla: Beginning December 19th, 2026
- Boston, Massachusetts: Beginning December 19th, 2026
- Toronto, Canada: Beginning December 19th, 2026
- Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina: Beginning December 20th, 2026
- Newark, New Jersey to South Caicos: Beginning December 20th, 2026
- St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida: Beginning December 21st, 2026
- Baltimore-Washington: Beginning December 24th, 2026
The expansion will give travellers more options for reaching the destination during the winter travel season, while broadening access from established and developing source markets. The additional routes also create opportunities for tourism stakeholders to reach new audiences and encourage visitors to explore more of the islands.
For flight schedules and bookings, visit www.flybermudair.com.
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