Opposition Leader wanted an end to Carnival monopoly; says Gov’t missed the boat

#TurksandCaicos, October 22, 2021 – Did the Turks and Caicos miss a chance to become greater owners of the cruise industry in the recent Development Agreement signing by country leaders with CarnivalCorp?  The Leader of the Opposition Edwin Astwood and he says, some resident of Grand Turk seem to think so.  In a statement issued following the signing ceremony he chided the Government for missing the boat.

“The Opposition welcomes the signing of the new Carnival Contract, but with a degree of caution; hoping that this time the Contract is in the best interest of the people of Grand Turk, and the Turks and Caicos on a whole.

Many persons are feeling that the better decision for our people and the country was for us to take possession of our Cruise Port and carry out the necessary upgrades and extension, as needed and those required by Carnival, as a joint initiative or as a Government contract for our facility.

The potential of other ships call into Grand Turk was literally impossible giving the tight restrictions, and the “exclusivity” the previous contract offered to Carnival Cruise Line.”

Astwood, who is a Grand Turk member of parliament, resident and business owner stands to benefit as much as anyone when cruising to the Capital resumes in December, however, he said his concern is about more than what or who Carnival Cruise Line is projected to ferry into the country; it is about ending 15-year monopoly.

“While there may be perhaps a few short-term benefits, and really only a few of so much to the signing of this new contract with Carnival not taking possession of the Facility at this time is certainly a great loss of opportunity for the country to realize much greater revenue from the Cruise Industry in Grand Turk.

The previous contract was seen to be a huge albatross around the necks of the Grand Turk and Salt Cay residents, and others from around our country. Plagued with so many restrictions, it was akin to modern day slavery when trying to do business with the cruise line,” he said in a statement issued on October 14.

Announcements made by the Premier in June (2021) revealed that talks were ongoing about widening the options for other cruise brands into Grand Turk.  Residents at a town meeting applauded the idea and the Opposition Leader reflected on the absent update on those negotiations.

From the LOO’s statement:  “The Hon. Premier, in a press conference in June, told the country that Royal Caribbean will be joining Carnival in cruising to Grand Turk. He went on to say that “Royal Caribbean currently has a technical team on the ground in Grand Turk”, adding that the “Government will make some moves to create a level playing field so that everyone who is interested has the opportunity to benefit. We are still working out some details with Carnival because most people would remember that part of Carnival’s arrangement was EXCLUSIVITY on Grand Turk,” he said.”

Premier Washington Misick responded to the concerns raised about the lack of details supplied about  the new development agreement and held a press conference on Wednesday (Oct 20) in an effort to shed light on the finer points.  The media event improved understanding, but still left many questions unanswered.

The public and media were told the new agreement was an amendment to the existing arrangement.  It gave TCI Government a larger slice of the passenger tax and more autonomy on how to spend on development and enhancement projects.  Whether the life of the contract is lengthened, what concessions – if any – were offered, the specifics on the dock expansion and the scope of the “other works” included in Carnival’s $25 million dollar investment were not disclosed.

“We can only hope that the Premier and the PNP Administration had the foresight THIS TIME to avoid the people of the Turks & Caicos Islands, in particular the people of Grand Turk, being trapped and suffocated by “exclusivities” in any form, being given for another 20 year deal!!!, said Hon Edwin Astwood, who is also the People’s Democratic Movement party leader.

The Premier also said a new dock to accommodate Royal Caribbean Cruise line, which has expressed interest in the destination, will not come before the next budget cycle, which is April 2022.