News
Opposition Leader questions Governor’s Motive in Appointing Haiti and DR-born Members to HOA; Governor responds
By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
#TurksandCaicos, March 11, 2022 – On Thursday, the Leader of the Opposition in the Turks and Caicos Islands rose up with a bold, provocative question and statement challenging the motive and meaning of the Governor’s two appointments to the House of Assembly.
“While both Honorable members are more than cable of functioning in the position, and have being given strong representation on national issues, and one is also my cousin; appointments made along these Ethnic lines comes as a slap in the face, not only to myself, but also to the majority of the Turks & Caicos Islanders. The appointment of any member to our House of Assembly, with ethnicity and or place of birth being one of the major factors was completely wrong and perhaps a cause for great concern given our current social context.”
The issue resurfaces after one year and one month of a new make up in the House of Assembly, but emerges following the last debate in parliament where some took exception to statements made by Hon Harold Charles and Governor Nigel Dakin in relation to amendments to the Immigration Ordinance.
In a statement issued following his presentation in the House yesterday, Astwood says: “The Turks & Caicos Islands is, and has been, a melting pot of nations for a long time and our Caribbean neighbors are certainly represented in our citizen population. However, this representation has never been called into question until recent times. Particularly, through the intentional appointment of members who the British Government identifies as representing the people in our country that are from Haiti and Dominican Republic.”
Edwin Astwood is speaking of Harold Charles and Willin Belliard, both men are Turks and Caicos Islands citizens but hail originally from the island of Hispaniola, home to the DR and Haiti. Both were appointed by the Governor who at the time said: he was constitutionally compelled to ensure shades of opinion were represented in the House with his appointments, he also believed the two men would help relations with the two islands from which they
originate.
Today the Governor issued a statement explaining: “This is an important statement by the Leader of the Opposition and, in terms of its core message, one that I welcome. Anything that commits to the representation of the views of the many, rather than the few, blind to ethnicity, seems to me a good news story and one I have no doubt he will, as a man of his word, see through in terms of actions, as well as words, within the Legislature.”
He referenced his statement of February 24, 2021: “…in every conversation I have, I do not know of a senior politician or informed private citizen, who has given this thought, who does not recognize that the question around unity or disunity, inclusion or exclusion, is a pressing issue here in TCI.
People might not agree on how it should be settled, but they do believe it does need to start to be settled. It is though very hard for an elected politician to talk in these terms publicly because of the strength of feeling it generates from those who elect them. So I hope I can play some part in catalyzing and sustaining that debate over the course of this Parliament through those I appoint.
Whatever the solution is, that comes out of that conversation, it will need to be designed and managed by the Turks and Caicos Islanders– whereby – TCI can build an inclusive society particularly for those who were born here, who have yet to properly integrate, but who clearly are part of these Islands future.”
Astwood said he does not believe the singling out of the nations was necessary as Turks and Caicos Islanders, are already a multiplicity of peoples… he said the them and the they within the TCI is already a part of us.
“Why is there a need for such types of ethnic appointments? Are we to expect appointment form the Philippines and Jamaica next? This can only seek to create further polarization of these individual nationalities within our already fragile social fabric. In so doing, divisions will be created and further separation of our people may occur.
When I see Turks and Caicos Islanders, and hear their family name, I see “our people forge and blend with multiplicity, of race and kind and creed and tongue, united by our goals,” as stated so eloquently in our national song, written by Dr. Rev. Conrad Howell. This is the truth about our Turks and Caicos Islands. Therefore, our Caribbean neighbours, and others, are already represented in our House of Assembly, and already represented in top positions of our government. Hence there is absolutely no need to directly focus on appointing members of certain ethnic origin to the House,” said Hon Astwood in his statement.
In the end, the People’s Democratic Movement Party leader expressed that he believes the appointments were designed to divide and not unite the people.
Caribbean News
Agriculture Ministry Providing Two Water Trucks to Serve St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine
#Kingston, Jamaica, April 24, 2024 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is to unveil two more water trucks this week, which will be used to service communities in St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
He also informed that of the $90 million earmarked to support farmers being impacted by the current drought, the Ministry will be
providing additional support for storage and drip-irrigation systems.
“So, we have targeted about 600 water tanks and about 400 12-millimetre drip irrigation hoses, and that distribution has already started. Additionally, we have earmarked about $8 million to really help with our livestock farmers,” Mr. Green said.
“We know the difficulty that you’re facing now in this time; [it’s] very hard to get the right nutritional support for your animals. As such, we will be providing some hay, and we will [also] provide some trucking of water to you. Again, our livestock farmers, if you are in need, please contact the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and let us see how we can help in these times,” he further stated.
Mr. Green also encouraged farmers to download the RADA App, so that the Agency can “help guide you, not only in relation to what is happening on the rainfall side, but also in relation to your integrated pest management”.
“We do see some increases of certain types of pests during this time, and it’s important that our farmers are paying attention to that. It’s also important that you’re taking drought management seriously [by undertaking] soil mulching, looking at planting drought-tolerant crops, timely harvesting, implementing land husbandry treatments and contour ditches,” he stated.
Contact: Latonya Linton
Release: JIS
Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, speaking during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
Donald De La Haye Photo
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#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.
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