Getting to reliable air services for Salt Cay & South Caicos, the Premier says investors wanted

By Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

#TurksandCaicos, May 19, 2022 – It will take greater investments in Salt Cay and South Caicos to shore up air and other transportation into those islands, said Premier Washington Misick in his National Budget contribution.

“For the islands most impacted by limited airline services and lack of sufficient transportation, we need larger public sector investment in the tourism sector. This investment will then be able to support increased access to transportation and that is where the TCI Government is placing greater emphasis.

We have begun the process of seeking potential investors for Salt Cay as we believe that reliable airline services to the Island is important and it is the duty of the government to ensure that residents and visitors can travel in and out of Salt Cay with ease.”

The Premier was addressing the ongoing concern about the lack of consistency of flights, in particular to the two islands which are home to smaller populations and very little economic activity like tourism.

The Premier said his government has begun the process of seeking potential investors for Salt Cay, “as we believe that reliable airline services to the Island is important and it is the duty of the government to ensure that residents and visitors can travel in and out of Salt Cay with ease.”

While Salt Cay’s airport upgrade was completed by the Sharlene Robinson Administration in 2021, the current PNP Administration is reporting optimism for South Caicos where there are two properly functioning properties on the island, , and works on the South Caicos Airport terminal building are projected to conclude by the end of the year said the Premier.

“Mr Speaker you will find that there is a transportation study that is underway and once completed, will bring resolution to some of the challenges we are currently experiencing with the air traffic into our Sister Islands particularly.

Private sector activity, including airline services are dictated by the invisible hand of the economy.

However, this government is currently looking at the most cost effective and sustainable option for consistent and reliable air travel into Salt Cay and South Caicos,” he said in making his Budget presentation during the debates May 3-5, 2022.

In that same address the Premier also said his government is not silent on crime, that he’d spent considerable time in a previous House sitting addressing the recent trend of vile and vicious crime; Washington Misick also said, “It is not true that import duties are being borne by our people. The biggest portions of import duties are paid on materials for the construction industry, food and other imports by hotels and other tourism interests.”