News
TCI based interCaribbean Airways announces temporary reduction in flights
By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, May 12, 2022 – InterCaribbean Airways announced it has cut 10 percent of flights and it is due to labour shortages, revealed a company statement.
“While transportation and travel have made a remarkable recovery from the pandemic, the pendulum has now swung the other way. The demand for flights is causing a global shortage of pilots and other personnel, as well as lengthy delays in getting pilots into the limited number of certified training facilities around the world.
The labor shortage is only one of the issues facing the industry. Supply chains have been disrupted everywhere. Something as simple as printing Immigration forms, which used to take a matter of days, now takes weeks or months to get; everything has become more expensive and less predictable or available.”
The scaled-back service will last until June 30 according to a company statement.
“Northern Caribbean services between Providenciales and the Capital, Grand Turk will now operate three daily frequencies. Providenciales to Haiti will operate to Cap Haitian three times weekly, and to Port-au-Prince twice per week. Nassau, Bahamas will reduce service to five weekly frequencies, and Kingston, Jamaica to six times weekly.
In the Eastern Caribbean, our service between Providenciales and Antigua is discontinued for the period. Adjustments to our service to/from Tortola have been made with some 78 flights cut over the period to Antigua,
Dominica, and San Juan.”
The statement explained ICA is forced to cut as many as 78 flights over the period to destinations like Antigua, Dominica, and San Juan.
Lyndon Gardiner, Chairman of the airline, which he founded in TCI some 30 years ago said at a time when there is a boom, it seems odd to cut back… “but we need to balance the demand, ensuring we maintain our schedule integrity.”
The explanation came as local complaints about the airline hit a high note when Turks and Caicos CARIFTA athletes were delayed getting to Jamaica by three hours.
At that time, during the Easter Break, Magnetic Media was informed that the delays had nothing to do with an overwhelming flight load or insufficient planes.
Lyndon Gardiner explained issues created by shortages in staff during the pandemic were not limited to shipping. It was also affecting the airline industry. He pointed to delays in the thousands of major airlines and airport hubs; explaining interCaribbean’s delays were unfortunate but comparatively minuscule.
In a press release, the company maintained the spectacular cutback is not permanent.
“This temporary reduction in capacity is the best action we could take to avoid the delays and last-minute cancellations that have recently let our guests down. We are committed to our mission to provide safe, comfortable, affordable, and punctual air service throughout the Caribbean, and with the support of our guests and team members, we will overcome this period. The stated reduction in frequencies is temporary.”
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 29, 2023 – On April 1st, the second round of increases on contributions at the National Insurance Board will kick in for the Turks and Caicos workforce. Announced last year, the increases were instituted to keep the NIB from running out of money by 2027 as it services a population that is living longer with contributions that had not been increased in 30 years.
As the Government’s new financial year begins, increases at NIB will mean a higher cost for doing business and a higher cost for running the Government.
The private sector is expected to pay contributions at a rate of 11 percent on your taxable income. The hike is up from last year’s 10 per cent; six percent of which is to be paid by the Employer and five percent is to be paid by the
Employee. For wages of $2000, this will mean a $200 improvement in income per month to the NIB. As for the burn on residents’ pockets, based on a minimum wage of $1200 monthly salary, that’s at least $60 dollars a month and $720 per year.
Public sector rates will move to 10.15 percent up from 9.15 per cent with the worker paying 4.575 per cent and the Government paying 5.575 per cent; that’s $54 a month and $648 a year at minimum wage.
The NIB rate as of April 1, 2023, will jump to 9 percent for self-employed individuals; For self-employed individuals at minimum wage, that is $108 dollars a month or $1296 per year.
As taxable incomes increase so will the contribution.
The increases follow a 2019 Actuarial review, undertaken every three years, which unearthed that the NIB was facing a dismal future, possible collapse. Contribution rates were growing at a rate much slower than NIB expenses, which included beneficiary payouts. On that trajectory, the NIB’s earnings would be eclipsed by its income by 2027, forcing the worker protection plan to draw down on money saved for economic shocks like Covid-19.
Unsurprisingly, this was deemed untenable, and an immediate increase was recommended.
Despite this scramble to boost earnings, the NIB has simultaneously increased payouts. Payouts for pensions, funeral grants, maternity grants and more will all attract bigger sums.
These incremental increases on contributions and payouts were all consultant recommendations, informed statements from the Board.
Bahamas News
Work of NAECOB critical in ensuring high standards in education, says Minister Hanna-Martin
“We’re the Ministry of Education and they’re our schools. We are accountable to NAECOB. They ensure that what is happening on the campuses throughout the nation meets the physical standards and the qualitative standards of education. You would have heard classroom size and teacher/student ratio. We may have challenges, and we do at the Ministry of Education but when these issues are brought to our attention we are obliged and compelled to seek resolution to ensure that the standards are met.
the criteria to offer an educational service in The Bahamas as outlined in the Education Act. She said it is mandatory that all educational institutions/provider offering/proposing to offer an educational service in the Bahamas must be registered according to the NAECOB Act and the Education Act.BIS Photos/Mark Ford
Header: Seated at the table, from left: – Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary; Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin; Dominique McCartney Russell, Acting Director; Cassia Minnis, Registration Officer; Thelma Grimes, Council Chairperson; Howard Newbold, Inspector, Council Member; Shena Williams, Council and Inspector; Dorothy Anderson, Inspector; T. Nicola McKay, Deputy Chairperson; (seated behind) Willard Barr, Council and Inspector.
1st insert: Thelma Grimes, Council Chairperson
2nd insert: Howard Newbold, Inspector and Council Member
3rd insert: The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training
4th insert: Cassia Minnis, Registration Officer
#TheBahamas, March 27, 2023 – As the 50th anniversary of our nation’s independence approaches, Bahamians everywhere are teeming with excitement and expectancy around the year-long celebrations set by The National
Independence Secretariat.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister joined H.E Leslia Miller Brice, Chair of The National Independence Secretariat to unveil the Calendar of Events for the 50th Independence celebrations.
The calendar comprises a host of events, initiatives and recommendations for celebrations throughout all 33 islands of The Bahamas.
At this jubilant occasion the PM stated, “Celebrating independence is about acknowledging the greatness around us, the greatness within us, and the greatness ahead of us.
We are Bahamians. That identity is special.”
View the newly released calendar of events here:
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