How the Solid Waste Management and other Projects will get done

By Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

#TurksandCaicos, July 21, 2022 – The Turks and Caicos Premier is optimistic that the days are numbered now to the islands having a more robust Procurement Ordinance; he announced as much last Thursday July 14 when hosting a national press conference from his office in Providenciales.

“Let me say that part of the issue that we do have is the slow rate at which procurement is made and we are making significant steps now working with the United Kingdom in updating the Procurement Ordinance…,” said Washington Misick, TCI Premier.

If this new administration successfully negotiates the changes, it would simplify what is now a protracted procedure which precedes all government funded projects.  Selections, costing and agreements are among the fine details guided by the Procurement Ordinance which has for years been fingered for slowing progress on major and minor TCIG projects.

“…to ensure there is more flexibility and methodologies that we are not able to use now because they are not part of the bill or ordinance rather can be put into the ordinance and that will help us to speed up the delivery of these major projects,” said Misick in explaining how the amendments will benefit the islands.

It was a PNP Administration, under Dr. Rufus Ewing, which first exposed that the procurement procedure was unnecessarily cumbersome.  That administration was voted out of office before it could further its desire to modernize the statute.  The Ewing Administration ‘christened’ the current ordinance as it was the first government elected following British direct rule from 2009-2012.

The Sharlene Robinson-led PDM administration also ‘boo-hooed’ the Ordinance; however, the ordinance remained antiquated and regressive during her tenure.

Now, the team elected in February 2021 may be turning a pivotal page as the combination of a more modern law and a newly launched TCI Delivery Unit will work in tandem to ensure projects and promises are delivered to the masses.  It could also see the backlog of enhancement initiatives cleared, finally.

“Turks and Caicos has brought together a core team to lead projects and we ask for your patience as the technical preliminaries are completed,” said the premier.

Cited as one of the first projects he hopes to see benefit is solid waste management.

“Works continue in the onboarding of the consultants t lead the program to find the best solution for solid waste management in the Turks and Caicos. The recent fires at the landfill in Providenciales, highlighted the need to expedite these works.”

In announcing that finally a dedicated team has been selected, appointed and assigned to manage the ballooning quantities of refuse across the rapidly developing chain of islands, Washington Misick, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands said amendments to the Procurement Ordinance, in consultation with the British are in the advanced stages now.

“We can assure that a workable and sustainable solution will be found.”