Government
TCIG rolls out NEW License Plates; Upgrades also mean improved security
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, December 14, 2022 – Residents in the Turks and Caicos will not have to wait any longer for their license plates as the Department of Motor Vehicles, on Tuesday, officially launched its brand new plates with decals specific to all the inhabited islands in an official ceremony.
Anya Williams, Deputy Governor said, “This may seem small but it is very big and very important for all of us. The public has been complaining for some time about lack of access to license plates and we now want to say that in-house we have over 15,000 plates. That means every person that needs a plate should be able to receive one,” she explained. “We know it has been frustrating over the period and we want to acknowledge that.”
Williams went on to describe how they would help security officers carry out their duties across the TCI “The plates are unique, they have unique identifiers they are able to be picked up by our new CCTV system because they have automatic plate recognition built into them and so they will also help us in detecting and being able to fight crime.”
Otis Morris, Minister of Home Affairs with responsibility for Transportation said while it had been a bit of a fight in Cabinet to get everyone on board with the idea, the achievement of the suite of new plates were significant.
“They will curb the issue of the fraudulent plates which we believe are currently being produced as these plates are a lot harder to reproduce,” he explained.
Morris also revealed that major new upgrades are coming for the Department; these include a new DMV database which he said was in the last phase of completion and would help reduce application wait times. Updating local drivers licenses to international standards; and adding barcodes to license stickers which will contain all information regarding the vehicle and the driver.
Reiterating that no resident had any reason to not have the proper plates now, Wilbur Caley, Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles maintained, “If we can’t give you one of those please for whatever reason you’re going to have a temporary plate so no vehicle in any of our islands should be driving around without plates.”
He implored the police, who were in attendance not to accept the excuse from any resident that their car did not have a plate. Caley assured this is no longer the case.
He too hinted at the coming updates, “We’re going to go to the system where – you can apply for your driver’s license online. We are going to be issuing decals soon that will have all of the information for your vehicles so the instances of persons putting on decals that don’t belong to their vehicle will be a thing of the past.”
The new island-specific plates apply to all private vehicles, charter vehicles and taxis.
Caley had previously explained that the new Grand Turk plates feature a cactus on a green background; the North Caicos plates feature the islands vegetation; Providenciales plates have what appears to be a Beach; Middle Caicos plates show a native straw work; Salt Cay shows a depiction of a TC Islander working the salt flats and South Caicos has a red lobster on an orange background.
Residents will be called in to collect plates which will match the numbers on their current or older model license plates.
Turks and Caicos, January 20, 2025 – Her Excellency the Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam chaired the 41st meeting of Cabinet held on December 11th, 2024. All members of Cabinet were present with the exception of Hon. Rhondalee Knowles, Attorney General, with Ms. Khalila Astwood acting as Attorney General.
At this meeting Cabinet:
- Considered proposals related to the 2022 Crown Land Review Report.
- Approved the mutation of parcels 60603/57, 60610/316, 60700/107, and 20313/47, 58 & 59 and for the same to be vested with the
TCI Airports Authority. - Received a presentation on proposals on the integration of Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) technologies into programs at the Turks and Caicos Community College.
- Approved the management authority of parcel 60503/315 to the Turks & Caicos Islands Sports Commission for multi-purpose use for the development of a community park and recreational facility.
- Received a presentation from the Turks and Caicos Islands Sports Commission on the establishment of a National Sports Training Centre.
- Received a presentation from the Turks and Caicos Islands Sports Commission regarding the establishment of a Department of Parks and Recreation.
- Received a presentation from the Ministry of Health on matters relating to the National Health Insurance Board.
- Approved the re-appointment of Mrs. Angela Musgrove as the Chief Executive Officer of Invest Turks and Caicos for a three-year term.
- Approved the appointment of Mr. Henry Wilson as a member to the Fisheries Advisory Committee.
- Noted the award of the following contracts in line with the process according to the provisions of the Public Procurement Ordinance; Contract Award Notification:
- PN 005690, TR 24/09, Upgrading Bight Park
- PN 005729, TR 24/23, Vehicles for Immigration
- PN 005730, TR 24/08, DDME Communication Equipment – Mobile Antenna
- PN 005765, TR 24/31, Redevelopment of Regatta Village
- TCINIB 01/2024, TR 24/26, Vehicles for NIB
Further information on these matters will be presented by Ministers in due course.
Turks and Caicos – Her Excellency the Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam chaired the 40th meeting of Cabinet held on December 4th, 2024. All members of Cabinet were present, with the exception of Hon. Jamell Robinson, Deputy Premier and Hon. Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles, Attorney General, with Ms. Khalila Astwood, acting as Attorney General.
At this meeting Cabinet:
- Approved the Turks and Caicos Islands Fiscal Strategic Policy Statement.
- Approved the negotiation of a Development Agreement/Order with Retreat Development Ltd.
- Approved the transfer of excess revenue from the Consolidated Fund into the National Wealth Fund for the Financial Year Ending 31 March 2024.
- Approved Planning Application PR 17673 for a proposed watch tower and rest station on block and parcel 60000/345 for the TCI Regiment.
- Approved the negotiation of a license agreement with the Proprietors of Balfour Salt Ltd. for a period of 10 years.
- Approved the policy document for the use of Biometrics and Introducing an Electronic Travel Authority Requirement.
- Approved the appointment of Mr. Lynden Hall Snr. as a member of the Turks and Caicos Islands Gaming Control Commission Board for a period of two years.
- Approved the write-off of water charges and penalties in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Financial Management Ordinance 2012.
Further information on these matters will be presented by Ministers in due course.
Kingston, Jamaica, January 18, 2025 – Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensuring that all Jamaicans have access to affordable housing solutions.
He noted that there is an imbalance between housing supply and affordability, with many qualified individuals struggling to find solutions within their income bracket.
“The issue is not the finance; it’s that people who qualify can’t get the houses that are available on the market,” he pointed out, while addressing a recent meeting with the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast Committee at the Office of the Prime Minister.
He explained that the market is producing homes primarily for those with higher income, leaving a gap for low and middle-income families.
In addition, he noted that houses priced at $12 million are often sold for $18 million due to market demand dynamics.
“What we want to do is to get the market to produce houses in all categories,” he said, stressing the need for affordable options alongside high-end developments.
“We need developers who can build houses at scale to bring down costs and make housing more affordable,” he stressed.
The Prime Minister noted the role of the National Housing Trust (NHT) in financing low-income and achievable housing projects.
“We’re doing everything to create what is called effective demand,” he said, noting that the Guaranteed Purchase Programme was introduced as a strategic measure to mitigate market risks for developers.
“We say to developers; you build the houses, we buy them at a specific price and then we sell them at an affordable price,” he detailed.
This approach aims to encourage developers to construct homes without fearing financial losses.
“Government can’t build houses; what we can do is use resources to finance affordable housing and say, ‘you can only get this finance if you sell at this price’,” he pointed out.
The Prime Minister cited other initiatives aimed at making housing more affordable, including reducing the interest rates on mortgages, with some low-income borrowers benefiting from a zero per cent interest rate.
Efforts are under way to deliver 43,000 houses over the next few years as part of a broader strategy to meet housing demands.
CONTACT: ANDREW LAIDLEY
Release: JIS
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