Caribbean News
PNP Member says to Cut ties with Haiti
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, February 2, 2023 – One member of the House of Assembly says it is time for the country to cut ties with Haiti and is calling on the National Security Council to save the TCI. The call came from PNP-appointed member Jameka Williams in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, January 25th.
Despite acknowledging the long and often profitable relationship between the two countries and the TCI’s need for unskilled labour from the Caribbean nation as well as the extreme hardships that have beset the country in recent decades Williams said, “the Turks Caicos Islands is too small of a nation to concern itself with the hardships of Haiti.”
Williams maintained that illegal migration had soured the relationship. Describing it as a growing concern she barrelled on: “Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that we have an illegal immigration problem. In recent years there are too many people, particularly on the island of Providenciales that do not look like me. We can barely recognize anyone anymore— it’s too much of them and not enough of us,” she said.
“They have dominated our workforce, our schools and our social programs geared at protecting and empowering our
people.” she said, describing herself as ‘fearful’. “Should this illegal migrant issue continue to be left unchecked, in about 5 years we will have a TCI we all do not recognize; and so to this end, I think it is time for us to discontinue our relationships with Haiti until there is some level of normalcy in Haiti with its government and the island on a whole.”
Williams said that illegal migration was not unique to Haitians, and migrants from all over the world are ‘flying under the radar and milking the country of all its benefits’.
“They are in the Caucasian and Asian communities, involved in the sale of our real estate, dominating the water sports industry and Villa markets, doing the catering and property management and they are grossly offensive and disrespectful to our people. Who are we building this country for?” She demanded only days after an offensive email with disparaging comments about the country reportedly from an ex-pat surfaced on Facebook.
Williams’s speech also came despite the fact that major institutions including hotels across the islands, Fortis TCI, the TCI Hospitals, The Ministry of Education, The Turks and Caicos Airports Authority, The Police, The Immigration and Customs Departments and many more have admitted that they are woefully short on labour of all kinds, unskilled or otherwise. This has left the country short on basic services including the police records needed for work permits exacerbating the issue even more.
The government in a last-ditch attempt to fatten up the population with people who are at least of TCI heritage and slow down the number of migrants from other countries who are becoming naturalised announced that it would allow third-generation TCI citizens to claim citizenship in the country under a new Immigration Bill.
The HOA member maintained she was not being ‘racist or discriminatory’ but simply representing the TCI people and maintained that while the government was working to protect its borders, the members of the National security board headed by PNP Party Leader Washington Misick and Governor Nigel Dakin should ‘urgently intervene and help save the country for the beautiful people of the TCI.’
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 17, 2023 – Revenue from the Turks and Caicos’ Financial Services Sector will more than double in the next few years, if E Jay Saunders, Deputy Premier and Finance Minister gets his way. It ‘s one of the reasons the country is investing so much capital into getting off of the EU blacklist and becoming a secure trustworthy financial destination.
“The FSC’s revenues for 2020/21 was $10.5M— the figures for 2021/22, would be about similar,” he said. He further explained that $10.5 million from the FSC represented about 2.6 percent of the country’s 408.5-million-dollar
revenue. Though it increased to $14 million in the 2021/22 financial year, finance is still a small fry compared to tourism or even stamp duties but that will change, says Saunders.
“My revenue goal for the Government by the year 2029 [or] the election after the next election – is $500M. By that time, I want the financial sector (FSC) revenues to represent at least 5% ($25M). So that’s my goal for the financial sector by 2029.”
This goal, should it be met, would increase the Government’s revenue by 100 million dollars, a significant increase in spending power for local upgrades and improvements for Turks and Caicos residents and visitors.
Saunders says it’s time for the TCI to diversify its sources of revenue to make sure that what happened in the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw residents out of a job for months, will not happen again. Tourism now makes up around 80 percent of the country’s GDP. The Minister of Finance wants to push that down to 60 or even 50 percent.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#Haiti, March 17, 2023 – When a CARICOM delegation visited Haiti earlier this month, conspicuously absent was the Turks and Caicos Islands despite being one of the nations most directly affected by the multi-dimensional crisis there. There is no comment, as yet from the Premier, to say why this was the case.
Still, from the expedition, CARICOM heads of Government have informed that there will be lobbying in Africa for assistance in Haiti. They say they have decided that the best course of action for the Caribbean country is to bolster the Haitian National Police and act as intermediaries with Africa and the world. The decision follows a one day visit on February 27th, and a March 5th meeting chaired by the Bahamas.
CARICOM says during the trip delegates ‘met with a broad range of Haitian stakeholders to hear their views on the
way forward to a Haitian-led solution’. With that in mind it has made a decision on how to proceed.
“The Heads of Government agreed to support the Haitian National Police in their efforts to address the security situation. The focus of the Community will be the provision of training for the HNP and the provision of humanitarian assistance to HNP and the wider Haitian society, taking into account the challenging humanitarian and security situation”
It’s not clear yet where and how this training will take place. Also distinctly absent from the report, no more mention of boots on the ground from other countries despite CARICOM Member States indicating they were ready and willing should it come to that.
In addition, recognizing ‘the common historical experiences and the strong African-Caribbean relationship’ CARICOM says,
“Heads of Government also agreed to seek support from African countries for Haiti. They also agreed to work with the Governments of Canada and the United States as well as the UNDP”
Magnetic Media has reached out to the Premier’s Office to get a full debrief of the February 27th visit (led by Jamaica; including The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago) to learn of Turks and Caicos’ posture following the critical sessions.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 17, 2023 – Musicians from the New World Symphony will be in the Turks and Caicos in concert next month and residents are invited to attend in support of the future of Ashley’s Learning Center. 
A fairly young orchestral academy based in Miami, the New World Symphony was launched in the 1980s by 1987, Michael Tilson Thomas and Ted Arison,Carnival Cruises founder. From the 1500 applicants who vie for a spot each year, the symphony accepts around 35 music graduates annually for training fellowships.
A select few of those graduates will be in country on April 8th headlining at the Ashley’s Learning Center concert ‘We’re all in this together’. The concert which also feature local artistes will be held at Brayton Hall on Venetian Road from 6 pm to 8:30 pm
Tickets are available ON ISLEHELP $75 PER GENERAL SEAT $125 PER PREMIUM SEAT $195 PER GALLERY SEAT – with /FREFRESHMENTS.
For TICKET RESERVATIONs you can call: 649-341-2304 or email EVENTS@ASHLEYSLEARNINGCENTER.ORG
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