Caribbean News
Nearly One Year on, BVI is optimistic without Andrew Fahie and grateful as General Elections approach
By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
#BVI, March 9, 2023 – Andrew Fahie, in April 2022 had been hit with scandalous money laundering and cocaine smuggling charges while visiting Miami, Florida. While people being charged with crime is fairly common, this was a stand-out matter because Fahie, exposed in an elaborate sting operation, was at the time the sitting Premier of the British Virgin Islands. It meant he had to step down as the country’s leader and the details of the take down brought heavy shame and roused suspicions about the islands which are an overseas territory of the UK.
Latest reports are, Fahie is hold up at his daughters’ Miami apartment, where he is on house arrest, wearing an ankle monitor awaiting to face judgement by trial but what of his beloved British Virgin Islands and its new premier.
Predecessor, Premier Natalio Wheatley, in a sit down interview with me while attending the closing press conference of the CARICOM 44th Regular Meeting of Heads of Government was candid.
“Right after we had the arrest of the former premier and we had the Commission of Inquiry report released to the public, things were dire. Morale was low and of course our international reputation was greatly damaged. But of
course, I, along with my colleagues, were able to restore some level of balance, some level of normalcy, stability, and that has assisted us greatly as we moved our national initiatives, as well as implemented reforms, and, I think that we’ve done a good job getting us to the point where we can now have elections, ” said Wheatley.
Elections for the British Virgin Islands are constitutionally due in May. Premier Wheatley further expressed the mere fact that there are general elections on the horizon is a victory for the BVI people.
He said, “We saw what happened in the Turks and Caicos.”
He was referring to the 2009 partial suspension of the TCI’s 2006 Constitution Order. It made impotent an elected government and ushered in, UK-Direct Rule which handed over to the UK-appointed Governor oversight of all government business. So bruised was the Turks and Caicos, also a British overseas territory by nearly an entire government administration caught up in an elaborate string of allegedly corrupt practices, that the Constitution was re-written to downgrade the power and opportunities of the elected officials.
It has led to the new 2011 Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands being labelled regressive. Only now, 12 years later is the United Kingdom considering returning specific powers to the hands of men and women voted into office.
British Virgin Islands was looking down the barrel of the same gun.
“We were able to benefit from the experience and the advice, and the assistance of the Turks and Caicos, which we are eternally grateful for, and, we were happy that we were able to avoid that, and we are happy that we have the assistance of the Turks and Caicos, in championing the cause of democratic institutions in the Caribbean,” said Wheatley.
Turks and Caicos took a bi-partisan stand and voiced objection to the United Kingdom exacting the same practice of a constitutional suspension on the British Virgin Islands; despite the alleged conspiracy involving Fahie and others.
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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