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Government

UK Parliament approves agreements to tune of $12.3 Million

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By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

 

 

May 30, 2023 – Two £10 million pound allotments ($12.3 million) for security and the environment were only a small part of the agreements made between the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories recently.

The countries have revealed in detail what transpired at the Joint Ministerial Council on May 11th – 12th, and highlights include promises of cash and more freedom and beefed up security. Included in the list of 29 agreements were:

Political Partnership

  • A reaffirmation of the right of self-determination for the peoples of the Territories.
  • UK support for requests for the removal of the countries (who wish it) from the United Nations list of non-self- governing Territories.

Irregular Migration 

  • Over £10 million earmarked to support OT law enforcement and border security capability and capacity building.
  • Acknowledgement of the irregular-migration challenges that some Overseas Territories are facing, including as a result of the current situation in Haiti, and a commitment to exploring options to increase support.

Economic Resilience

  • A commitment to meeting the reasonable needs of Territories where financial self-sufficiency is not possible, as the Overseas Territories continue to have the first call on the aid budget.
  • Discussions regarding access to concessional financing,
  • A brand new ministerial-level annual dialogue focused on tackling illicit finance, to be first held in the British Virgin Islands.

The Environment

  • £10 million per year until 2025 for applicants to Darwin Plus;
  • Commitment to prioritise climate change actions in UK funding.
  • A new joint UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy.
  • Technical support for OT’s in climate change.
  • A commitment to exploring ways to ensure that funding for the Overseas Territories is not cut short as a result of loss of access to EU environment funding.

Maritime and shipping 

  • Commitment to strengthening maritime capabilities in the territories and recognise the need for future investment by promoting defined career pathways and supporting those wishing to work in this essential industry.
  •  Collaboration on ensuring effective maritime security within the Territories.

Education 

  • Commitment to resolving problems with the process for issuance of visas for students with British Overseas Territories Citizenship to study in the UK.

In addition to that, the UK Parliament has unanimously passed a motion to defend the sovereignty and borders of Overseas Territories from foreign powers among other promises following this year’s Joint Ministerial Council Meeting.

The revelation was shared by the office of Alicia Kearns MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday May 12th. Communication passed on to the residents of the TCI by the Office of the Premier, explained that following a Backbench Business Debate on the future of the OT’s  including the Turks and Caicos, UK politicians formally agreed to the following:

‘This House is committed to upholding the interests of British Overseas Territories and their citizens; recognises the special historical, cultural, and social bonds that bind the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories; and calls upon the Government to ensure that British Overseas Territories citizens’ rights as British citizens are upheld, to defend the sovereignty and borders of Overseas Territories from foreign powers, and to consider the unique circumstances of each Territory when formulating policies which affect them.’

The formal commitment solidifies the bare minimum of what the Overseas Territories have been asking of the United Kingdom for years, and now the UK must put it into practice with funding and laws. It is only immediate tangible support of this commitment, that will truly benefit residents across the OT’s and validate the UKs claim to treating them as equal British Citizens.

Kearns’ Office said the OT’s have the genuine support of Members of Parliament as MPs from across the House urged the Government to ensure that the JMC was a success, and that OTs are listened to, and their requests acted on.

Kearns herself said she was “Full of optimism for the future of British OTs,” following the meeting.

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Government

Misick promises to be Premier for all after “Sweet, Sweet Victory”  

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Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, February 8, 2025 – When the cheering and dancing and handshakes and high fives were given the attention they rightly deserved, Washington Misick, the resoundingly re-elected premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands turned his attention from the divisiveness of the election trail to a message of solidarity.

“I have lost elections, so I know how difficult it is for you but now it is time to put partisan differences aside and work on behalf of our people,” said Misick, as he spoke pointedly to the Leader of the Opposition from his celebration stage just after midnight on February 8.

“I want to thank our wonderful and loyal supporters.  Our campaign team and our candidates who worked hard, long hours, burned the midnight oil to mount this victorious campaign.  I wanna thank my beloved wife and our extended families of all of our candidates for all of their support. Tonight’s victory belongs to you.

Because of you we will be able to continue the work of building for our children and our children’s children.  I am inviting everyone to be on this journey with us, whether you’ve voted PNP or whether you voted PDM or whether you voted independent.  I want you to be on this journey with us,” he said.

The premier, who is now serving a second consecutive term in office and serving for a third time as leader of the Turks and Caicos Islands, was flanked by his winning team and throngs of jubilant supporters assembled at the party’s headquarters in Providenciales.

While the PNP was clearly most able to energize its base, winning many of their seats by spectacular margins, voter turnout in this 2025 General Election was at an historical low.  The premier, in his victory speech demonstrated his awareness of that fact and offered an olive branch to those who skipped voting altogether, which would have been over 2,400 people, according to Elections Office statistics.

“And to those Islanders who did not vote for me or the PNP, I hope that our work, policies and programs will earn your support and your blessings.  I promise, I will hear your voices, we will hear your voices and I promise that we will be there for you and I will be your Premier too.”

The Washington Misick led team swept the At Large category securing all nine seats, which now also introduces two first time Members of Parliament.  Only three seats from the constituency races went unsecured by the PNP; it was a total of 16 seats for the party in yellow.

“On this journey, we must have great success together and we will continue the economic and social transformation together.  No journey is without bumps and setbacks, you won’t always agree with the decisions we take but I will always be honest with you about why we make those decisions and the challenges we face.”

“To every islander and every resident, we will work hard everyday on your behalf and we will create the conditions and the opportunities to give all of our people a better quality of life,” he said to vigorous applause, adding, “Let us build together in a single purpose to make our beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands the place where dreams flourish, justice abounds, love is abounding and hope is endless.”

The Premier informed supporters and those watching via social media that work for his new Progressive National Party Administration continues promptly on Monday.

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Government

Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE)

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PRESS RELEASE

 

Turks and Caicos, February 4, 2025 – Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) an election monitoring group established in Jamaica in 1997 has, following a request from the Governor’s Office in the Turks and Caicos Islands, agreed to act as observers for the general election which will be held in the territory on Friday, February 7, 2025. In keeping with this a team of four CAFFE members including two of the organization’s directors will travel to the territory. Two members will arrive on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, and the other two on the 6th. The team will observe and assess the voting and counting on election day.

CAFFE will provide non-partisan and independent observation of the process. The CAFFE team will assess the preparedness for the general election and its conduct against relevant international standards and the applicable domestic TCI laws. The team will release a preliminary statement after the elections. A final report on the observation and assessment of the general election, including recommendations, will be provided within thirty (30) days of the poll.

The observation team includes:

  • Anton Thompson, Deputy Chairman CAFFE and head of mission
  • Audre-Lois Reynolds, CAFFE Director / Treasurer
  • Robin Baston, CAFFE Member
  • Danielle Dunbar, CAFFE Member

CAFFE appreciates this opportunity to support the democratic process in the wider Caribbean region.

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Government

PDM Leader responds to National Debate question on Healthcare

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Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, February 3, 2025 – The PDM, if elected government, will create a treatment policy which focuses on getting residents the best possible care and ensure proper funding for treatment abroad travel, said Edwin Astwood during the live-streamed National Debate on Thursday January 30.

“On day one, I will bring a treatment abroad policy to Cabinet, to reverse what is there now.  We will ensure wherever you can get the top treatment you will be sent to.  Whether it is the USA, whether it is Canada, we will not say that you can only go into the Caribbean region.  We want the best for our people, we will put the money there in the treatment abroad policy that we can send you to places where we believe and where the data shows you can get the best treatment possible for you to fully recover and fully be healed, that is what the PDM is about.”

Astwood, who has led the PDM since 2021 and is a former Minister of Health for the TCI said medical centers will not be selected based on a limited budget and a common complaint will be no more.

“We will not send people abroad without having money in their pocket.  We will not send people abroad to be put out of hotels. We will not send people abroad to be put out of hospitals.  We will ensure that whatever allowance you need, you will get that before you go.”

In July 2022, a National Insurance Board Appeals Tribunal was established to field concerns and respond directly to contributor’s complaints, however, in the years following its set up little has been said about the effectiveness or impact of that body.

Additionally, Astwood addressed the quality of healthcare generally in the islands.

“Our people were healthier 15 years ago.  The records can show that; if you look at the birth rate compared to the death rate you will see that that ratio is higher now in ‘23-’24 than what it was in 2017, in 2015 and before.  On day one, I myself is going to push through the Cabinet a bill to ensure that primary health care is rejuvenated in all of our communities.

We know that in order to keep our people healthy, we have to look at prevention. Prevention is always better than cure, the honourable premier’s style is always to put the bandaid on the bleed.  But we (PDM) always want to go in there and stop the bleeding so that you don’t need the bandaid.  So that is what we are going to do, we are going address healthcare at its root cause and put the primary health care clinics back in every community.

He said the goal is for there to be early detection through early screenings.  Astwood said the country’s profits in recent years meant it could afford to set up an Intensive Care Unit.

“They also messed up the entire NHIP system.  Now our people cannot even get an air ambulance to come to the Turks and Caicos islands because they bankrupted the NHIP.  They made it where people are at a critical state.”

The PDM leaders shared that during a recent House of Assembly sitting, members approved $10 million dollars to pay outstanding medical bills.

Also on the PDM agenda is attention to oncology and all aspects of neonatal care due to a raised standard at the Cheshire Hall and Cockburn Town Medical Centers.

“We will get those health professionals in the hospitals.  No more will you see persons googling, to find out what your diagnosis is, we will get the proper machines for scanning.  No longer will you have those misdiagnosis and wrong diagnosis like under the honourable premier and no more will you be sent to places without money.”

He said the PDM has all of the plans to fix healthcare in the Turks and Caicos.

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