$10.5 million Supplementary; where the money goes

Dana Malcom 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicosIslands, December 15, 2023 – With $10.5 million added to the budget in December 2023, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government is promising to fix some long standing issues and others that have come up more recently.  E. Jay Saunders Deputy Premier, and Minister of Finance, detailed exactly what the allocation would cover.

Around $297,000 is being allocated to public service efficiency, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Rehabilitation and Community Services.  Jaron Harvey, Director of the latter, only weeks earlier, had called for more resources to help do the important work of preventing recidivism in offenders locally.

In October, Samuel Been, Member of Parliament for Cheshire Hall, called on the government to fix the “deadly” Suzy Turn Corner.  Saunders revealed that $2 million has been allocated for that and other roadworks in the bill.

Additionally, $2.4 million was set aside for technical support for land management, specifically the Crown Land Unit. This allocation caused a rebuttal from the Opposition, who questioned why the government was focused on financing the management of crown land, rather than finding ways to get land to the residents more easily.

It was Akierra Missick, Elected Member for Leeward and Long Bay, who clarified that the allocation was to fund the implementation of the dozens of crown land recommendations accepted by the government after the crown land review; which would in turn help residents get easier access to land.

Other allocations in the $10.5 million include:

• An $800,000 investment in a reverse osmosis plant in Grand Turk;
• An $800,000 allocation for the renovation of the Bambarra Beach Vendors Market;
• A $600,000 check for the Boundary Commission and claims against the government;
• An allocation of $800,000 for community enhancement and environmental sustainability;
• $410,000 for Educational investment (furniture and equipment for schools);
• $276,000 for Law enforcement resources (additional police vehicles);
• $250,000 for National Security improvements (the hiring of a strategic lead) and;
• $180,000 for Maritime security enhancement (the purchase of a 3rd sea patrol vessel)

“Taken together, these allocations highlight our government’s focus for this 2nd supplementary budget on improving physical infrastructure, enhancing community services and facilities, bolstering security, and investing in governance structures,” Saunders said.

The money will be pulled from the Consolidated Fund, ($5,788,222.23) and the Development Fund (4,765,850).