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Finance

TCI Government hit by Hackers, now what?

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Deandrea Hamilton

Editor 

 

Turks and Caicos, December 24, 2024 – What we know is that the TCI Government has been hacked by an unnamed attacker and it has caused significant disruptions at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services and there could be more impacted by this breach.

“Relevant Ministries and Departments will advise the public of their alternative procedures to access government services while the TCIG assesses and repairs its system, to prevent any loss or further disruption,” said the government statement issued on Thursday December 19.

The cybersecurity crime hit TCIG on Wednesday December 18, according to the government release on the situation.

But that is all the public has been told. Almost one week later it remains a mystery who or what is behind this unprecedented assault on the central nervous system of Government operations.

The Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) wishes to advise that due to a possible breach to the TCIG revenue collection and payment systems, some business operations have been impacted.”

Critical management protocols are now in play following the stagnating security breach.  The British government and the TCI National Security Council are reportedly activated, but with no update, the general public is left to guess the scope of the hack.

The UK is helping.

“DETI has engaged TCIG’s enterprise providers to investigate and undertake an assessment of the systems to determine the extent of the potential compromise. Additionally, TCIG is working with the United Kingdom Government who are providing expert technical support.”

DETI is the Department of Digitization & E-Government Technology, a branch of the very ministry which has been targeted by the cyber criminals.

On Monday, the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services said, “is  implementing contingency plans to minimize disruptions to public services following a network outage.”

Despite the network compromise, the Customer Service Department is accepting applications; “However, payment receipts are currently being issued manually.”

It’s not the same situation at the Employment Services Department’s Customs Services unit; open but “currently not accepting payments.”

The statement went on to advise, “The Department’s Corporate Unit continues to accept applications, although receipt generation is temporarily unavailable.

Payments will be processed for applications with existing receipt.

In urgent cases requiring a temporary work permit (e.g., essential personnel, critical projects), applications will be accepted, and a manual receipt voucher will be issued.”

There was instruction from the Border Force.

“All import declarations will be processed as pre-entries using the relevant pre-entry form. Pre-entry forms are available at the Border Force website at https://borderforce.gov.tc/forms. Brokers must submit three hard copies of the pre-entry form along with the Bill of Lading/Airway Bill, Worksheet, and invoices.

Manifests are currently processed manually. Two hard copies of the Bill of Lading must be submitted to Border Force.

Vehicle Examinations are presently conducted using paper forms until the e-Vehicle portal is restored.

Duties and fee payments are accepted via credit/debit cards and cheques, with cheques currently preferred due to connectivity issues.”

This massive ministry is obviously hard hit by the breach. Adding that residents in dire need of any service to make requests known to drobinson@gov.tc via email or via letter hand-delivered to the Border Force Services Office on Airport Road, Providenciales.

Still the response could be slow going, as  requests will be processed manually.

“To facilitate cargo clearance, the Entry Processing Unit in Providenciales will extend its operating hours to 3:00 p.m. Border Force will also offer extended hours at transit sheds, although specific timings may vary. The public is advised to contact individual transit sheds directly to confirm their operating hours.”

Questions related to an update and explanation on this cyber attack on the Turks and Caicos Islands have gone out to both the Governor’s Office and the  Office of the Premier, however they went unanswered on this Christmas Eve.

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Finance

EXTENSION OF CHEQUE COLLECTION DEADLINE FOR THE COST OF LIVING RELIEF PROGRAMME

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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – 9th July 2025 – The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Investment and Trade wishes to inform the public that the deadline for cheque collection for Cost of Living Relief Programme has been extended to 20th July 2025.

IMPORTANT COLLECTION DETAILS

Reprinted Cheques: All stale-dated cheques, that were not collected, have been reprinted.

Collection Start Date: Reprinted cheques will be available for collection beginning 11th July 2025.

Collection Locations: Cheques are to be collected at the various Treasury and Sub-Treasury locations across the islands.

What You Need: Please ensure you bring a valid form of identification and your reference number when collecting your cheque.

REMINDERS

  • Cheques can only be collected by the approved recipient
  • Cheques will not be deposited to any bank accounts
  • Cheque delivery service is still available

A total of 15,615 applications were received of which 14,733 were approved. This translates to a percentage total of 94.4% of applicants being approved to receive the $1,000 grant; 287 applications or 1.8% were flagged as duplicate submissions and 595 or 3.8% of the applications were declined. Of the 15,615 applicants, 10,856 were Turks and Caicos Islands Status Holders and 4,759 were British Overseas Territory Citizens.

To date, 98% of cheques have been collected.

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Finance

TCI’s Green Paper Charts Ambitious Economic Path for Independence

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor 

 

Turks and Caicos, June 28, 2025 – The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) has taken a bold step toward reimagining its economic future with the presentation of a Green Paper on independence, outlining an ambitious blueprint for diversification and self-sufficiency. The document, titled Economic Diversification and Self-Sufficiency, signals a major rethinking of the country’s development model—but it remains unclear who commissioned the paper and what, if anything, will become of its proposals.

At present, TCI relies heavily on tourism, its number one industry, followed by financial services and fisheries. While these sectors generate significant revenue, the country’s trade deficit is stark—TCI produces virtually nothing for export and remains deeply reliant on imports. The Green Paper argues that such a model is unsustainable for a country seeking political independence and national resilience.

Central to the paper is the goal of economic diversification. The first pillar is an expansion of financial services and offshore banking. It proposes positioning TCI as a regional hub for private banking, wealth management, and asset protection—while introducing strong financial regulations to avoid reputational damage. A citizenship-by-investment program, similar to those in St. Kitts and Dominica, is also suggested as a revenue stream.

Technology is another focal point. The paper envisions TCI as a digital-friendly jurisdiction through the creation of a Turks and Caicos Digital Nomad Visa, targeted at high-earning remote workers. Investment in fiber-optic infrastructure would help support fintech, offshore data centers, and the broader digital economy.

Food security and economic empowerment are addressed through support for local agriculture and aquaculture. The report calls for expanded hydroponic farming and sustainable fisheries, backed by government grants and training programs to reduce dependence on costly food imports and increase export potential.

Real estate and construction reform also feature prominently. The Green Paper recommends a government-backed homeownership program to help locals access property, along with stronger policies to prevent foreign monopolization of land and ensure local workers benefit from major development projects.

One of the more transformative ideas is a transition to renewable energy. By investing in solar, wind, and ocean power, TCI could reduce its dependency on imported fuel and eventually export clean energy to neighboring islands such as the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

To secure long-term economic stability, the creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund is proposed. Modeled after Norway’s, the fund would be built from tourism taxes, real estate fees, and offshore sector contributions, then invested globally for future generations.

The plan emphasizes workforce development through vocational training and partnerships with international institutions. It also recommends enforcing local ownership quotas in key industries and boosting entrepreneurship with incubators and low-interest loans.

Finally, regional integration is a key part of the vision. TCI would deepen ties with CARICOM, the OECS, and major trade partners like the U.S. and Canada while developing its logistics infrastructure to become a trade hub.

Still, while the vision is expansive, the Green Paper’s authorship and political backing remain uncertain. With no clear indication of who requested the paper or how its recommendations will be adopted, the future of the plan remains as open-ended as the independence question itself.

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Caribbean News

CIBC Caribbean and JetBlue Expand Partnership with Introduction of New JetBlue Business Card for Business Clients in Four Caribbean Destinations

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Bridgetown, Barbados (June 23, 2025)– CIBC Caribbean and Mastercard have unveiled a third card, the JetBlue Business Credit Card, designed for business clients across four Caribbean markets where JetBlue operates: The Bahamas, Barbados, The Cayman Islands and Jamaica. Developed with customers in mind, the new JetBlue Business Card offers exclusive rewards, valuable travel benefits, and enhanced opportunities to earn and redeem TrueBlue points, underscoring JetBlue’s ongoing commitment to fostering loyalty by becoming an integral part of its customers’ daily business journeys.

“We are thrilled to expand our card offerings with the addition of the JetBlue Business Card by CIBC Caribbean which will offer a truly enhanced travel experience for the business traveler,” said Jennifer Fuller, Director Enterprise Payments, Cards and Merchant Services.

“As a leading airline in the Caribbean, JetBlue takes great pride in our continued commitment to delivering innovative programs and products to our loyal customers throughout the region,” said Edward Pouthier, Vice President of Loyalty and Personalization at JetBlue. “We’re excited to strengthen our partnership with CIBC Caribbean through the launch of the new JetBlue Business Card, an offering designed specifically for our business customers. This new card provides exclusive rewards and benefits, allowing cardmembers to earn and redeem TrueBlue points across JetBlue’s network of more than 100 destinations and partner airlines, bringing them one swipe closer to their next journey.”

The JetBlue Business Credit Card offers TrueBlue points based on eligible spend, and clients with frequent travel to North America and beyond, will also benefit from using the business credit card for purchases instead of using their personal cards.

The new business card will allow holders in The Bahamas, Barbados, The Cayman Islands and Jamaica to enjoy Group A priority boarding on select flights, the first checked bag free for up to three eligible travel companions in the same reservation, earn 4X points on eligible JetBlue purchases and get 10,000 TrueBlue points annually.

The new JetBlue Business Credit Card by CIBC Caribbean is the latest offering following the launch of the JetBlue Mastercard and JetBlue Select Mastercard by CIBC FirstCaribbean which were introduced in November 2023 in The Bahamas, Barbados, The Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. These cards provide cardmembers exclusive rewards, benefits, and an opportunity to earn TrueBlue® points that can be used to travel to more than 100 destinations in JetBlue’s network.

 

PHOTO CAPTION: 

HEADER: L-R Head of Country – Gemel Sobers, Deborah Mercer, Director, Strategic Business Units, CIBC Caribbean, Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez, Samuel McField Morgan, and Chris Morgan.

1ST INSERT:  L-R Grand Prize winner Susan Boyko congratulated by Donna Wellington, Chief Country Management Officer, CIBC Caribbean.

2ND INSERT: L_R Jose Vargas, Vice President, Head of Sales and Account Management, Mastercard Direct Services, Edward Pouthier, Vice President Loyalty and Personalisation, JetBlue, Pim van der Burg ,Chief Commercial Officer, CIBC Caribbean, Danielle Dumas, Director, Business Development Mastercard, Jennifer Fuller, Director, Enterprise Payments, Cards & Merchant Services, CIBC Caribbean, Lucia Bastidas, Manager, Intl. Co-brand and Loyalty, JetBlue.

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