ED#7 Sammy Been makes a case for re-election; Housing, Schools, Legalise Land and Paved Roads

Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

Turks and Caicos, February 3, 2025 – Economic empowerment was a leading pitch for Samuel Been, who on Friday night held a motorcade and rally in an effort to hold onto his seat in the House of Assembly and keep his Progressive National Party in government.

“Each and everyone of you can be millionaires in this country and we have provided the avenues through the Real Estate Bill, that’s one.  Through all of the grants that we are giving through the MSME and all of the help that we gave through other grants like the $1 million that we gave to 20 fishermen just two months ago; that’s $50,000 a piece to help lift the fishing industry, so we can ease a bit off of all of these canned foods which are making us sick.”

The incumbent member of parliament for Cheshire Hall & Richmond Hill admits there is a concern about the traffic congestion, which is largely experienced by motorists in his constituency in Providenciales.  For this MP, he says there is a plan to alleviate the problem by expanding educational opportunities closer to his residential community.

“We know that there is serious traffic in Provo…. But fortunately enough, we are going to put a high school and a primary here in this area, to stop the parents in this area from having to take their children all the way into Blue Hills, Long Bay and Five Cays,” said Sammy Been.

Been added that there is a need for final resting spaces for his residents; he told attendees at his January 31 rally that he has identified land to address the issue.  Additionally, Sammy Been, in acknowledging the need for affordable housing remarked that the government is slated to build 1,000 homes this year and he laid out the plans for private development in the housing sector in ED7.

“We have already started the Mortgage Corporation, the premier has already sourced land and I am sure you can see in our Manifesto that he intends to build 1,000 homes during this coming year.  To Add to that, a local entrepreneur from this area has decided, in working along with me, that he will build 62 low-cost homes in the Backamara area.  These homes will be beautiful 2 and 3 bedroom homes, where you will have a mortgage payment of less than $1,000. That’s an accomplishment!”

A burning issue for residents of electoral district seven continues to be the rights of residents to land upon which they currently live.  A mandate for the new Informal Settlements Unit, ISU, established in the Washington Misick-led PNP Government is aimed at ending squatting and reducing the problem of informal settlements.  For many, the argument is the land upon which they live was paid for and is rightfully their own.

Samuel Been acknowledged the issue when he took the stage at Butterfield Square, in downtown Providenciales.

“It is a good thing that the British Government has given back Crown Land, residential Crown Land under the political government which means our premier has some say in giving crown land. Because of this, I urge everybody in the Kew Town area, whose land is not straight, who does not have papers for their houses; find your old receipts, if you need help in getting in done, you can bring it to me, to my assistant and my team, I guarantee that we will help you.”

He said the Progressive National Party is on the move and called on voters to “keep it where you got it.”