TCI News
Royal Navy Ship, RFA Mounts Bay, Visits TCI
#GrandTurk, June 28, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – [CORRECTION]Following its deployment to TCI in March to help counter the surge in illegal sloops from Haiti, the Royal Navy’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, RFA Mounts Bay, returned to TCI on 27 June in the course of its deployment to the region to support the efforts of the UK’s Caribbean Overseas Territories to prepare for this year’s hurricane season. His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. Premier and Her Excellency the Deputy Governor met the Commanding Officer of RFA Mounts Bay, Captain Peter Selby, on board the ship while it was in Grand Turk.
While here, Mounts Bay delivered hurricane equipment and supplies which have been donated to TCI. At the request of the Department for Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), Mounts Bay’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Troop – a contingent of Royal Engineers and Royal Marines – carried out a range of hurricane preparedness tasks on the island including work at the customs yard and testing of DDME’s radio equipment. Members of the HADR Troop, several of whom had been stationed in TCI immediately after Hurricane Irma in September last year, also visited key installations on Grand Turk and held meetings with the Governor, Deputy Governor, DDME and others to discuss TCI’s state of readiness for this hurricane season and how the UK may be able to support TCI’s efforts in the event of another hurricane hitting TCI this season.
Separately this week, representatives of the UK military and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office attended the 6th Caribbean Regional Information Operations Council (CRIOC) meeting in Providenciales hosted by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. The meeting brought together representatives from across the region and international partners including from the UK, US, Canada, the Netherlands, Bermuda and the Bahamas for talks on coordinating efforts in the event of a repeat of last year’s catastrophic weather events. Participants in the meeting also took part in the first cross-Caribbean hurricane response exercise aimed at helping contribute towards preparations being in place for the hurricane season and bringing together partner countries to this end.
Commenting on the visit of RFA Mounts Bay and other events taking place in TCI this week, His Excellency the Governor said;
“As we in these islands of Turks and Caicos continue with our preparations for the hurricane season, I wish to express thanks for the visit of various advisors from the UK’s Armed Forces and for the return of RFA Mounts Bay, following its deployment here in March, which has delivered hurricane specific equipment and supplies. I was pleased to be joined by the Premier and Deputy Governor when we met the Captain of RFA Mounts Bay on board the ship on 27 June to discuss preparations for this year’s season. Together these visits and initiatives are demonstration of the UK Government’s commitment to the people of this Territory and of its determination to play its part in hurricane preparations. We all hope 
and pray that we will not again suffer hurricanes of the scale seen in TCI last year; but it is our collective duty to make ourselves ready to deal with such a possibility should it come to pass.
‘In recent days I have – with the Premier – co-Chaired the 5th TCI Hurricane State of Preparedness Meeting with representatives of all relevant TCI departments in order to continue to keep us focused on the necessary preparatory work for this hurricane season. I have also welcomed the visit of military representatives from the UK, especially those who were stationed in TCI immediately after Hurricane Irma and have returned with Mounts Bay, and our international partners who together with local officials and members of the RTCIPF have held discussions and conducted a training exercise to ensure we are all as connected as possible and ready, if needed, to act in a coordinated way if we again suffer another hurricane. The visits by HM Armed Forces advisors and by RFA Mounts Bay are part of that wider effort intended to give reassurance to all of us in TCI that we are doing all we can ourselves and with others to ensure we are as well prepared as possible.”
Release: TCIG
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
PROVIDENCIALES — New commercial Crown Land applications are facing a six-month pause as the Turks and Caicos Islands Government takes inventory of its holdings.
During Cabinet meetings held July 15 and 16, an immediate six-month moratorium was approved on the acceptance, processing
and approval of new applications for commercial Crown Land grants, leases and allocations.
The pause will remain in place pending completion of the Crown Land Inventory Review. Cabinet’s summary did not state what prompted the review or indicate whether availability of commercial Crown Land is a concern.
The two-day meeting also advanced major consumer legislation. Cabinet approved the National Fair Competition Policy 2026 and drafting instructions for a Fair Competition Ordinance, moving TCI toward stronger consumer protection and fair competition rules.
In Grand Turk, Cabinet approved rezoning land in the North West Suburbs from low-density to medium-density residential use to facilitate a new apartment development.
Cabinet also advanced fisheries reforms, water legislation allowing private and public-private investment, minerals legislation and appointments across tourism, health and finance.
Progress toward establishing a TCI Credit Union was also noted.
PROVIDENCIALES — Major development projects outside Providenciales received Cabinet attention on July 8, with Government approving agreements connected to the redevelopment of Dellis Cay and a resort development in North Caicos.
Cabinet approved a Development Agreement between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Desarrollos Hotelco DC Ltd. and
Desarrollos Hotelco Astoria Ltd. for the redevelopment of Dellis Cay.
The long-discussed private island development sits between Providenciales and North Caicos and its return to Cabinet signals another step toward redevelopment.
Cabinet also approved amendments to an agreement involving SPR LND Ltd. (Royal Reef) and TCIG Development Agreement for a resort/hotel development in North Caicos.
Other decisions included approval of the First Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2026 for onward transmission and the appointment of Cindy Ewing as Chair of the Invest TCI Board, effective August 1 for three years.
Cabinet also noted consultation outcomes concerning changes to business licensing, approved professional membership expenses for qualifying Telecommunications Commission staff and approved advice relating to the Interim Clinical and Estates Services PPP.
The July 8 meeting was chaired by Acting Governor Anya Williams.
Photo Credit: Royal Reef (Keith)
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