TCI News
Turks and Caicos going for gold standard in coastal environmental excellence, look out for Blue Flags
#Providenciales, March 1, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – A return to Blue Flag status for coastal sites around the Turks and Caicos is the hope of the Ministry of Tourism as it has renewed its relationship with the Foundation for Environmental Education, FEE and will regain membership in order for the TCIs world renowned natural habitats to be rated.
Tourism Risk Manager, Brian Been is leading this project for the islands which had in 2008 managed to have three areas: The Bight Park in Providenciales and both Governor’s Beach and the Grand Turk Cruise Centre in Grand Turk, waving Blue Flags.
Ralph Higgs, Acting Deputy Premier and Tourism & Environment Minister was coy about naming the sites in the TCI he would like to see make the list in a first round of selections, but Mr. Higgs was eager to state that his government is putting its full weight behind environmental protection programs.
“Turks and Caicos is an exceptional place and as the world discovers Turks and Caicos, the world is loving Turks and Caicos and so my government is being proactive in terms of taking steps to enhance environmental awareness to protect our sites and I think we will start, hopefully with about four or five sites that easily accessible, easily manageable and then it will expand throughout the length and breadth of the Turks and Caicos.”
The process will be thorough, explained FEE Regional Manager, Lourdes Diaz who is originally from Puerto Rico. Ms. Lourdes said it may take up to two-years to secure the first of the Blue Flags and in order to maintain the globally respected status, public education must be constant and public buy-in must be high.
Supporting the FEE visit to the Turks and Caicos was Director of Sustainable Planning for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Earlston McPhee, who said: “A part of the Blue Flag program is that you have to be recertified every year, so you don’t get there and its done; every year you have to be recertified and the national jury who would ensure that the standards are kept at a high level will be visiting, sometimes a surprise visit to the site to ensure the standard remains very high.”
The Turks and Caicos already stands to benefit from its membership renewal with FEE; Ms. Diaz said because one of the key Blue Flag standards is ‘access for all’ as mandated by the UN World Tourism Organization; the TCI will be supported with infrastructure to make our beach and/or marina sites wheelchair friendly.
“A Blue Flag beach is accessible for all and one of the criteria is accessibility for the physically impaired, that is people with limited movement; they must be taken into consideration. That is an observance which will be guaranteed through the Blue Flag Beaches. As a contribution to the countries that are participating in Blue Flag, will be able to provide walkways and amphibious chairs for the use at each Blue Flag site. Everybody deserves the same services.”
The team from FEE met with the Tourism Minister and Risk Manager at the Office of the Premier in Provienciales on Wednesday February 27, 2019.
#magneticmedianews
#tciaimsforblueflagbeaches
#FEE
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)
-
News1 week agoFacts According to the Turks & Caicos Premier About His Constitutional Amendments
-
News1 week ago80 DAYS. $80 MILLION. – PDM Demands Answers from Government
-
News1 week ago“The Contract is The Problem, Not The Hospitals”
-
News1 week ago
Premier Lays Out Cost of Hospital Dispute
-
News6 days agoPAY FIRST. QUESTION LATER.
-
Education1 week agoDr. Candice Williams Appointed First Vice-President of Regional Higher Education Association
-
News2 days agoELECTRICITY BILL SHOCKER: PELICAN ENERGY WARNED GOV’T
-
Health3 days ago47,459 MEASLES CASES, 44 DEATHS ACROSS AMERICAS