TCI News
TCI: Books Donated to Clement Howell High School Library
#Providenciales, November 14, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – As part of ongoing efforts to drive literacy in the Turks and Caicos, the Sandals Foundation has donated age appropriate books, games and learning tools valued at more than USD $3,500 to the Clement Howell High School Library and Resource Center.
The activity was made possible through partnership with the non-profit organization, Hands Across the Sea which works in Eastern Caribbean territories to excite young readers and encourage more reading.
The initiative will introduce a student-run library system where students will index, categorize and loan books to their counterparts. This unique operation is hoped to engender greater buy in and responsibility in the care of the facility.
Books were also donated to the school and the Turks and Caicos Public Library following a book drive hosted by employees of the United States based automotive distributing company, Tropicars. Tropicars has been a long standing partner of the Sandals Foundation, which is the charitable arm of Beaches and Sandals Resorts. Over the years, Tropicars has supported the educational efforts of the Foundation across the Caribbean.
Executive Director of Sandals Foundation, Heidi Clarke was on hand for the donation and commented; “We are really pleased to see these libraries receive this incredible selection of books. We truly believe that with well-organized libraries and exciting literature, more students will develop the love of reading which will provide them with the tools to succeed in all academic areas.”
Principal of the Clement Howell High School, Kadean Cunningham expressed gratitude for the continued support “from the Sandals Foundation and Beaches Resorts Villages and Spa, especially as it relates to equipping our Library and Resource Centre with various types of literature that the students can engage themselves with (in) a positive way.”
Principal Cunningham noted that “the students are very excited about this generous donation of books and are equally ecstatic to begin borrowing them to read.”
In 2018, the Sandals Foundation constructed the library and with the help of School Specialty Inc. was able to furnish the infrastructure with new computers, a printing machine and books.
Meanwhile, the occasion was memorialized in art through the breathtaking creative expression of award-winning New York street artist, Marco Santini.
Santini, who was a guest at the Beaches Resorts’ Social Media On the Sand event, engaged art students in a lesson as he painted an inspiring mural on the doors of the school’s canteen.
Release: Sandals Resorts
Sandals Foundation:
The Sandals Foundation is a non-profit organization launched in March 2009 to help Sandals Resorts International continue to make a difference in the Caribbean. All costs associated with administration and management is supported by Sandals International so that 100% of every dollar donated goes directly towards funding impactful and meaningful initiatives within the key areas of Education, Community and Environment.
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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