Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, August 11, 2023 – Many Turks and Caicos Islanders are spending unsustainable amounts of money on housing, according to data gathered by the Housing Department via the National Housing Needs Survey, emphasizing the need for affordable homes.

Dominique Durham, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development

“Respondents of that Survey provided that the majority of households spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing expenses.  Now, as a rule of thumb, especially in America, if you spend more than 30 percent of your income on housing, it is deemed not affordable,” Dominique Durham, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, revealed.

He shared other significant data collected that showed the dire state of the housing market locally, including that nearly a quarter of residents live in damaged homes.

“It also revealed that 21 percent [of respondents] are living in homes in need of repair and 69 percent are looking to purchase a new home within the next five years,” Durham said.

Despite the intent to buy a home, the survey also revealed that many Turks and Caicos residents thought the housing market needed more affordable options for them to be able to bring that dream to fruition.

The majority of residents (32 percent) voted for the Government to create more options for affordable housing when asked what would best improve their housing needs.

Other popular suggestions included:

• Creating Government housing loan programs (25 percent)
• Housing subsidies (15 percent)
• Home improvement/refurbishment programs  (11 percent)

All of those suggestions voted on by residents have made their way into the Housing Policy as either short-term or long-term programs.

Jamell Robinson, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development

“Long-term projects include inclusionary zoning, large-scale housing through public-private partnerships, and eventually, we will be establishing a National Housing Authority and Trust whereby we hope to lend at affordable interest rates.  We also are looking to roll out help-to-buy schemes in the near future as we appreciate that an issue is also access to financing,” he said.

The Government is aiming to use these suggestions, voted on by residents, to fix the gaping hole in the market, but even with these new programs, there’s one thing residents say they need to purchase homes– better pay.

Jamell Robinson, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, was hit with the question of whether the Government would start to pay residents more so they could have more cash to afford housing.

The minister said step one was increasing public cash flow (with a pay and grade review for the public service now being conducted), and step two was upskilling all individuals to make them more marketable in the private sector.

“Our Job– is to ensure that our citizens as Turks and Caicos islanders can add value to themselves so they can participate more in the open market, and one of those ways is by making the community college free so you can access higher education– in a free open market which we have here, it’s hard to dictate to the private sector what they can pay a specific individual so we want to grow our individuals to make sure that they can level up,” he explained.

The Housing Policy launched on July 27th in Providenciales.

Staff Writer  

#TurksandCaicos, August 11, 2023 – DNA testing will now be a requirement for certain residents applying for status via family members.  The provision was signed into law on July 19^th and government leader of business in the House of Assembly, Washington Misick, TCI Premier, explained the rationale for this now approved pathway to Turks and Caicos citizenship.

“This provision will allow for DNA testing to establish parental relationships in the Turks and Caicos Islands for the purpose of TC Islander status.  By incorporating these criteria we ensure a robust and reliable method of determining familial connections if and when necessary,” he said.

During initial debates, Members of the House of Assembly had raised instances where parents could not provide the proper documents for their children to prove parental rights, for whatever reason.  DNA testing was introduced as a swift and reliable solution in these cases.

“This is very important, I think we all know that claims have been made both by Turks and Caicos Islanders and by others claiming to have kids that are not theirs but also making sure that children who have a right to status are not denied by parents who may want to abandon them,” Misick insisted.

The measure was wholeheartedly supported by Edwin Astwood, Opposition Leader.

Also accepted, that Great-grandchildren of TC Islanders will now be able to claim status following the passage of the anticipated Turks and Caicos Islanders Status Amendment Bill.  It was one of many changes, altering how residents can get status and rights to long-term stay in the country.

Tabled by Washington Misick, TCI Premier, it:

• Extends acquisition of status to persons born outside the islands with family links through a great-grandparent – Misick said this recognized the importance of family ties. “It may seem distant, but here in this House, we have examples that could mean our offspring could find themselves disenfranchised. Just about every family has a similar situation,” he continued, “if we are truly interested in growing the franchise and maintaining control of it, then we have to ensure we put provisions in place for [it] to be extended through our own bloodline.”
• Extends automatic status to the dependent children of residents who are awarded status by grant, ONLY if they are living in the country at the time of application. The Premier indicated this was to remove the undue burden from families with qualifying dependents;
• Creates separate forms for residents applying for status through marriage and grants and legalizes electronic applications. Misick said this clause focused on making sure that families who legitimately have a right to be in the islands are not discriminated against;
• Removes the Attorney General from the Status Commission and appoints an external attorney. This attorney must have 15 years of experience and a background in public law, thus ensuring that the commission benefits from legal expertise. Misick said that the removal of the Attorney General was to reduce the opportunity for legal challenge and to ensure that there is no claim of the Governor or AG having their ‘finger on the scales,’ bringing more integrity and transparency to the process.
• Sets out parameters for qualification and disqualification of Status Commission Members. “The grant of status is an extremely important offer, and it is important that people have the skills, the background, and qualifications to understand the implications of their decision,” the Premier explained;
• Authorizes DNA testing. To establish parental relationships for status/make sure that children with the right to status are not abandoned by parents and;
• Extends the year’s application period to December 2023. This is to residents the opportunity to fully understand the changes prior to applying.

The amendments were debated by residents, with a survey on the bill opening in June and closing later that month. The proposed changes by the Government all made it into the finished legislation with the addition of the clause granting status to great-grandchildren.

The bill passed with general support from both sides of the House of Assembly with the Opposition and Government acknowledging the gravity of the changes, without which Turks and Caicos Islanders would become outnumbered four-to-one in a few decades.

The premier maintained that they would continue to carry out public education seminars and give residents time to settle into the new changes fully.

Those meetings commenced with the business community last week.

The introduction of mandatory DNA results follows as a way to end forgery and conniving by applicants.

“It’s no secret that people get paid to say children are theirs in the Turks and Caicos— so I am very happy to see this here concerning DNA testing. It cannot only be used to disqualify, but as the Premier so rightly said to qualify.”

Residents had been asked to vote and give their opinions on the proposed change to Section 23 of the Islander Status Amendment Bill in June. With the new provision the Turks and Caicos joins a myriad of other countries including the United States who employ DNA testing to establish paternity before status can be granted to applicants.

We undertook to keep you informed on the steps we are taking to support the operational policing response, to ensure the threats to our safety are gripped and effectively tackled, in both the immediate and longer term.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Tactical Unit remain in active deployment in addition to strengthened patrols by our Community Policing Units. You will see more operational police officers across Providenciales as the RTCIPF continue their investigative and enforcement operations.

In support of these operations, the following capability has been put in place to date:

• –  The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has deployed of one of its H145 helicopters. The helicopter and crew arrived on Sunday. Since their arrival, the crew have been working with RTCIPF on planned operations to provide critical aerial support as part of our operational response measures. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is funding this deployment.
• –  In tackling our shared threats, the HMBS Bahamas, the flagship of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, is currently in our jurisdiction, working in collaboration with our maritime partners to patrol our territorial waters against any illegal activities occurring at sea. Members of the RTCIPF and TCI Regiment are on board the HMBS Bahamas as part of this joint operation.
• –  The Turks and Caicos Islands continues to work in partnership with our colleagues from US Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP assets are supporting the surveillance of our waters and those further afield, enabling early warning of suspicious vessels and acting as a deterrent to those who want to reach our islands undetected.
•  – To ensure the ongoing investigative capacity of the RTCIPF, the FCDO has allocated additional funding to extend the timeline of the serious crime team deployment.

This immediate package of measures seeks to provide substantial capability to our operational response, co-ordinating efforts on both land and sea. It will allow us to continue to investigate vigorously and bring to justice those who are causing harm and threatening our peace and security. We are particularly grateful to the Governments of the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands for their steadfast support at this critical time.

We will continue to assess threats and keep you informed of our efforts to ensure the safety and security of our communities.

To assist our police investigations, we kindly ask for your cooperation. If you possess any information, regardless of its significance, please speak to someone you trust or contact TCI Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to provide information anonymously and with confidence, for the safety of all.

Ms. Adams holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from Keele University in the United Kingdom (UK) (2019), where she won the Environmental Science Dissertation Prize for her Dissertation: “The Evaluation of Waste Management Strategies of an Island Nation. The Turks and Caicos Islands as a Case Study”. Ms. Adams also holds a Master’s in Environmental Engineering and Project Management from Leeds University UK (2020).

In 2021 Ms. Adams officially joined the Turks and Caicos Islands Environmental Health Department as an Environmental Health Officer and is now being appointed to the post of Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer.

Commenting on her appointment, Ms. Adams stated:

“I am honored and humbled to have been given this opportunity to demonstrate my ability to take on this role as Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer.

The Environmental Health Department is developing and transitioning into a more modern era of operations. I am committed to the growth and success of my department, and I look forward to contributing to this process of securing a safe and healthy Turks and Caicos Islands.”

Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service, Her Excellency Anya Williams, in extending congratulatory remarks to Ms. Crivanne Adams, stated:

“It gives me great pleasure to officially announce and congratulate Ms. Crivanne Adams on her appointment to Deputy Chief Environmental Officer in the Ministry of Health and Human Services.”

Ms. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Business Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Edinburgh Napier University and an Associate Degree in Business Studies from the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College. Ms. Lewis also achieved a certificate in Administration Management from DODS Training and is currently pursuing a Master’s in International Relations.

She devoted over seven years to the teaching profession and the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands before departing to further her studies in the United Kingdom.

Upon completion of her studies, Ms. Lewis returned to the Public Service as an Administrative Officer with the Health Professions Authority where she played a significant role in the establishment and launching of that government body. She later transferred to the Migrant Health Department in the same capacity and recently acted as Migrant Health Manager until the confirmation of her appointment.

Ms. Lewis, in commenting on her appointment, stated:

“My role as Migrant Health Manager and a civil servant is not taken lightly. I take great pride in serving the residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands and I will continue to do so through effective collaboration, leadership, and professionalism.”

“Thank you to my family, friends, colleagues, and clients for your unwavering support, and special thanks to Her Excellency Anya Williams and the Turks and Caicos Government for the numerous opportunities afforded to me and my fellow man.”

Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service, Her Excellency Anya Williams, in extending congratulatory remarks to Ms. Lewis, stated:

“It is a pleasure to officially announce and to congratulate Ms. Latanya Lewis on her appointment to the post of Migrant Health Manager in the Ministry of Health and Human Services.”

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, August 4, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos Government is gearing up to call in backup for the country’s security forces as killings spike.

A joint statement from Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, TCI Governor and Washington Misick, TCI Premier, made the announcement Wednesday night after a young man was murdered in Grace Bay.

“At this time of heightened concern for our safety, we want to assure you of the police and wider national security response,” it began, “We remain determined in our efforts to stem these senseless acts of violence. The National Security Council is actively considering support for the police response to ensure the threats to our safety are gripped and effectively tackled in both the immediate and longer term.”

In late 2022, following an incredible increase in murders, the government reached out to The Bahamas, Jamaica, and others for assistance.

The Bahamas responded quickly, sending a group of 24 officers who were sworn into the Royal TCI Police Force and joined local officers on the line. The multinational force had success in stemming the violence, but with their eventual departure, the violence has once again spiked.

There has been no concrete confirmation yet from the government that it will be Bahamian officers that are called in this time around but Turks and Caicos has enjoyed tremendous support in the area of law enforcement from the UK, US and CARICOM.

A promise was made to keep the public informed.

#Jamaica, July 31, 2023 – “Let us be inspired by the lives of our forebears whose freedom was won in blood through battle so that today we can enjoy freedom without fear.

Their struggle should fill us with inspiration, hope, and a strengthened resolve to overcome any challenge we face today.

Let us therefore honour our ancestors by showing courage and determination and fulfilling the dreams they had for us to be the liberated and prosperous people GOD created us to be.

We each have a duty to use our freedom to improve our lives, and the lives of the generations coming after us.

As we give thanks for our freedom, let us not forget to guard fiercely the freedom of our minds.”

Andrew Holness, MP

Prime Minister of Jamaica

“The legacy of Emancipation Day urges us to confront the challenges facing our nation head-on, with courage and collective commitment. We must rededicate ourselves to eradicating poverty, to ensuring access to quality education and healthcare for all Jamaicans, to building social cohesion to reduce violent crime, and to protecting our environment and ecological heritage.

To achieve these fundamental goals, we must deliberately build a system of inclusive socio-economic relationships and structures which nurture innovation, self-improvement of our people and entrepreneurialism, and generate sustainable economic growth.

This Emancipation Day, let us carry the spirit of hope and unity in our hearts throughout the coming year. Let us use it as a catalyst for positive change and collective progress.”

Mark Golding, MP

Leader of the Opposition

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, July 31, 2023 – An oversight body for the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force RTCIPF is just one of the big ticket items that opposition leader Edwin Astwood says he is fighting to get into the new constitution.  Here’s what he wants:

“A Police Commission that oversees the police force instead of them just directly reporting to the governor,” he said.

Astwood made the remarks at a press briefing on National issues held on July 13th.

The push for an oversight body comes as the Turks and Caicos experienced two years of incredibly high crime, filled with gruesome murders.

Astwood’s Commission would be made up of past Commissioners, Inspectors, Justices of the Peace, and more to look over the functioning and operations of the Royal TCI Police Force.

Currently, as per the constitution, the Police Force answers directly to the Governor of the Turks and Caicos while financed by the public purse and government allocations, it is part of national security, which falls within the remit of the UK-appointed governor.

It’s an arrangement that has caused friction between the members of the House of Assembly, Residents, Governors, and Police in the past.  Some residents feel there aren’t enough checks and balances in police operations.  The issue came to a head amid the 2022 crime wave, with public confidence in the Force at an all-time low and its operations shrouded in mystery Alvin Garland, Opposition Appointed Member, told the House this:

“Members in this House that are elected by the people to represent the interests of the people in a time like this, when you have a very crucial situation which needs to be addressed by this house— are restricted, this is far from a democracy.”

As for those appointed member posts in the House of Assembly, it’s something that the PDM is going after in the new constitution as well.

“We should do away with all appointed members to the House of Assembly, ” Astwood said firmly.

Astwood maintained that he had the full support of Garland, himself an appointed member, and said it’s time for all islands to have their elected representatives back which would either expand or maintain how many political members sit in parliament.

“That will make four seats available in four districts and we are recommending that we give Salt Cay and Middle Caicos back their electoral districts.”

Astwood stressed that even with their small size, they had cultural differences from their neighbouring islands and deserved better representation.  He also indicated that he would support splitting some large constituencies if the public indicated that was what they wanted.

If Astwood and the PDM get their way, the Royal TCI Police would have to answer to a government body, a 180 turn from the current legislation that the opposition says will lead to more accountability.  It will also mean that every member of the House would be elected, cancelling the posts of: Government Appointed Member, which is one seat; Opposition Appointed Member, which is one seat and Governor’s Appointed Members, which has an allocation of two seats in the legislature.

Also in attendance, were the Deputy Governor, the Hon. Deputy Premier, the Hon. Minister for Immigration and Border Services, the Hon. Attorney General, the Acting Commissioner of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF), the Permanent Secretary National Security Secretariat (NSS), the Deputy the Permanent Secretary NSS and the NSS Threats Lead.

Apologies were received from the Commissioner of the RTCIPF who was out of the jurisdiction at the time.

Members were briefed by the:

• The RTCIPF on the state of crime across all islands. The three recent fatal incidents in Providenciales are under active investigation and two persons are in custody. Strategic policing operations are in place with intensified patrols in high-risk areas (including greater use of drones); operational resources are being redirected to support the response including an increase in community policing. Across the other islands, there has been no increase in crime. Development of plans to consider the deployment of police resourcing to respective islands under active consideration.
• Briefings were provided on:
  • OPBAT
  • Border Security
  • Forthcoming visit of delegation from the US Customs and Border Patrol to strengthen coordination on irregular migration
• Discussed further required strategic analysis and wider threat assessments to support intelligence led strategic interventions and multi-agency response.

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, July 31, 2023 – The 16th Session of the Youth Parliament of the 45th Annual Conference of the Caribbean, The Americas, and the Atlantic Region, was held at The Shore Club, Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday July 26.

The Youth Parliament was comprised of young people from across the Caribbean. Mirroring the arrangement of the Turks and Caicos’ House of Assembly, they debated the motion “To urge Regional Leaders to engage the voices of Youth to build resilience in the face of Global Challenges.”

The Minister for Education who moved the motion made the point that: “Young people represent the largest generation in history yet are often left out of policy decisions despite their social activism and even though it is the youth who will bear the burden of the global challenges we currently face.”

The statement opened the floor for what would be a lively and spirited debate from both the Opposition and the Government.

Comments included:

A call for regulations to protect youth; from the Governors Appointed member (No. 2). “These regulations would ensure that the youth whose voices hold the power to create change and initiate progress do not simply become spokespersons for the Government, arbiters of their personal and political agendas,” he said.

A call for youth to be accepted into the House of Assembly; from the Government’s Appointed Member. “Some may think that the three-year gap between being able to elect (18 years) and being elected (21 years) is insignificant but I wish to posit that those three years, are sufficient to turn a young person’s mind from leadership in their own country and this needs to be rectified immediately,” he said.

A call to give youth more credit as they were already leading; from the Leader of the Opposition. “Countless youth are already leaders and innovators in the workplace, their diversity and strengths should be highlighted. Our youth have never been anything other than strong.” He stressed that youth were already well represented.

A call for current parliamentarians to create actionable opportunities for youth; from the Opposition Elected Member from Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill, who stressed that he would not disagree with the Government just because he was an Opposition member. “We have come to a point where we need to understand that it is a collective effort. If we can do this together, we will not have to worry about where the future will lead us.”

The one-day debate allowed the young people to connect to the overarching theme of the event (“Building A Resilient Region In The Face of Global Challenges”) and argue in the presence of the parliamentary leaders of the region as to why they should be included in efforts to tackle said issues.