Misick: Why I Resigned

Transcription

Turks & Caicos
free press
February 20, 2009 | www.tcfreepress.com
fp
volume 19, issue 4
insidepeek
fp EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Misick: Why
I Resigned
The Premier, The Hon. Dr. Michael E. Misick MP
Premier Hon. Dr. Michael Misick sat down with the fp's Editor-in-chief and
Publisher, Dr. Gilbert NMO Morris for an exclusive interview to tell the people
of the Turks and Caicos and the world his reason for offering his resignation.
Premier Misick was both earnest and candid about the facts leading up to his
decsion, his relationships with other Ministers and his future.
Mr. Misick agreed to speak to the fp, because he wanted the people of the
Turks and Caicos to understand his motivation for this decision. He also felt an
unbiased public forum was the best choice for this disclosure. The
fp has decided to print the interview in its orginal form, to allow
the readers to come to their own conclusions.
5 What
would Unity
Government
look like?
p 6
A Riot of Resignations:
Now What?
By Gilbert NMO Morris
The Turks and Caicos have gone through the most transformative political
change - without an election - in its history and it has happened in absolute calm,
under the rules of its newly inked constitution. That is the good and easy news.
A closer, constitutionally reflective, look at the situation reveals as many
permutations as the filigree of ‘cuts’ in the coral reef system that surrounds the
country. First, The Hon. (former Minister for Immigration) Galmo Williams MP,
resigned, at the same time announcing his intention to contest the PNP’s (governing party) Leadership Election on the 28th of February 2009. This
was followed by the resignation of The Hon. Floyd B. Hall, MP; The
Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance; which came at the bewitch-
p 4
The Police are putting
their best foot forward
The Police in Turks and Caicos are moving
in the right direction. There is an obvious increase in their presence on the streets. The
police, though it is their profession, are in constant need of our support. We must, without
hesitation, give them our most unwavering
support; as law and order is the first and enduring character of a civilization.
Dr. Gilbert NMO Morris
13 Business
Cargo Ship Causing
Environmental Hazard
An unfamiliar sight has taken up residence on the Grace Bay
horizon. A large cargo vessel has been stranded only a short distance
of the shores of Providenciales and is causing a great deal of concern
with the TCI government and residents.
The ship, M/S Dunlin Arrow, (callsign C6TZ5), carrying pulp from
San Juan, Puerto Rico is spilling its fuel in the pristine waters of Turks
and Caicos, off the world famous Grace Bay. The ship was en route
to Miami, but seemed to have sailed too near the reef system in the
vicinity of South Caicos.
It struck the reef hard enough to strike a hole in the hull, which began both to sink the ship and cause it to leak fuel into the surrounding
sea. Reports were that there was an attempt to sail out of our waters
without reporting the mishap. However, this could not be confirmed.
An emergency response team from the Government of the Turks
and Caicos, comprising several government departments and stakeholders is monitoring the situation closely and carrying out investigations to ascertain the true chronology of events that led to the vessel
being in our waters.
The vessel is registered to Gearbulk Shipowing LTD Bermuda, a
subsidiary of Gearbulk UK Ltd. The company, through its predecessor, was established by Mr Kristian Gerhard Jebsen and has been in
operation since 1968.
Gearbulk operates the world`s largest fleet of open
hatch gantry and semi-open jib craned vessels, purpose-
p 4
17 Lifestyle
2
Free Press | February 20, 2009
Local
PDM Calls for Ministers Resignations
Free Press Editorial Board
The opposition party for the
Turks and Caicos Islands, the
Peoples Democratic Movement,
held a Press Conference this past
Monday, February 16, coming
out strongly against the current government, calling for the
resignation of all current elected
PNP Ministers.
“We now call on all members of the Front Bench of the
Government, including Hons.
Williams and Hall to
resign as elected representatives of the people, as they have
clearly abused the trust of the
people and have
shown themselves unfit to
continue in that role.”
The PDM is addressing what
they call, “the fallout from the
commission of inquiry (sic) and
the recent developments in the
Leader of the Opposition Party,
Hon E. Floyd Seymour
government.” They believe the
Commission of Inquiry was pre-
sented with substantial evidence
of criminal wrong doings on the
parts of many Ministers and are
asking for criminal investigations
/ prosecutions, for all that have
breached any law.
This comes on the heals of last
week’s PDM Town Hall meetings, which were held at the
Clement High School. With a
panel of party leaders, the PDM
gave speeches and took questions regarding the party's policies and platform.
Floyd Seymour, head of the
PDM, spoke intently about the
rising crime rate and what should
be done about these events.
Talking about the past, he gave
statistics about murder rates and
violent crimes, pointing out that
they were few and far between.
He stated that criminals in the
Turks and Caicos Islands have
become more daring and violent
in the past few years. An average
of six to eight violent crimes occur each day.
Seymour spoke about “gunwielding gangsters who are staging stick-ups in broad daylight.”
He blames the up-tick in violence on the Premier, calling on
him to stop spending irresponsibly. He sited the purchase of a
Lear jet for the leader's use. Mr.
Seymour stated that the money
should have been spent on
police and naval forces.
The panel also addressed
the corruption charges at the
Ministry of Tourism. The PDM
believes that not enough has been
done to stop the hemorrhaging of
jobs and tourism dollars since the
Western Hemisphere
Passport Initiative was invoked
and the global economic loss.
The panel stated that too much
has been spent on scandalous
advertising deals.
Education plans such as a
Head Start program for preschoolers and higher teacher
standards were also addressed.
The PDM's plan calls for teachers to be required to posses
bachelor's degrees for regular
school and PhDs for college level
education.
They also called for health
care reform, the building of more
hospitals and an establishment of
National Bank to help small businesses with capital investments to
help expand light manufacturing.
The PDM feels strongly that
there has been wrong doings
on the parts of the current PNP
members and they should step
down and take responsibility for
their actions.
Floyd Hall’s Options for PNP Leadership
“Regrettably
there is no clear
path forward”
Free Press Editorial Board
Floyd Hall’s decisions in the
next two weeks, will determine,
to a considerable degree, what
happens next in the PNP, in Parliament, in Cabinet and generally
in The Turks and Caicos islands.
Having resigned last week on
Friday the 13th 2009, Minister
Hall, the night before held a
town meeting in Grand Turk –
in his words – to face the people
of this country and have them
tell him what they feel about his
tenure, and to answer any questions they may have of him.
Minister Hall also met with
his staff at the Ministry of
Finance and expressed gratitude
for their work and their support
for him over the years.
However, larger questions
loom. Minister Hall said upon
his resignation on that ominous
date: my reasons for resigning
is the Premier was “lavish in his
abuse of me”, which according to
reports in The Turks and Caicos
Sun, occurred during a meeting
with The Hon. Wayne Garland.
“I was prepared”, said Hall, “to
hold on and to make what contributions I could in these challenging economic and political
times”. He added that: “Regrettably there is no clear path forward
as to when and by what means
the new session of Parliament
will commence”.
Hall described his pre-resignation circumstances as a “lame
duck situation”, in which investor confidence was being lost.
As the free press(fp) reported
last week, nearly $500 million
dollars left the banking system
in the last 6 months.
However, there seems to be
some PNP Members of Parliament who supported last fall’s
undertaking to vote with the
Opposition in a Vote of No-Confidence Motion, who are sticking
with Hall. If so, then this may
lessen the results of the upcoming PNP Leadership election.
Here is the issue: The Hon.
Galmo Williams said, specifically, that he wants and the
country needs a “breath of fresh
air”. Minister Hall, on the other
hand, intimated that he has done
nothing wrong, but that he “did
not fare as he had hoped” in
the Commission of Inquiry and
that the Commission was “being
invited to view his time in office
in a most negative light”.
These commentaries are going
in opposite directions. What this
means is that The Hon. Galmo
Williams and The Hon. Floyd
B. Hall will have to discuss their
options to prevent two potential
eventualities:
• A political stalemate
• A suspension of the constitution
This first can only be avoided,
if all the parties agree on a way
forward. This should occur
before the leadership elections.
Second, the Governor would
have to have the utmost confidence that a credible political solution is in place and an
economic agenda that leads to
stabilization.
There are a few further considerations: Whomever takes
office will not have much room
to maneuver. The current Ministerial mixed may not change as
much as some desire and others
expect. Additionally, while the
tendency will be toward caution, whomever takes office will
have to have nerves of steel and a
bold vision to move the country
through this period.
Third, Unity Government may
be the best way forward and the
most credible political solution.
Hall, Williams, Seymour and
The Premier will be important
to such a possibility. And more
leadership may be required there
than in the next 16 months over
which they govern.
Don’t wait for Friday!
Check out the news DAILY on our website.
www.tcfreepress.com
Built just
for you.
You told us you want the best products, first rate service and hassle
free, value-for-money communications. We don’t think that’s too
much to ask.
So we’ve created LIME, a different kind of communications company.
A company that’s leading the way in Landline, Internet, Mobile and
Entertainment. A company built around what you want.
Sometimes the world can revolve around you – it’s time for LIME.
www.time4lime.com
4
Local
Coming: A formal association of
developers planed in Turks and Caicos
The Free Press Editorial Board
In a recent interview with the Free Press
(fp) Mr. Michel Neutelings proposed the
notion of an association of developers in
the TCI. The idea, said Mr. Neutelings is to
establish an institution that represents the
leading and largest economic sector in the
Turks and Caicos.
He argued, Turks and Caicos is not a
start-up destination, but now a reasonably
matured jurisdiction and it was necessary
for development professionals to have a
mechanism to develop and advance BEST
Practices, to share development experience, to create cooperative links with the
government and inform the public.
According to Mr. Neutelings, the primary mandates will be very specific: To
further the TCI as an investment destination, enhance professional competence,
advance development as a profession
amongst Belongers, and contribute to
TCI’s well-being:
Professional development
Educational seminars
National economic development
International liaison
Responsible corporate citizenship in
Turks and Caicos
Explaining the objectives more broadly,
Mr. Neutelings said that the association
will be unique because development in
Turks and Caicos has been a unique experience. The business model of the Turks
and Caicos as a “high-end” jurisdiction is
an indication of that. The association will
keep a record of the economic impacts of
their members, work closely with public
and private institutions and will develop
a platform of education, so necessary to
maintain and improve the investment
climate in the country.
The Association will have a formal
structure and a significant number of
Developers in the country have already
committed to join. As such the organization is set to come into being by the end of
next month.
Cargo Ship
Causing
Environmental
Hazard
to carry forest
from built
products, nonmetals, steel
p1 ferrous
and other unitised
breakbulk cargoes.
The fp has been told that
repairs are currently underway
through specialized divers to restore the hull to a condition that
will allow the ship to return to its
original destination. The ship last
reported its position officially on
February 12, 2009 at 5pm.
A Riot of Resignations: Now What?
hour of mid-night.
from ingMinister
Hall’s resignation
triggered a flurry of activity
p1 resulting in a new Cabinet.
Significantly, it is necessary to have a
Premier plus 6 ministers to constitute a
Cabinet according to Article 27 (1-6) of
the Turks and Caicos Constitution. With 8
members of 13, having previously (December 2008) given an undertaking to the
Governor that they would support of Vote
of No-Confidence in The Premier, that
would leave The Premier two short of the
6 Ministers required by law. (Although,
intriguingly, nothing prevents him appointing members of the Opposition to
his cabinet).
As Cabinet stands now: The Premier
has assumed responsibility for Development and Finance; Lillian Boyce, Deputy
Premier and Minister of Home Affairs
and Public Safety; Jeffrey Hall, Minister of
Works, Transportation, Telecommunication and Aviation; McAllister Hanchell,
Minister of Tourism, Planning and Environment; Royal Robinson, Minister of
Health and Human Services; Carlton Mills,
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and
Culture; and Gregory Lightbourne, Minister of Natural Resources.
Yet, within less than a day, The Premier,
The Hon. Dr. Michael E. Misick, MP issued
a statement resigning both as PNP party
leader and as the first Constitutionally recognized Premier of the Turks and Caicos
Islands, effective March 31st 2009. Such has
been the impact of the underlying force of
these political changes, the Commission of
Inquiry; on which The Hon. Floyd B. Hall
elaborated during his resignation press
conference.
So what now?
Well, the issues before the
recent resignations were either:
p 5
Free Press | February 20, 2009 5
Local
What would Unity Government look like?
By Dr. Gilbert NMO Morris
Imagine this: a Cabinet in which serves not only the
members of the PNP, but also members of the PDM. Madness, isn’t it? But it may be the only credible solution to
the current political impasse. Citizens of this country will
have to decide what this means to them, since the fp does
not attempt to take the place of, nor offer guidance to the
electorate. What we hope to do is to explore the possibilities that are necessary to consider before such decisions are
made. Here is the meaning behind the very idea of Unity
Government:
First, it means the country is in such a state that it cannot afford the “call and response” arguments of a Governing and an Opposition Party.
Second, a danger, in the context of the recent Commission of Inquiry, is that the Opposition would or could use
the revelations of the Inquiry politically, thereby undermining the credibility of the government.
Third, it forces clarity of purpose on the machinery of
government, by pursuing an agreed agenda for a specific
period of time.
Fourth, in the current setting, it may (need I emphasize
“may”), convince the Governor that there is a political
platform through which, an economic solution can be
pursued.
There may be resistance on both sides of the political
divide. However, it is hard to see how meaningful such
resistance can be. In truth, the Opposition seems to have
Vote of No-Confidence;
Resignation of the Premier;
PNP Leadership Election or
Suspension of the Constitution.
As it stands now, all these issues are still
live in a manner of speaking. For instance,
now that The Premier has resigned, the
issue of the Vote of No-Confidence to
remove him may appear to be off the table.
But is it? Members of the Opposition are
saying that they are unsure of the resignation, since what they know is that The
Premier has made an announcement of
an intention to resign. They argue that the
Leader of the Opposition is not, nor is the
from
p4
disappeared during the Commission of Inquiry and offered little, if any direction to their supporters and the
country as to the meaning of what was revealed there. That
is very highly unusual in such a hotly legal, economic and
political context.
It may have been their strategy. The fp has no interest
in whether that strategy was good or bad, right or wrong.
What we say is this, it did not result in increased political
capital.
As such, the reason for Unity Government in this
context would not be because the Opposition gained so
much political capital that their participation couldn’t be
avoided. Rather, in this case, it would depend on the leadership capacity of both the new leader of the PNP and the
leader of the PDM. On the PNP side, he or she would say
to him or herself: ‘the result of the Commission of Inquiry
is that my party cannot govern without the spectre of the
Inquiry being raised”. The leader of the PDM would say:
‘my party can muddy the government, by raising the spectre of the Commission of Inquiry, without actually gaining
political capital and without moving the country further or
demonstrating our capacity to govern”.
If they can both be honest in this context, you would
have the basis for Unity Government. If either side is
delusional, that is, drunk on party rhetoric or too selfrighteous for deal-making, they will both loose, and the
country will lose more.
This understanding above does not get you to Unity
Governor (so far as they know) in receipt of
any Lettre confirming the fact.
The second, issue turns on the assumption that the Premier has in fact resigned.
In that case, a Vote of No-Confidence can
still be tabled, but if the PNP members in
parliament take The Premier at his work
and are assured of his leaving on a date
certain, they may vote against the No-Confidence Motion.
Third, accepting the resignation as
announced, then the issue is who will be
Premier? Minister Hall still seems to enjoy
support amongst some of the dissident 8,
who intend to support the No-Confidence
vote. It is doubtless that Minister Williams
Government as yet. There is another important step.
Assuming the PNP chooses a leader, they must then
convene a policy conference. They must decide what they
hope to achieve in the next 18 months, until elections.
(See: Articles 54, 55, and 56 of The Turks and Caicos Constitution on General Elections).
The PDM should also, convene such a conference at the
same time. The parties should have a senior liaison who
not only moves between policy conferences to establish a
“baseline agreement” on policy options for Unity Government, that person should also advise on the potential for
agreement and the possibility of fallout over certain policy
initiatives.
For instance, who in the Opposition would serve in the
Unity Government? Generally, the Leader does not serve.
Additionally, will Opposition members serve as Ministers,
Junior Ministers or as Parliamentary Secretaries?
It all depends on the policies to be pursued over the
period of Unity Government. For instance, the Opposition
could be given a single, but very significant policy area,
such as policies aimed at cultivating transparency in government. Such polices may or may not require legislation.
In any case, the benefits of Unity Government in the short
term are many:
It demonstrates a willingness to put country above
party; it sends a message to the electorate that their leaders
are serious about reforms; and it says to the world, we are
capable of solving our problems responsibly and elegantly.
will not get a groundswell of support as
well.
So assuming the reader accepts The Premier’s resignation, I would say it’s between
The Hon. Galmo Williams and The Hon.
Floyd B. Hall. (Although, if The Hon. Hall
wins, there is the difficulty that he may
still come in for criticism in the Mr. Justice
Auld’s Interim and Final Reports).
Now this brings into focus another difficulty: looming over any idea concerning
the PNP party leadership is the spectre of
suspension of the constitution. The fp opposes this measure for many reasons, but
principally for the reason that the Turks
and Caicos must at some point develop
the capacity to deal with problems on its
own, with its own people administrating
their way out of danger and into sustainable
prosperity.
What is significant is that whomever
comes to power, the fp believes that this is
a good time to pull the country together
through a “unity government”. In order
to prevent sclerosis and stagnation, an
agenda for the next 15 months should be
agreed beforehand. The objective should be
not only the immediate passing of laws to
secure transparent, responsive government
and economic stabilization, but also, the
passing of legislation to diversify the Turks
and Caicos economy should be a priority.
6
Local
fp EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Misick: Why I Resigned
Misick being
interviewed by
Morris from fp.
Premier Misick: First, I would like to
from thank
the people of the Turks and Caicos
general, people of North Caicos, Bottle
p1 inCreek
in particular for giving me the aweDr. Morris: Why did you resign?
some opportunity that I have had as 6 years as Premier
and close to 15 -16 years in Parliament. It has been an
experience and a journey I will cherish for the rest of my
life.
I love the Turks and Caicos with all my heart. What we
have been able to accomplish here in the short 6 years has
been nothing more than a modern day miracle.
The in-fighting in the party that started in Dec. in relation to the revolt by Back Benchers was the beginning of
the reason why I have decided to tender my resignation as
leader of my party and ultimately as Premier.
From December to now, I have tried to mend the
differences between my colleagues. I have tried to show
them that we have had great success over the last 6 years.
Mistakes have been made, no question about it; we have
all made mistakes, but when you look at the facts, the fact
is: the good we have done far out weighs any mistakes we
have made.
These are tough and challenging times. These times call
“It was a selfless
decision.”
for tough and serious leadership. So it is easy for people
to turn on you when the times are tough and blame the
leader.
And so I tried to patch the differences. I tried to show
the Back Benchers and our two Ministers that challenged
my leadership back in December. I was successful to a
certain extent, but there seemed to continue to be this
discontent brewing. Then we had a situation where the
Hon. Boyce came back [into cabinet]. I had come to an
agreement with her and Hon. Floyd Hall, who was then
Deputy Premier that we would move forward. Then you
in the interest of party, in the interest of moving forward,
that was the deciding factor in why I decided come the
31st of March, I will resign as Premier and allow a new
“I did not want to hold
on to Leadership
at all costs”
had a situation where the Hon. Galmo Williams was
influenced or not so that he resigned. After that the Hon.
Floyd Hall then resigned.
Again, I was able to put the pieces back together. And
have a working majority with the govt. cont.
And so, while I could have continued with the team
that I put in place, I arrived at the decision, that if there
would continue to be this jockeying for power from the
backbench and from persons who were disgruntled, and
particularly during this period, what the country needs
and the party needs is certainty and stability.
When you look at the members who initially tried to
move the Vote of No-Confidence, although some of them
came back into the cabinet, it appeared to me that the
majority of members at one time or another questioned
whether they wanted to support my leadership going forward. So I thought it was the decent thing to do to offer
my resignation, give the party an opportunity to choose
someone that everyone can rally behind.
It was a selfless decision. I am 43; I still have a lot of life
left in me. I still have a lot of ambition left in me and for
me and for my country, but in no way will I ever stand in
the way of the progress and stability of the Turks and Caicos islands. If I have to take a step back; if I have to take
one for the team; if I have to make the personal sacrifice
of stepping aside, and I did, in the interest of country and
Premier to be sworn in. I will remain in Parliament, I will
continue to serve my constituents of North Caicos East
and I will continue to serve my country.
But at this time the country needs a unified government. All of the trying I have done it seems as if I was
unable at this stage to do it and I did not want to hold
on to Leadership at all costs. My mission is to serve, my
position has always been that when it appeared to me
that the majority of voters no longer wanted me to serve
then I would move aside. I do not believe the majority of
the voters do not want me to serve. I still think I have the
majority of support in the public, and in the country, but
suddenly the majority of elected members, who represent
voters at this time wanted me to step aside, therefore I
think I have done the honorable thing in doing so.
Dr. Morris: Any idea what you are going to do in this
period besides representing your constituents after the
31st of March?
Premier Misick: As I said, I am 43, I still have a lot of
energy left in me, obviously my party is still the governing
party. There are a lot of ideas I have that the new Premier
in his cabinet, I will continue to give them ideas I have, if
they want to take it on board they are free to.
Also I will take time to concentrate on my family and
myself. Also to explore other business interests, that I had
either started before I was in office, or ideas
I now have. But lets be clear, I will continue
to play a part in the growth and development
p 7
Local
the Turks and Caicos. This is my home
from ofand
I have no intensions of going anywhere
else. I have all intentions to continue to
to the growth and progress of my
p6 contribute
country.
Dr. Morris: What advice would you give your successor as to the two (2) or three (3) main initiatives or policy
objectives that must be considered or undertaken in the
15-16 months until the next elections?
Premier Misick: These are tough times. It is going to
require some very, very tough decision. One of the things
that will happen between now and the end of March,
where to some extent I will be helping my successor, we
are in the middle of budget preparations, some tough
decisions have to be made, a lot of those decisions will be
made prior to the new Premier taking office, so to some
extent I will be making those tough decisions for him or
her, they can blame me for it, but for us to continue to
be viable, we have to make some deep cuts in terms of
expenditure. The revenue in this recession will be a lot
less than we projected last year. It is going to take a lot of
political will to make the cuts that are necessary and also
the most important is managing the economy to ensure
that stability.
The second thing is inward investment. The approach
in recent months that the Governor’s office has taken
toward inward investment is troubling. The investment
climate is so competitive. Not only are we competing with
Barbados, Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, we are competing with Bora Bora, Bali and other
places, Dubai.
The red tape which we now see there is a movement
towards imposing on ourselves, I am afraid if that trend
continues, it will kill our economy. You have to have a
country that is growing, you have to have a country that is
receptive to new ideas in relation to development.
“This is my home and I
have no intensions of
going anywhere else. “
Dr. Morris: So you are saying there has to be a balance
between investment and regulation or environment?
Premier Misick: There has to be a balance. I am all
for protecting the environment. But there has to be a
balance between environmental protection and development to provide economic growth for our citizens and
for our country. This suspicion that any developer who
comes in with huge money is buying the county is an
attitude, something that we have to deal with. Once you
have done your due diligence and you check people out,
you have to allow them in a quick and orderly fashion
to develop and not put all these restrictions and stum-
registry, so on and so forth.
If the govt. does not act quickly or is not allowed to
act quickly, they will go to other places; they will go to
Panama, other places or Barbados for instance. As you
can see, the independent countries are already surpassing the overseas territories in relation to investment and
financial services, because of the bureaucracy that has
been put in place.
To read more of this in-depth interview with Premier
Misick, visit our website at www.tcfreepress.com .
bling blocks in their way. We have no oil; our growth is a
natural growth in tourism and financial services and the
other areas in which we can grow whether it is luxury
8
Regional
Unrest Growing in French Caribbean
By Christa Reckhorn
When most people think of the Caribbean, they think of large, white-sand
beaches, pure, deep blue water, and possibly movies about highly fictionalized
pirates. They rarely think of general unrest
and thousands of poor, underfed persons
protesting in the streets and threatening
tourists. And yet,
this sort of social
unrest, which
is threatening
to expand into
a civil disaster,
is occuring on
a massive scale
on the islands of
Guadeloupe and
Martinique.
The islands of
Guadeloupe and
Martinique are
French territories
and have been
ever since the age
of sail. Generally forgotten and
ignored by the
rest of the world,
they are considered vestiges of
the once mighty
French empire, and are considered little
more than nice vacation spots which have
the safety and security of the Euro and the
French government. However, ever since
the islands shifted their currency to the
Euro, there have been problems regarding
pay and the cost of living. The fluctuating
value of the Euro, and subsequent increase
in prices, has vastly outpaced increases in
pay among the islanders.
This has led to a long string of protests
and riots, many of which are becoming less
and less peaceful. The islanders are upset
with their low pay and the ever increasing
cost of living, and are making their voice
heard in every way necessary. While many
local leaders emplore peaceful protest,
Ever since
the islands
shifted their
currency
to the
Euro, there
have been
problems
regarding
pay and
the cost
of living.
recent riots and acts of vandalism have
caused the French government to deploy
riot police directly from the mainland, and
such police are now tasked with keeping
the peace on increasingly unsafe streets.
Thus far, one person has been killed as a
result of the riots, although many are concerned that such peace will be short lived.
Islanders are demanding what equates
to a $580/month increase in pay for
minimum wage workers in order to keep
up with the increasing cost of food and
gasoline. They are also demanding that
water and other utilities have their prices
reduced so as to make them more affordable. The islands of Guadeloupe and
Martinique are renowned for their high
cost of living, and many protest groups
feel that increasing the minimum wage is
essential to prevent starvation. What with
many islanders being reduced to stealing
gasoline and many grocery stores shuttering their doors due to worker's strikes,
their needs for increased pay appear more
and more apparent.
Despite this, the president of France,
Nicholas Sarkozy has not called for
increases in pay. He does not appear to
be deaf to their pleas, though, as he has
stated that the islanders "have the sentiment that they are not always heard. We
should continue to fight, every day, so that
the country makes a larger place for those
who represent the diversity of France." He
has also stated that the natives of Guadeloupe and Martinique are French citizens
and should be treated as such, and has
emplored the governors of the islands and
their counterparts in France to find a solution to the problem. What sort of solution
he feels is most appropriate has been left in
doubt, however.
U.S. Provide Quick Relief for Caribbean
Tourists with Credit Card-Sized Passports
By Thomas A. Williams
The U.S. Government is issuing credit-card sized
passports for U.S. citizens for travel by land or sea
to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
Created by the U.S. State Department, these new
passport cards are in anticipation of an upcoming
rush of passport orders as the June 1, 2009 deadline
approaches when all U.S. travelers must present
passports for travel to these countries. Regular full
passports are still required for air travel.
The new passport cards cost only $45 for an
adult applicant, as opposed to $100 for a regular
passport. The cost of the card is only $20 for an
adult who already has a regular passport. A passport card for children under the age of 16 is $35.
A radio frequency identification chip imbedded
in the passport card transmits a signal when near
Customs and Border Protection equipment, which
links to photographs and other identifying infor-
mation stored in secure government computers. No
personal information is stored on the chip itself.
Approximately 850,000 passport cards have
been issued nationally; Brenda Sprague, the
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services predicts that lines at border
checkpoints may be shorter, as inspectors
can process the new passport cards
more quickly than the birth certificates and similar documentation
currently used.
The U.S. State Department issued 18.4 million passports in 2007
and 16.2 million passports in 2008,
of which 523,706 were the new passport
cards. Despite the approaching June 1
deadline, Sprague said that the State Department expects to issue only 12 million
passports in 2009.
Tourism Courtesy Corps to Combat Tourist Harassment
In an effort to stamp out visitor
harassment, Jamaica’s Ministry
of Tourism launched the Tourism Courtesy Corps (TCC). The
TCC is a group of 120 uniformed
members that will work in resort
areas alongside security forces to
help ensure the safety and comfort
of visitors.
According to the Minister, the
industry has grown over the years,
with unprecedented levels of
investment in hotel construction
and the development of attractions, which have brought record
numbers of visitors to the island.
With the successes, he said, "we
have also attracted to the industry,
some downsides... such as harassment, which, if not managed carefully on a daily basis, can capsize
the entire industry".
"While I am prepared to work
with the cultural issues, there is
one thing that this Minister can
never work with you on and that
is the issue of passing on contraband and illegal substances to the
visitors and Jamaicans alike in
the resort areas. I have to seek to
eradicate the illegalities," Minister
Bartlett stated, as he addressed
the installation ceremony for the
Tourism Courtesy Corps held
recently at the Old Hospital Site in
Montego Bay.
The training program included
lectures on Jamaica’s geography,
history and culture; visitor relationships; and anger management.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett
described the TCC as a “softer,
more acceptable, more congenial,
more friendly and more hospitable
approach to safety and security.”
He urged the courtesy corps to
carry out their duties diligently,
noting that they have the full support of the various stakeholders in
the industry and the police force.
TCC personnel already are
based in Montego Bay. Other TCC
members will be deployed in Negril, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio and
Kingston. They have the authority
to detain but not arrest.
Regional
Using the
Caribbean Wind
to Create Power
W
ind is in abundance in the Caribbean, oil not
so much. The Caribbean Island Bonaire in
the Netherlands Antilles has decided to use
this natural energy source to power their
island. They are currently in the process of
becoming one of the first sustainable locations in the word.
The island decided to implement a process that will enable
them to be completely run off of renewable energy sources.
By the end of this year, Bonaire’s main source of energy for
the island will be powered by a wind bio-diesel system.
In 2007 a wind turbine was installed on the island to
track wind patterns and to start producing the wind energy
that would soon power the whole of Bonaire. Bonaire plans
to install 12 additional wind turbines whose collective energy can be used to power the entire island. There will also
be 5 bio-diesel generators.
Currently the power plant
runs off of oil, but within
2-3 years Bonaire hopes
that bio-fuel will be the
only fuel in use for power.
The wind turbines will
provide a way to harness
the energy present in the
wind. They will then send
the energy to the biodiesel plants to convert the
wind energy into electricity that can be used as
a power supply all over
the city. The island is also
equipped with a 3 megawatt battery that backs
up the entire system.The
whole sustainable project
will be in full operation by
the end of 2009.
Ecopower, Bonaire BV,
Evelop, Bonaire Water
and Energy Company, and Enercon have all collaborated
together in the process of making the island of Bonaire the
first location to offer a 100% sustainable energy supply. Bonaire decided to begin this project because of the growing
environmental concerns, and the benefits that implementing such a system would provide the island. Not only will
the environment be better for it, but the cost of running the
system is less than their current system.
The cost of the entire Bonaire renewable energy project
is currently at an estimated 35 million Euros(44.5 million Dollars). It is unclear whether or not the project will
remain in budget because the project is still undergoing
construction. The end of 2009 will see the final cost of the
project. However, the estimated cost of running the energy
sources after they have been completed is less than that of
Bonaire’s current fossil fuel system.
There were many reasons why the island of Bonaire
chose to implement this system. Tourism is a large part of
their economy, and eco-friendly vacations are becoming
very popular to tourists. Bonaire also had concerns for
their own environment and the effect that fossil fuels were
having on their local flora and fauna. The expense of the
new system is also more energy and cost efficient than any
fossil fuel system.
The cost of the
entire Bonaire
renewable
energy project
is currently
estimated at
44.5 million
Dollars and
took only
2 years to
implement.
China Grants Jamaica $118 Million Loan
C
hina has granted $118
millions in loans to
Jamaica to boost trade,
farming and growth,
Jamaican Prime Minister
Bruce Golding and Chinese Vice
President Xi Jinping announced on
his first visit to the Caribbean island
this week.
The loans are granted at a time
when Jamaica is facing serious difficulties due to a drop in the price of
aluminum, its main staple. A decline
in tourism incomes are also expected
due to the global economic downturn.
China's Vice-president Xi Jinping
says US$100 million in credit will
help finance the island's trade, much
of which is with China, while US$1.1
million will help Jamaican farmers
buy equipment.
Mr Xi says US$10 million more in
low-cost loans will be administered
by both countries' respective development banks.
During his four-day official visit to
Jamaica, Xi recalled China has begun
a new phase in its diplomatic strategy for the Caribbean. Both countries
established relations in 1972.
10
Editorial
We must lease, rent, buy more
airlift to Turks and Caicos
T
o be blunt (and alliterative), we need butts in
seats and bodies in beds. That is how we make
our money. It would be true to say that we
should hatch plans to apply that money more
efficiently; that we should not merely use such
funds to cover existing bills or emoluments; or that we
should apply the new monies to diversification of our
economy. Agreed. Whatever your particular political/
economic preference,
philosophy or prejudice, we are in need
of bodies in beds.
Period.
Before we make the
case, we must get a
grip on the situation
we face, and we must
be vigilant in our belief that we are ready
to convince those
visiting us that their,
now limited, holiday
dollars spent with us
will be worth it.
As to the situation:
the airline industry
was very hard hit
in 2008. Passenger
and cargo volumes declined, precipitously and significantly. Passenger traffic itself fell nearly 5% compared to
the same time in 2007. Now that may seem small, but
in a competitive destinations industry, such declines are
significant.
Oil prices devastated the industry in the first two
quarters of 2008. Whilst they have come down, many
airline companies were forced to buy fuel at a premium.
(Remember oil prices hit $146.00 per barrel). The rule of
thumb is that every $10 dollar increase, amounts to $500
million dollars of increased costs for the airline industry.
In 2009, it is easy for revenues from passenger seat sales to
fall well below $500 billion across the industry.
So let’s see if we have got this right: demand is falling,
costs are rising and this, in the midst of a stomach turning
global economic squeeze, that has seen Americans (80%
of our tourists) are losing their homes and jobs in record
numbers. In the specific case of Turks and Caicos, whilst
we have a lovely product (in terms of condo/hotels and 15
of the finest restaurants - from Coyaba to Smokies - in the
Caribbean region), our rack rates or hotel price points are
one of the highest in the world.
Whilst one may bump into Bruce Willis or dozens
other A-List Celebrities, heads of great corporations (in-
The rule of
thumb is that
every $10
dollar increase,
amounts to $500
million dollars
of increased
costs for the
airline industry.
cluding the former Vice President of Chrysler), a Rockefeller or two, and not to mention a host of colourful local
personalities, including our world renowned national
beauty queens (added to which are hundreds of Bahamian, Jamaican, Dominican, Haitian and Filipino beauties),
still, we must now act to make our country a more attractive destination for energized visitors who dare to travel
in these economically perilous times.
Our first line of business may appear to be negotiating
a deal for new airlines to attend to Turks and Caicos. It is
not. Our first line of business must be that our attitudes
reflect the beauty God (no offence to Christopher Hitchens) has given us here.
That done then we are ready.
The are two things which should give us reason to
believe we can increase airlift to Turks and Caicos:
Sheer determination to come through this period well
The airlines are cancelled routes and mothballed planes
during last year’s cost cutting exercises.
Having spoken to determination already, let’s get to
business. Here is what we must do as a country:
The Condo/Hotel industry and government must come
together with the intention of make travel to Turks and
Caicos as close to free as is possible.
This means “wet leasing” (lease with pilots, stewardesses etc. all included), general leasing, partnerships, by
whatever means, subsidize airline seats from the US to
Turks and Caicos.
Resorts will have to decide how they can hold their
costs in such a way that they can keep room rates manageable.
Every Events Manager and every local band and
entertainer must gear up to provide the most memorable
performances.
Service levels at resorts must be at their best.
This must be an all-hands-on-deck strategy. And the
entire nation must be engaged in order that this strategy
should succeed. It will not be enough to entice tourists
here for just this visit. Rather, we should have as an aim,
to convince them that in better times, Turks and Caicos
and the Caribbean in general should be their destination
of choice.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I am so frustrated with the current
political situation. I am beginning to
think we need someone to print a score
card to help us keep track of who is
still in the government. What is with
all these politicians changing positions
almost daily. I just do not know who to
follow or who to believe anymore. One
day I think the PNP has lost their minds
and the next day the PDM does something crazy and I do not know who to
follow anymore.
Someone needs to step up and say
what the real deal is. I thought this
commission was supposed to help us to
understand who was right and who was
wrong. They brought all this stuff out and
then said we are all bad and now they are
gone. In the past months we have heard
so many things and now we just do not
know what to believe anymore.
I know people say this has happened
before and that is happens all over, but is
that really an excuse for what is going on
here. I just want someone to step up, take
responsibility for themselves, say what
they did, say why and either go forward
or get out of the way.
Can someone please explain to me
what on earth is going on here.
Confused in Provo
Thank You for The Cyan Carpet
Dear Editor,
I just wanted to tell you how much I
enjoyed "The Cyan Carpet'!!!!!! I am sitting
here in tears because back in 89' on my first
trip to TCI this was all possible. It still is.
Congratulations to Mr. Morris for describing the future!! Sue and Jagan Malcolm,
Green Flash Cafe and Green Flash Whale
Tours on
Salt Cay www.saltcay.org
The Editor Responds
Editor’s Response: TCI Magic
By: Editor-in-Chief
Last week in the Free Press (fp), a lettre writer raised
the issue of custom’s duties and wrote generally that he
or she them unfair and adding the issue of government’s
difficulty in paying salaries.
These are two separate issues and one does not necessarily lead to the other. However, the writer’s gist (if one
may speak that way) is or seems to be, if the government
collects so much money, why the difficulty in meeting its
commitments?
It will be necessary to treat this question very specifically; first by looking at custom’s duties themselves, then
examining the underlying issue raised by the writer’s
question. Custom’s duties are the most unimaginative
and probably unfair means of taxation in countries, both
large and small. (In my capacity as an Economist), I have
advised governments against this method of raising revenues. I cannot go into alternative methods in this space
or at this point. However, there are several important
considerations in respect of custom’s duties:
• Government’s like custom’s duties because it is a direct
form of revenue
• Collectability is easy and mostly accurate
• Taxation methods which are preferred by government’s
are almost as much despised by those who must pay
- business, in particular and taxpayers in general – as
they are preferred by governments.
• There are good reasons for opposing custom’s duties
as a form of revenue raising for government however.
Some are as follows:
• As a system it is labour intensive and so less efficient
than may first appear
• It is regressive, so that poor people and rich people pay
the same percentages the duties; with the poor paying a
higher percentage of their actual income.
• The directness which governments love, mean that
governments get their share of your money without
doing anything to get it, and without a direct incentive
to do anything.
Altogether, the income the government derives from
duties is actually very dependent. It is not a primary
source of revenues to governments. That is, although few
governments behave as if they are aware of it, duties come
into play, once the government creates a stable, predictable environment, where incomes to individuals and
profits for businesses can rise.
As to last week’s writer’s question about government
employee salaries, this would only be an issue if the
income from duties on cars rose to a level to offset the
cost of remunerating government employees. Salaries are
a fixed cost. Duties are dependent and variable. Whilst I
agree with the writer that our duty rates are high, I cannot
agree that it is relevant to the question of staff pay. They
are not correlated in that way.
Letter to the Editor
Save Our Reputation
Dear fp Editor,
This week, the beaches of
Grace Bay were full of happy
peoples from all parts of the
world, most likely unaware of the
events that have taken place at
the Regent Palms, or more so the
case, unaffected by the admitted imprudence of members of
the present government. They
are enjoying what they came
here for… white sandy beaches,
turquoise waters, and a staff of
resort amenities to keep them
enveloped in their quest for the
perfect vacation. But as we watch
the implausible events of our
fellow Caribbean Islanders on
Guadeloupe and Martinique, I
start to become nervous and upset to think that something such
as this, could actually happen on
our beautiful island full of happy
tourists, busy hoteliers and shop
owners and all the locals and
expats who keep them running.
If our government doesn’t do
something to keep a balance of
good living, along with reasonable pricing, we could be facing
the same dangerous situation
and then what would happen to
our most valuable asset … our
reputation as a safe and beautiful
tourist destination.
Although our economy has not
been affected by the change of
currency as it was in Guadeloupe
and Martinique, we still have the
problem of an unbalance of what
could be a reasonable cost of living and the high price of suitable
housing for the working people
of the island. (Or should I say
lack of suitable housing)!Seeing
what is happening in Guadeloupe
and Martinique, makes one shutter to think of the possible chaos
that could endanger us here
because of "one last straw" perhaps?? … but could be averted,
if the government is proactive
NOW, instead of being reactive
when it is too late!
Concerned
A fresh approach from Cable & Wireless
Be the First...
With the new BlackBerry® Curve 8900™ smartphone.
Fall in love with this sleek new twist on a classic style.
Large sized 480x360-pixel screen
3.2 megapixel camera
Sophisticated media player
Expandable memory
Sign up today &
get 1st month’s
service FREE
www.time4lime.com
Cable & Wireless mobile terms and conditions apply. Offer runs
February 02-28, 2009. Offer does not apply to BlackBerry Lite
plans. BlackBerry®, RIM®, Research In Motion®, SureType®,
SurePress™ and related trademarks, names and logos are the
property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/
or used in the U.S. and countries around the world.
fp
Development the
“Heart of the TCI”
Will Offshore
Financial Services
Be Criminalized
CARICOM Going
Off Track
BUSINESS
7
Business
Development is the “Heart of the Economy”
I
The Free Press Editorial Board
nvestment, the buzz we hear flying
around the Turks and Caicos like
a bumblebee searching for pollen.
Economic impacts of investment, political impacts of investment, we have
heard much of these terms in the past
weeks. When one looks down the beaches
of Grace Bay, the physical impact of the
developments that have been realized over
the past few years is clear, but what does
all the rest mean.
This week, Mr. Michel Neutelings –
Head of Development for several premium developments and resorts over the
last years – sat down with the Free Press
(fp) to give a perspective of the impact
of developments on the local Turks and
Caicos economy and what it means for
the average TC Islander. Mr. Neutelings
was interviewed because of his extensive
experience in the Caribbean.
Mr. Neutelings discussed a wide range
of issues concerning the role of development and developers for the Turks and
Caicos economy.
Development is the “Heart of the
Economy”, he said. “If your remove the
heart, everyone bleeds“.
Jobs
Some obvious benefits the developments offer to the community at large are
employment. Sandals, Beaches Resorts
employs 1,135 team members alone, making them the biggest private employer
in the TCI. However, not only the direct
resort jobs count as a benefit from these
developments. 4 of every 5 non-resort
jobs are connected to the presence of a
resort or the development of one through
their substantial network of local subcontractors ranging from transportation
and logistics all the way to the financial
services sector.
Financial Benefits
One might be surprised to hear that a
larger resort or development on Providenciales currently generates about $3-4
million dollars a year for the Turks and
Caicos government alone in direct and
indirect fees, like purchase of crown land,
A larger resort or
development on
Providenciales currently
generates about
$3-4 million dollars a
year for the Turks and
Caicos government.
stamp duty, fees for permits and licenses
or import duties on construction and other materials. Turks and Caicos Islanders
benefit directly because the government
income allows for the investment in the
infrastructure, the schooling and educational system, scholarships for studying
abroad, health services and much more.
Bringing Tourists
Additionally, developers are investing
millions of Dollars every year in advertising and PR to promote the Turks and
Caicos making it a desired destination for
tourist from all over the world. They are
currently developing “soft” or integrated
services that will see them making deals
with airlines, private jet companies, or
hospitality companies that can extend the
product lines in Turks and Caicos. Mr.
Neutelings said: “The extension of the
airport runway allowing for direct transAtlantic flights and the completion of
the new hospitals are vital for the future
growth and the success of developments.”
But, Mr. Neutelings also emphasized
that the developers are subject to a large
financial risk when investing in new
resort projects. In most cases, profits are
only achieved with the last 20% of the
sales process. Hotel operations may not
see profits for the first five years of operation. Especially in current economically
challenging times this makes the developer’s position extremely difficult, which
results in the need for streamlined cost
structures.
It is all the more important to use this
period to develop training programmes
so that persons who may have lost jobs,
can at least retool in preparation for the
next phase of growth of Turks and Caicos
islands. Asked about how he sees the role
of those in his profession generally, and
specifically in this downturn, Mr. Neutelings replied: “We have to get involved. We
want to be able to engage the government
and the public and let them benefit from
our experiences”. He said further that he
wants other potential investors to learn
from the existing experience pool to
increase the understanding of investment
value in the Turks and Caicos.
Ultimately, everybody will benefit from
development: Turks and Caicos Islanders,
developers and tourists with a willingness
to invest in our beautiful country.
Mr. Neutelings is currently Vice President at Dellis Cay, a luxurious private
island development only 20 minutes from
Providenciales, which broke ground in
June 2008 and is slated for completion
mid 2010. Having worked in St. Barths,
Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas,
he has been at the forefront of nearly
every major high-end development in the
‘toniest’ destinations in our region. Within
Turks and Caicos alone, he was responsible for the super exclusive Parrot Cay and
the “Carib-Asian” conceptual and design
masterpiece: The Amanyara.
16
Business
Will Offshore Financial Services Be Criminalized
By West Indies Research Cooperation
There are those times and things about
which, increasingly, it is impossible to
speak honestly; or impossible to speak in
such a way that you can be heard, and a
discussion between reasonable people will
ensue. Tax competition is one of those
things. Suggest that large governments are
using “unfair tax competition” charges to
force small nations out of the business, to
gain market share; or suggest that evidence
and facts show that that the actions of G20
members (OECD members really) are
unlawful, and one is immediately treated
– as in the Bush administration – of giving
comfort to criminals.
In Europe as in America, the social
safety net is becoming overburdened. It
does not help in the American case that its
two political parties are having a sophomoric argument about what constitute
legitimate government participation or
provision of such services. We cannot hope
to describe these services adequately here,
nor can we discuss fully, the philosophical
implications of notions of health, welfare and retirement assistance. The G20,
essentially the 20 wealthiest nations on
earth will convene in London during the
month of April 2009 to talk ‘shop’ about the
real problem: That is nearly 17%, in some
cases 32% and in some case over 35% of
the G20 populations (in the case of the US
its 77 million or 27% of the population)
are retiring in the next decade. This will
lead to a severe decline in tax revenues,
whilst increasing charges against government services (particularly healthcare),
and whilst these nations cannot agree on
any policy option internally or between
themselves, they agree on one thing though
it is utterly erroneous, probably illegal and
is clearly a violation of free trade and likely
to disfigure the global financial system:
They are going to focus their opprobrium
on small, international financial centres,
which are used by their own commercial
institutions. They will demand that there
jurisdictions cease to do what they themselves do through tax competition. They
will demand that small nations ignore their
laws, even their constitutions, so long as it
serves what appears to them a strategy, any
strategy that leaves them feeling they have
done something about the social safety net
problem which they refuse to address in
The Caribbean represents 15% of global crossborder asset management. Yet, it has had 80%
of the regulatory changes in recent years.
any meaningful way. They will look at you
with a straight face, and claim even in the
current economic environment that it is the
International Financial Centres that are a
threat to the global financial system.
Using their leverage, in international
institutions, the OECD member nations are
using the United Nations and other bodies
to enforce their will. Do we support countries that encourage the citizens of other
nations, to break their home country’s tax
laws. No. We have always considered tax
arbitrage as a bottom-feeding business.
However, we reject the notion that one can
do more than use the protocols of international law to secure equilibrium in the
application of legal rules.
Let us state the matter bluntly. If a tax
is owed in country “A” by its citizen “X”
living in country “B”, then country “B”, in
our view has no duty to ensure that “X”
pays taxes to “A”. This is particularly true
if in country “B”, there are no taxes. If
country “A” uses threats or forces country
“B” to accede to its dictates because “A” is
large, has more resources at its disposal and
can impose it will without “B” having any
recourse – whilst we understand Realpolitick – we warn this will lead to troubling
consequences in a world that is increasingly interdependent.
We also argue that in a world in which
power is increasingly technological, a time
will come when technology platforms will
mean more than weapons systems. As
such, it is necessary that dealings between
nations, large and small, reflect a mutual
respect, each for the other’s laws and right
to pursue economic strategies according to
its competitive and comparative advantages.
One area where the legal carelessness
is pronounced is in the tax evasion/tax
avoidance divide. The OECD’s constitution
distinguishes clearly between these two
forms of tax characterization. Evasion is
against the law in every country with a tax
system, but cannot be against the law in a
country with no tax system, even though,
the OECD is demanding precisely that;
that countries with no tax systems make
tax evasion illegal. An act, which anyone
committed to the rule of law will find repugnant. This suborning of legal nonsense
also undermines the message of the West
for the last 50 years concerning the rule of
law and in countries outside the G20 (and
so the OECD), governments take their
cue that they can make lawful or outlaw
anything at their whim and caprice.
Think of it this way: The Caribbean
represents 15% of global cross-border asset
management. Yet, it has had 80% of the
regulatory changes in recent years. This
is so, even though every major banking
scandal of the last 50 years, that threatened
the global financial system, occurred in an
OECD or G20 nation.
When the OCED enterprise failed
in America, and the then Secretary of
State for Treasury, The Hon. Paul O’Neill
rejected the OECD agenda, it pulled back,
having lost its ultimate prize and turned to
the European Union, which in turn, came
up with the EU Savings Tax Directive. This
idea was so egregious to citizens of the European Union itself, that as we forecasted, a
river of cash flowed out of the EU to Asia;
particularly Singapore and Hong Kong. In
fact, so devastating was the impact that in
three years assets under management or
bank deposits grew from $150 billion to
over $1.2 trillion.
Additionally, the countries that agreed
to comply with the EU Directive are those
that desired to be in Europe or those Overseas Territories on which it was imposed.
They are, variously, as follows: Andorra,
Anguilla, Aruba, Austria, Belgium, British
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel
Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia,
Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malta, Monaco, Montserrat, Netherlands,
Netherlands Antilles, Poland, Portugal, San
Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turks and Caicos, the UK; but,
not The US, Brazil, India, Russia, China
and certainly not Singapore or Hong Kong.
If Singapore were to open its books, look
for other nations, powerful ones that can
say no to the EU and the US, to begin ‘beefing up’ their financial sectors, and attracting those funds. Invariably, experts from
the UK, US and Europe, generally, will
be recruited to such places and for those
countries to exercise the same disregard for
law and comity, which has been exercised
by Western nations.
CARICOM Going Off Track
By The Free Press Editorial Board
Dr. Gilbert NMO Morris – Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
of the Free Press (fp) and Chief Economist of The West
Indies Research Corporation (WIRC), (formerly The
Landfall Centre), reacted strongly to the recent historic
meeting of all Latin American and Caribbean leaders
and their call for a new global and regional financial
model. The Leaders from 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries called for "the gradual creation of a new
regional financial architecture."
Morris in a recent statement to the Free Press Editorial
Board said: “I think there are several distinctions which
must be made on the issue of Latin American/Caribbean
cooperation at the outset: First, the Latin American and
Caribbean nations are not headed in the same direction.
This is, I think emphasized in The Dominican Republic’s
recent rejection of membership in CARICOM. I cannot
think for the moment of a Caribbean nation, excepting
perhaps Barbados and BVI that are headed in strategically advantageous directions. I mean by that, a direction
consistent with the over-weaning forces that dominate the
world. However, look at Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Cuba
and the Dominican Republic and those nations are on the
cutting edge of strategic opportunities, consistent with the
direction of global trade, energy and financial forces”.
According to the Declaration of Salvador, adopted after
the first Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on
Integration and Development (SLAC) in this northeastern
Brazilian city, the leaders underlined the need of establishing a multilateral and voluntary payments system, including mechanisms for payments in national currencies,
to tackle international financial crisis. Morris’ response to
this was pointed: “I cannot continence the strategic or operational value of these suggested changes in international
payments (except for the Latin nations I have mentioned).
The real issues are the failure of Caribbean nations with
International Financial Centres to have cultivated a
strategic response to the OECD/FATF in the first instance,
and now the American initiatives soon to come into being in the form of the proposed Stop Tax Haven Abuse
Act; which is, in my view, likely to become law or policy
as result of our intellectual carelessness. Second, I think
incapacity to have completed the Doha Round of World
Trade says more about the weakness of our collectivity
than the strength thereof. And given the region’s intellectual malaise on the issue, and our tendency against policy
responses instead of pleading or requests for concessions,
I think we lack the psychological resources to counter-act,
elegantly, (which means by mutually beneficial agree-
ment) external impositions on our major industries”.
The Latin American and Caribbean leaders say the
new regional financial architecture must assess experiences obtained in matters of common currency and in
the development of regional mechanisms so as to stabilize
the balance of payments. They argue that Latin American
and the Caribbean countries need to integrate financial
markets at regional and sub-regional levels with adequate
mechanisms for monitoring and regulation, said the declaration. Morris’s statement answers these points as well.
He said that common currency proposals in CARICOM
are nonsensical and so much moreso in the Caribbean
Basin as a whole: “In 2003, I advised several governments
directly and all governments in our region publically to
convert their Special Drawing Rights at the IMF to gold,
and to convert 10% of annual reserves and National
Insurance Funds to gold, when it was valued at $319 dollars. No one did it. By now, they would have been able,
nearly, to redeem all outstanding existing currencies, at
least in smaller countries, and they would have been able
to continence asset redemptions in larger ones”. Morris
continued: “I agree with the integration of financial markets. I have always thought Jamaica was key to this. But as
I have written in the case of CARICOM, these countries
must first achieve discipline in their domestic economic
spheres, before they can consider any integration that
would be well received.”
The regional meeting was historic and was convened by
the Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, bringing together for the first time in Latin America's history
33 leaders from South America, Central America and the
Caribbean.
fp
LIFESTYLE
TCSC Shares Healthy Living Tips
Sleep Key to Healthy Heart
The Worst Swimwear Styles
18
Healthy Living
A Healthy Body Means More
Than Just Exercise
Local Provo residents Robert Greenwood and
Katherine Baryluk competed in the 1st Annual
Turks and Caicos Sporting Club Sprint Triathlon
‘C
By Christa Reckhorn
onversation is an exercise of
the mind”, this quote takes on
a whole new meaning after one
conversation with Lee Zohlman.
Zohlman, a sports trainer, who
joined Chef Tadd Frye in bringing home the
message of “sports and healthy eating are
a winning combination” at the Turks and
Caicos Sporting Club through a series of
informal conversations about sports training and nutrition.
The InConversation series took place
over the entire Valentines Day weekend,
beginning with dinner on Thursday, and
culminating in a Sprint Triathlon which
included swimming, kayaking and running.
The participants were both residents, guests
from Provo as well as staff members of the
Turks and Caicos Sporting Club.
Zohlman and Chef Tadd put on work-
Tadd Frye; Executive Chef of Ambergris Cay; Turks & Caicos Sporting Club and Lee Zohlman, Body Zen.
shops over the days about how to facilitate
better preparation for exercise and wellness by implementing simple techniques
for balance of health and wellness with
fun. Zohlman is a sports trainer, who trains
professional athletes, especially focusing on
triathlons. He not only gave the workshops,
but helped in the planning of the event
and trained the participates to help them
prepare for the triathlon.
The Triathlon was staged as a finale to
showcase the positive impact of proper
training and nutrition. The experts were
brought in to hold workshops giving tips
for strength training and exercise. How
to improve your balance and breathing
exercises. The package was made complete
by supporting the sporting activities with a
thoughtful eating plan, including high protein meals to give endurance, foods high in
vitamin C for energy and specific vegetables
which combat inflammation which can occur when doing sports.
Resident Executive Chef Tadd Frye gave
an interesting demonstration of how you
can include simple items in your diet to
keep you healthy and support your exercise
regiment.
We all know a healthy diet should include
low fat, but as Chef Tadd explained, healthy
does not mean no fat. “Omega 3 fats are
very important for a healthy diet and making sure you're getting these exciting omega
3 benefits in your life is probably the 2nd
most important thing you can do for your
health.”
Omega 3 fish oil, found in cold water fish
such as tuna and salmon, have a very positive effect on your inflammatory response.
Through several mechanisms, they regulate
your body's inflammation cycle, which
prevents and relieves painful conditions like
arthritis, prostatitis, cystitis and anything
else ending in "itis."
Another key ingredient which should
not be missing from our diet are sprouts.
Chef Tadd says eating sprouts 4 times per
week can significantly improve your health.
Examples of these foods might be obvious,
like alfalfa, or clover, but other great sources
of vitamins also in this category are lentil or
garbanzo beans, almonds or hazelnuts.
The Turks and Caicos Sporting Club
also brought in two local Provo residents
to help spread the message of healthy living and sports. Dr. Sims, chiropractor and
Regina Radisic, pilates instructor, also gave
informational workshops and support to the
participants. The two also participated in
the Triathlon event.
They exchange between all the participants, both professionals as well as guests
was very positively received. The hope of the
TCSC is that they will bring back their experiences and knowledge home and spread it
to other members of the community.
For many, an exercise regiment is nothing
more than mearly a new years resolution we
have not gotten around to, but after a short
conversation with any of these experts, one
is inspired to put on your running shoes
and jog to the nearest super market to stock
up on fresh vegetables and get your mind in
a conversation with your body for healthy
living.
Healthy Living
Sleep Beat
Catching more shuteye
could be a factor in
keeping the heart healthy
By Mirielle Cailles
CTW FEATURES
Can’t sleep? You might want to now. According to a new study conducted at the University of
Chicago Medical Center, just one extra hour of
sleep per night may lead to a healthier heart. The
study found that more sleep appears to decrease
the threat of coronary artery calcification - an early
risk factor of cardiovascular disease.
“Although there are constant temptations to
sleep less, there is a growing body of evidence that
short sleep may have subtle health consequences,”
says study director Diane Lauderdale, PhD, associate professor of health studies at the University
of Chicago Medical Center. “Although this single
study does not prove that short sleep leads to coronary artery disease, it is safe to recommend at least
six hours of sleep a night.”
In the study, 12 percent of volunteers developed
coronary artery calcification over five years. Calcified arteries were found in 27 percent of those who
slept less than five hours a night, but the statistic
dropped to 11 percent for those who slept five to
seven hours a night, and continued to fall with
more than seven hours. The benefits of sleep were
particularly higher for women. While previous
studies have correlated decreased sleep with calcification risk factors, this study cites that “after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, smoking, and
apnea risk, longer measured sleep duration was
associated with reduced calcification incidence.”
Possible explanations for the connection between sleep and calcification included a general
decrease in the 24-hour average blood pressure of
a person, as well as stress or a stress hormone like
Cortisol, which has been tied to decreased sleep
and increased calcification. The research centered
around 495 participants in the Coronary Artery
Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA)
study, which began in 1985 and was designed to
assess the long-term impact of various factors that
may lead to coronary artery disease. © CTW Features
Sweets and Sour
Sour candies as acidic as battery acid
pose real risks for kids’ dental health
By Dawn Klingensmith
CTW Features
Peering into kids’ mouths every day,
pediatric dentist Robyn Loewen, Rochester, Minn., has noticed an alarmingly
widespread problem of late. Something
is eating away at the chewing surfaces of
children’s back teeth.
Turns out, it’s worms - gummy worms,
that is - along with assorted other sweetand-sour candies, some of which are
almost as acidic as battery acid.
Initially, Loewen was confused because
the erosion patterns she was encountering were not consistent with damage from
soda pop or other known enamel eaters.
“As a dentist and a mother, I began to
suspect that sour candy was a contributing
factor,” she says, “since I knew that the sour
flavoring was from citric acid and other dietary acids, and my own children and their
friends seemed to choose sour candy such
as Skittles and Starburst over traditional
sweets like chocolate and caramel.”
Confirming her suspicions, Loewen came across
the research of Dr. John
Ruby, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University
of Alabama, Birmingham,
who measured pH levels
of many types of sour
candy. The extremely low
pH levels, combined with
frequent, prolonged sucking or chewing,
equates to an aggressive, sustained attack
on tooth enamel.
Sour candies are strong enough to completely and irreversibly dissolve enamel,
leading to tooth sensitivity, discoloration
and decay. Some formulations are so acidic
that their labels carry warnings about
potential soft-tissue irritation to the gums
and inner cheeks.
Children are more vulnerable than
adults because their teeth are still mineral-
Scanning for Brain Age
A new study opens the door for early
detection of Alzheimer’s disease
By Matthew M. F. Miller
CTW Features
For most patients, a diagnosis of
Alzheimer’s disease follows the arrival of
many frustrating, irreversible and ultimately debilitating symptoms. A new
brain scan developed at the University of
California Los Angeles, however, can offer
a more accurate method to track brain aging, which could lead to a diagnosis prior
to the onset of symptoms.
A new study, published in the January
2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, looked at the brain scans of 76 non-demented volunteers following an injection
of FDDNP, a chemical marker that binds
to plaque and tangle deposits in the brain.
Researchers were then able to pinpoint
where these abnormal protein deposits
were accumulating – a response that
izing and hardening. “Until this maturing
process is complete, the teeth are softer
and more porous, and more susceptible
to the destructive effects of acid erosion,”
Loewen says.
Loewen and Ruby - along with Dr.
Robert Marolt, Marolt Dentistry, White
Bear Lake, Minn. - co-wrote an article last
spring based on Ruby’s findings for Northwest Dentistry, the
journal of the Minnesota Dental Association.
Their findings also were
summarized in AGD
Impact, the Academy
of General Dentistry’s
news magazine.
The Minnesota Dental Association then
launched a public awareness campaign
called “The Power of Sour on Your Teeth.”
Other foods and beverages unleash an
acid attack on teeth, as well. The list of
offenders includes citrus juices, soda pop,
sports drinks, tomato products, pickled
foods and Vitamin C tablets.
Eliminating or decreasing consumption
of acidic foods is the first line of defense;
however, folks who can’t resist chomping the heads off sour gummy worms can
lessen the effects by rinsing with water,
allowed them to see how and where the
brain was aging. Older age correlated
with higher concentrations in the areas of
the brain involved with memory, where
plaques and tangles usually collect. The
average age of study volunteers was 67.
“Combining key patient information
with a brain scan may give us better predictive power in targeting those who may
benefit from early interventions, as well as
help test how well treatments are working,”
says study author Dr. Gary Small, director
of the UCLA Center on Aging.
Thirty-four of the 76 volunteers carried
a gene that heightens the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
“We found that for many volunteers, the
imaging scans reflected subtle
brain changes, which take
place before symptoms mani-
p 20
drinking milk or eating cheese immediately afterward to neutralize the acidity. Chewing sugar-free gum also helps
because it stimulates the production of
saliva, which dissolves acid and protects
tooth enamel.
Rushing to brush may seem like a good
idea, but it’s not.
“Because the acid softens the enamel,
brushing your teeth immediately after
consuming acidic foods and drinks is not
recommended,” Marolt says, “since brushing can damage the softened surface.”
pH levels (low = acidic)
(Loss of tooth enamel starts at pH levels of 4.)
Battery acid 1.0
WarHeads Sour Spray 1.6
Wonka Fun Dip Powder 1.8
Altoids Mango Sours 1.9
Now and Later Cherry Chew 1.9
Wonka Nerds Grape 2.0
Sour Skittles 2.2
Mentos Fruit Chew 2.4
Lemon Heads 2.4
Starburst 2.4
Wonka Laffy Taffy 2.5
Brach’s Gummy Bears 2.5
Skittles 2.5
Sour Punch Straws 2.5
Sweetarts 3.0
Spree 3.0
(c) CTW Features
20
Lifestyle
The Worst
Swimwear Styles
And Why You
Want to
Avoid
Them
T
he beach is a great place for people watching as people
of all shapes and sizes play in the sand and surf enjoying the first days of summer. No longer burdened by
the heavy attire of winter, people arrive in an interesting
array of swimsuit styles. Some of these beach fashions
are flattering while some can be down right horrific, particularly if worn on the
wrong body type. Here are some of the worst swimsuit styles you could see parading down the boardwalk:
Worst swimsuit style: The monokini
This may be one of the worst bikini styles inflicted upon women so far, although it’s unlikely you’ll see it on the beaches of America. This is not because
there aren’t people willing to wear it but because they might get arrested if they
do. The monokini is really just another term for a topless bathing suit. This swimsuit
was the brainchild of a European designer by the name of Rudi Gemreich who introduced this swimsuit style to the world in the mid 1960’s. Needless to say, it brought a firestorm of
criticism from more conservative institutions and met with only short term commercial success,
lasting only a season. Its influence is still being felt today as swimsuit designers use this principle
to create skimpier swimsuits with less fabric. Although monokinis are still being manufactured,
you probably won’t find them in their original form on the racks of most mainstream
department stores. They’ve been transformed into bathing suits with strategic cutouts
that are more socially acceptable but still a bit risqué.
Worst swimsuit style: The thong
After Gemreich introduced the monokini in the mid 1960’s, he wasn’t finished
yet. Undaunted by the lack of long term, commercial success of the monokini, he
introduced the world to another ridiculously revealing bikini style, the thong.
This little number was met with greater enthusiasm and more commercial success even though it still left a great deal of skin exposed. Even more significantly, the bikini thong wasn’t going to win any awards for comfort. Leaving
most of the butt exposed to wondering eyes, it’s a bikini style that’s not for the
faint of heart. It also requires a few trips to the gym if you’re over the age of
twenty. This style is probably best worn in the bedroom.
Worst swimsuit style: Metallic styles
There’s already enough glare on the beach. Why add to it by wearing a shiny,
metallic bathing suit? Metallic styles run the gamut from solid colored suits in
bright silver, gold, copper, and even a variety of metallic colors to bikinis with
metallic accents. Although these styles certainly attract attention so does a metallic
red fire truck. Both are probably best found off the beach.
Worst swimsuit style: Sheer and see through
The monokini in its original form might not be around any more but you can
still reveal almost everything in a sheer or see through bathing suit style. It’s nice to
know there’s freedom of choice but some things are better left to the imagination.
Fortunately, with so many flattering styles of swimwear available, you’ll never
have to fall victim to these swimwear disasters. When someone suggests you try one
of these swimsuit styles, do the world a favor and just say no. You’ll be glad you did.
Scanning for Brain Age
from
p19
fest,” Small says. “This type
of scan offers an opportunity
to see what is really going
on in the brain. We could
see more advancing disease
in those with mild cognitive impairment,
who are already demonstrating some minimal symptoms. Eventually, this imaging
method, together with patient information
like age, cognitive status and genetics, may
help us better manage brain aging.”
Small believes his research opens the
window for a future where controlling
brain aging will be akin to monitoring
high cholesterol or high blood pressure. A
brain scan and perhaps a genetic test could
predict individual risk, and even medication could be prescribed, if necessary, to
prevent or delay mental deterioration.
Such an advance would allow doctors to
protect a healthy brain before extensive
damage occurs.
© CTW Features
Film Review: Madea Goes to Jail
The Tyler Perry train keeps
on rolling as Madea returns to
the silver screen with his latest
effort, 'Madea Goes to Jail'. Like
2006's, 'Madea's Family Reunion', Mr. Perry writes, directs,
and stars in his latest vehicle.
After a few failed anger management classes, and an O.J.style highway chase lands Madea
(Perry) in the big house she
befriends a drug addicted prostitute, Candace Washington. Now
look closely at the actress who
plays Candace. It is the former little Rudy
Huxtable, Keshia Knight Pulliam . . . Ahhhh, Rudy what happened? From sweet
innocence to drugs and prostitution.
Oh yes, this is just a movie -- whoops
forgot for a second Ms. Pulliam. All
apologies.
Madea's family desperately wants their
sassy granmomma out of the slammer.
Meanwhile, Madea herself is trying to gain
the freedom of both herself and Candace.
By now we all know that when Madea sets
her mind to something she is not
a woman you want to mess with!
Again Mr. Perry entertains
the audience with humor and a
societal message. That message
being that there are far too many
people locked into an overpopulated prison system than should
be there -- Especially AfricanAmerican convicts sentenced for
crimes that have hurt no one but
themselves.
This isn't to say that driving
140 miles per hour on the highway while not pulling over for the cops is
a wise idea!
Tyler Perry's 'Madea Goes to Jail' is well
worth the price of admission and a bucket
of popcorn.
Free Press | February 20, 2009 YOUR COMPLETE SUPPLIER
FOR YOUR HOME IMPROVEMENT
AND BUSINESS NEEDS
Three easy ways to place your order:
• Phone: 704-758-2129
• Fax: 704-757-0631
• E-mail: [email protected]
We have the brands you trust and all the materials you need.
© 2009 by Lowe’s®. All rights reserved. Lowe’s and the gable design are registered trademarks of LF, LLC. 6469
002/6469
21
22
Local
Valentines Day Cup Model
Sailboat Race Results
Middle Caicos, Bambarra
beach, February 14th 2009.
Valentines Day 2009 was
celebrated in grand cultural style
on beautiful, Bambarra Beach,
Middle Caicos. Over 150 locals,
residents and visitors from
near and far attended the Ninth
Annual Valentines Day Cup
Model Sailboat Races – an event
conceived by Daniel O. Forbes
and Sara Kaufman of the Middle
Caicos Co-op. With Daniel as
Founder, and Brodie Forbes
as Co-ordinator, the Middle
Caicos Sailing Association has
been keeping this traditional
TCI sport alive, and encouraging model boats to be built and
raced!
The days festivities were celebrated under the most perfect
sunny skies. The first race got
under way around midday. Commodore John Lawson with his
trusty bullhorn briefed the contestants on the rules then called
them all to the starting line.
Captains ranging in age from 12
years old to as young as 4 years
old took to the water in a flurry
of excitement and chaos as the
small boats, tipped over, collided
and darted off in all directions.
In the end, “Green Hornet”, Captained by 11-year-old JJ Affleck
claimed first place.
The Class B boats captained by
the adults took to the water soon
after. These slightly larger boats,
from 30 inches to 40 inches, cut
through the water as smooth as
hot knives through butter. From
the onset a sleek all white boat
named “Shimmer” captained
by Marsha Pardee took the lea
and kept it all the way to the
finish line, leaving the closest
boat a good 45 seconds behind.
Shimmer is jointly owned by
Marsha and Pamela Leach and
was built by master boat builder
and Middle Caicos resident, Mr.
Headley Forbes.
The main race of the day got
underway in a flurry of excitement as the captains of Class A
boats (over 40’’ in length) made
their way to the starting line. A
newly built boat, owned by Dolphus Arthur built by renowned
boat builder, Pastor Gold Williams of North Caicos, was keen
to finally unseat the “Red Rocket”, owned by Daniel O. Forbes,
the undisputed champion of
the big boat class. Captained by
Timothy “T-Boy” Robertson
“No Name” took an early lead
as it headed straight towards
the halfway buoy and there was
no one close as it cruised to the
finish line to take the first place
honors and bragging rights for
the next year!
For the ninth year running, The Valentine’s Day Cup
Model Sailboat Races have been
sponsored by Forbes, Forbes &
Forbes Ltd., a realty broker on
Middle Caicos. All funds needed
are generously covered by this
firm each year. The Middle
Caicos Co-op again donated all
the administration, organization
and promotion. Middle Caicos
Sailboat Association Founder,
Daniel O. Forbes, (also owner
of Forbes, Forbes and Forbes
Ltd.) stated, “It’s getting better &
better every year”. This event has
a very special place in the hearts
of Daniel and his partner Sara.
They have ensured its growing
success with steadfast personal
and corporate support from the
beginning when they commissioned the first fleet of seven
model sailboats. Daniel went on
to say that he and Sara would
like to encourage more cosponsors to assist with trophies,
flyers, caps, t- shirts, cash and
prizes, food and beverage supplies, promotion and advertising,
and transport for local villagers
to attend.
Additionally, companies and
individuals can purchase a boat,
choose their colours and name,
Youngest sailor
(Top left ) 5 year old
Leshawn Forbes.
Satchi Bowen
(above) and
her boat.
Race Results:
Class A Boat Captain/ Owner
1st Place No-Name Captain Timothy “T-Boy” Robertson / Dolphus Arthur
2nd. Place Red Rocket Captain Brodie Forbes / Daniel O.Forbes
3rd. Place Sea Train Captain Albert Higgs / Carlin Forbes
Class B Boat Captain/ Owner
1st. Place Shimmer Captain Marsha Pardee /Pardee-Leach
2nd. Place Sea Plane Captain Carlin Forbes / Carlin Forbes
3rd. Place Brenda-Sue Captain Ralph Wilke / Pickering-Wilke
Kids Club
1st. Place Captain JJ Affleck
2nd. Place Captain Buzzy Lawson
3rd. Place Captain Sean Forbes
Winners in Classes A & B received trophies and cash prizes of 1st place
$100, 2nd place $75 and 3rd place $50. Winners of the 1st and 3rd place in
Class B kindly donated their prizes to the festival costs!
and donate it to the MCCo-op
Fleet for the event and for use
by the ongoing childrens sailboat club.
This year, a new sponsor came
forward and the TCI Bank Limited, North Caicos donated funds
toward the cash prizes, including a $100 TCI Bank Savings
Account for the Youngest and
Oldest Captain Award. “Since
there isn’t any bank in Middle
Caicos and TCI Bank is the only
bank in North Caicos, it makes
perfect sense for us to integrate
into the community and be apart
of the Valentine’s Day Annual
Sailing Cup in Middle Caicos”
states TCI Bank’s Marketing
Consultant, Mai Moore. TCI
Bank’s North Caicos Branch
Supervisor, Narine Lewis, gave
out the TCI Bank Limited $100
Savings Accounts. The winners
were Youngest Captain, Leshawn
Forbes (five years old) and
Oldest Captain, Carlin Forbes
(eighty-two years old)
Special thanks goes out to Mr.
John Lawson , Providenciales
Rotary president, who took on
the position of Beach Commodore for the races, and cheerfully
managed to organize a full set
of races for the day! The Middle
Caicos Church of God of Prophecy provided local cuisine and
refreshments, both sustaining all
the event attendees with wonderful food, and raising funds for
their local programs. Liquors
Plus of North Caicos providing
discount soft drinks and free ice,
while Radio 92.5 FM provided
free advertisements for the event.
The Grand- Land Band, local
Middle Caicos musicians Lucky
Forbes, Danley Forbes and Kit
Seymour, provided great live
musical entertainment. The
Cultural & Arts Commission, in
collaboration with Videographer,
Mr. Decosta Griffiths, provided
media coverage- both still shots
and video footage are available.
School Gets First-hand Info on Illegal Drugs
By Jonathan Sanyo
As a start-off for the launch of the "School Drug Education Program", the Turks and Caicos National Drug
Unit visited New Age Academy and Language Centre, a
high school located in Downtown, Providenciales, and
gave the students first-hand information about drugs
and drug addiction, including its implications to self and
society. The session was held at the school campus on
February 10, 2009.
Deputy Director of the National Drug Unit, Ms. Lester
King spoke to the students and informed children about
the dangers of illegal drugs and their impact on them
socially, biologically, and economically. Further, Ms. King
also explained the rationale behind the organization's
school drive.
The main aim of the program, she explains, is to
highlight the potential for disruption to youths academic
performance, family life, physical development, and
social integration into the wider world, this being most
apparent during their teenage years.
The National Drug Unit recognizes that schools, parents and communities have a role to play in combating
the growing threat of illegal, and some legal drug usage
to TCI's school population. In respect thereof, their
marijuana, crack and cocaine,
and the addiction that are usually associated with them.
“I really
"I really learned a lot. I
learned a lot. believe that my classmates
did. It was full of relevant
I believe that also
information and I enjoyed it,
my classmates too", Darlenis Hall, one of the
commented.
also did. It was students
"This campaign is very good
full of relevant because it creates awareness of
the dangers of drugs and abuse
information
of it and to also start a muchand I enjoyed needed dialogue between parand children regarding this
it, too”, student ents
delicate but very important issue. The school is also proud to
Darlenis Hall
say that we support the National
Drug Unit in this endeavor and
role is to promote abstinence from illicit and dangerous will continue to advocate against illegal drugs and abuse”,
drugs and to inform the youth of the Turks and Caicos
Mr. Warren French, a high school teacher said.
the meaning of making and sustaining healthy lifestyle
Plans are on the way to take the "School Drug Educachoices.
tion Program" to the other islands and give students an
Among the many topics covered were alcohol use,
in-depth look at drugs.
Local
Scotiabank Opens
Possibilities For
Wealth Management
in the TCI
S
cotiabank is expanding its wealth management services
platform in the Caribbean as well as across Latin and Central
America. The Bank has launched Scotia Private Client Group
in Turks and Caicos, the ninth in a series of announcements,
leveraging Scotiabank’s global operations to offer investment
advice, trust services, private banking and insurance in the region.
“Scotia Private Client Group offers high net worth clientele access
to specialized and tailored wealth management solutions,” said Dan
Wright, Senior Vice-President, International Wealth, Scotiabank.
“We are pleased to enhance Scotiabank’s offerings in the Caribbean,
leveraging the expertise of the Scotiabank Group, including Scotiatrust, Scotia Capital and Private Banking to create customized and
integrated financial solutions for our clients.”
The expansion reflects Scotiabank’s growing retail footprint in the
region. Having already launched Scotia Private Client Group offices in
The Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago,
the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Peru, the Bank also has
plans to introduce its Scotia Private Client Group brand in Chile,
Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica and Miami.
“Scotiabank has served the needs of our customers in Turks and
Caicos since 1982. In today’s global environment, it’s important for us
to be able to serve more complex financial needs on an international
level, and now, with the addition of Scotia Private Client Group, we
can do just that,” said Doug Cochrane, Managing Director of Scotiabank Turks and Caicos Limited. “We consider the launch of the
Scotia Private Client Group centre to be paramount to deepening
our customer relationships and an important extension to our mix of
financial services.”
The business model for Central and Latin America and the Caribbean is similar to the one used in Canada, where integrated services
are offered through teams of specialists at distinct locations, outside
the Bank’s network of branches. Clients deal directly with trained
relationship managers who tailor resources and solutions to meet
their individual needs. Scotia Private Client Group offers local private
banking services to high net worth local and international clients, international investment services, as well as wealth structuring services
to offshore clients.
Scotiabank has been part of the Caribbean and Central America
since 1889 and today perations in 27 countries, including affiliates.
The Bank has 12,117 employees in the region, including affiliates,
serving more than two million customers, with 593 branches, kiosks
and other offices, plus about 932 automated banking machines.
PHILIPPINES
Tinipon ni PGMA ang drug enforcement agencies
para mabisang mausig ang lahat ng kaso ng droga
By Jonathan Sayao
Tinipon kanina ng Pangulong Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo ang lahat ng ahensiya
ng gobyerno na may saguting bakahin
ang ilegal na droga upang pag-aralang
mabuti ang lahat ng bagay na sandigan
ng pagpa-patupad ng batas upang magkaroon ng Pilipinas na drug-free.
Ang pulong sa “Mabisang Pag-uusig
ng mga Kaso ng Droga” ay idinaos
kaninang umaga sa Heroes Hall ng
Malakanyang at dinaluhan ng Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA),
Kagawaran ng Kata-rungan, National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI), militar at
pulisya.
Ipinaliwanag ni Chairman Vicente
Sotto III ng Dangerous Drugs Board na
dahil sa mga nangyari nang nagdaang
ilang buwan ay nagpatunay na kailangan magkaisa ng pananaw at kilos ang
mga alagad ng batas sa pagbaka sa mga
sindikato at nagbibili ng ilegal na droga
President:
Gloria
MACAPAGALARROYO
upang mapanagot at maparusahan ang
mga ito nang ayon sa batas.
Idinugtong ni Sotto na tinawag
ang pulong ng mga ahensiyang tagapagpatupad ng mga batas ‘para mapakinggan nila kung ano ang hina-hanap
ng mga hukom kapag dinirinig nila at
hinahatulan ang mga kaso.
Ayon sa data ng DDB, sa 99,754 kaso
ng ilegal na droga na naiharap mula
2003 hanggang 2008, 22 porsiyento
lamang ang nalutas. Sa kabu-uang nalutas na kaso, 32 lamang ang nahatulan,
31 porsiyento ang napawalang sala, 27
porsiyento ang napawalang saysay, at
11 porsi-yento ang pansamantalang
pinawalang bisa.
Sinabi ni Sotto na mababa ang
resolusyon ng kaso kaya dapat suriin
ang ‘buy-bust operation’ na karaniwang pinagtutuunan ng pansin ng mga
abogado ang teknikalidad at iba pang
bagay.
Nagbigay ng special lecture si Mahistrado Lucas Bersamin sa “RA 9165: Enforcement of the Law Through Successful Prosecution of the Offenders” upang
matiyak na ang mga alagad ng batas ay
may matiti-bay na ebidensiya at dinukumento ang mga kaso nila alinsunod
sa batas at mga tuntuning legal nang
matiyak sa mga tagausig na ang nakasakdal na iniharap sa mga hukuman ay
maparusahan sa ginawa nilang krimen
nang hindi nalalabag ang karapatang
pantao o nauusig ang mga walang sala.
Tinalakay rin ni Bersamin ang mabisang ‘buy-bust operations’, war-rantless arrest, may pahintulot na paghahalughog, pag-iingat sa mga ebidensiya na
tatanggapin ng hukuman.
24
Extras
Save Money
on
Energy Bills
By Christa Reckhorn
Although PPC announced a coming reduction in energy costs, we are all conscious of
how much we spend on electricity these days.
There are some obvious ways of reducing the
energy bill, such as turning off lights when
we are not in a room, but here are some extra
ideas on how you can reduce your energy
costs in simple ways.
Close the Fridge
A refrigerator is one of the biggest energyusers in the home and therefore should be
operated at maximum efficiency. This means
opening the door only briefly as well as
carefully controlling the temperature. Keep
the refrigerator section between 36 to 42°
F, and the freezer a t0° F. This will ensure
food safety, while reducing the use of power.
Any lower temperature will increase power
consumption.
Vacuum refrigerator coils to remove excess
dust. Dust can cause the unit to work harder,
which requires more energy.
Stock the Fridge Efficiently
Don't overload your refrigerator or freezer
with food. Place foods slightly apart on
shelves, making sure they do not block the
unit's interior air vents. This will allow the air
to flow more freely inside the unit.
Cover all liquids stored in the refrigerator.
Moisture can be drawn into the air, making
the unit work harder.
load tomorrow cost twice as much as waiting
to do one big load tomorrow.
On hot days, wait to use your dishwasher
until night. You will avoid adding heat in the
house during the hottest time of the day.
Use Curtains
On hotter days, close drapes to keep sun
from coming in to heat up the house and
make your air conditioner work harder.
Fan Off
Remember to turn off your ceiling fan
when you leave the room. A fan that runs
continuously may cost up to $7 a month in
electric costs depending on it's age and size.
Change Filters Regularly
Your air conditioner units have filters that
clean the air as it goes into the machine. The
motor on your ac unit is meant to pull air
through one layer of filter, not a filter plus a
layer of built-up who-knows-what on top of
it. A dirty filter makes the unit have to work
harder, and that takes more energy. Changing
or simply cleaning your filter every month
will not only conserve that energy now, but it
will also reduce wear and tear on the motor,
keeping you from needing to buy a new one
as soon.
Fill Up
Wait to run the dishwasher, clothes washer
and clothes dryer when you have a full load
to do. Doing a small load today and a small
Appliances
Switch off your appliances completely ,
by unplugging them when not in use. Even
appliances which are turned off use energy
when plugged in.
Air Conditioning
Turn your thermostat down by 1°F . You
may not even notice one degree warmer in
temperature, but you will surly notice the savings that makes in your electricity bill.
Close Vents
Closing vents in unused rooms or bathrooms can force air into the rooms you do use
and reduce the amount of air conditioning
required.
US990 campaign FEB 2009
From TUE 10th FEB 2009
Cars Only ...
US$ 990!
Cars only FOB US$990-!
LIMITED TIME ONLY!
Visit our website, www.JapaneseVehicles.com
and click the banner to see the list of vehicles
for US$990. Do not miss out on this fantastic deal!
*Special Condition may apply
Over 1,000 Quality Vehicles in stock now!
Trust Comopany Ltd. - A truly global provider of quality vehicles.
Call us direct on +81 52 219 9039
[email protected]
Trust Company Ltd.
3/F VT Bldg, 3-10-32 Nishiki Naka-ku Nagoya 460-0003 JAPAN
DOCK DIRECT LTD.
Labourer position is needed
Must have a good Police Record
Must be bilingual (English-Spanish)
Working hours Monday to Friday 7 to 5
Salary $5.00 per hour
Tasks:
To work in yard, restock piles of cement and
put blocks on pallet, etc.
Qualified Belongers Only
If you are qualified with the above qualifications,
please call Dock Direct Office
(649) 946-4996
or call Labour Office
SENIOR
COASTAL
ENGINEER
Local Coastal Engineering Firm seeks a Full-Time
Senior Coastal Engineer
Must have the following
qualifications:
• Minimum Masters
Degree in Coastal
Engineering
• 20 years practical
experience with a
minimum 10 years
working experience in
TCI
• Licensed Professional
Engineer in the US or
similar
• Knowledge of
Surveying Techniques
& AutoCAD
• Strong written and
verbal communication
skills
This position requires
a minimum of 45 to 50
hour work-week. Salary is
$90,000.
Please email resumes to
hr@ericksonconsulting
enginers.com
NOTICE
THIS NOTICE is issued
pursuant to Regulation 7
of the Physical Planning
(Development Permission)
Regulations 1990.
An Application has been
submitted to the Department
of Planning, SC638 by Caicos
Beach Club Resort for the
erection of Wind Turbines
(generators)
Has been submitted to the
Department of Planning
for consideration of Grant
of Detailed Development
Permission on Block 20206,
Parcels 23 & 24, South
Caicos Rural, South Caicos.
Anyone wishing to make
representation(s) may do
so in writing to the Director
of Planning, Grand Turk or
through the Department of
Planning,
Providenciales,
within 28 days of the
publication of this Notice.
Notice Published this 9th day
of February, 2009.
Caicos Beach Club Resort
and Marina, Ltd
C/o Chalmers & Co.
Suite A1, Windsor Place
Leeward Highway
Providenciales
Turks and Caicos Islands
- we are proud to be the only indigenous commercial bank in the Turks and Caicos Islands -
New Branch
Business Services Branch
Regent Village - Grace Bay
Providenciales
t: 649.941.3786
f: 649.941.4419
Main Branch
Butterfield Square
Providenciales
t: 649.941.7500
f: 649.941.7501
Your Bank
Card Services
Town Centre Mall
Providenciales
t: 649.941.7744
f: 649.941.5113
Service Branch
Front Street
Grand Turk
t: 649.941.2083
t: 649.946.2433
f: 649.941.2422
Service Branch
Bottle Creek
North Caicos
t: 649.941.7091
f: 649.941.7722
“the only bank in North Caicos”
Our Bank
personal checking &
savings accounts
internet banking
view checks &
transactions online
direct deposit
wire transfer
student, consumer,
commercial, residential
& equity loans
business & corporate
checking accounts
The Nation’s Bank
merchant credit card
services
Providing A Direct & Friendly Approach to Customer Service
- experience the difference at TCI Bank Limited with our specialized services - helping our customers grow with our competitive rates & efficient streamlining - building new and lasting relationships with our customers -
visit us at www.tcibankltd.com

Misick: Why I Resigned

Transcription

Similar documents

Turks and Caicos Islands Government Ministry of Border

Paradise - Ocean Club Resorts

bEAUTIFUL bY NATURE - Turks and Caicos Islands

Trip Information - Explorer Ventures

Wayne Garland Responds to Trip Advisor Stories

Kurdistan on the map in 1072

digital distribution of caribbean music

8 Series Line Chart_611

One Caribbean Television WHAT PEOPLE WATCH

INVESTMENT focuS - Castanea Partners

cruising - Royal Caribbean Incentives