The Advisory Council met on Wednesday 5 October at the NJS Francis Building, Grand Turk.
The Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Judith Campbell and the Director of Health Services, Dr Rufus Ewing presented a paper on the current health care system and the challenges it faces.
The presentation noted that the current situation in health care is unaffordable and unsustainable and set out a number of options. Council members welcomed the paper and discussed its contents. They agreed that urgent action was needed. They asked the Ministry of Health to do further work on the options in the paper and to present them with
costings to the next Advisory Council meeting. In order to facilitate public discussion on the issues in the health care sector the report (entitled: Public Statement of Health Funding Challenges) will be published on the TCI Government website www.gov.tc for the public to view
while the remaining work is completed by the Ministry of Health.
The Council supported recommendations from the National Insurance Board to enact legislative amendments to the National Insurance Regulation, following the 6th Actuarial Review Report on
the TCI National Insurance Fund and agreed that they should be brought into effect. NIB undertook to give further information to the public about changes in pensions and to communicate directly with individuals affected. The Actuarial report has already been published on the TCI Government website http://www.gov.tc/portal/page/portal/G2G.
Governor Todd updated the Council on discussions which the TCI Government is having with developers about a proposed development on West Caicos. A consultation document on the development proposal will be presented to the Advisory Council at the next meeting and then
published for consultation.
The Council was briefed on a proposal for a new 250-300 room hotel with conference facilities in Grace Bay. As the TCI is one of the few Caribbean destinations without a European style hotel development at present, Council members agreed that the proposal could benefit the TCI.
It would mark a diversification of the tourist sector from a condominium based model and into another distinct area that could attract a new market. TCInvest will lead negotiations, in close consultation with the Governor’s office, with the developers on behalf of TCIG.
A paper was presented to the Council on the preparations required to enable elections to be held towards the end of 2012. Preparations will commence in October 2011 and will involve a number of activities including creation and update of Ordinances on: the elections process;
constituency boundaries; and the conduct of political parties in elections. Additional support to TCIG in developing new electoral measures and legislative drafting is being funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The next Advisory Council will be held on Wednesday 19 October 2011 in Providenciales.
