As the strains of Auld Lang Syne and sugar plums dance through my head, we have to face the traditional exercise of making New Year’s resolutions. As usual I need to shed a few pounds.
What are the resolutions for the Interim Government in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI)? The pounds have to come off to improve my health and extend my life. The Interim Government has already lived too long and has not met the people’s expectations.
So what needs to be resolved by this government and London to get the TCI back on its feet?
Number One: Do what you were brought here to do. Weed out the corruption. Bring to justice those who are guilty. Put back the funds Britain’s governors let the last government squander.
Number Two: Stop tinkering with the systems. They worked prior to August 2003 so why change them? Representative government will make the adjustments.
Number Three: Transparency was promised. Open up.
Number Four: Set a date for elections and stick to it. Schedule the milestones and meet the schedule. You cannot have milestones without knowing the mileage between them and the speed you will travel. So far this government has only been creeping forward and started out in reverse. Time to shift gears!
Put in place election reform, now. Voter registration cards and party representatives at each polling place are basic. Move now!
Number Five: Fix the civil service and infrastructure .Train them. There are no written rules for anything. Two-and-a-half years after Hurricane Hanna made the causeway impassable all that has happened is that mud was thrown into the breaches. The grantors failed to inspect what the grantees built so they share the blame for that mess The Middle and North Caicos join up is a platform for success. Every day the causeway gets closer to sea level. Fix it!
Number Six: Investigate the TCI Bank closing. Every smelly bit of it and publish the results.
Number Seven: Engage the people, including the politicians who will have to answer to them.
Number Eight. Send Kate Sullivan and Jon Llewellyn home — their work is over.
Number Nine: Cancel the health care contract and set a budget for TCI people to operate. It was clear from the start we cannot afford a “for profit” contractor used to operating in the oil rich Middle East and nowhere else. Interhealth takes profits and wages home to Canada and we cannot get inexpensive generic blood pressure medications. Audit the hospital builder.
Number Ten: Audit every monopoly in the TCI, including PPC, TCU and Provo Stevedores. A 17 percent profit margin allowed to a major Canadian energy supplier is ridiculous; break the contract.
The perception of this government needs to improve. New development will come with stability and resolve. Tough challenges require strong action. It’s time to get tough!
Happy New Year!
