Her Excellency the Acting Governor, Hon. Anya Williams, chaired the 1st meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday 7th January 2015 at the NJS Francis Building on Grand Turk.
All Ministers were present.
At this meeting Cabinet:
• Noted the draft legislative agenda for the first quarter of 2015 and the time-table for the sitting of the House of Assembly;
• Advised HE. the Governor to approve the commencement of discussions with Hyundai Engineering and Construction Ltd (on a without prejudice basis) following their expression of interest, on the potential for the development of a best-in-class container transhipment port within the Turks and Caicos Islands;
• Received an update from the Attorney General on progress with the Turks and Caicos Islands National Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment (NRA). Work on this project commenced in October 2014 with the initial workshop. Recommendations will be presented to policy makers in a further workshop facilitated by World Bank representatives and the final report will be completed by the end of June 2015;
• Confirmed its earlier decision to introduce containerised scanning at seaports in the Turks and Caicos Islands using new technology and requested that the Ports Authority prepare a technical specification to enable publication of an invitation to tender in accordance with the Public Procurement Ordinance 2012;
• Noted the reduction in fuel prices globally and that a corresponding reduction in prices at the fuel pumps across TCI has not been forthcoming. Cabinet requested that the matter be investigated further by the Energy Commissioner;
• Approved a request made by the developers of the Cooper Jack Development to waive royalties associated with the sand mining for maintenance dredging to be carried out in the first phase of dredging in the development. Approval was granted on the basis that it will kick start the development resulting in new employment, new recurring revenue for the Government and other related social and economic benefits and subject to the dredging being carried out within 12 months from the Planning approval for that dredging;
• Congratulated the Attorney General Hon. Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles who was named as the 2014 recipient of the Person of the Year award by the TCI Weekly News;
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
