Grace Bay Comes Alive December 26
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos - Wednesday, December 09, 2015 -
Grace Bay Road will come alive December 26, 2015 when TCHTA hosts its 6th annual Boxing Day Maskanoo event along the tourist stretch.
The cultural event which has the full support of the Ministry of Tourism will once again give residents and visitors an opportunity to enjoy a street party directed by David Bowen, Maskanoo parade groups, island food and entertainment from a line up of local artistes. In collaboration with Smart Choice, the Maskanoo iPhone 6S raffle will be drawn at 11pm at the event, with 99 cents tickets available for purchase before the event at Smart Choice located at the Alice & Alice Plaza.
TCHTA's Association Executive Stacy Cox noted, "The Association continues to strengthen its relationship with TCIG and this is evident through the $10,000 sponsorship donation made by our Platinum sponsor the Tourist Board. We are delighted with the response from the Ministry of Tourism and encourage all other corporate partners to come on board to ensure that the destination's biggest cultural event is a success.
Cox add, "Vendors are asked to contact Maskanoo's management team at the TCHTA office located at the Saltmills to secure their spot and we remind persons that illegal vending and the selling of masks will not be permitted. David Bowen and his team will also be working closely with Dove Security and the Royal Police Force who will be patrolling the area to ensure the safely of all patrons."
RT&CIPF News Release
Members of the public are encoraged to review the most recently available News Release from the Royal TCI Police Force.
News Release
PDM BRINGS MOTION TO INVESTIGATE TOLCO
During a recent meeting of the House of Assembly, Hon Goldray Ewing led a Private Member’s Motion recommending the establishment of a Select Committee to investigate the sale and agreement between TCIG and TOLCO (The purchasers of TC Invest Loans). This Motion was seconded by the Hon Clarence Selver.
In presenting this Motion, Hon Ewing spoke to the dismantling of TC Invest and the sale of loans declared non - performing to TOLCO (The Outstanding Loan Company). He stressed the need for this to done in an effort to see if any relief can be brought to the home owners who are suffering at the hands of a heavy handed debt collector. He called on all members to feel for their fellowmen and to support the Motion. Unfortunately all members did not support this Motion and the Premier together with three other members of his Cabinet (Hon R D Gardiner, Hon George Lightbourne and Hon Amanda Missick) absent themselves from the Chamber before the vote.
Governor’s Appointed Member Hon John Phillips stated in his contribution that he could not support the Motion because he wished to see recommendations as to what should be done. In a rebut, his fellow Governor’s Appointed Member, the Hon Lillian Misick in strong support and a former member of the TC Invest Staff also supported this Motion and stated that there must be an investigation first before recommendations can be made.
The debate saw limited contributions from members from the Government with the MOF being the sole speaker. He sought to blame the PAC for not recommending this investigation when the Audit Report laid on the Table by himself included this recommendation from the Auditor General. Hon Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, Chair of the PAC corrected him and stated that “following Hearings of the PAC, the PAC Report was laid on the Table and that further to this she and the entire PAC endorsed and supported that a full investigation should be carried out in its Report as they endorsed and supported the recommendations of the Auditor General.
During her contribution, the Chair of the PAC quoted from the Audit Report the following information and noted that this information ought to have prompted the Government to act.
The Auditor General’s Report stated as follows:
“No proper due diligence or tendering procedures followed in relation to non-performing loans – HR.” As it relates to the timeline, “In 2012/13 loans identified as non-performing were sold to TOLCO. A timeline of circumstances surrounding this sale were as follows:
30 July, 2012 – TOLCO was registered/formed
August, 2012 - A Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) between TCIG, Turks & Caicos Islands Investment Agency (TC Invest) and TOLCO was entered into for the sale and purchase of identified non-performing loans due to TC Invest.
September, 2012 - TC Invest was dissolved and TCIG agreed to accept the rights and obligations of TC Invest under the SPA
October, 2012 – Ordinance 33 of Public Procurement Ordinance was made on this day. The non-performing loan portfolio sold by TC Invest to TOLCO was listed as $7.7M. The purchase price payable by TOLCO (buyer) to TC Invest (seller) was 40% of all loan capital and interest received/collected. There was no up-front payment. TC Invest retained beneficial ownership in 40% “of the land shares created by the Security Documentation in relation to the Portfolio”.
The Auditor General stated, “…It is not clear how the valuation was determined. Only 40% of the total receivable balance was recorded in TCIG’s accounts i.e. $2.8M. However, this amount is approximately $250K less than 40% of $7.7M. .As at 31st March, 2014 a total of approximately $92K was received from TOLCO. The funds collected by TOLCO and shared with TCIG so far appear to be in the ordinary course of collections and not by way of foreclosure sales.
As it relates to the directorship of the company, the Auditor General stated that he had “expressed serious concern with this arrangement” particularly since 2 of the 3 directors of a company owning 42.5% of TOLCO either have been or are the subject of a series of alleged questionable dealings in relation to fraud, accounting improprieties among other matters. Reputational risk is therefore considered high and should be considered in relation to the SPA. It was his finding that “A proper process was not conducted to ensure that the owners were experienced and specialized in debt recovery. No proper due diligence was done to ensure that there was no conflict of interest or at a minimum have any conflicts declared. No proper due diligence was done to ensure that the companies with whom TCIG representatives engage in have a good reputation especially in large commercial contracts”.
The Auditor General, “A review was initiated by the NAO during 2014 and a further full special audit is anticipated to be done but lacks the resources needed to do so”.
Unfortunately, no resources have still been made available and though this Motion has successfully passed, the Select Committee has not yet been appointed by the Speaker, Hon Robert Hall. The PDM has since reminded the Speaker in the House of Assembly and has reduced our concerns in writing.
'Gods of Egypt' Studio and Director Apologize for White Cast
Gods of Egypt director Alex Proyas apologized for casting mostly white actors in his upcoming film based on Egyptian mythology.
The filmmaker and studio Lionsgate issued separate statements on Friday acknowledging the controversy sparked by the release of the film’s first trailer two weeks ago, featuring a cast led by Scottish actor Gerard Butler and Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
Australian director Proyas, who was born in Egypt, said it is clear that their casting choices should have been more diverse.
Lionsgate also said they are deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of their audiences and pledged to do better.
Gods of Egypt also stars actor Chadwick Boseman, an African American, and actress Elodie Yung, who is French-Cambodian.
“We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed,” read Lionsgate’s statement, first reported by Forbes. “In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity.”
This self-aware response, issued well in advance of the film’s Feb. 26 release, comes on the heels of recent whitewashing controversies surrounding films like Exodus: Gods and Kings, and Aloha.
Selma director Ava DuVernay took note of the anomaly on Twitter.
“This kind of apology never happens — for something that happens all the time,” wrote DuVernay on Friday. “An unusual occurrence worth noting.”
Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and King, which featured Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Ramses, was criticized last year for its predominantly white cast.
Director Ridley Scott brushed off condemnations at the time, blaming the model of financing Hollywood movies for his choices. He told trade publication Variety that he would not be able to get the film financed by casting “Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such.”
“It’s always art against economics,” Scott told The Associated Press last December. “As soon as you’re at the higher levels of budgeting, you’ve got to get the film made and the only way to support the film is to have actors who can support the budget.”
Earlier this year, Cameron Crowe’s romantic dramedy Aloha drew similar public disapprovals for casting Emma Stone as a character who is supposed to be of Chinese, Hawaiian and Swedish descent.
In a June message posted on his website, TheUncool.com, Crowe explained that the character was always intended to be someone frustrated that she lacked outward signs of her ethnicity, while also apologizing to those who felt it was “an odd or misguided” choice.
“So many of us are hungry for stories with more racial diversity, more truth in representation,” added Crowe. “I am anxious to help tell those stories in the future.”
Hollywood has a long tradition of casting white actors as other ethnicities, but lately the practice is not going unchallenged and is often put under scrutiny as soon as castings are announced, as was the case with Joe Wright’s Pan, where Rooney Mara played Tiger Lily.
An outright apology prior to a film’s release in the case of Gods of Egypt is perhaps a sign that currents are changing.
As Blacklist founder Franklin Leonard noted on Twitter, Proyas’ and Lionsgate’s apologies are both “too little, too late” and also “kinda remarkable.”
TCHTA Launches "Hello Tourist" Initiative
This week TCHTA launched its "Hello Tourist" initiative aimed at educating local students, both at the primary and secondary level, about the destination's tourism product.
The initiative which proves that residents can enjoy the destination as domestic tourists through dining at restaurants, enjoying the attractions or spending a staycation at our hotels, saw the students from Wesley Methodist, Enid Capron, Provo Primary, Osetta Jolly, Richmond Hills, Precious Treasures, Ianthe Pratt and Shining Star visiting Automotive Art, Dive Provo as well as six (6) hotels throughout Providenciales. The participating hotels, Seven Stars, The Palms, Beaches, Gansevoort, The Somerset and Sands on Grace Bay hosted each school for half an hour with The Palms treating the "Tourists for the Day" to lunch on both days.
Executive Director of TCHTA Stacy Cox said, "The lesson we wanted the kids to take away from this experience is that they can enjoy our destination just like any tourist travelling from overseas do and we wanted to show them how important the tourism product is to the development of the nation."
Cox added, "Our "Hello Tourist" initiative allowed the students to experience Providenciales through the eyes of a tourist, in the hope that they develop a greater appreciation for the industry and claim it as their own, as they grow to become our future tourism ambassadors. We hope that our "Tourists for a Day" become advocates for the industry and in turn educate their peers about the endless possibilities the sector has to offer. Taking ownership of the industry will see them doing more, like avoiding littering and criminal activity, thus ensuring that the destination remains one of the leading destinations in the region."
TCHTA extends a special thanks to the participating schools and to its members who welcomed the students with open arms on November 23 and 24, allowing the initiative to be possible.
Gods of Egypt
In this spectacular action-adventure inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, the survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero Bek (Brenton Thwaites) undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. In order to succeed, he must enlist the help of the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens, both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the epic final confrontation.
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December 1st is World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day is held on the 1st December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in back in 1988.
This year, the AIDS department says it will focus on more promotions and preventative drives that will be supported by local media as well as community mobilization, which aims to increase the number of people with HIV knowing their status.
During the Health Matters show held last evening on RTC, Aldora Robinson Health Coordinator told us the plans for this years World AIDS day in the Turks & Caicos.
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AIDS Cordinator Aldora Robinson
Trinidadian representative assisting rapport and the AIDS department Salorne McDonald explained this years world theme to last nights host.
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Salorne McDonald.
While the aim is getting to zero tolerance by 2030, Robinson says there is much to be done and cited manpower as one of the challenges.
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You can hear the repeat of Health Matters at 10am this morning.
The Turks & Caicos AIDS Awareness foundation will kick off a cocktail party at the West Deck of the 7 Stars this evening at 6:30pm. Patrons are encouraged to wear red and the event will attract a fee to enter.
The Public Service Must Lead Part 2
Following on from part 1 where I discussed the Public Service leading on employment practices, another area it must also lead is Remuneration Equity. While the much touted Pay and Grading Scheme has been implemented, there still remains Remuneration Inequity throughout the Civil Service. Presently you have four Major Groups of Civil Servants: The first are the Permanent Secretaries (PS) and Deputy Permanent Secretaries (DPS) that are on 3-5 year contracts with huge but fixed salaries. By all indications they do not get a gratuity or end of contract bonus; the second group is first and second time contract holders primarily made up of foreign nationals. Their terms include at least a 15% gratuity on successful completion of contract, duty exemption on the import of a vehicle and other goods within the first six months of employment, round trip tickets for them, spouse and two to three children where applicable, Housing allowance the for duration of their contract, plus vehicle, telephone and other allowances as applicable to the post. Additionally, they have an option to go on "Local Terms" after completion of two contracts;
The third and likely smallest of the four groups is Locals joining the service before April 1992 when the National Insurance Scheme was introduced. They are eligible for 10-15% of their pension to be converted as gratuity on leaving the service, though it was the intention during the Interim Administration to phase out that provision over time. Still that gratuity is not a "True" Gratuity as in the case of Contract Officers. That's pretty much it! There however is the possibility for group 3 to receive allowances if applicable to the Post or in the case of Housing if they are transferred to another island not designated as your home base; the forth and biggest group is locals joining the service after April 1992. They get their employment terms and in the majority of cases are not eligible for any allowances. Clearly there is not remuneration equity in the civil service which is essentially set up like a caste system where some will have and will continue to benefit more than others.
Before I move on to possible solutions for the above, can we please eliminate the terminology "Local Terms" from our lexicon! It harkens back to an era long passed and just highlights the unfairness of the employment of Turks and Caicos Islanders whom are in a less beneficial position than others within our own public service. Yet we wonder why we are treated the way we are in both the public and private sector as second and third class when successive Governments have sanctioned it by the simple use of the words and meaning of "Local Terms".
So, what are the Solutions??
Solution 1. Cut out true gratuity for all contract workers and use the savings to introduce an award and performance bonus scheme for all civil servants to benefit. As argued from my TCICSA days, the scheme can be tied to performance appraisal targets and issued every two to three years once a majority of targets have been met for consecutive years by employees. The greater the number of years of consecutive great works the bigger the payout. The scheme can be applied to both contract and non-contract workers. The only consideration to this would be whether Heads of Departments and above should be eligible given their already high salaries. Should the decision be made for it to be applied to PS's and DPS's, the Minister for which they are serving and the Deputy Governor should conduct the appraisal to establish how effective they were in carrying out the agenda of the Government of the Day.
This solves a huge part of the inequity for the largest group of the four made up of primarily Turks and Caicos Islanders. The bonus also provides an immediate investment opportunity for civil servants either as individuals or as a group should they wish to do so. Simply, a person should not have to wait until the end of their career to find a post retirement investment when they can build their nest egg throughout their years of service. Starting a fund with an initial five million dollars and adding two to three million dollar in subsequent years, the investment arm of an Organisation such as the National Insurance Board could invest and grow it, which would make the program viable for years to come. This is an alternate to leaving the funds to be generated by the recurrent revenue each year which would leave it open to year to year fiscal shocks.
Solution 2. Simply put everyone in TCIG on Contract and let the terms be the terms, equal across the board. In the year 2015, the civil service is not looked at as a lifelong career option as in days of old. Between present bottlenecks in upward mobility and lack of long term benefits, any potential employee will always kept their options open for a possible move to the private sector. There is nothing wrong with that either as sometimes you have to move over in order to move up. The notion that having all persons on contract will result in continuity issues is folly because at any point a person could leave their current post as is, whether through promotion within TCIG, a new job in the private sector, study leave, or death. In all cases it's next man up. Several benefits will manifest however. Greater efficiency will result as all persons will be working towards their next contract i.e. if you hit your targets you stay and are rewarded accordingly, if not you go. Think about a Basketball Player in a Contract Year, they often produce their best statistics as they are seeking a new contract. The same would apply here as well. Also, this forces the development of greater continuity because persons could leave at any time and the next person or persons would have to step in. This would put an end to the current phenomenon that departments cannot function if the Head is on vacation or isn't available.
To conclude, if an Organisation which is led by a majority of Turks and Caicos Islanders cannot lead and implement these simple things, how are we going to lead in the complex areas which are associated with moving the TCI towards Independence?? That's why the Public Service must lead!!
- Jamell Robinson
Warriors Crush Lakers
OAKLAND, Calif. -- On Tuesday night crazy was a mild way to describe what happened to the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.
The Golden State Warriors finally closed the gap between speculation and history by crushing the visiting Lakers 111-77, which was pityful to watch. The warriors have 16 straight wins to open their season, the Warriors own the NBA’s best ever start.
Golden State is the third team in major American pro sports to win this many games from the jump. As if a 67-win season and championship wasn’t enough, the Warriors keep reaching new heights.
“It feels great, especially the way we did it,” interim coach Luke Walton said after the win. Tuesday night showcased the Warriors as they aspire to be: sharing the ball and racking up 25 assists before fourth-quarter. On one illustrative play, Andre Iguodala caused aKobe Bryant turnover, leading to an open fast-break layup for Stephen Curry -- with nobody in sight.
That’s Golden State when they’re clicking: a team that lives up to sports clichés that are supposed to be myths.
The Sports Watch team will try to make sense of the Warriors later this evening.
UEFA Team of the Year announced
European champions Barcelona featured prominently in the 40-man shortlist for the UEFA Team of the Year
announced yesterday.
Barca, who claimed their fifth European title after beating Juventus 3-1 in June’s Champions League final, have eight representatives with the Serie A champions accounting for six.
Cristiano Ronaldo was included in the shortlist for the 12th straight time, having been named in the final 11 last year for a record eighth successive season.
Bayer Le-verk-usen’s Turkish midfielder Hakan Cal-hano-glu, 21, was the youngest player to make the list with veteran Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon the oldest at 37.
Internet users have until January to register their votes on the UEFA website, with the Team of the Year revealed three days later.