JETBLUE CEO: AIRLINE INCLINED TO SERVE CARIBBEAN DESTINATIONS WITH LOWER TAXES
Robin Hayes, President & CEO of JetBlue Airways and keynote speaker at the Caribbean Tourism Organization's (CTO) State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC), held last week in Curacao, stunned his audience with a message to which few had paid much attention before. Hayes stated: "At JetBlue, we are very much thinking about the relative tax burden on our customers as we allocate capacity."
For countries that rely heavily on the air transportation of visitors for up to 70% of their GDP, few tourism planners in the Caribbean have ever considered examining their relative position within the region concerning taxes on airline tickets. Hayes pointed out that in the region "between U.S. and foreign (Caribbean) taxes and fees, travellers can easily be hit with an extra US$150 on top of their airfare."
According to figures provided by the trade association Airlines For America (A4A), of which JetBlue is a member, the average federal tax on a $300 airline ticket in the United States is $63, meaning that the airline receives only $237 from the ticket price. A cursory examination of Caribbean ticket taxes shows that they range from a low of $55 per ticket in the U.S. affiliated territories, up to $155 per ticket for others. In contrast, a $300 airfare to the Caribbean, depending on the destination, would result in airline yields from a high of $245 to a low of $145 per ticket. If a passenger has a budget of $300 per ticket, according to Hayes' reasoning and other factors being equal, the airline would be more inclined to serve those destinations that deliver far better yields for a given airfare.
It is an open secret in the region that airlines often request revenue guarantees from destinations before they commit to flights. Many of these guarantees come from the promotional budgets of the Tourist Boards which substantially reduce the capacity of those Boards to promote the destination in source markets. Hayes' revelations are prompting some countries to re-examine their air transportation policies as it would appear to be counterproductive to add taxes to airline tickets making the destination less competitive then paying those taxes out again in revenue guarantees to attract airlines. The matter is compounded in the region by a broad range of landing, ground handling and fuel costs that vary widely from country to country. Some conclude that it would be more productive to lower ticket prices and airline handling charges to make their destination more attractive and retain promotional funds to promote those more attractive airfares.
Emil Lee, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), was in attendance at the regional conference and pointed to the efforts of Airlines For America in working with some jurisdictions in the United States to hold the line on airline taxes after the association pointed out to the U.S. Congress that airline taxes on tickets had increased thirtyfold since 1972, and that further tax increases were threatening the 10 million jobs supported by commercial aviation. A4A was most recently successful in forcing the unbundling of airfares for customers to reveal how much of the airfare was received by the airline and how much was consumed by ticket taxes.
Lee noted: "While there is no Federal Government of the Caribbean, CHTA will do its part to inform Caribbean governments of their relative position concerning their taxes on tickets by publishing the chart below which shows the range of these taxes for a sample set of Caribbean destinations. We now know why there is no correlation between ticket prices and distances flown to and within the Caribbean," Lee added.
PDM SAYS MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS ARE NOT CRIMINALS
Leader of the Opposition Party the Hon. Sharlene Cartwright went on record as recent as a few months ago as to the need to remove the mentally ill from HM Prison.
In a release to the press this evening, the Shadow Minister is calling for the removal of juveniles from the prison. She said, "There must be proper facilities to address the needs of these two groups currently housed at HM Prison.
Last year, a mentally challenged inmate attacked several prison officers whilst they attempted to ensure he got his medical treatment. Several officers sustained injuries from this encounter and one lost sight in his eye permanently as a result of being stabbed with a sharp object. This incident resulted in no real changes, and the mentally ill continue to be held at HM Prison.
We believe that this incident exposed the Government to a lawsuit as it certainly exposed civil servants to harm having neither been trained nor required under their job descriptions to manage these persons. We had hoped that representations on this issue would have raised the profile and awareness of the challenge and that the Government would see it fit to address the matter.
Recently, the public has now become aware of a mentally ill patient who had been housed at the Prison in excess of 6 years and who passed away under circumstances that is causing even international bodies heads to turn. We are wondering when will the Government's head turn out of concern for the patients, the prison workers and this country's reputation?
Housing the mentally ill at a Prison is a sad state of affairs. Once again we see the need to call out the Government and ask them to address the need to care for all of our citizens especially our vulnerable citizens. Whilst we focus today on those that are committed to the Prison, this Government must do more to provide the resources needed to address the needs of the mentally challenged on the street, and those residing at home and presenting challenges. We commend the Department, like other Departments of Government, for the work it continues to attempt to do with so little.
This recent incident, whilst under investigation must speak to the hearts and minds of those in authority with the power to allocate funding to address this matter with urgency. We must see the risk to our civil servants who work at the Prison and also the rights of the patient who requires facilities that can adequately address their needs.
This present state of affairs cannot continue as is.”
That was the full text from the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon.Sharlene Robinson.
Rubio Scores Points, Trump Struggles at GOP Debate
Marco Rubio came out on the winning end of a testy exchange with his longtime friend Jeb Bush and had an overall solid performance, according to many analysts, after the third Republican presidential debate of the primary season Wednesday.
Rubio, the fresh-face Florida senator, and Bush, the former governor of the same state, were among 10 presidential hopefuls that sparred, mostly over economic policy, at the debate in Boulder, Colorado.
Bush, who was once seen as a favorite of the Republican establishment but whose campaign has struggled to gain traction, attacked Rubio early in the debate for missing what he said were too many votes in the Senate.
Rubio shot back quickly, accusing Bush of attacking him out of political expediency: "Someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you," Rubio said to the man who in the past served as his mentor.
The debate, broadcast on financial cable news channel CNBC, comes as real estate mogul Donald Trump appears to be losing his months-long grip on the race's frontrunner position.
Trump, the outspoken reality television star who now trails retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in several national polls, appeared more subdued and on the defensive, compared to previous debates.
Early on, Trump reacted angrily when a moderator asked whether his tax plans, which some say would cause deficits, and his proposal to build a border wall to keep out Mexican immigrants meant he was running a "comic book" presidential campaign.
"That's not a very nicely asked question the way you said that," said Trump. He went on to defend his tax proposal, saying it would ensure the U.S. economy "would take off like a rocket ship."
Carson, the soft-spoken political outsider, also fielded several attacks from rivals, including on his own tax plan, which he has said is inspired by the biblical concept of tithing.
"I didn't say the rate would be 10 percent. I used a tithing analogy.... the rate would be much closer to 15 percent," said Carson, an evangelical Christian. "You also have to get rid of all the deductions and loopholes."
Also at the debate were ex-Hewlett Packard executive Carly Fiorina, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, ex-Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.
HEALTH CONFERENCE ON GOING IN THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
REGIONAL bodies are in the TCI once again, taking part in another critical but informative health conference being held in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
The conference started in the TCI ten years ago and this year is celebrating there 10 year anniversary.
Chairman of the NHIP Mr. Drexwel Seymour is at the conference and gives us an insight into the discussions ongoing as well the speakers who are here.
Deputy Secretaries Return from CDB-Hoster Workshop
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands is pleased to inform the general public that Deputy Secretaries Mrs. Shonia Thomas-Been and Mr. Desmond Wilson recently returned from a CDB hosted workshop (in partnership with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank) entitled 'PPP Basics and Enabling Environment'.
In area of capital project delivery, PPP's are seen as better alternatives whenever they are expected, from the public's perspective, to bring forth more value-for-money than conventional public project delivery.
"Although PPP's generally deliver superior results, they are more complex to structure and implement than traditional public projects. One major constraint in progressing PPP's is the lack of multi-faceted technical capacity in governments to make well-informed decisions", said Mr. Wilson.
"Hence the three-part PPP Boot Camps for senior technical government staff intended to fill this gap, by improving the knowledge and skills of participants in all areas of PPPs. Themes covered ranged from policies and enabling environment, through to project preparation and finally transaction implementation and monitoring."
The initial three-day workshop was held at the CDB Headquarters, Barbados from September 28 – October 2, 2015. The two participants are expected to travel during the month of November to complete the second module entitled 'Building a PPP Business Case', which will be held at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Port of Spain, Trinidad. The third and final module 'Implementing PPP Projects' module will be in Jamaica, in January 2016.
When the remaining modules are completed, it is expected that regional governments will be sufficiently prepared to implement their own PPP programs, of course with support from the CDB's Regional Public-Private Partnership Support Facility and the networks that are being established during the training.
Both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning respectfully offer congratulatory remarks to team for their participation and continued hard work.
SOUTH CAICOS AIR SERVICES A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR THE GOVERNMENT
The recent degradation in flight service to the country's fishing capital, South Caicos, has raised much concern for the Government, especially as it relates to services between the island and Grand Turk.
The Premier, Dr. The Honourable Rufus W. Ewing spoke to these concerns during the recent sitting of the House of Assembly and has continued to engage the stakeholders in dialogue towards a resolution.
Commenting on the situation Premier Ewing expressed the following:
Your quoted text goes here!The Government is aware of the challenges currently experienced by residents and travelers to and from the island of South Caicos, due to the inadequacy of fire coverage as well as an inconvenient flight schedule between South Caicos and Grand Turk.
We have been in constant contact with the Airports Authority who has confirmed that while a new fire truck is currently on order, they are committed to finding an interim solution for reliable fire service in South Caicos while awaiting the delivery of the truck.
I have also been in dialogue with the operator of the scheduled airline into South Caicos on the issue of implementing a convenient flight schedule between South Caicos and Grand Turk and these talks are ongoing, however, the Government remains committed to resolving this critical issue with both the operator and the Airports Authority within the next few days.
We apologize to the community of South Caicos for the inconvenience of disruption in flight service and we wish to assure them, and the traveling public, that we are working diligently to resolve these issues in a timely manner.
Alcohol Awareness month begins in November
The Department of Mental Health & Substance Dependence (DMHSD) within the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services will observe Alcohol Awareness in the month of November.
The department hopes to increase public awareness and understanding about alcohol abuse, treatment, and other related issues, and to encourage people to evaluate their own drinking and determine if they need to change their habits. This November, DMHSD highlights the treatment and prevention of alcoholism with particular focus on underage drinking.
In a release to RTC news, Dr. Malcolm said that "Most people have a general sense of the negative impact of high-risk drinking, but may not realize how widespread and extensive the consequences are. In the neighboring United States, nearly 80,000 people die each year from alcohol-related causes, making it the third leading preventable cause of death. In addition, alcohol problems can cost governments billions each year, primarily from lost productivity, but also from health care and property damage costs. Problems such as these affect everyone, regardless of whether they drink or not."
She further added that "Underage drinking also carries significant consequences and needs to be reduced in order to ensure the future of Turks and Caicos Island’s (TCI) youth. Alcohol used by the youth is a serious issue and has association with traffic fatalities, violence, suicide, education failure, overdose, unsafe sex, even for people who may never develop a serious addiction. Alcohol is the number one drug choice for TCI’s youth, and has the potential to cause more deaths than all illegal drugs combined."
Reducing the underage drinking in TCI requires effort from everyone; parents, schools, community organizations, business leaders, government agencies, alcohol manufacturers/retailers, and the youth, especially when many young people starts at an early age.
With this year's theme, “For the Health of it: Early Education on Alcoholism and Addiction" the month of November will be filled with local events aimed at educating people about the treatment and prevention of alcoholism and encouraging individuals and families to get help for alcohol-related problems.
Activities being held by the Department of Mental Health & Substance Dependence include:
1) 7th Annual Inter-campus College Debate- November 6th 10:00 am at the TCI Community College, Grand Turk Campus
2) Alcohol screening at local Hospitals – November 9th. (Alcohol screening questionnaires will be administered, and counseling will be available on site).
3) Alcohol Free Weekend: November 13-15 (During this seventy-two-hour period, the DMHSD extends an open invitation to all persons residing in the Turks and Caicos Islands, to participate in three alcohol-free days. The goals are to raise awareness around alcohol-related diseases, and promote healthy lifestyle choices.
4) Airing of Daily Alcohol Facts
For further information on Alcohol Awareness Month, kindly contact the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence within the Ministry of Health and Human Services at: 338-3613 for Grand Turk, 338-4737 for Providenciales and 338-6301for South Caicos. You can find information on this and other initiatives on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TCIDMHSD .
C&W/LIME TCI Mission Day 2015
LIME Turks and Caicos celebrates Today as Mission Day 2015.
Mission Day, celebrated on October 29th is an initiative fostered by the parent company, Cable & Wireless, that provides an avenue to demonstrate the company's shared values.
In honor of Mission Day, the entire twenty-eight (28) members of LIME staff will participate in a community service activity at their adopted school, the Oseta Jolly.
LIME Turks and Caicos in a release said that they are committed to assisting with learning sessions and providing lunch for over five hundred students and teachers, among other treats.
The mission begins today at the Oseta Jolly Primary School, Blue Hills later this morning.
Caricom environment ministers meeting in St Lucia
Caribbean Community (Caricom) ministers and climate change negotiators began a two-day meeting here yesterday to fine-tune the region`s negotiating position ahead of the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP 21) to be held in Paris later next month.
The November 30 to December 11 conference forms part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCC).
The meeting here is a follow-up to a similar one held here in September and the organisers said the objective is to prepare the ministers to engage in the pre-COP meeting which will be organised by the COP Presidency in November.
"With just over one month before the start of COP 21 and on the heels of a climate negotiators preparatory meetings held earlier this month in Bonn, Germany, it is an opportune time for Caricom negotiators and ministers to be updated on the critical issues, especially those with implications for Small Island Developing States and to concretise position(s) going to Paris."
The ministers will be apprised of the state of climate change negotiations under the UNFCC for a new climate change agreement to be finalised at the COP 21.
The meeting here is being organised by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology, the High Level Support Mechanism and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre.
Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez to divorce
(CNN)-Halle Berry and husband of two years Olivier Martinez announced on Tuesday that they have split.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have come to the decision to divorce," the actors told CNN in a joint statement. "We move forward with love and respect for one another and the shared focus of what is best for our son. We wish each other nothing but happiness in life and we hope that you respect our and, most importantly, our children's privacy as we go through this difficult period."
The couple, both 49, married in July 2013 in a private ceremony in France. Berry announced in April of that year that she was expecting a baby with Martinez. Their son, Maceo, was born in October.
It was the third marriage for Berry, who had previously been wed to baseball player David Justice and singer Eric Benet. It was the first for Martinez, who had been linked to singer Kylie Minogue.
Martinez encountered trouble in January when the family was passing through Los Angeles International Airport. An airport employee alleged that the actor used a car seat to shove him out of their path. The employee later sued the couple, according to TMZ.
The French actor was by Berry's side during her bitter custody battle with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, the Canadian model who fathered her 7-year-old daughter Nahla. Amid the contentiousness, Martinez and Aubry had a fistfight in Berry's Hollywood driveway.
A former boxer and model, Martinez is best known for his role in the film "Unfaithful."
The Oscar-winning actress met Martinez on the set of the 2012 movie "Dark Tide."