WEATHER FOR THE NEXT 3 DAYS
GENERAL SITUATION: HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS THE ISLANDS GENERATING FRESH BREEZES
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF LARGE NORTHERLY SWELLS. BEACHGOERS AND SWIMMERS SHOULD REFRAIN FROM ENTERING THE WATERS BECAUSE OF RISK DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND ROUGH SURF. DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHILE TRAVERSING NORTHERN AND EASTERN COASTAL ROADS, ESPECIALLY THE FISHING HOLE ROAD IN GRAND BAHAMA AND THE GLASS WINDOW BRIDGE IN ELEUTHERA.
FOR ALL AREAS
WEATHER: VARIABLY CLOUDY AND A BIT BREEZY WITH THE CHANCE OF PASSING ISOLATED SHOWERS MAINLY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS THROUGH TONIGHT
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN OR NEAR PORT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF LARGE SWELLS.
WINDS: NORTH TO NORTHEAST AT 15 KNOTS BUT GUSTY AT TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS, 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS, 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS BUT UP TO 10 FEET IN NORTHERLY SWELLS ALONG ATLANTIC EXPOSED SHORELINES.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 82°F 28°C OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 68 °F 20°C
SUNRISE: 6:23 AM MOONRISE: 11:31 AM HIGH TIDE: 11:10 AM 11:39 PM
SUNSET: 5:23 PM MOONSET: 10:15 PM LOW TIDE: 5:45 PM 5:44 AM WED
EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS: HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS THE ISLANDS GENERATING FRESH TO MODERATE BREEZES AND LOW TO MID LEVEL TROUGHING IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ON THURSDAY. SWELLS WILL GRADUALLY BEGIN TO DISSIPATE AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE ATLANTIC MOVES FURTHER NORTHEAST.
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY WITH A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE
WINDS: NORTHEASTS TO EAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS FALLING 10 TO 15 KNOTS AT TIMES
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET OCCASIONALLY DIMINISHING TO 2 TO 4 FEET SEAS UP TO 8 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY SUBSIDING SWELLS
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN CLOUDS, SCATTERED SHOWERS, AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS BY AFTERNOON
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS GUSTY AT TIMES
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET WITH HIGHER GUSTS, SEAS UP TO 7 FEET IN SUBSIDING SWELLS
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS
Trump's closest aides summoned to testify about Capitol riot
The committee investigating the 6 January US Capitol riot has summoned more of former President Donald Trump's closest aides to give evidence.
Among the latest batch is a former White House press secretary, a senior policy adviser and personal assistants.
The inquiry is trying to find out if Mr Trump had foreknowledge of the attack.
A mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol building and disrupted the official certification of President Joe Biden's election victory.
Mr Trump was impeached by Congress, but cleared by lawmakers of inciting an insurrection. More than 670 people have been arrested for the invasion of the Capitol complex.
Mr Trump said in a statement on Tuesday that the subpoenas have been issued by a select committee of "politically ambitious hacks".
Sixteen of his closest aides have been subpoenaed - a legal summons - in the past two days as investigators hone in on the former president's inner circle.
Bennie Thompson, the Mississippi Democrat who chairs the House of Representatives Select Committee, said he wants to know every detail about what happened on 6 January, and in the days leading up to it.
"We need to know precisely what role the former president and his aides played in efforts to stop the counting of the electoral votes and if they were in touch with anyone outside the White House attempting to overturn the outcome of the election," he said in a statement.
Those subpoenaed should produce documents by 23 November, the committee said, and appear for closed-doors depositions from late November to mid-December.
Individual legal letters to the former officials detail why they are being summoned to testify:
Nicholas Luna, Mr Trump's personal assistant, was reportedly in the Oval Office on the morning of the riot, when he was on the phone to then-Vice President Mike Pence pressuring him not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary at the time, made a number of public statements falsely alleging fraud in the 2020 election, and was reportedly with Mr Trump as he watched the attack on television.
Stephen Miller, who was Mr Trump's senior adviser, "participated in efforts to spread false information about alleged voter fraud", according to the House Select Committee chairman.
John Eastman, lawyer and adviser who spoke at Mr Trump's rally outside the Capitol building on 6 January before the riot began. According to the legal letter, Mr Eastman also allegedly penned a memo entitled "war games" that outlined a six-point-plan to overturn the election days before the insurrection.
Chairman Thompson said the committee expects the witnesses to "comply fully" with the demand for information. However, Mr Trump - who has yet to concede losing the election to Mr Biden - previously told his allies to withhold documents from the investigation, citing executive privilege.
Several former officials followed his advice, including Steve Bannon, who is now facing contempt of Congress charges after he refused to comply.
Early on Tuesday, a federal judge in Washington DC rejected an emergency request by Mr Trump to keep the US National Archives from turning over White House records to the committee.
The issue is not fully decided, however, as the judge is still considering Mr Trump's argument that the documents are sensitive and protected by presidential executive privilege. A final decision is expected on Friday.
The other officials subpoenaed on Monday and Tuesday were:
Molly Michael, special assistant and Oval Office operations co-ordinator
Benjamin Williamson, deputy assistant to Mr Trump
Christopher Liddell, White House deputy chief of staff
John McEntee, White House personnel director
Keith Kellogg, Vice-President Pence's national security adviser
Cassidy Hutchinson, special assistant for legislative affairs
Kenneth Klukowski, former senior counsel to assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark
Bill Stepien, campaign manager
Jason Miller, adviser
Michael Flynn, former national security adviser
Angela McCallum, campaign aide
Bernard Kerik, former New York police department commissioner
Previously, the committee has also subpoenaed:
Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff
Dan Scavino, former deputy chief of staff
Kashyap Patel, former Pentagon chief of staff
Source-BBC
Kanye West wants to squash his beef with Drake
The bitter feud between Kanye West and Drake may finally come to an end.
After years of beefing, Ye extended an olive branch to Drizzy Monday night, inviting him to perform with him at an event on December 7 in Los Angeles. West offered the invitation during a social media video posted by Rap-A-Lot CEO J Prince.
"I’m making this video to address the ongoing back and forth between myself and Drake. Both me and Drake have taken shots at each other, and it’s time to put it to rest," Yeezy said. "I’m asking Drake on December 7 to join me on stage as a special guest to share the two biggest albums of the year, live in Los Angeles, with the ultimate purpose being to free Larry Hoover. I believe this event will not only bring awareness to our cause, but prove to people everywhere how much more we can accomplish when we lay our pride to the side and come together."
Hoover, a co-founder of Chicago’s Gangster Disciples gang, is currently incarcerated at ADX Florence in Colorado. Kanye mentions him on the Donda album.
After working together for years, the Kanye/Drake beef was ignited in 2018 when Pusha T accused the Champagne Papi of using a ghostwriter in the song "Infrared," which West produced. The feud continued since then, and this year, Drake disses Kanye on Trippie Redd's track, "Betrayal, "with the lyrics, "All these fools I'm beefin' that I barely know / Forty-five, forty-four (burned out) let it go / 'Ye ain't changin' for me, it's set in stone."
Kanye responded by posting, and then deleting, Drake's home address on Instagram.
Source-ABC
French Montana's new album features Drake, John Legend, Rick Ross and many more
French Montana has revealed the star-studded track list for his new studio album, They Got Amnesia, which drops Friday.
Drake, John Legend, Rick Ross, Ty Dolla $ign, Saweetie, Doja Cat, Lil Durk, Kodak Black, Latto, and the late Pop Smoke are featured on the 20-track project. This is the Moroccan born rapper's fourth studio album, following his self-titled Montana in 2019.
The album cover shows the 37-year old MC breathing through tubes, a reference to when he was rushed to a hospital on November 21, 2019 in Los Angeles suffering from an elevated heart rate. He was ordered to stay at home for 30 days for extensive bed rest.
French admitted that he paid the price that year for partying too much to celebrate his birthday, which is today, November 9.
“Life comes at you sometimes, get you down to your knees,” he said. “That’s what happened when you try to be too much of a rock star on your birthday. I turned up so much I ended up in the ICU.”
Source-ABC
Musk says company headquarters will move to Texas
Tesla has announced it will move its company headquarters to Texas from California.
Chief executive Elon Musk announced the move at the electric carmaker's annual shareholders' meeting in Austin.
Mr Musk had fallen out with local politicians in Alameda county, California, the location of a key Tesla factory, over its Covid response.
He gave several reasons for the move, telling shareholders its Californian factory in Fremont was "jammed".
California was also a difficult place for his employees to find affordable housing, he told shareholders.
"There's a limit to how big you can scale it in the Bay Area. In Austin our factory is like five minutes from the airport, 15 minutes from downtown," he said.
The billionaire technology entrepreneur has had an fractious relationship at times with California.
In May, Musk had a high profile spat with local politicians in California after he was ordered to keep Tesla's Fremont plant closed.
He tweeted: "Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately." However the move had not been confirmed until now.
Despite moving its headquarters, Mr Musk also said that the company planned to increase output from its California and Nevada factories by 50%.
"This is not a matter of, sort of, Tesla leaving California," he said.
Tesla is not the first company to move to Texas. In 2020, tech powerhouse Oracle announced it was moving from Silicon Valley to Austin.
Technology firm HP and carmaker Toyota have also moved their US headquarters to Texas from California.
California has stronger labour laws, and higher living costs and taxes than other states, while Texas is known for cheaper labour and less stringent regulation.
Mr Musk moved his home to Texas from California at the end of last year to focus on Tesla's new car manufacturing plant there.
His SpaceX rocket company has a launch site in the southern tip of Texas.
Source-BBC
Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2021/2022
Mr. Speaker, my fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders, Colleagues and those listening by way of radio and internet.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Mr. Speaker I rise today in support of this Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2021/2022. I would like to particularly mention a few areas of concerns and those that I am happy about. The first being Special Needs.
Mr. Speaker, for many years the area of special needs has been neglected. While I appreciate the strides that have been made, there is always more that can be done and should be done. Throughout these islands we have families who are struggling to get help for their children with special needs to the point where many resorted to leaving their homes to seek help abroad and without any financial support from government.
To this end, I am happy to see that this government is listening to the cries of the people and have allocated $150,000 to assist with overseas care for children with acute disabilities and also assist with bringing in specialist in speech, behaviour and development to provide these much needed services which are not available here in the TCI.
I am happy to also see that this government has begun the process of partnering with organizations such as the Ashley Learning Center and other schools that offer Special Needs Services.
SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS
Mr. Speaker on the issue of textbooks, I would like to remind the Oppositions Appointed Member that funding for the purchase of textbooks ceased under the former PDM administration. It is this government through our Minister of Education that has allocated funding to reintroduce the purchase of textbooks.
Thanks to this venture, parents who would otherwise purchase those expensive school textbooks from private entities can in short order purchase them through the Ministry of Education throughout the country.
LICENSE PLATES
Mr. Speaker it is also pleasing to see that the Department of Home Affairs and Transportation will receive funding for License Plates. For many of us all living on the island of Providenciales, we can attest to the large number of vehicles with no license plates. I am furthermore pleased that we will not only return to the pervious plates which were categorized under residential, private and rental but that we will have a proper system in place that will assist with the detection of crime.
COMMUNICATION AND PROTOCOL OFFICE
Mr. Speaker, It is also pleasing that we have begun the process of funding for the establishment of a Communications Directorate and Protocol Management Unit to address public concerns and to govern in a transparent way, which will in turn keep the public informed and updated on what this government is doing. This, Mr. Speaker, is another campaign promise being fulfilled.
JOB VACANCIES AND GOVERNMENT SALARIES
Finally, Mr. Speaker everyone who spoke today spoke about the alarming number of vacant positions within government that has not been filled. However, my view is different. Mr. Speaker while the recruitment process and Human Resource is not under the direct remit of elected government, I feel we can do more. As legislators it is incumbent on all of us to make representation and were necessary propose legislation to protect our Turks and Caicos Islanders in all aspects of employment.
Mr. Speaker, I personally applied for a government job before accepting this role and before being self-employed but got no response. Our Turks and Caicos Islanders are applying for the jobs in government over and over again and are getting no response. In addition, Mr. Speaker, another reason too is that the salaries are simply too low and we need to fight for better pay of our civil servants.
Mr. Speaker, we have persons in the services in this day and age still making $1600.00 per month, having to decide if they should pay rent or pay Fortis on any given month. Mr. Speaker, this is wrong. Working for the government is a noble profession and we will continue to lose good people and talent to the private sector if we do not fix this very soon.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that Turks and Caicos Islanders will remain uninterested in working for TCIG if we continue to overlook our local talents and recruit overseas to pay expatriates top dollar and allowances that will never be otherwise offered to our own people.
And Mr. Speaker to add insult to injury, it is our experienced Turks and Caicos Islanders that has to turn around and train that expat worker who came to this country and can now live more comfortably than us in our country on our dime. I am a true patriot of this country and I make no apologies in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, under previous PNP governments, millions have been spent on scholarships and I can assure you that we have qualified Turks & Caicos Islanders who can fulfil any role in government.
Mr. Speaker, my background is in Human Resources and until we get serious about recruiting our own people in government and placing them to the top key positions, it is hyprocritical to dictate to our private sector that they should hire Turks and Caicos Islanders especially in managerial positions. We have to lead by example.
I thank you.
Former pilots calling for outstanding severance payments
Former pilots with the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT, Tuesday called on the shareholder governments to assist in reaching a settlement regarding the outstanding severance payments owed to them.
President of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) Patterson Thompson speaking on Observer Radio here, said while the coronavirus (COVID-29) pandemic had complicated matters, some commitment should be made by the shareholder governments to meet the outstanding payments to the pilots.
He said the governments of Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, should join with the efforts being undertaken by Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne, as shareholder governments to deal with the situation.
“If you don’t want to join together with Mr. Browne’s efforts what can you do for us down there, you and Prime Minister (Dr. Ralph) Gonsalves (of St. Vincent and the Grenadines)?. And that’s the issue.
‘We talking about …slavery we going back 400 years, but this happened in 2020. Charity begins at home, let us come together as a Caribbean group and deal with the problem.
‘If you tell me I could pay the money over two or three years, I could probably live with that, but just cut us off at the knees, ankles…we served the country, all of us. Not only Bajans, not only Antiguans, there were Grenadians, Vincentians, St. Lucians, Kittians, Trinis, Guyanese,” Thompson added.
Last month, Prime Minister Browne appealed to Caribbean trade unions to re-think their positions regarding the latest offer made to laid-off workers of the airline.
Browne said what is required is the cooperation of the unions, noting that “some union leaders…are making unreasonable demands, making demands in which they have no legal basis to do.
‘As I have said to the other unions if they really think they are owed 100 per cent of their severance and staff liabilities, go to court and prove it. If they can’t prove it then the governments are giving you a compassionate payment, take it and run.”
The airline had laid off an estimated 90 per cent of its staff last year as part of a restructuring exercise and has resumed operations on a much smaller scale.
President of the Dominica-based Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU), Donald Rolle, said that the regional unions are united in seeking the millions of dollars owed to the workers and have rejected the latest offer from the shareholder governments.
“The offer on the table which is to pay the LIAT workers, 50 per cent of their redundancy pay and there is a component that involves compensation by issuing of lands and bonds. But the unions around the Caribbean have sort of rejected that in its entirety, but we are in negotiations with the governments. We have a position and as it is now, we are at opposite ends of the table,” Rolle said.
But another LIALPA executive member, Arian Blanchard, who also appeared on the radio programme, said while there has been an offer made to the workers, it is not in writing.
“We are a very responsible and caring executive. We are exploring all avenues to get the details we needed to clarify in the proposal and we did so as the president would have mentioned at a meeting with PM Browne and he clarified the details.
“But we cannot go back to our members and say the prime minister said. That’s hearsay. We have to have it in the proposal so we can take it back to our members at which point the members will make their decision to accept the offer. But we have to have that document and this is where we are right now,” Blanchard said.
He told radio listeners that there is the possibility of pilots and engineers “seeking employment overseas, if the matter is not settled soon.
“I speak to a lot of members all the time. Mentally it is taxing because most people would be responsible for their families and in some cases there are people who both of the bread winners were employed by LIAT,” Blanchard said.
Thompson dismissed suggestion that the airline pilots should take some of the blame for the demise of the airline, saying the airline’s management had taken some irresponsible decisions.
“LIAT has made mistakes over and over and over a period of time,” he said, recalling that the association had warned them against withdrawing from a certain route, which they subsequently ignored.
“And then when we went back into St. Thomas three days a week, the flights (were) three quarters. The pilots did not do that. We are sick of these people running with nonsense that has been fed out there,” he said, adding “the biggest problem with LIAT is that there was always political interference in the airline and was never allowed to run as an airline business”.
The airline is owned by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Last year, Browne said that a decision had been taken that would allow Barbados and SVG to turn over their shares in LIAT to Antigua & Barbuda for one EC dollar (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents).
Browne said that LIAT, under administration, had returned an operational profit for the months of July and August and that there is also evidence that a leaner, more efficient LIAT can be profitable.
Caribbean countries urged to build resilience to a new generation of shocks.
The World Bank Tuesday said that while Caribbean countries have made some progress, it is urging greater resilience efforts for the region as it deals with the impact of climate change and other shocks.
In a new report, the Washington-based financial institution said strengthening government efficiency, empowering households and businesses, and reducing future risks by improving spatial planning and natural coastal protection are some of the key recommendations to boost the Caribbean’s ability to bounce back from shocks.
The report titled “360° Resilience: A Guide to Prepare the Caribbean for a New Generation of Shocks,” also notes “the genuine progress of one of the world’s most natural hazard-prone regions in improving its resilience has so far often failed to produce inclusive economic growth”.
The report covers 17 Caribbean countries, indicating that a “more comprehensive approach to resilience can help tackle the challenges posed by climate change, new diseases and changing socioeconomic contexts”.
Senior economist at the World Bank, Julie Rozenburg, told Caribbean journalists at a virtual launch of the report that reliance is a “very complex topic and it is hard to identify one or two priorities that countries can do.
“Unfortunately it has to happen across all actors and sectors and so it is really something that is a culture that countries have to build over time that is already present in the Caribbean because of the unique situation in which the region has been impact.
“So there has been already some cultural resilience, but I think it needs to be made much more present now (as) risks are intensifying,” Rozenburg said, adding “and so every actor that needs to be aware of the options available to react to shocks”.
She said governments also have a role to play in providing the right information to everyone in the country.
Disaster risk management specialist, Melanie Simone Kappes added that it is really a topic that is multi-dimensional “and it needs to bring everyone together.
“The objective of the report was to bring as much as possible information and findings and recommendations…and I think at this point the next step is to go into more depth on a country level and see how …that can support country’s specific actions”.
The report was prepared with support from the European Union in the framework of the Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.
It focuses on the different affected parties, from governments to individuals, to help countries in the region understand current strengths and weaknesses across sectors, and identify priorities for building resilience to a new generation of shocks.
“Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of natural disasters. Other shocks, like the COVID19 pandemic, have made it clear that greater efforts are needed,” said Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, Vice President of Latin America and Caribbean Region, World Bank.
“For the Caribbean, a region already vulnerable to external shocks, now is the time to better prepare for the natural disasters of the future,” he added.
The World Bank said so far this year, hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes, and threats of volcanic eruption have undermined Caribbean economies and livelihoods.
“Governments and the private sector, who understand well how vulnerable the region is to these threats, have got better at preparing for them. The major damage natural hazards cause to infrastructure and private sector activity are short-lived thanks to mechanisms in place to help economies recover rapidly.
“Governments have made great strides in investing in disaster preparedness, disaster risk financing, and regional early warning systems,” the World Bank noted.
But the report warns that prior resilience strategies and efforts will not be enough to handle new and intensifying challenges, given the volatility posed by climate change, environmental degradation and changes in tourism demand.
For example, it notes that the number of people exposed to floods in the region has increased 70 per cent between 2000 and 2020 and will keep rising with climate change, while 72 per cent of infrastructure assets are exposed to at least two hazards.
Furthermore, under a moderate climate change scenario, the report states that 13 per cent of seaside hotels could experience beach loss by 2050 due to sea level rise, and in some countries annual coastal protection costs could consistently exceed five per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).
“The long-term progress achieved by most Caribbean countries despite their high exposure to shocks is commendable,” said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Country Director for Caribbean countries, adding however, with the socioeconomic pain caused by the pandemic, the region is even more exposed.
“Despite progress, many countries in the region are constrained by high debt levels, poverty and human capital development challenges. These issues leave little room for increased government spending, but adaptation efforts are imperative to avoid more serious economic impact in the future,” she said.
In this context, the report stresses how these new challenges need a holistic approach to resilience across all sectors and actors, including innovation with technology. It recommends “a more consistent approach”, building on “strong institutions, robust analytics and more transparent prioritization”
Rozenberg said the report developed a traffic light system to help focus and prioritize actions, identify gaps, facilitate target setting, and monitor progress across the multiple aspects of resilience. It suggests a framework that governments and organizations can use to assess their resilience efforts.
Asked what quantum of finances regional governments should set aside in order to ensure the implementation of the recommendations in the report, the World Bank senior economist said that it is more than just setting aside some money to response to the shocks.
“I think it is also investing now in reducing risks rather than being just prepared to respond to future risks,” she said, noting that funds could be put into “just maintaining infrastructure assets and making sure they…are stronger…and that she be a priority for example”.
While this 360-degree approach to resilience needs to be tailored to each country’s specific context and chosen pathway toward recovery, the report urges Caribbean governments to focus on three main areas to boost resilience and better prepare for the shocks and stresses of the future.
The first is increasing government efficiency by improving investment management and infrastructure maintenance, clarifying procurement rules, allocating budgets transparently, layering risk financing strategies, and giving greater attention to data and digitization.
The second is empowering households and the private sector by increasing both the coverage and adequacy of social protection, strengthening worker skills, improving access to finance, and facilitating access to risk information.
The third is reducing future physical risk by protecting natural barriers, better enforcement of building codes, systematically considering emerging and changing risks, and planning to build back better after-shocks.
US Embassy postpones all visa appointments in Haiti
The Embassy of the United States here, has announced the postponement of all visa appointments until Friday, November 12.
In making the recent announcement, US officials said the Embassy remains open to services for US citizens in the French speaking Caribbean nation
“Pease avoid unnecessary travel and remain vigilant as the security situation continues to be highly unpredictable,” the Embassy officials stated.
”As a reminder, Haiti has a Level 4 “Do not travel Advisory for kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest.”
The travel advisory for Haiti, available at travel.state.gov, notes that kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.
The Embassy noted that those deciding to travel and/or remain in Haiti should carefully consider the information available on travel.state.gov regarding the extremely high risk of the kidnapping threat in Haiti.
US citizens have been warned to avoid all non-essential travel to Haiti; while those in the country should use extreme caution when traveling; they should avoid demonstrations and crowds, avoid driving through roadblocks, monitor local media and practice contingency plans for shelter in place and/or accessing airports.
Source-CMC
Why Are There So Many Job Vacancies Right Now?
Mr. Speaker, Between the commencement of the new financial year in March and November of this year, according to the figures in the supplementary appropriations, there were over $3,43,281 unspent funds due to job vacancies that are waiting to be filled. This represents some 387 positions. This has to be the highest number of job vacancies at any one time on record for the Government.
Mr. Speaker, despite many claims of extensive advertising, job vacancies are just not being filled quick enough, so why is this? One has to ask, “are these Jobs really needed? And if the Ministries, Departments, and Units could have functioned Eight months with the vacant positions not being filled, are they really necessary for the work to get done?
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing some 64 vacant positions in the Police Force, with 20 of those post being actively recruited at this moment.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, I spoke to many persons who had applied for jobs in the Public Service, and for the most part, they heard nothing back, regardless of whether or not being reasonably Qualified, or as with some who are highly qualified for the advertised positions. Nonetheless, the disclaimer that is always given is that; “Only successful candidates will be notified.” So the individuals wait for months wondering if the process is taking this long awaited length of time, or if they were not successful.
Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, headlines are flaunting a record number of job openings, both in the Public and Private Sector. Government Ministers have boasted in the House of Assembly about the amount of Jobs in the Public Service. Many employers, including the government, are saying they are doing everything in their power to entice potential employees.
Mr. Speaker, for persons who are seeking jobs, and those looking for better jobs, the situation just does not make sense — there is an incongruity between what they are hearing about jobs and what is actually happening.
For some of the jobs available in the public Service, it was said that people who have applied did not have the right skills, nor all the qualifications they are looking for. On the other hand they are hearing that they lack the desired years of experience.
In some cases, there are a host of perfectly acceptable candidates and jobs out there, but for a multitude of reasons, they are just not being matched Mr Speaker. There is a disconnect somewhere. Mr speaker, where there is a Turks Islander with the skill sets and experience they should be promoted to the position, and not have the position advertise and force the local to compete with persons outside the Turks and Caicos. Mr speaker in the USA or Canada the local residents are given priority over someone from another country for jobs. And Mr. Speaker if the local is not sufficiently qualified he/she can still be promoted on a probationary basis and encourage to pursue the necessary educational opportunities to upgrade him/herself.
Mr Speaker the notion that Turks Islanders do not have the experience and being denied a job is an injustice. How will they get the experience if not given a chance in their own Country? Mr speaker in some departments over 50% of the posts are expatriates, when their tenure comes to an end, locals are not moving up. The post is re advertised and another person from outside is recruited. Mr Speaker what should happen is that for every position that has an expatriate, there should be a Turks Islander shadowing that person, so by the time he/she leaves, the local will have the experience and the skill sets to do the job.
Hence Mr. Speaker, we are seeing a disconnected environment that does not add up, though it feels like it should. The Department of Labor Statistics says there are a large number of workers who are unemployed, but the Government is also says there are a record number of jobs available. There must be a disconnect somewhere Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the rate at which unemployed people are getting jobs is lower than it was pre-pandemic, and it is now taking much longer to hire people. The evidence speaks for itself Mr. Speaker, it is presented here today in this supplementary appropriations booklet printed in red. Therefore Mr. Speaker, as much as Ministries and departments say that they are looking hard for employees, but they may not be looking in the right places, or in the right ways, or presenting the right inducements. Perhaps HR personnel in the Ministries and Departments are leaning too heavily on technology to weed out candidates, or they are just not being creative enough in terms of how they consider applications, and what criteria is used to determine whether or not a candidate is the right fit.
Making things worse, Mr. Speaker, both the Public Service and private companies have the tendency to add to job descriptions rather than subtract from them, meaning job requirements have ballooned beyond people’s ability to actually meet them.
Mr speaker one of the reasons why the Government have so many vacancies is because there is no succession in place. If the law has to be changed to ensure this is possible then let us do so to ensure our locals are not disenfranchised. Mr speaker another reason why these posts are not being filled is because some salaries are too low. The work load and the salaries are not equal. The cost of living in the TCI is high, and getting higher. That’s a fact! therefore people must be properly compensated for the job that they are doing. Mr Speaker the cost of recruiting someone from overseas is 2x higher than doing so locally. Also to attract expatriates we are willing to pay them housing, and other benefits but not offer the same for a Turks Islander who is applying locally. Mr Speaker we are not looking out for our local when we continue to allow this to happen.
Mr. Speaker I also think that the existing hiring and recruiting systems are also not good at understanding what a person might have the potential to do. I will give the example of a former Police Officer applying for jobs as a Prison Officer and an Immigration Officer. While the Police Officer would be perfectly capable of doing the technical part of the job, if they didn’t have the required Exam Passes, of the necessary training in customer service, they might be overlooked, even if they actually are a good fit for the job.
Mr. Speaker, it appears that People are expected to come onto the job and have the experience, have the skills, have everything, but few people do, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it appears that the endless quest to make hiring efficient has rendered it inefficient. Candidates who are great fits for ninety percent of the job are screened out, and not shortlisted, because they are not perfect for the other ten percent.
Mr. Speaker, we need these jobs filled, and filled now. We need not to be back here in the next few months with many jobs still being unfilled, and some millions of dollars being taking from personal emoluments, because it was unspent, due to positions not being filled. Many of our People are looking for jobs, and there are many jobs available.
The bottleneck that is preventing the timely filling of these jobs must be identified and eliminated immediately. Though I do not blame the Premiere and his Cabinet for creating the occurrence, I would surely call them into question if it is not rectified immediately.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot Leave our people where they are, we must change their reality, and get them on jobs that they so greatly need and deserve, let’s put our people first.
Hon Edwin A. Astwood
Leader of the Opposition