Cuban government approves limited SMEs
The government of communist Cuba has given the green light for small and medium enterprises to start operating on the island, a measure long-awaited by the private sector that is ever-more present in the local economy.
The measure was adopted in principle by Cuba's council of ministers, its highest executive body, but has to be written into law and will be limited to certain economic sectors, according to the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, Granma.
It follows Cuba's move earlier this year to authorise private enterprise in a bid to boost its economy and create jobs, though that was limited to individual entrepreneurs, not businesses.
Some 600,000 people on the island of 11.2 million people work in the private sector -- some 13 per cent of the workforce. Most work in hotels, restaurants, transportation and tourist accommodation.
Millions of people work for the government, but the exact number is not known.
Cuba began timidly opening up to private capital in the 1990s before fuller authorisation in 2010, followed by a boom after the historic warming of ties with Cold War rival the United States under then-president Barack Obama.
The country is battling its worst economic crisis in 30 years, fuelled by toughened sanctions under the administration of Donald Trump and the fallout from the coronavirus crisis, which has hit its crucial tourism sector hard.
With this decision, we approve the way to organise economic actors, far beyond the simple recognition of some of them," Granma on Wednesday quoted President Miguel Diaz-Canel as saying.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero added the "expansion of activities" of the private sector "does not lead to a process of privatisation because there are limits not to be exceeded."
Some activities will remain off-limits for SMEs, such as "computer programmer, accountant, translator and interpreter, veterinarian, designers and certain types of consulting firms", he added.
John Kavulich, president of the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, said the latest move "expands the engagement landscape for the Biden Administration... to authorising individuals and companies in the United States to deliver direct investment and direct loans to the re-emerging private sectors located throughout the Republic of Cuba."
The Cuban government, he added in a press statement, "has delivered a significant decision which can rekindle the interest in the Republic of Cuba by United States companies.
The reforms represent a major ideological shift in a country where the government and its affiliate companies have monopolised most of the economy since 1961.
Source-AFP
Biden to announce details of global distribution of 80 million COVID shots
US President Joe Biden will announce within days the details of a plan to export 80 million coronavirus vaccine doses to other countries "without any political strings attached," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
"In a few short days, in fact possibly as early as tomorrow, the president is going to announce in more detail the plan that he put together to push out 80 million vaccines around the world," Blinken said at the US embassy in San Jose on his last day of a Latin American visit.
"We're going to do that in coordination with Covax... based on science and needs... without any political strings attached," the top US diplomat said, referring to the global vaccine-sharing program.
Biden recently announced a plan to release 20 million more doses over six weeks, bringing the total earmarked for shipping out by the end of June to 80 million.
The boost followed pressure on the Biden administration from other governments to use the United States' large vaccine surplus to help struggling countries, now that significant progress has been made in rolling out vaccinations at home.
The initiative also seeks to address concerns that Moscow and Beijing have been taking advantage of the worldwide crisis to spread influence through distribution of their own inoculations in a so-called "vaccine diplomacy" contest.
Biden has said the move would seek to reclaim "American leadership" in the global fight against the pandemic.
Source-AFP
The Heat is On.
GENERAL SITUATION: BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY USHER IN DRIER CONDITIONS ALONG WITH MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS AROUND THE COUNTRY
THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS AND RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN VIGILANT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT OR TORNADIC ACTIVITY. BEACHGOERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO
EXERCISE CAUTION ALONG EAST COAST BEACHES DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.
THERE REMAINS A RISK OF FLOODING DURING PROLONGED RAINFALL IN LOW-LYING AND FLOOD-PRONE AREAS.
AREA: ALL AREAS
WEATHER: VARIABLY CLOUDY AND A BIT BREEZY WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THE CHANCE OF FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
THURSDAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURE: 86°F / 30°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE: 73°F / 23°C
SUNRISE: 6:20 AM
SUNSET: 7:55 PM
MOONSET: 2:19 PM
MOONRISE: 2:53 AM FRI.
LOW TIDE: 9:45 AM
HIGH TIDE: 4:00 PM
LOW TIDE: 10:11 PM
HIGH TIDE: 4:11 AM FRI.
EXTENDED FORECAST (FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS): HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING WILL CONTINUE BUILDING NORTH OF THE BAHAMAS MAINTAINING MODERATE TO FRESH, EAST
TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS AROUND THE ISLANDS.
2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Today, June 01 marks the official start of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, but already we have seen the development of the first Sub Tropical Storm Ana in the Atlantic on May 22nd 2021.
Following a record-breaking 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season, this year is expected to be an above active season according to predictions. There were 30 named storms in the Atlantic Basin in 2020. Although we were not severely impacted, two of these storms made their track very close to our shores.
Experts are predicting another busy 2021 Hurricane Season for this year, and according to predictions from the Colorado State University (CSU), a maximum of 17 named storms could develop in the Atlantic, 8 of which will develop into hurricanes with 4 developing into major hurricanes.
We are mindful that the predictions are for the entire Atlantic Basin and not for any specific Caribbean island. We are also aware that hurricane prediction is not an exact science as we experienced in 2008 and 2017. What we have to consider, is that it only takes one storm to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands to bring damage and disruption to the normal daily routine.
The government has taken several measures to improve preparedness and response for the hurricane season. Training has been organized for the private and public sector and exercises are planned to improve readiness.
Despite the measures taken, the country will only be prepared when the public is also prepared. Therefore, if you have not started your preparations this is the time to take the necessary measures to safeguard life and property by following these safety tips:
Precautionary Measures:
Before construction, check the area for signs or a history of flooding and find out how many feet above ground level you need to build your house. If you live in a flood-prone area purchases flood insurance.
Utilize proper available waste disposal methods.
Maintain and clear all drainage systems of debris and overgrown vegetation. This will facilitate an easier flow of floodwater. Keep gutters and downpipes clear of debris and garbage as well.
Construct flood barriers and purchase sandbags were necessary to prevent floodwater from entering buildings and homes.
Secure all important documents such as birth certificates, passports, deeds and insurance and store them in a waterproof bag or sealed container.
Restock your emergency kit and pantry with non-perishable food supplies and water to last your family for a minimum of 72 hours or more.
Prepare a Family Evacuation Plan and confirm that all family members know what immediate actions to take to ensure their safety.
Ensure that your insurance policy for home, business and vehicle are up to date.
Listen and follow the official information given by local authorities and start your preparations early to avoid panic if a hurricane threatens.
To date, we have been blessed and we give thanks for our blessings, but we must also be ready to respond if nature strikes. For more information please go to the DDME’s website at www.gov.tc/ddme or contact the DDME for informational brochures.
Brazil races the clock, to pull off Copa America
Unexpectedly picked to host the Copa America two weeks from kick-off, Brazil sought Tuesday to reassure doubters the tournament would happen, fending off the threats of a COVID-19 surge, political divisions and a court battle.
It didn't take long for cracks to emerge in organizers' last-minute plan to switch the South American football championships from coronavirus-battered Argentina to Brazil — itself one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic.
Hours after the South American football confederation, CONMEBOL, made the announcement Monday, thanking Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for "opening his country's doors," a top administration official said the decision wasn't a done deal.
"There's nothing final. I want to make that clear," said Bolsonaro's chief of staff, Luiz Eduardo Ramos.
The far-right president himself appeared to contradict that Tuesday, however.
"The matter is closed," he said.
"As far as my ministers and I are concerned... it's a done deal. We're holding" the tournament.
It is unclear exactly what conditions the matches will be held under, and whether fans will be allowed to attend.
CONMEBOL would reportedly like to allow some fans, at least for the final. Brazilian officials, including Vice President Hamilton Mourao, have said they are against.
The political uncertainty spilled over well beyond Bolsonaro's administration.
CONMEBOL has yet to announce the host cities for the June 13-July 10 championships -- though it had promised to do so within "hours."
At least five of Brazil's 27 states have said they will not host matches because of the pandemic.
Opposition politicians meanwhile petitioned the Supreme Court to block the tournament, saying it would not be safe.
They included the Workers' Party (PT) of leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who currently leads Bolsonaro in the polls for Brazil's October 2022 presidential elections.
The decision has been swept up in politics in a Brazil deeply polarized by Bolsonaro.
It came two days after the president faced the first mass protests of the pandemic, as thousands of Brazilians outraged over his COVID-19 denialism took to the streets in cities across the country.
He also faces a Senate investigation into his government's controversial handling of the pandemic, including fighting lockdowns and refusing offers of vaccines.
The rapporteur of that commission, Senator Renan Calheiros, called on none other than football superstar Neymar to intervene.
"Neymar, I want to have a word with you: don't agree to this Copa America in Brazil," he told the Paris Saint-Germain striker.
"It's not the championship we need to be playing. We need to be in the championship of vaccines."
Source-AFP
Dangerous heat wave hits the West as Atlantic gears up for hurricane season
A dangerous heat wave is invading the West, bringing triple digit temperatures on Memorial Day, while on the East Coast, the Atlantic hurricane season is set to begin.
On Monday afternoon, temperatures neared 106 degrees in Sacramento, 102 degrees in Palm Springs and 100 degrees in Las Vegas.
The heat will expand to much of the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday and Wednesday with highs reaching the upper 90s near Portland, Oregon.
By Wednesday, Las Vegas and Phoenix are forecast to be a scorching 105 degrees.
As for the Northeast, the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on Tuesday, June 1, but there are no tropical concerns in the Atlantic Basin at this time.
Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of an above-normal 2021 hurricane season; experts said this year's storms likely won't surpass 2020's historic level of activity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This year there will likely be 13 to 20 named storms with winds of 39 mph or greater, 6 to 10 of which could become hurricanes with winds of at least 74 mph. Three to five of those hurricanes could become Category 3, 4 or 5 storms with winds of 111 mph or higher.
The Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30.
Source-ABC
Biden unveils $6 trillion 2022 budget that includes costly pandemic recovery and jobs plans
President Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a $6 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2022, which includes his costly initiatives already announced, including the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan.
It also includes his proposal to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent and increase the capital gains tax on the wealthiest Americans to 39.6 percent, but it still runs a deficit of $1.8 trillion for FY 2022 and continues to run trillion-dollar deficits yearly over the next decade.
Shalanda Young, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that after 2030, the budget policies will then start to reduce annual deficits, speaking on a call with reporters.
The budget unveiling traditionally kicks off lengthy negotiations or fights with Congress, which must approve federal spending.
The Biden administration released its budget on a Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend and as Congress leaves town for a week.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell pounced on Biden's proposed deficit spending.
"Now we know why the Administration tried to bury their budget announcement on the Friday before a holiday weekend," he said in a statement.
"President Biden’s proposal would drown American families in debt, deficits, and inflation. Even after the massive tax hikes Democrats want to force on the American people, they’d still have the government running trillion-plus-dollar deficits every year. Democrats want to borrow and spend on a scale that America has not seen since we had to fight and win World War II. Our debt burden would break all records, eclipsing even the 1940s."
Federal spending would rise to about 25 percent of GDP and the budget forecasts the economy would grow 5.2% this year.
The proposal includes $36.5 billion for Title I schools, subsidies for child care, funding for universal pre-K and two years of tuition-free community college.
As the president faces increasing pressure to act on gun violence with multiple deadly mass shootings having occurred in his young presidency, he is also asking for $2.1 billion, an increase of $232 million above the previous year, to address the problem.
This is separate from the $5 billion he’s proposing to address community violence in the American Jobs Plan.
Source-ABC
Coachella confirms dates for 2022
It's official: Coachella will return in 2022.
The much-anticipated, celebrity-attracting festival, held in the desert of Indio, California, is set to take place over two weekends next spring: April 15-17, and April 22-24.
Coachella hasn't taken place since 2019 -- its planned 2020 festival was one of the first big events to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers had initially planned to move it from its April dates to October of 2020 before canceling Coachella for the year altogether.
In January of this year, California's Riverside County nixed any planned return for Coachella in April 2021. Reports claimed that that organizers were postponing to October 2021, but those dates were never officially announced.
Advance tickets for Coachella 2022 go on sale this Friday, June 4 -- you can register for access to the sale now via Coachella.com.
Coachella 2020's headliners included the reunited Rage Against the Machine, as well as Travis Scott and Frank Ocean. The 2022 lineup has yet to be announced.
Source-ABC
TCIG Statutory Body Executives Welcome & Orientation Session
On Tuesday May 25, 2021, the TCIG Audit Committee hosted a Welcome & Orientation Session with the Chairmen and CEOs of the Statutory Bodies within the Turks and Caicos Islands. This was the first session of this kind to be held with all the Senior Executives in one sitting.
Present were His Excellency the Governor Mr. Nigel Dakin, Honorable Premier Mr. Washington Misick, Deputy Governor Mrs. Anya Williams and Permanent Secretary of Finance, Mrs. Athenee Basden. Remarks were also received on behalf of the Attorney General Mrs. Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles. Also in attendance were the Chairmen and CEOs of the following Statutory Bodies.
1. Human Rights Commission
2. Integrity Commission
3. Civil Aviation Authority
4. National Health Insurance Board
5. TCI Community College
6. Invest TCI
7. Tourist Board
8. National Trust
9. Financial Intelligence Agency
10. Ports Authority
11. National Insurance Board
12. Telecommunication Commission
13. Airport Authority
14. Financial Services Commission
15. Gaming Commission
The session was opened by the Chairman Sanfra Foster who invited the executives in her remarks to lead intentionally and model accountability in their respective roles. She shared that the people in the room were most significant as collectively they are responsible for managing $558 Million Dollars in TCIG Assets and represented $492.6 Million Dollars or Half Billion Dollars in total equity as of September 2020. She articulated the need for effective management by executives and proper oversight and governance by board members.
The group listened intently to the importance of the Statutory Bodies to the TCI Government and their significance in the wider economy. Key points were discussed around the governance and reporting requirements under the Constitution, Public Finance Management Ordinance and Regulations in addition to the role of Boards and their Executives.
The half-day agenda also involved group discussions led by the Audit Committee Members around the issues and concerns raised in the Statutory Body Governance Review Report conducted in January 2018 (aka Turnbull Report). A Risk Matrix was shared by the CIA using five key points from the report which highlighted areas of responsibility where management and oversight are crucial. Executives offered feedback to the report findings and there was a mutual understanding and acceptance that a formal follow up process is needed to identify the progress made and the opportunities which still may exist in these entities. The Audit Committee promised to engage with each entity to review the recommendations made in the report and to update the risk matrix once evidence of resolve and sustainability has been provided.
The Audit Committee views this Welcome and Orientation Session as a tremendous starting point in its aim of helping to improve the governance, risk and control framework across the Statutory Bodies. It also seeks to build on the collaboration and relationships established with the executives, providing support and guidance while influencing leaders to be intentional as they drive improved team and entity performance. Further sessions with management teams and board members will be held throughout the year.
Ministry of Tourism Hosts Business Continuity Sessions
The Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Heritage, Culture, Maritime, Gaming & Agriculture is ensuring that tourism related small businesses are better positioned to deal with disruptions.
On Wednesday, May 19, 2021 the Ministry held the final sessions of Business Continuity virtually with participants from Providenciales.
The workshops began prior to the pandemic and was hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and facilitated by Hon. Jamell Robinson of Learn and Lead Educational Center a Turks and Caicos Based company that has provided various tutorial and training services since 2008.
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Josephine Connelly, expressed pleasure in the continual partnership and efforts put forth by all. She noted that the sessions were timely as it allows for businesses to re-examine their purpose. Covid-19 has been a shock to the economy and the new norm is still being shaped and our business approach must reflect the same.
She further stated that collaborative efforts go a long way in assisting with recovery and preparing businesses to handle threats from a multi-hazard approach. She expressed optimism for the industry as tourism regains its footing and thanked her team at the Ministry of Tourism for their continual efforts.
RTC News understands that some 30 organizations participated in the exercise comprising of small businesses alongside government agencies and the District Commissioners on respective islands.
It is the Ministry of Tourism’s intent to increase engagement with stakeholders, creating better communication and efficiency in the delivery of products and services.