NIB tries to recoup thousands of dollars in contribution
The NIB had a few matters that were heard in Wednesday’s sitting of the Magistrates’ Court #1, on Old Airport Road, Providenciales.
Brendalee Oladimeji appeared for failing to pay national insurance contributions and additional charges as an employer and self-employed person in the amount of US$3,973.68. The matter was adjourned to August 3, 2017 pending settlement. The defendant was bound over to return on the adjourned date.
Richard Danis was before the magistrate for failing to pay contributions and additional charges to NIB as an employer and self-employed person in the amount of $14,342.59. The matter was adjourned to August 3, 2017 pending settlement. The defendant was bound over to return to court.
In the NIB v Rhynie Campbell matter on an application for Judgment Summons in the amount of $233,028.63; that matter was adjourned to September 14, 2017 pending settlement. The defendant was bound over to return to court on that date.
Nine traffic collisions over bank holiday weekend -Police stress 'know how to use the road'
An astounding nine road traffic collisions were reported to police over the recent bank holiday weekend.
In response to the incidents, traffic officer Damian Mitchell has issued several safety tips for road users.
Mitchell explained that although all accidents cannot be avoided, there are a number of guidelines that can be followed to decrease the chances of them happening.
He encouraged road users to learn and watch the rules of the road so that there are no second guesses when driving.
"...you will be driving because you know how to drive and you can get to and from your destination safely, thus causing us to have a safer community and allowing our tourists and other visitors to enjoy this 'Beautiful by Nature, Clean by Choice' Turks and Caicos," he said.
Mitchell explained that people have a major responsibility when they decide to take a vehicle on the road.
"You will not buy a machine and not have a manual for using it, so you must know how to use the road.
"If you do not know how to be on the road, you should not be on the road,” he said.
"You also have to ensure that your vehicle is properly safe to be on the road."
"No one knows what happens under the hood of a vehicle when you drive it, these are man-made things so let us be guided by that," Mitchell added.
Meanwhile, Police press officer Kevin Clarke provided some safety tips for road users, explaining that it is important to be distraction-free when on the road.
He encouraged the public to ensure that they use a pedestrian crossing when crossing the street.
He said: "To be more alert please avoid distractions such as headphones and texting while walking, especially at night.
"If you are at a pedestrian crossing, please make eye contact with the driver before crossing because sometimes you may be under the impression that the driver saw you, but sometimes they do not," Clarke cautioned.
Spotlight on money laundering and terrorist financing
THE TURKS and Caicos Islands is gearing up to complete its first money laundering and terrorist financing National Risk Assessment this June.
About 50 stakeholders and representatives from both the public and private sectors are expected to convene for a two-day workshop at the Blue Haven Resort in Providenciales.
The workshop is aimed at putting together comprehensive action plans to decrease the levels of risks and strengthen controls and supervisory oversight in each sector.
"This is a major initiative here in the Turks and Caicos Islands which will enable us to develop an effective framework to prevent money laundering and combat terrorist financing," said the Hon Attorney General Rhondalee Braithwaite Knowles OBE, chair of the national Anti-Money Laundering Committee, in announcing the launch of the National Risk Assessment.
World Bank experts Emily Ade-leke and Roberto Biel will lead the various workshop sessions, which will take place on June 26 and 27, with a closed half day workshop for policy makers on June 28.
The initial phase began in October 2014, with a workshop which identified the approach to gathering supporting data.
Understanding the money laundering and terrorist financing risks is crucial to developing and implementing national anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.
This month’s workshop is being run in line with the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) recommendations, where each country assesses its own money laundering and terrorist financing risks.
With increasing globalisation and liberalisation, money laundering and terrorist financing have become a global phenomenon.
They pose real and significant threats to nations, their people, their financial systems and their security apparatus - no matter the makeup of the economy or the size of the country.
All nations, particularly small and developing jurisdictions are susceptible to disruption from criminal and terrorist activities.
Corruption, money laundering and its associated economic and financial crimes tend to impact and undermine good governance and rule of law, which are core values of regional constitutions.
A risk assessment allows countries to identify, assess and understand its money laundering and terrorist financing risks.
Once these risks are properly understood, countries can apply AML/CFT measures that correspond to the level of risk.
The risk-based approach, which is central to the FATF recommendations, enables countries to prioritise their resources and allocate them efficiently.
The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) has blacklisted countries such as Guyana for failing to approve legislation to combat money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.
The CFATF pursues the objective of achieving effective compliance with and implementation of the FATF standards to prevent and control money laundering and to combat the financing of terrorism.
In that regard, the Anti-Money Laundering Committee in conjunction with the CFATF are preparing the national framework for the upcoming fourth mutual evaluation of the AML/CFT system of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The FATF 40 recommendations are widely accepted as one of the most useful international countermeasures designed against money laundering and terrorist financing: their implementation increase transparency and enable countries to successfully take action against illicit use of their financial system.
Countries have diverse legal, administrative and operational frameworks and different financial systems, and so cannot all take identical measures to counter these threats.
The FATF recommendations, therefore, set an international standard, which countries should implement through measures adapted to their particular circumstances.
Automakers Move Toward Automatic Braking at Different Speeds
Big automakers are rushing to launch self-driving cars as early as 2021, but the industry's major players are moving slowly when it comes to widespread deployment of a less expensive crash prevention technology that regulators say could prevent thousands of deaths and injuries every year.
Nissan said on Thursday it would make automatic braking systems standard on an estimated 1 million 2018 model cars and light trucks sold in the United States, compact sport utility vehicles, the Altima sedan, Murano and Pathfinder SUVs, Leaf electric car, Maxima sedan and Sentra small car.
Nissan sold about 1.6 million vehicles in the United States last year.
Rival Toyota has said it will make automatic emergency braking standard on nearly all its U.S. models by the end of this year.
Overall, however, most automakers are not rushing to make automatic brake systems part of the base cost of mainstream vehicles sold in the competitive U.S. market. The industry has come under pressure from regulators, lawmakers and safety advocates to adopt the technology, which can slow or stop a vehicle even if the driver fails to act.
So far, only about 17 percent of models tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offered standard collision-avoiding braking. Many of the models with standard collision-avoiding brake systems are luxury vehicles made by European or Japanese manufacturers.
The systems require more sensors and software than conventional brakes, and automakers said they need time to engineer the systems into vehicles as part of more comprehensive makeovers.
Last year, 20 automakers reached a voluntary agreement with U.S. auto safety regulators to make collision-avoiding braking systems standard equipment by 2022.
Source-VOA
Comey blasts White House in Senate Testimony
In Senate testimony, Comey blasts White House 'lies,' efforts to 'defame me'; says he took inquiry over Flynn as "direction" to drop investigation
Former FBI Director James Comey testified for more than two hours Thursday before the Senate Intelligence committee about the circumstances that led to his firing by President Donald Trump and the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in last year's presidential election.
In his opening remarks, Comey described the immediate aftermath of his firing, explaining his belief that the White House engaged in a campaign to damage his and the bureau's reputation.
"Although the law requires no reason at all to fire an FBI director, the administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader," said Comey.
"Those were lies plain and simple," he continued. "And I am so sorry that the FBI workforce had to hear them and I am so sorry that the American people were told them. I worked every day at the FBI to help make that great organization better."
Comey also described a series of uncomfortable interactions with Trump, in which he says the president requested his loyalty and pressed him to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired after the White House said he had misrepresented the nature of his contact with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Comey also said he told the president that he was not the subject of an FBI investigation.
Comey declined to say whether his closed-door, one-on-one meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, at which he says Trump asked him to "see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go," amounted to obstruction of justice. "I don’t know, it’s Bob Mueller’s job to sort that out,” he said, referring to the special counsel who was chosen to oversee the investigation into potential ties between the Kremlin and Trump’s presidential campaign. Comey informed the committee he has handed over all memos on his conversations with Trump to the special counsel.
But Comey did make clear that he took the alleged request as a "direction," not a suggestion. “General Flynn at that point in time was in legal jeopardy,” Comey testified. “There was an open criminal investigation in connection with the Russian contacts.”
Comey declined to answer questions about other targets of any investigation who may have been members of Trump's campaign in the open session -- a classified hearing followed in the afternoon -- although he did acknowledge that at the time of his dismissal there was no open investigation directing targeting Trump personally.
Comey told the committee he decided to take notes of his meetings with Trump because of “the nature of the person” with whom he was dealing.
“I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it really important to document,” Comey told the committee.
He also told the committee that after witnessing the changing administration explanations of the reason for his firing he decided to leak non-classified details of his memos over the Flynn interaction to the press through a friend in the hopes that a special counsel would be appointed.
Comey also reiterated his claim make in his written statement Wednesday that at a private dinner Trump pressed him for personal loyalty, even subtly suggesting his job hinged on it.
On a number of occasions, Comey reiterated the findings of the U.S. intelligence community earlier in the year -- that Russia attempted to influence the outcome of the election.
"There should be no fuzz on this whatsoever. The Russians interfered in our election during the 2016 cycle," Comey said. "They did with purpose. They did with sophistication. They did it with overwhelming technical efforts, and it was an active-measures campaign driven from the top of that government.
"It's not a close call. That happened. That's about as 'unfake' as you can possibly get. And it is very, very serious, which is why it's so refreshing to see a bipartisan focus on that. Because this is about America, not any particular party."
Gov't makes plans to protect TCI's coastline
A FEASIBILITY study and designs for coastal protection works in Grand Turk, North, Providenciales and Salt Cay will be rolled out soon.
A shoreline management plan will also be created to protect the Islands' coastlines, using climate-resilient approaches.
This comes as the board of directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) approved funding to the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The project will be supported by a $440,000 loan, a $50,000 grant allocated from resources provided by the European Investment Bank under the Grant Facility for Climate Action Support to CDB, and counterpart funding of $289,000 from TCI Government.
The provision of the loans and grant come directly on the heels of the CDB's recently concluded 47th annual flagship event held in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
The CDB has since approved millions in loans and grants for 10 borrowing member countries for numerous development projects and initiatives.
According to a CDB press release, chief of economic infrastructure division of the CDB, O'Reilly Lewis, underscored the importance of coastal defense to the TCI's tourism industry, the country's main economic engine.
"Tourism is the main pillar of TCI's economy, with its coastal and marine resources as the basis of the sector.
"The loss of critical beach assets due to coastal erosion, as well as the other anticipated changes resulting from climate change, would potentially have significant negative implications for settlements, tourism sites and livelihoods resulting from the reduction in coastal and marine economic activity," he said.
Lewis pointed out that the feasibility study and designs derived from the technical assistance project will provide the TCI Government with viable designs for climate-resilient infrastructure solutions to safeguard social and economic development, economic growth and livelihood security.
The shoreline management plan will strengthen TCI's capacity to sustainably monitor and manage the country's beaches and related coastal assets.
It will also assist the Government with the development of a more comprehensive integrated coastal zone management plan.
The intervention is consistent with the bank's strategic objective of supporting inclusive growth and sustainable development within its borrowing member countries.
It also aligns with CDB's corporate priorities of promoting disaster risk management and climate change mitigation and adaptation; and improved protection and sustainable management of natural resources.
With regards to investment in the region, the CDB plans to inject some $110 million into climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience projects across the region.
On Wednesday (May 24) the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) signed a financing agreement in Providenciales.
The cash will support investment projects in the Caribbean, under CDB's climate action policy.
The 100 million euro climate action initiative, is EIB's biggest loan to the Caribbean to date.
It supports nine projects in seven countries across the Caribbean, including the Turks and Caicos Islands.
CDB's president Dr. William Warren Smith and EIB vice president responsible for the Caribbean, Pim Van Balle-kom, signed the new agreement during the recent 47th Annual Meeting of CDB's Board of Governors.
Van Balle-kom said that the signing of the new climate action loan with CDB is the result of a fruitful partnership that has lasted for almost four decades.
He said: "This partnership is currently supporting CDB's efforts to mainstream climate action to help its borrowing member countries, which are all considered small island developing states, to adequately tackle risks related to climate change, said Balle-kom.
"Caribbean countries face economic and social challenges, which must be addressed, whilst ensuring resilience to climate change," he added.
Smith pointed out that through this new line of credit, the CDB will be able to provide to its borrowing member countries much needed low cost financing to address the climate impacts already affecting these countries.
"The line supports our ongoing work to build climate resilience and the adaptive capacities of BMCs, as they work towards their goal of achieving sustainable development,” he said:
"The signing of this agreement reinforces the longstanding partnership between EIB and CDB, and signals strengthened cooperation between our two institutions," Smith added.
Under the Climate Action Framework Loan II, appropriate investments will be made in climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, road transport, water infrastructure and community level physical and social infrastructure that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience to the impacts of climate change.
According to CDB's website, a healthy pipeline of climate action projects, amounting to more than $300 million, has been developed with support of an EIB-funded technical assistance programme.
WEATHER FORECAST-04-06-2017
A STREAM OF MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL GENERATE SOME UNSETTLED WEATHER MAINLY OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
MOSTLY CLOUDY AND WARM WITH FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ACROSS PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR SHOWERS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS BECOMING VARIABLE AT TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMP.: 90°F 32°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMP.: 79°F 26°C
SUNRISE: 06:20AM SUN. SUNSET: 07:57PM SUN.
MOONRISE: 03:55PM SUN. MOONSET: 03:53AM MON.
LOW TIDE: 11:10AM SUN. HIGH TIDE: 05:30PM SUN.
LOW TIDE: 11:49PM SUN. HIGH TIDE: 05:41AM MON.
DECR'S ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARDS
The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) is hosting the annual Environmental Stewardship Awards, on the 5th of June, 2017. The award ceremony coincides with World Environment Day and World Oceans Day held on the 5th and 8th of June respectively. DECR takes this opportunity every year to honour those individuals and organisations that have kindly contributed their time, to the DECR throughout the year, in order to promote conservation and an environmentally sustainable TCI.
"My Ministry is committed to strengthening environmental education and stewardship throughout the Islands. The award recipients have significantly contributed to the realization of this goal and have displayed exemplary commitment to stewardship and sustainability,” commented Minister Honourable Ralph Higgs.
“It is indeed a pleasure for us to pay special recognition to these individuals whose invaluable assistance to the Department has afforded us the opportunity to go beyond our expectations. I would like to commend the recipients for their unwavering contribution and support and look forward to having more persons involved in the conservation of our environment in the upcoming years," Higgs added.
This year, a total of 36 recipients will be honoured at a ceremony to be held at the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources, Lower Bight Road, Providenciales.
If you, your school or organisation would like more information on how you can assist DECR in keeping the TCI Beautiful by Nature, or you would like to sign up as a Community Conservation Partner, please contact the Department's Environment Outreach Coordinator, Amy Avenant, at 338-4176 or environment@gov.tc.
Facebook Launches Features to Connect US Elected Officials
Facebook announced three new features Wednesday that are intended to boost civic engagement among users in the United States on its platform by connecting them more easily with their elected representatives.
The new offerings come as the social media juggernaut has sought to rehabilitate its image as a credible source of information following a wave of criticism after last November's presidential election that the company did too little to combat misleading or wholly fabricated political news stories during the campaign.
Among the features, Facebook will now allow a user to turn on a "Constituent Badge" to identify himself as living in his elected official's district. The opt-in badge will be visible when a user comments on content shared by his federal, state and local representatives.
Facebook also announced "Constituent Insights," which allows elected officials and other users to find local news stories that are popular in their districts.
"District Targeting" creates a new preset audience selection that lets politicians' pages target posts to people likely to be their constituents.
Facebook has continued to come under attack from prominent Democrats and some technology experts despite a raft of changes it has made in recent months that seek to help users consume more legitimate political news.
Hillary Clinton, who ran for president as a Democrat last year but lost to President Donald Trump, a Republican, said last week that Facebook was flooded with false information about her during the campaign and that people were understandably misled.
She said she wanted Facebook to curate its network more aggressively.
Opposition’s appointed Member promises to hold the Premier’s feet to the fire regarding 100% Service Charge
The opposition’s appointed member, Hon Royal Robinson promises to hold the Premier’s feet to the fire to ensure and hotel workers get their 100% Service Charge and encourages hotel workers to do the same
Robinson in a press release to RTC News, noted that since coming to power, even up to the latest House of Assembly meeting this week, no movement has taken place to ensure that the hotel workers get their 100% Service Charge – one of the promises made by the government.