Emergency Management Accreditation Program Assessment– 14th – 18th September 2015
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government, through the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), has applied for Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) Accreditation.
During the week, beginning Monday 14th – Friday 18th September 2015, five (5) Assessors from EMAP will be in country to conduct an on-site assessment of the DDME and the Emergency Management Programme in the Turks and Caicos Islands against 64 industry Emergency Management Standard by EMAP. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has provided sponsorship for this initiative.
EMAP is the only accreditation and assessment process that exists for emergency management programmes worldwide. The assessment will examine all phases of the disaster management cycle (preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery) and will involve reviewing documents, and interviewing stakeholders/partners in disaster risk reduction to ensure that policies and procedures that govern operational activities are clearly defined and documented. Full accreditation can only be achieved if all 64 standards are met.
It is the expectation of the DDME that by conducting this assessment and seeking to adhere to EMAP Standards, the institutional and operational capacity of the department and TCIG will be further strengthened. Hence, the department’s ability to carry out its mandate to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands will be enhanced. With this expectation, the DDME aims to be the second territory outside of the United States and Canada to be granted international accreditation for its disaster management programme. Presently, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is the only British Overseas Territory (OT) to achieve Accreditation, which was granted in April 2015 by the EMAP Commission.
The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) will hold a Press Conference in regard to an Emergency Management Accreditation Program Assessment for the Turks and Caicos Islands at the Department of DDME, Conference Room, 1316 Customs Complex, Off Leeward Highway, Providenciales on Monday 14th September 2015 beginning at 10:00am
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT RECEIVE DONATION FOR SCHOOLS
Scotia Bank TCI Ltd. and St. Monica's Young Adults Ministry (CONNECT) made the new school year 2015 of children from the communities of Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay, Providenciales and North Caicos brighter.
Through the Department of Social Development and Gender Affairs, TCIG a combined total of 85 backpacks and school supplies were donated by the banking giant Scotia Bank Ltd TCI and Faith Based Organization of the St. Monica's Young Adults Ministry CONNECT.
The supplies included composition books, rules, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, calculators, dictionaries, and scissors among other items. The Department also received school uniforms and school shoes.
"This act of kindness will help to lighten the burden of many parents who are experiencing financial problems in preparing their children for school and it will definitely assist the children in their learning and scholastic experience", stated Tiffany Thomas-Browne, Director, Social Development Department.
"We are happy that the business community and Faith Based Organization has seen it fit to partner with the TCIG in bringing good cheer to our children academic development. We look forward to partnering with other companies and agencies in the future."
The Director of Social Development and Gender Affairs along with Social Workers were present to receive the donations.
CABINET approves the Telecommunication Taxation (Amendment) Bill 2015
CABINET at its meeting on Wednesday, received an up-date on the progress to re-finance the $170m UK-guaranteed loan bond by 22 February 2016. A Draft Request for Proposal will be presented to the next meeting of Cabinet on 23 September for approval;
Minister of Finance is expected to sign a non-binding Aide Memoire produced by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) following its Policy Reform Mission to TCI in August, subject to amendments to existing wording. A Country Strategy Paper produced by the CDB, will also be presented to the next meeting of Cabinet on 23 September for approval.
CABINET noted procurement waivers granted between April-June 2015 according to the provisions of Section 21 of the Public Procurement Ordinance 2012.
It noted as well recommendations of the Procurement Board to award contracts in line with the Public Procurement Ordinance 2012 as follows – TR14/39 an amendment to the Grand Turk Master Plan; TR15/5 Framework Agreement for Consultancy for TCIG Capital Projects; and TR15/20 Energy Audit and Evaluation of the Hon. N J S Francis Building;
Governor Beckingham was advised to agree to the extension of the UK Armed Forces Act 2006 and the UK Armed Forces Bill 2015 to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
At that meeting on Wednesday, CABINET considered a request for change to the Draft Development Agreement and Accreted Land Lease between the developer, TCI Toscana GP Ltd and Vista Development Ltd, and the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and agreed to request the developer to provide an up-to-date description of the proposed amendment to the scope of the development with confirmation of eligibility requirements and to meet other conditions stipulated by TCIG in response to proposals put forward by the developer.
His Excellency the Governor was advised to approve the Telecommunication Taxation (Amendment) Bill 2015 for forwarding to the House of Assembly; Gov. Beckingham was advised to grant a business license to Crust Holding Ltd to operate in reserved business activities under the Business Licensing Regulations 5 Section 30 and to notify the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance of Cabinet’s decision; to grant a business licence to the owners of the M/V Lady Aria to operate in reserved business activities under the Business Licensing (Amendment), (No.3) and in both instances, to notify the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance of Cabinet’s decision.
CABINET at its meeting on Wednesday, advised His Excellency the Governor to make several appointments to the various boards. Captain Harold Williams is the Deputy Chairman of the TCI Civil Aviation Authority Board for a period of one year;
Mr. Norman Hamilton, a member of the National Insurance Board has been appointed as Employer Representative for a period of one year; Ms. Naysia Missick to the post of Collector of Stamp Duty in accordance with Section 3 (1) of the Stamp Duty Ordinance;
The Physical Planning Appeal Tribunal has as its Chairman, Mr. Royal Robinson; members are John A. Williams; Paul A Gardiner; Brian Cyrus and James Parker; and Natasha Hall has been appointed Secretary of the Physical Planning Tribunal;
CABINET at Wednesday’s meeting, also approved the submission of the Statement of Net Excess Expenditure to the House of Assembly; It agreed that the Department for Planning should budget for the cost of 15 meetings of the Physical Planning Board per annum; and it approved the renewal of a lease arrangement for the rental of office space for the Internal Audit Department on the second floor of the building on block parcel 10306/68 in Grand Turk owned by J C Development; Physical Planning Appeal Tribunal – Royal Robinson (Chairman); John A Williams (Member); Paul A Gardiner (Member); Brian Cyrus (Member); James Parker (Member); and the appointment of Natasha Hall as Secretary of the Physical Planning Tribunal.
TCIG EXPRESSES CONCERN REGARDING REPORT OF MISSING CITIZEN
TCIG is asking the public to keep the family of Rev. Howell in their prayers.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands Government has received official reports that the Rev. Dr. Conrad Howell is at present reportedly missing and that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force has begun their initial investigation into his whereabouts.
The public is hereby asked to keep the family and friends in their prayers at this time of difficulty and uncertainty,” the office of the Premier said in a brief press statement.
Missing Person’s bulletin issued for the Rev Dr. Conrad Howell
The country awoke this morning to the sad news of the disappearance of a prominent member of the community, the Rev. Dr. Conrad Howell.
The family of Radio Turks and Caicos joins with the family of the Rev. Dr. Conrad Howell’s family in praying for his safe return to his family.
Social media was alerted by a posting by Rev Howell’s wife Brickell Howell that her husband has not been seen since the early hours of this morning.
The alert read quote:- “It is out of character for the Rev. Dr. Conrad Howell not to be in contact with his family. Therefore, the family is concerned that we have not seen him since late last night. He was wearing a black pants, white singlet and socks. Should anyone see him or know of his whereabouts, please contact the Police, or one of the family members.” End quote.
Public Relation’s Officer with the RTCIPF, Audley Astwood, in an official statement to RTC New, said Police have gotten the missing person’s report for Dr. Conrad Howell from his wife.
Dr. Howell was last seen by his wife at their home sometime around midnight last night (Thursday September 10, 2015). Dr. Howell's wife said she was awaken around 2am this morning and discovered that he was not at home.
It is reported that no one has seen him since and police have launched an investigation into his disappearance,” the statement from Astwood said.
Police say they will update the media as more information becomes available.
Whitney Houston 'hologram' to tour next year
A 3D moving image of the late singer Whitney Houston is being developed by a US entertainment firm.
It is working with the Houston estate and hopes to tour the product in 2016.
Hologram USA has patented what it calls a "high-tech version" of a 16th century illusion called Pepper's Ghost.
It can cost "millions of dollars" to develop an image of a deceased star. The company told the BBC that members of the public often enquire about being turned into a 3D moving image too.
"I'm not sure if any have pursued it... for most people the cost is forbidding," said head of marketing Owen Phillips.
The traditional Pepper's Ghost illusion involves foil and glass, to which Hologram USA has added a patented blend of computer generated images (CGI), moving parts and audio material.
In its stable of so-called "holograms" are classic acts such as Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra and Liberace.
Source-BBC
Premier wraps up Townhall meeting in Grand Turk
Premier the Hon Dr. Rufus Ewing and his ministerial colleagues held the second public town hall-style meeting at the HJ Robinson High School’s auditorium Wednesday evening to get insight into community members’ thinking on the constitution and matters surrounding SIPT.
Premier Ewing said he and his colleagues came to power with a mandate to ensure some constitutional amendments must be made and so begun the process of engaging the community, then generated a report.
While they knew HMG might have not been receptive to some of the recommendations, which he said were only cosmetic, they were not prepared for the outright rejection of the constitutional recommendations.
After taking the audience through some of the challenges they have been faced with, he laid on the line his government’s position.
Local entrepreneur Carlis Williams questioned what if the scales continue to tip in HMG’s favor.
The Premier explained that there is nothing that allows for a referendum on anything and explained the processes.
On the matter of independence, there still seem to be some trepidation.
Mrs. Rosabell Adams, one of the attendees at last evening’s meeting, expressed sentiments that for her, it’s a scary situation.
The cabinet members will continue other dialogue following the recommendations of the public.
TCIG EXPRESSES CONDOLENSES AT THE DEATH OF NATIONAL ICON THE LATE REV. DR. CONRAD HOWELL
The Turks and Caicos Islands are mourning the death of the author of the territory’s National Song “This Land of Ours”.
Reverend Conrad Howell was found dead over the weekend after his family reported him missing on Thursday.
Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing, in a Statement, described Pastor Howell’s death as a tremendous loss to the nation.
"The Turks and Caicos Islands Government offers sincere condolences to the family and friends on the death of the late Rev. Dr. Conrad Howell.
The Premier, Dr. The Hon. Rufus W. Ewing, in deep reflection commented, "Our nation has suffered a tremendous loss today. Rev. Howell, as he was known to many, was a true patriot to our country and a soldier for our people. During his lifetime, he has made an invaluable contribution to the development of our society we are truly blessed to have known the late Rev. Dr. Conrad Howell and he will be greatly missed."
As the host of the popular Radio Talk Show, Expressions, Rev. Howell also stirred dialogue and national debate on some of the most controversial topics of our time but one of Rev. Howell's most notable national accomplishments is the penning of the National Song This Land Of Ours.
Our prayers are with the family and friends of Rev. Dr. Conrad Howell. May God be your source of comfort during this difficult time. May He strengthen you and keep you and may He bless these Turks and Caicos Islands."
RTC News will have more as this story develops.
Mini, Subaru, Scion improve the most in J.D. Power
Mini, Subaru and Scion had the biggest improvements in J.D. Power’s latest study of new-vehicle appeal, while Porsche finished first overall for the 11th consecutive year.
The upper echelon of the J.D. Power’s 2015 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study was dominated by luxury brands. Porsche was followed by Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
Mini, the top-scoring non-premium brand, was led by a strong launch of the Cooper. Mini, which had two segment wins with the Cooper and Countryman, rose five spots in the rankings to 11th place with a score of 825 on a 1,000 point scale -- an industry-leading 30-point gain from 2014.
While sometimes troublesome technologies such as voice recognition can annoy consumers, J.D. Power found that safety systems such as blind-spot monitoring are having the opposite effect by making vehicles more appealing.
Models with blind-spot monitoring and warning systems scored 38 points higher than vehicles without them.
“The safety features and the weight they had on the overall index was a surprise … For me, that was very telling,” said Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power.
Subaru, which had a runner-up finish in the compact car segment with the WRX, scored 788, a 22-point leap from 2014; it rose from second-to-last in 2014 to tie for 25th with Chrysler. Scion, 796, had the third-largest improvement after its score rose 17 points; it climbed from 28th place in 2014 to tie for 22nd, with Mazda.
Hyundai, last year’s leading non-premium brand, followed Mini as the second-ranked non-premium after improving five points to 809. Volkswagen, 806, was next with a 10-point gain.
GMC, 804, and Ram, 803, rounded out the top five non-premium brands.
Only two non-premium brands, Fiat and Toyota, had their scores drop this year. Fiat fell 19 points to 749, while Toyota, 781, was down two points.
J.D. Power says strong showings in the APEAL Study correlate with the building of brand loyalty that leads to repeat buys. Owners of models with higher APEAL scores also are more likely to recommend their vehicles to others.
“Word of mouth is still extremely important,” Stephens said.
Lexus, 831, had the steepest decline of any luxury brand after its score slipped by 13 points. Lexus fell from sixth to 10th place.The premium brand average was 841, one point better than 2014. The non-premium average jumped five points to 790.
Stephens said the 51-point gap between the two categories was the smallest since 2006. The tighter scores are attributed to non-premium brands increasingly offering in-vehicle technologies that were once only available to premium buyers.
The APEAL Study, now in its 20th year, measures how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive.
After the first 90 days of ownership, more than 84,000 purchasers and lessees judged their new 2015 model year vehicles across 77 attributes, which are combined into an overall APEAL score on a 1,000-point scale. The higher the score, the better.
Source-AutoNews
Apple watch texting!
The buzz surrounding the Apple Watch began long before many had even seen the product.
And Tuesday brings the first results for Apple since the release of its first generation wearable tech device.
But do not expect actual sales numbers. Instead we will only get hints from executives on how the watch is performing.
Sales of the iPhone are still likely to dominate Apple's results, as Samira Hussain reports from New York.