TCIG CONTINUES IMPROVEMENT BY INVESTING IN EDUCATORS
On Friday 12th September, 2014 a pilot group of five school leaders completed ‘The 21st Century Principal’ course. The four-day learning experience was a spin-off of TCIG’s management development programme entitled ‘The 21st Century Manager.’
The new course aimed to develop the management and leadership capabilities of principals in Grand Turk.
The participants represented public and private education institutions. Following the course completion, they were presented with certificates by Mr. Mark Greenway, Director-Human Resources.
Ms. Tamera Robinson, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Education Youth and Sport, gave gifts of books entitled ‘The Principal’s Companion.’
She stated; “This training is another building block in the process of improving and reforming the civil service. As well as, the Ministry of Education’s goal of retooling principals for management in the 21st Century.”
The manual was the key resource for the course design and development. Following are the topics which the class covered:
· The Many Roles of the Principal
· The Art of Human Relations
· Building Emotional and Social Intelligence Competencies
· The Ego Mind and Negative Leadership Behaviours to Control
· Understanding, Planning and Implementing Change at School
· Enhancing teacher Growth through Supervision
· Building a Collaborative School Culture
· Working Effectively with Parents and the Community
· Making a Difference for Students
· The Discipline Gap
Reducing School and Cyber Bullying
Global firms need new tax rules
Moves to tackle corporate tax avoidance on a global scale have been unveiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The action plan is aimed at multinational companies that shrink their tax bills by shifting their profits from one country to another.
Firms including Starbucks, Amazon and Google have been accused of pursuing such strategies.
They have all said they operate within the law.
The OECD says 44 nations making up 90% of the world economy favour its plan.
Announcing the proposals, the OECD's head of tax, Pascal Saint-Amans, told journalists in Paris that they would "change the rules of the game" by making sure companies paid taxes in the country where profits were generated.
At present, firms can exploit agreements intended to avoid double taxation of profits by using them to obtain double tax deductions instead.
They also use internal billing procedures to ensure that profits are registered in countries where corporate tax levels are lower.
Under the OECD plan, a country-by-country model would require firms to declare their revenue, profit, staffing and tax paid in each jurisdiction.
The measures will go before finance ministers at the next meeting of G20 nations in Australia this weekend.
Source-BBC
NFL hires ex-White House official
The NFL has hired Cynthia C. Hogan, a former deputy assistant in the Obama administration, as its senior vice president of public policy and government affairs.
Hogan will help run the NFL's Washington, D.C., office and will report to Paul Hicks, the league's executive vice president of communications and public affairs.
The addition of Hogan, who was part of the White House staff from 2009 to 2013, marks the NFL's latest front-office hire following widespread criticism for its handling of Ray Rice's domestic abuse case.
The NFL announced the hiring of Hogan on Tuesday, one day after appointing three domestic-violence experts -- all women -- to serve as senior advisers to the league.
"We are pleased to welcome Cynthia to our leadership team," Hicks said in a statement released by the league. "Cynthia's broad experience on a wide range of public policy issues will help advance our initiatives in Washington and around the country."
Said Hogan: "The complex and compelling issues of interest to the NFL and the opportunity to help shape policy on those issues is a unique and exciting challenge. I could not be more excited about joining the NFL team."
Hogan helped lead several of the Obama administration's reforms, including gun-violence proposals.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the Rice incident, sent a memo to all teams Monday announcing that Lisa Friel, Jane Randel and Rita Smith will "help lead and shape the NFL's policies and programs relating to domestic violence and sexual assault."
Goodell also announced Monday that Anna Isaacson will be the league's vice president for social responsibility -- a new position -- in addition to her current role as the league's vice president of community affairs and philanthropy.
Terry O'Neill, the president for the National Organization of Women, issued a statement that the NFL's hires are "a step in the right direction -- but it's not enough."
Frenchman to challenge Blatter
Former FIFA international relations director Jerome Champagne has confirmed his plan to challenge President Sepp Blatter in next year's election.
Champagne wrote on his campaign website yesterday that he informed FIFA's 209 member federations and the election supervisor, Domenico Scala, of his decision.
The French former diplomat launched his campaign in London in January, and said then he doubted that he could beat Blatter.
"My sincerest wish from the outset has been to present my candidacy with a desire for fair and transparent debate," Champagne wrote yesterday, proposing televised campaign events on a "global and/or continental scale."
Blatter, the president since 1998, has said he intends to announce his candidacy next week in Zurich after meeting FIFA's executive committee.
Champagne has declined to criticise Blatter publicly, and has joined his former boss in questioning the role of wealthy European football clubs and their governing body UEFA, whose president Michel Platini last month decided not to run in the FIFA election.
Candidates must have support from five FIFA member federations by late January.
Source-AP
Tropical storm Odile moves up Mexico's Baja California
Tropical storm Odile is moving up Mexico's Baja California peninsula, bringing heavy rains and the threat of mudslides and flash floods.
Odile made landfall as a category three hurricane on Sunday night, damaging homes and leaving thousands of tourists stranded in the Los Cabos resort area.
Officials said 135 people had to be treated for minor injuries, mostly caused by flying glass and debris.
Some 30,000 tourists have been moved to emergency shelters.
Mexico's government said on Monday night that military and commercial aircraft would be sent to evacuate the tourists. The international airport at Los Cabos was damaged in the storm.
Forecasters expect the storm to continue weakening as it moves north-west.
Hurricane Odile flooded streets in Los Cabos on Sunday night and Monday. Fierce winds ripped facades from hotels and destroyed many poorly constructed homes.
"In the seven years I've been here, I've never seen anything hit like this,'' Alejandro Tealdi, a 32-year-old resident of Cabo San Lucas told Associated Press news agency.
On Monday dozens of people, including children, ransacked the shops for batteries and alcohol until troops arrived to stop the looting, agencies reported.
The US National Hurricane Center in Miami had predicted that Odile would be a category four hurricane, but it lost strength as it reached the coast.
However, even as it moved north-west up the desert peninsula, the NHC warned of more heavy rainfall and flooding on the northwest coast.
At least 26,000 foreign tourists and 4,000 Mexicans were in the region, local officials said, and those in areas at risk of flooding were evacuated.
The region is home to massive resort complexes, as well as fishing communities and low-lying shanty towns.
Source-BBC
French PM Manuel Valls wins confidence vote
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has narrowly won a crucial confidence vote in parliament, despite a recent cabinet revolt over austerity measures.
Deputies in the National Assembly voted 269 to 244 in favour of the government's policies
Mr Valls earlier defended reforms of his Socialist cabinet, saying they did not mean to destroy the welfare state.
Opinion polls put President Francois Hollande's ratings at 13%, with almost two-thirds wanting him to resign.
Mr Hollande has been hit by the cabinet revolt and criticised in a book by former first lady Valerie Trierweiler.
He also faces the return of former President Nicolas Sarkozy to politics.
Source-BBC
PREMIER OF TCI ATTENDS CTO STATE OF THE INDUSTRY CONFERENCE IN USVI
Dr. the Hon. Rufus W. Ewing, Premier and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, left the Country this past weekend to join other Tourism Ministers and Leaders from the Caribbean Region in attending the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) State of the Industry Conference 2014 in St. Thomas of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI).
The week-long event, held annually, is the industry’s biggest event of the year where tourism specialists and academics, Ministers and policy makers, come together with the key stakeholders, tourism professionals and strategic planners from both the public and private sectors to discuss issues and identify solutions as a part of their mapping of the road way for the sustainable growth of the tourism industry for the future.
This much anticipated event, held under the theme: Realizing the Vision: Positioning Caribbean Tourism for Major Change, is expected to attract some 350 participants, and will feature speakers of international and regional acclaim on a wide range of topics, best practices and formidable strategies that will be critical to growth of Caribbean economies. Among those topics to be discussed this year is the Diversification of the Tourism Product to Secure Year-Round Business and Private-Public Partnerships and its Implications, two key components that Premier Ewing has long promoted in his Tourism and Strategic National Agenda for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Premier Ewing commented, “Tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands has continued to be the bread-basket of our economy and has taken our brand as a high end luxury destination to the farthest reaches of the world, and this is excellent, especially for the main economic center of Providenciales. However, our beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands have many different sites and sounds and smells and tastes and it is past time that we diversify our product to ensure that our visitors also get to experience the unique flavours of our other islands. Achieving this would give the small businesses of those islands the regeneration of income, create jobs and community sustainability.”
The Premier also noted that with the development of tourism and jobs in the family islands, there will be a need for the development of major infrastructure, particularly in the linkage of the Caicos Islands and other critical facilities.
“The Government is also in discussions with many potential investors, who are keen to form Public-Private Partnerships with the Government in facilitating the development of the Caicos Islands Causeway that will link Providenciales all the way down to South Caicos. Not only will this give tourists easy access to the family islands, but is will also allow those persons with homes in the family islands to commute to Providenciales for work and recreational purposes, thereby lessening the over-crowding that we are experiencing today.”
The Premier also noted that already, resorts on Providenciales are experiencing year-round bookings as opposed to the more seasonal pattern for which the Caribbean was previously known.
“In discussions this week, it is my aim to garner the key elements for inclusion in policy formation and the National Tourism Strategy that will support and encourage this emerging trend. While we may not have been the triggers necessarily, we must ensure that we do our best to encourage, maintain and sustain this new strand of tourists, which in time will promote and sustain the growth of our small businesses and tourism industry year-round.”
The Premier, who is accompanied by Mr. Ronlee James, the Head of Secretariat to the Office of the Premier, will also be joined in the USVI by the Chairman of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, Dr. Kingsley Been for the Conference.
Premier Ewing is expected to return over the coming weekend, and during his absence, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services, Hon. Akierra M. D. Missick, has charge for Country Leader’s portfolio.
Hoteliers Return from Successful Sales Blitz
Several hoteliers are back on island after returning from a successful Sales Blitz in the USA aimed at promoting their properties and the destination.
Organised by Tourist Board's Regional Marketing Manager Pamela Ewing the Sales Blitz saw hoteliers teaming up for a concentrated Sales Blitz, visiting Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. Hotels participating in the Road Trip included Point Grace, The Sands, Windsong Resort, Club Med, Ports of Call Resorts, The Tuscany, Gansevoort, Amanyara, Ocean Club and Royal West Indies Resort. Delta Airlines also joined the contingent in Atlanta to promote the Atlanta to Provo route.
Stacy Cox, TCHTA's Executive Director who also attended the Sales Blitz said, "Our hoteliers welcome any opportunity to promote their properties and the destination. This Sales Blitz allowed us to meet with over 200 travel partners throughout the four states with a view to gaining more business for the year ahead.The Tourism Showcase not only gave the travel partners a new taste of Turks and Caicos but also offered hoteliers a host of informal networking opportunities."
Cox added, "This traditional sales approach has been utilised successfully by our hoteliers for a number of years. Not only does it provide them with the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of any imminent business that may be available, but also raises awareness of Turks and Caicos as a preferred destination.
With the Winter Season just around the corner TCHTA and its numbers will be joining the Tourist Board on another marketing/promotional trip later this month to target the much sought after Brazilian market.
EVERYONE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME
Turks and Caicos Islanders (TCI) interested in their extraordinary natural environment are invited to a new series of workshops running over the next few weeks.
The TCI environment programme is taking place at the Edward C Gartland Youth Centre, Providenciales, every Monday evening until 27 October 2014 from 4.30-5.30pm.
Each session is designed to help participants find out more about the natural environment of the TCI, the issues that it faces, and ways in which everyone can contribute to saving it.
“These workshops are designed to help everyone who lives in these islands to achieve a better understanding of our number one assets - our beautiful by nature environment,” said Amy Avenant, Outreach Co-ordinator, Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs. “The sessions are open to anyone and everyone and are completely free. We look forward to seeing you there!”
The activities associated with the workshops include:
- Finding out more about International Coastal Clean-up Day, and taking part in it on Saturday, 20 September
- A tour of the National Environmental Centre, where they will learn about the TCI’s natural environment
- Learning about the TCI Lobster conservation initiative, and assisting with the construction of new artificial lobster habitats to be deployed in the sea at the Bight Park
- Learning about the birds of the TCI, and why they matter. This will be followed with a bird watch walk, to be held on International Migratory Bird Day, Saturday, 11 October 2014
- The topic of Climate Change and its effects on the TCI with participants, helping them to become more aware of the necessity of global conservation efforts
- Designing a poster to illustrates why environmental conservation is important to each participant, based on what they have learned over the course of the program.
TURKS AND CAICOS POST CABINET MEETING STATEMENT
Her Excellency the Acting Governor, Anya Williams chaired the 23rd meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday 11th September 2014 at the Hilly Ewing Building on Providenciales.
All Ministers were present.
At this meeting Cabinet:
• Received a presentation from representatives from the Caribbean Development Bank (CBA) setting out the results of the Turks and Caicos Islands Country Poverty Assessment (CPA). The CPA has been a joint undertaking of a National Assessment Team including members from Government Agencies and NGOs and a team of consultants funded by the CDB. The report provides a general overview of the historical, economic and social context of TCI as it affects current and potential future levels of poverty and describes the current extent of poverty in the country. Cabinet welcomed the report;
• Advised HE the Governor to approve the Immigration Regulations 2014. The regulations supplement the 2014 Immigration Bill which had its first reading at the August 28th siting of the House of Assembly. The regulations will proceed to the House of Assembly;
• Noted the recommendations of the Procurement Board on award of the following contract: Refurbishment of the existing rented Detention Centre;
• Noted a report from the Minister Border Control and Labour updating Cabinet regarding the repatriation of British Overseas Passport issuance and the costs associated with this. From May 2015 all applications will be received, examined and agreed in TCI. The finished passport will be issued to the applicant by Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) in the UK;
• Advised HE the Governor to agree the Ministry of Border control and Labour revised policy for dealing with the immigration process regarding persons with matters pending before the courts and the labour tribunal. The new policy will be published by the Minister for Border Control and Labour in due course;
• Advised HE the Governor to approve amendments to the Schedule of Ports Authority (Stevedores, Fees and Charges) Regulations 2008 to enable a variation of tariff in accordance with Regulation 15 of the aforementioned regulations. The increased fees represent a 2.54% increase over the September 2013 tariff and will take effect on 1st September 2014;
• Received a proposal from the Ports Authority to introduce scanning facilities to scan containers entering and leaving the country via seaports for customs and security purposes. Cabinet welcomed the proposal and agreed that the Ports Authority should lead on its further development and revert to cabinet again in due course;
• Agreed to defer by one year Cabinets decision of the 13th August 2014 to maintain Daylight Savings Time as the standard time of the islands. This is to allow sufficient notice for implementation to be provided to key stakeholders in the aviation and tourism sectors. This means that the Islands will remain on USA Eastern Standard time.