GOVERNOR MEETS DEVELOPERS OF NEW TCI JW MARRIOTT HOTEL
The investors behind major new hotel developments planned for Providenciales met with the Governor and Jill Beckingham on Monday, 17 February 2014.
The Venezualan group Desarrollos are developing two or three hotels in Grace Bay, including one for JW Marriott.
They plan to open a new nine storey 380-room JW Marriott Hotel and Casino, with a gourmet specialty restaurant, a three-meal-a-day restaurant, a lobby bar and lounge and a pool bar & grill.
The hotel will also have 1,300 square meters of meeting space, including a ballroom; as well as a 962 square meter spa and fitness center, a kids/teen club, three swimming pools and a 901 square meter casino.
Mr and Mrs Walter Stipa, and their son Roberto and daughter in law , flew in to Grand Turk from Aruba, where they have already developed a resort, together with advisers to the Group.
They had lunch at Waterloo before being given a brief tour of Grand Turk by the Governor and Mrs Beckingham.
“I was delighted to have an opportunity to meet these important investors in Turks and Caicos” said Governor Beckingham.
“It provided me with an opportunity to underline the country’s commitment to welcome new, up-market developments in Providenciales.
"The investors re-affirmed their confidence in the Turks and Caicos, and we agreed to aim towards a starting date of the last quarter of this year for their first project.”
Pastor to be invited to join Justice Working Group
A member of the Turks and Caicos Pastoral Fraternity is to be invited to join the Justice Working Group, announced Governor Peter Beckingham today, Wednesday, 19 February 2014.
Governor Beckingham said: “I was pleased to have a full and candid exchange with members of the Pastoral Fraternity at Waterloo today. We covered a great deal of ground, ranging from youth unemployment, healthcare, human rights and the public service.
“I emphasised to the Ministers that I was keen to hear from them about the concerns of their congregations, and the role of their churches in working within the community. I thought it was a valuable exchange, and we agreed we should meet periodically. At the Fraternity’s suggestion I will also be asking one of the Pastors to join the recently established Justice Working Group, and I also hope to meet soon with their fellow pastors in Providenciales.”
The visiting pastors were: Pastor Vernon Malcolm, Chairman of the Fraternity; Rev Julia Williams; Pastor Marilyn Forbes; Pastor Dennis Swann Rev Mark Christmas; Bishop Austraham Hamilton; Tomlinson Skippings; Pastor Oswald Skippings; Canon Mark Kendal.
Mrs. Shanta Lewis is LIME’s Valentine’s Winner
It is the still the season for giving and LIME’s customer Mrs. Shanta Lewis won a pair of Samsung Galaxy S4s, compliments of LIME TCI.
Mrs. Lewis won the phone in the LIME’s Valentine’s promotion where customers participated by texting LOVE to 4946 for a chance to win 2 Samsung Galaxy S4s. The promo ran up to February 15, 2014.
Mrs. Lewis said, “I am overly excited to have won these phones.” She continued, “I was not expecting it and I would like to thank LIME.” Mrs. Lewis did send a text and she was entered along with the many others who tried to capture the prize.
Acting GM Lacal Palmer noted, “LIME knows that communicating is important and this gives the winner an opportunity to share the cheer in being the winner of the Valentine’s promotion. “ Ms. Palmer continued, “LIME would like to thank all the customers who participated in this promotion and congratulations to Mrs. Lewis.”
For those who still want a chance to win, LIME’s text for FREE shopping compliments of LIME and Graceway IGA is still open. Customers can participate via texting Fish Fry to 4946 to be entered. The winner will soon be drawn.
LIME is creating valuable moments with customers and the company is helping to brighten someone’s day.
Burglary & Forgery keeps the RTCIPF busy
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) are investigating a number of incidents reported between Tuesday February 18, 2014 and Wednesday February 19, 2014 within the districts of Providenciales, including:
• (1) Burglary: Preliminary investigations revealed that during the commission of this Burglary, a quantity of gold jewelry along with a quantity of clothing and shoes were stolen.
• (1) Forgery: Initial investigations revealed that during the commission of this crime, suspicious documents were submitted to obtain a Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) Passport. A 36-year-old male has been arrested in connection with this report. Investigations continue.
Police are urging anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1-800-8477 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: www.crimestoppers.tc. Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. All calls are answered by Miami Dade Police and no one from the RTCIPF will know who called. Only the information received will be provided to the RTCIPF. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
PRESS STATEMENT By LEADER Of OPPOSITION
Thank you once again for attending this Press Conference, for hearing us and for recording and reporting on the issues raised here today. It is so important that the events as they transpired in the history making session of the House be recorded and reported accurately. This is the main reason that we have called you hear today but I wish to raise a few other issues that are current and critical.
My Party and I wish to extend sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and pray God’s comfort for you.
Congratulations is extended to the newly crowned Spelling Bee Champ, Miss Rebecca Archibold of Precious Treasures.
INTRODUCTION/ BUDGET
Times are becoming increasingly difficult for a single seat majority Government and yet the Premier sees no wisdom in working together with all sectors on matters of national concern. It appears that it is not only the Opposition that the Government chooses to ignore but also the people of this country. This Government continues to ignore the cries to address unemployment, healthcare, education, crime, youth, immigration and other critical areas. We eagerly await the Government’s Budget which should provide the funding to address the people’s concerns along with its campaign promises and recent commitments in the Throne Speech. A Budget, we accept, is a statement of Government’s priorities. So, we look forward with great anticipation to debating its contents and wish for the people of these Islands that it will be a people centered and people driven Budget.
We had hoped that the Government would have brought it during the last sitting of the House. Under sec 115 of the Constitution, the Budget should have been laid on the Table of the House six weeks before the end of the Financial Year which is March 31, 2014 and as such the deadline was February 17th, 2014. To date, we have no word on the Budget, the FSPS neither a Motion to allow for the Budget to be brought after the Financial Year End.
This is just consistent with the way in which this country is being managed under this PNP Government with us being led in the dark on an overall Plan, a legislative agenda and now the Budget. The Government must see the wisdom in telling the people of the country its plans. The poor performance of the Government has seen a hurting and disappointed people calling on the Opposition to exercise powers which it does not have and we are often left explaining that we are not policy makers nor do we have the executive authority to make the decisions that need to be made which is vested in Cabinet.
However, one of the greatest roles is that of representing our people in Parliament. We hold ourselves to a high standard, ensuring we are well researched, well prepared and ready to be guided by the people’s agenda and not any personal agenda.
BROADCASTING BILL
About two weeks ago, the House of Assembly met to discuss the Broadcasting Bill and the Telecommunications consequential amendments, inter alia. The Premier attempted to rush the Bill through in 3 Readings by suggesting that it was a “Money” Bill. The Opposition refuted this claim and called for wider consultation which is required under the Statement of Governance Principles and in the spirit of good governance and transparency. The Opposition was able to present a strong enough case to have the two Governor’s members vote in support of the position put forward and as such the Bill was only allowed to have its First Reading. Following the Meeting, parliamentarians did express their concerns as to the structure and contents of the Bill. Nonetheless, the Government brought the Bill again in its original form and on Monday the House of Assembly met to allow the Bill to go through the final stages in order to become law.
During the Debate and Committee, we were able to raise the following points:
The PDM supports the regulating of the Industry under one umbrella but questions the wisdom of placing it under the Telecommunications Commission and not under a Broadcasting Commission or a dedicated Unit. We believe that the Bill is labour intensive and requires resources to give effect to the Bill which is more of a regulatory Bill than a money Bill.
Whilst the Bill was technical, members of the Opposition did consult but following these consultations, more concerns arose and more questions remained unanswered. Of greater concern was the further consultations promised to stakeholders in the Industry and not honored. The Opposition informed the House of Assembly that in such a technical area, Government should ensure that proper consultations are done - this, of course, does not in any way diminish the competence or skill of the staff at the Telecommunications Commission.
The following questions and concerns were put forth:
What is the framework to be put in place to give effect to this Bill and to demonstrate the commitment of policing this Labour Intensive Bill? We had hoped the Minister would have spoken to this but he simply read an excerpt of the Explanatory Memorandum.
We still were not certain and neither was it made clear, what is the taxable item?
We raised our concerns regarding the fact that Telecoms and Broadcasting are two separate creatures that only had but a spectrum in common; there ought not be a case where a small family owned Cable company or small Radio Station is managed and treated like a Telecoms giant.
We requested to see the Regulations that the Minister said was in draft only after I raised the matter of not having the full picture before us to make an informed decision as a lot was left to Regulations to be approved in Cabinet only. We also requested a Schedule of who it applies to as broadcasting is wide and can include signage on the Highway, VHF usage, or Churches streaming and broadcasting hymns. The Premier then said that further amendments will be made to exempt certain entities or activities from requiring licensing under the Bill. We have still not been provided with that list.
We raised the matter of intellectual issues that will arise as TCIG would stand to benefit from some other country’s intellectual property and could very well jeopardise its relationship with other Governments. It is our view that copyright legislation ought to have been brought as well and the Premier agreed that this ought to be a concern.
We felt that the Bill was too liberal in the area of different cultures and could be counterproductive to assimilation.
We felt that the appeal process in the Broadcasting Bill and Telecommunications Ordinance ought to be revisited.
We are also concerned about the power of TCIG to impose tax outside of License and Regulatory Fees.
We believe that the established coverage zone should be maintained as a means of protection for smaller companies e.g. cable companies on islands outside of Providenciales.
The purpose of this Bill we saw as two fold: that of regulating this industry and that of preserving this industry for Belongers. The move by the Government presented in an amendment proposed by the Acting AG was very concerning, as Sec 7 (7)(a) and (b) set out the requirement for all licenses given under this Bill to be Belonger controlled. Yet, a new subsection (9) was introduced giving power to the Minister to waive the Belonger requirement “as the case may be”. This amendment, the Opposition felt, went to the core of this Bill and introduced a provision to empower a Minister to bypass this requirement which was the soul of the Bill. There was a vote and a call for division which saw the section defeated and could not therefore stand as part of the Bill. What was disheartening was that the Minister through encouragement from colleagues and allowed by the Acting Chair, spoke to a particular company he was aware of that will require his use of his not yet received discretionary power. We believe that this was inappropriate and a public statement to this effect was most inappropriate and improper.
The Opposition has only recently supported and brought a Private Member’s Motion to expand the Reserved Business categories to empower Belongers and encourage greater participation in the economy. Therefore, it follows that we could not support the move proposed by the Government to in one section empower Belongers and then in a section almost immediately after remove it. The number of amendments made by section 8 by the AG’s Chambers and the Government is worrisome and leaves one to wonder whether it is fully prepared itself.
We believe we must discontinue the practice of approaching issues from a place of almost always planning to give something up. It is time we seek to truly empower our people to become greater players in our economy as owners and managers and not just as consumers.
We are not aware of when this matter will be raised again; we await the announcement of a new date.
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE REPORT
As Leader of the Opposition, I am required under the Constitution to chair the Public Accounts Committee which meets in public and which met recently to consider the Statement of Expenditure in Excess for the year ending March 2013. This year saw 5 months of the Interim Government and 7 months of elected Government. The total over expenditure on line items totalled over $19m but because of $10m in savings in line items a net excess of just over $9m resulted. A Report, as required by the Constitution, was prepared and laid on the Table of the House. The PAC is concerned that the issues largely remain the same from the year before even after the passage of the Public Financial Management Ordinance and Regulations. Recommendations have been tabled which include a recommendation that the NAO ought to continue to look into these accounts. Moreover, we recommend for the passage of a Supplementary Appropriation Bill to regularize the spending.
ONGOING INITIATIVES - PUBLIC SCHOOL TOURS/HEALTHCARE
By way of information, I am continuing my Public Schools Tours and will issue a final Statement on completion but I wish to say that schools are seriously under resourced and in need of serious repairs and attention. Teachers are working for little with little. We need to consider an Incentive to retain our local teachers as well as for persons to enter the profession. I trust that the Minister will pay more than hurried and often time unguarded lip service to this area.
On healthcare, I should be able to make a full statement on this matter next week.
I take the liberty now to announce two new initiatives:
NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT DRIVE
As promised and in my capacity as Shadow Minister for Border Control and Labour, I wish to advise that the Unemployment Drive around the Islands will commence on South Caicos on Monday, February 24, 2014 and on South Caicos Tuesday, February 25th. It will continue until the third week of March. We take the liberty to announce the Schedule for the first two weeks from February 24th to March 10th, 2014.
GRAND TURK MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2014
SOUTH CAICOS TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 25, 2014, IN FRONT OF SEA VIEW MARINA STORE, CONCH GROUND BAY FROM 11 – 3PM
NORTH CAICOS MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 BOTTLE CREEK 11 – 1PM AND KEW 2M- 4PM
FIVE CAYS, PROVIDENCIALES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014, FIVE CAYS COMMUNITY CENTER from 10 – 3PM
BLUE HILLS, PROVIDENCIALES MONDAY,MARCH 10, 2014, CLEMENTINA WALKIN PARK FROM 10 – 3PM
WHEELAND, PROVIDENCIALES THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014, DOOR TO DOOR FROM 2PM
We believe that data is critical to planning. If Government does not see the wisdom in encouraging persons to register as unemployed, then we must take steps to do so as this is necessary to ensure that Government has a more accurate picture of the level of unemployment in these islands.
We are hoping that the information will:
1. Evoke a greater sense of urgency on the part of the government to review work permits with a view to creating employment for belongers that are unemployed and underemployed;
2. Allow the Government to appreciate the value of information and the need for a database to maintain it and plan with its use. I am certain that the Government is tired perhaps of hearing me call for the database but it makes a better tool for managing employment in these Islands;
3. Prompt the Government to develop a Jobs Policy which will include the numbers of students being added each year.
We are therefore encouraging persons to work with us and register during the Drive. We appreciate that our people are on the verge of hopelessness but we urge them to do their part.
ISLAND TOURS WITH MEDIA
The second new initiative is an Islands Tour. I wish to extend an Invitation to media houses as I tour the Islands of the Turks and Caicos to bring the issues to the forefront. I will commence this Tour on Tuesday, beginning on the Island of South Caicos. If the Government does not come to the people, we believe that we must take the people to the Government in an open and transparent manner.
I welcome you to join us where possible and to help bring awareness to the plight of our people especially in those Islands outside of Providenciales.
I thank you and may God bless us and may He bless these Turks and Caicos Islands.
I thank you and Good Afternoon.
David Bowie wins best British male trophy
Rock legend David Bowie has been named best British male at the Brit Awards in London, although he was not there in person to collect his award.
Arctic Monkeys won both best group and best album for the third time - the first act to achieve that milestone.
Ellie Goulding won best British female, while pop act One Direction were honoured for their global success for the second year running.
The boyband also won best British video, in a public vote.
Their win, for the track Best Song Ever, was helped by their 17.8 million-strong Twitter followers.
Bowie's prize came at the expense of four much younger hopefuls Jake Bugg, Tom Odell, John Newman and Mercury Prize winner James Blake.
At 67, he is the oldest recipient of a Brit Award in the ceremony's history and the award comes 18 years since his last Brits success.
The singer, who released his The Next Day album after a 10-year hiatus, previously won best British male in 1984.
But the star, who spends much of his time in New York, did not attend the gala.
Noel Gallagher, announcing the award, remarked: "You maniacs didn't think he'd actually be here. David Bowie's too cool for that.
Model Kate Moss accepted the prize on Bowie's behalf, and read a prepared speech from the rock star.
Bowie said it was "a great way to end the day" and then urged Scottish voters to reject independence in September's referendum.
"I'm completely delighted to have a Brit for being the best male - but I am, aren't I Kate? Yes. I think it's a great way to end the day. Thank you very, very much and Scotland stay with us," were his words - as delivered by Moss.
His comeback album was also in the running for an award, but he lost out to Arctic Monkey's AM.
The ceremony at the O2 Arena also featured a host of performances, including from Beyonce and Katy Perry, who put on a colourful, Egyptian-themed show.
But Perry lost out to New Zealander Lorde in the race for best international female.
Bruno Mars also gave a live performance, just shortly after picking up the prize for best international male.
The ceremony was wound up with a medley by Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, who played Daft Punk's Get Lucky, Chic's Good Times and Williams' current feelgood chart hit, Happy.
Goulding lifted the first prize of the night and said she was "genuinely in shock" and "shaking".
"This means so much to me, I can't even tell you," added the musician.
Her award, presented by singer Prince, comes four years after she was named the Critics' Choice, a prize won this year by Sam Smith.
Arctic Monkeys repeated their best group triumph of 2007 and 2008, and frontman Alex Turner joked that they had put money on rivals One Direction to win.
Speaking backstage, Turner said of their triumph: "It feels wonderful. It's wonderful to receive that acknowledgement on a night that celebrates British music.
"[But] as wonderful as it is to be nominated for something you create, I don't necessarily think the talent of a group of musicians is directly proportional to the size of their trophy cabinet."
"For us, I think any victory comes closer to the conception of the album or the song in the first place," he added.
While One Direction scooped two prizes, they were denied a third by dance group Rudimental, who won best British single for the number one hit Waiting All Night.
From a clutch of three nominations, Bastille were named best British breakthrough act, while French dance act Daft Punk took best international group.
For the third and final time, comedian and actor James Corden presided over the ceremony.
Source-BBC
Facebook to buy messaging app WhatsApp for $19bn
Facebook has bought messaging app WhatsApp in a deal worth a total of $19bn (£11.4bn) in cash and shares.
It is the social networking giant's biggest acquisition to date.
WhatsApp has over 450 million monthly users and is popular with people looking to avoid text messaging charges.
In a statement announcing the deal, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg described WhatsApp's services as "incredibly valuable".
WhatsApp allows users to send messages over internet connections, avoiding text messaging fees. The company claims it is currently registering one million new users a day.
It makes money by charging users a subscription fee of $1 per year, although it offers a free model as well.
Mike Butcher, techcrunch.com, explains why Facebook would want to buy WhatsApp
The deal to buy it includes $4bn in cash and approximately $12 billion worth of Facebook shares, plus an additional $3 billion in stock to WhatsApp's founders and employees at a later date.
On a conference call to discuss the deal, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum says he plans to operate the firm "independently and autonomously". He will also become a member of Facebook's board of directors.
"We're excited and honoured to partner with Mark and Facebook as we continue to bring our product to more people around the world," Mr Koum said in a statement.
Mr Zuckerberg said the prospect of a deal was first floated just 11 days ago.
The Facebook founder said he believed WhatsApp was on track to have a billion users, but insisted he had no plans to place advertising on WhatsApp's interface, saying he did not think ads were the best way to make money from messaging systems.
Once the deal is finalised, Mr Koum and co-founder Brian Acton are set to become Silicon Valley's newest billionaires.
WhatsApp has around 50 employees in total.
Source-BBC
15 Militants Reported Dead After Pakistani Strike
Pakistani military authorities say 15 suspected militants are dead after fighter jets bombed militant hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal region.
Wednesday's attacks were focused on the town of Mir Ali, where militant activity is prevalent.
One government official said a cache of weapons and ammunition was seized during the attack.
Also this week, a Taliban faction claimed it had killed 23 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers.
After that report, peace talks between representatives of the Taliban and Pakistani officials stalled. Government officials say a ceasefire must be in place before talks can resume.
Al Jazeera Journalists to Appear in Egypt Court
Twenty journalists, incudling those from the Al-Jazeera news agency, go on trial in Egypt Thursday, in a case that many say highlights the military-backed interim government's crackdown on dissent and free speech.
The journalists, including four foreigners, face charges including spreading "false information" about Egypt and supporting or belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the government sees as a terrorist group.
Juris Greste is the father of one of the accused journalists, the Australian Peter Greste. He told reporters he hopes his son will soon be released.
"Of course, as far as we are concerned, he's entirely and completely innocent and he should be either back home here or at his usual job in Nairobi.”
Al-Jazeera is based in Qatar, where the government supports the Brotherhood and ex-President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted by the military in July. Some have claimed the group has provided biased news coverage of Egypt.
The broadcaster denies the accusation, and says the charges against its journalists are "absurd, baseless and false."
The case against the Al Jazeera journalists has attracted widespread international attention from fellow journalists, rights groups and others concerned about the state of press freedom in Egypt.
Human Rights Watch on Thursday said the latest charges are politicized and show "how fast the space for dissent in Egypt is evaporating."
Three of the journalists, including the Australian Greste and Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, were arrested in December from where they were broadcasting at a Cairo hotel.
Authorities said they were working without accreditation. They also accused them of editing footage "to give the appearance that Egypt is in a civil war" and belonging to and possessing materials that supported a terrorist organization.
Since Mr. Morsi's ouster in July, the government has rounded up thousands of Brotherhood supporters and sympathizers. Over a thousand have also been killed in clashes with police, including several hundred Islamists during the break-up of a sit-in.
The Brotherhood has held regular protests against the military coup, which followed mass protests against Mr. Morsi. But it denies taking part in a series of bombings and other attacks, which have mostly targeted security forces.
The award-winning Australian, Peter Greste, has written several letters from prison, which is said to be ridden with bugs and rats. He has said the government will not tolerate any critical voices and that the jail is filling with those who challenge the state.
Only eight of the 20 accused journalists will appear before court Thursday. The rest are not in custody. This includes Sue Turton and Dominic Kane from Britain and Rena Netjes from The Netherlands, who has never worked for Al Jazeera.
Source-VOA
Caricom Announces New Deputy Secretary General
Caricom has named Manorma Soeknandan the regional body’s new Deputy Secretary General.
Soeknandan, a native of Suriname, succeeds Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite in the role.
Soeknandan has previously served as Suriname’s Ambassador to Guyana, as Ambassador to CARICOM and to Jamaica.
During her time as Ambassador to Guyana, she was named Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.
In a statement, CARICOM said the new Deputy Secretary General had experience in areas like “managing human and financial resources; strategic leadership and operational management; negotiating treaties, agreements, protocols, and in the area of public awareness and public education.”
She will serve under Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.