Kia Kats and Rulay will meet in the finals starting Saturday in Provo
RTC Sports enjoyed some good Softball over the weekend in Providenciales.
On Saturday in the third game of the playoffs between Rulay & the Flyers; Rulay won that game 15 to 4 to advance to the championships, where they will meet the Kia Kats.
That game will begin on Saturday at 3pm.
Then it was Silver Deep VS Discount Tigers where. Silver Deep won that game 9 to 7 putting SD up 2 games in the playoff.
On Sunday, the third game between Silver Deep (SD) taking on Discount Tigers in a very close game, Silver Deep emerged victorious with the win in the 3rd game of the playoff with the score 17 to 14, advancing them to the championship.
In the second game between the Braves & Kishco saw incredible skills at the bottom of the third, Kishco lead 10 to 3 in the third game between them, but that game will continue next Sunday due to bad lights.
Will Braves make a come back or will Kishco take the 3rd game to meet Silver Deep in the Championship?
Time will tell!
Games continue on Saturday with the game one of the championships between Kia Kats and Rulay and RTC Sports will bring you the highlights.
TCI DELEGATION ATTENDS KPMG SUMMIT IN MIAMI
The Premier, Dr. Hon. Rufus Ewing will be attending the 2013 KPMG Island Infrastructure Summit in Miami, Florida next week, as a Key Note Speaker, to what is anticipated to be well over two hundred investors, bankers and financiers, developers and other public sector leaders.
As mentioned in a Press Briefing yesterday with the local media, Premier Ewing will be presenting three major projects that the Government has identified for the country and what he has termed as “transformational” and “life changing” development opportunities.
With the new resort developments on the horizon and previously stalled developments remobilizing, the total number of room keys is expected to almost double over the next five to eight years. It is with this exponential growth in mind that the first of the three projects is the re-expansion of the Providenciales International Airport. This would-be third expansion would develop a first class International Arrivals and Departures terminal that will offer travelers the luxury and comfort that is characteristic of a luxury high end destination like the TCI. The current expansion will be re-commissioned as a Domestic and Regional Cargo terminal to ensure full utilization of the facility. This new airport would also have the capacity to facilitate flights from other markets and extend its service to Aircraft Registry as a Regional Hub, offering a viable alternative to the United States Hub in Puerto Rico.
The Turks & Caicos Islands is strategically situated to capitalize on the transshipment of goods from North America, South America, Europe and the Caribbean. It is with this opportunity in mind that the second project being presented is the East Caicos Development Corporation. This project proposes a mega cruise port, mega cargo port and mega yacht port with resort facilities, duty free shopping and other tourist attractions. Ideally situated, and as a Ship Registry, the potential would be there to benefit from shipments coming from Canada and the USA to the Caribbean and South America and likewise from Europe, and return. Major Cruise Companies could have routes beginning in East Caicos as a major hub and Premier Ewing has confirmed that major cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Carbbean have already expressed interest in utilizing this port.
As a natural complement to the Providenciales Airport Expansion and the East Caicos Development Corporation comes the third project, the linking of the Caicos Islands to form one land mass. This project will be achieved in phases, with the first being the linking of Providenciales to North Caicos and the second linking East Caicos to Middle Caicos and East Caicos to South Caicos. The benefits of the one land mass are tremendous, ensuring that the economies of all the Caicos islands have the opportunity to benefit from the development of East Caicos. The cost of imported goods would decrease, the cruise ship passengers arriving in East Caicos would have access to the delights of Providenciales and the high number of tourists arriving at the Providenciales International Airport could experience the flavors of the other islands.
The access to all of the islands would also aid in the diversification of our tourism product towards eco-tourism, with guests having the ability to enjoy the Marsh Lands of East Caicos and the Lucayan Caves of East Caicos and the caves of Middle Caicos, as well as the cultural and historic attractions of South Caicos. Other benefits would include the immediate creation, and accessibility to jobs, less need for the duplication of government supported services and the possibility to develop a trucking industry that would transport food and cargo between the islands.
When asked about how he feels and what he hopes to achieve in Miami, Premier Ewing said this, “The Turks & Caicos Islands is ripe with opportunities for investment, and the timing is right in this season of expectancy when Investors are looking to be a part of something big and life-changing for themselves, the country, the region and I daresay, the world. So it is our aim to attract the right investors and show them why they should partner with the Government of the Turks & Caicos Islands as opposed to anywhere else.”
“Our economy is stable with a projected growth of 3.4% in 2013. The development projects on stream will increase our room keys by fifty percent in three years and we are strategically located to be a major player in transshipment of aircraft and large vessel registry. In addition to this, our Caicos Islands are home to some of the largest Marsh lands and Cave systems in the region and can therefore support our development of an eco-tourism center, attracting the environmentalist at heart, while preserving the natural eco-system of the island. So knowing the great potential here the government has already begun preparing the way forward and through the development of Policies and the formation of Public Private Partnerships, we will take the Turks & Caicos to a higher level of economic growth and development.”
In a recent article published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) entitled, “Robust Economic Growth Must be Private-Sector Led,” Warren Smith, President of the Caribbean Development Bank asserted that while policy-makers must do outreach, the private sector has to take an active role in “generating economic growth.” Further, Alejandro Werner, the Director of the Western Hemisphere Department of the (IMF) stated that “durable growth” has to be “private sector-led.”
The Premier will be joined in Miami by members of his staff, the Minister for Government Support Services, Hon. George Lightbourne, whose ministry will be largely involved with this type of development, and a host of business persons from a wide cross-section of the private sector, representing business gurus, lawyers, accountants, the Tourism & Hotel Association, real estate, contractors, civil engineers and the banking industry.
20th SITTING OF CABINET PRESS BRIEFING
Her Excellency the Acting Governor, Anya Williams, chaired the 20th meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday 18 September 2013 at the House of Assembly Building in Grand Turk.
All Ministers were present at the meeting.
At this meeting Cabinet discussed and agreed the following:
The Acting Governor disclosed the award of Capital Projects to successful bidders.
• The contract to source and supply vehicles to the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force was awarded to Champion Trucking.
• The contract for the design and installation of Closed Circuit Television System at the Radar Tower in Providenciales was awarded to Eagle Claw Security.
• The contract for the installation of a generator at the Green Door Hurricane Shelter in Grand Turk was awarded to R & R Company.
• The contract for the construction of the Customs Warehouse & Fence in Grand Turk was awarded to J&H Construction.
Members heard an update on the negotiations re the National Stadium from the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, Culture & Libraries. Negotiations are ongoing between the Attorney General’s Chambers on behalf of the Government and the legal representatives for the TCI Education Foundation. The matter is expected to be resolved in due course but Cabinet agreed that the matter will be eventually debated in the House of Assembly with the aims of agreeing the way forward.
The Minister of Finance tabled a request for a revised MOU between Government and The Ambergris Cay Development. Cabinet agreed that since the Ambergris Cay Development is not in Liquidation but merely in Receivership, a new MOU would only be offered provided all arrears with Government are satisfied by the Receiver.
Members considered a paper on a model Inter-Governmental Agreement tabled by the Minister of Finance. This non-reciprocal agreement would allow Financial Institutions in the TCI to report on activity for accounts of US Citizens to the TCI Government and the Government would report this collective activity to the United States Government. Cabinet agreed that this agreement is a further step in TCI’s efforts to be compliant with International Standards in thwarting tax evaders and minimizing the risk of money laundering.
Members considered a paper on the establishment and implementation of the Infrastructure Fund which was tabled by the Minister of Government Support Services. Cabinet agreed that the proposal made by Carnival Cruise was a positive prospect for the economy of Grand Turk and agreed to the appointment of a Project Manager by Carnival Cruise who will be funded by the fund.
Members considered a paper on the Credit Union Policy tabled by the Minister of Finance. The paper recognized the need to allow the legal establishment of Credit Unions in the TCI as a means of helping to secure the financial earnings of those persons as an alternative to the Financial Banking Institutions, and to regularize those Credit Unions already operational with the country. Cabinet agreed that there is a need for Credit Unions and noted actions that would aid in moving the process forward.
Further information on the issues addressed by Cabinet will be provided by Ministers in due course.
Cabinet will hold its next meeting on Wednesday October 2, 2013.
UK Prime Minister says'TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS IS NOT A TAX HAVEN'
The Turks and Caicos Islands is one among several of the Overseas Territories rejoicing at the declaration made by UK Prime Minister, David Cameron.
During the recent sitting of the House of Commons, Minister Cameron strongly defended the Overseas Territories, stating, “I do not think it is fair any longer to refer to any of the Overseas Territories or Crown Dependencies as Tax Havens.”
The Prime Minister further acknowledged the steps that the majority of the Territories have taken to ensure that they are compliant and to demonstrate their commitment to operating a fair and transparent tax system. Minister Cameron further suggested that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies matter a lot to the British People and that our efforts should be defended by the UK Government.
In a joint statement released by the Leaders of the Overseas Territories, the Premier, Dr. Hon. Rufus Ewing publicly demonstrated to the world that we, the Turks and Caicos Islands, fully concur with Minister Cameron’s statement and we are pleased that we are finally being recognized for our efforts to ensure that we are a well regulated and compliant jurisdiction and that the Turks and Caicos Islands is not a tax haven.
Premier Ewing commented, “The Turks and Caicos Islands, along with other Overseas Territories made the commitment several months ago to join in the efforts to ensure that we have a robust, open and fax tax system that would thwart tax evaders and discourage the activities of money launderers and other financial crimes. We fully concur with Minister Cameron’s statement and we want the world to know that the Turks and Caicos Islands is not a tax haven and investors can come and do business here with the confidence that we have a safe, compliant and well regulated Financial Services Center.”
In June of this year, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Anguilla, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man agreed to the reform of their Financial sectors to internationally recognized and accepted Global Standards by signing up to the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Assistance in Tax Matters, an initiative led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS IS NOT A TAX HAVEN
The Turks and Caicos Islands is one among several of the Overseas Territories rejoicing at the declaration made by UK Prime Minister, David Cameron.
During the recent sitting of the House of Commons, Minister Cameron strongly defended the Overseas Territories, stating, “I do not think it is fair any longer to refer to any of the Overseas Territories or Crown Dependencies as Tax Havens.”
The Prime Minister further acknowledged the steps that the majority of the Territories have taken to ensure that they are compliant and to demonstrate their commitment to operating a fair and transparent tax system. Minister Cameron further suggested that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies matter a lot to the British People and that our efforts should be defended by the UK Government.
In a joint statement released by the Leaders of the Overseas Territories, the Premier, Dr. Hon. Rufus Ewing publicly demonstrated to the world that we, the Turks and Caicos Islands, fully concur with Minister Cameron’s statement and we are pleased that we are finally being recognized for our efforts to ensure that we are a well regulated and compliant jurisdiction and that the Turks and Caicos Islands is not a tax haven.
Premier Ewing commented, “The Turks and Caicos Islands, along with other Overseas Territories made the commitment several months ago to join in the efforts to ensure that we have a robust, open and fax tax system that would thwart tax evaders and discourage the activities of money launderers and other financial crimes. We fully concur with Minister Cameron’s statement and we want the world to know that the Turks and Caicos Islands is not a tax haven and investors can come and do business here with the confidence that we have a safe, compliant and well regulated Financial Services Center.”
In June of this year, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Anguilla, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man agreed to the reform of their Financial sectors to internationally recognized and accepted Global Standards by signing up to the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Assistance in Tax Matters, an initiative led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Scotia Celebrates small Business Week
Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos Islands) Limited will be celebrating Small Business Week. The Branches will be focusing on entrepreneurs with a series of activities which include a branch open house with complimentary resources for small businesses, small business customer displays in all three branches and a client appreciation event.
“At Scotiabank, we know the valuable contribution of small business owners to the growth of the Turks and Caicos Economy. We are excited to see the large amount of entrepreneurs who seize the opportunity daily to invest in their dreams and put their plans into action. I am particularly proud of the young professionals who are investing in entrepreneurship and taking on the challenge of starting their own business in this market,” said Cecil Arnold, Managing Director of Scotiabank Turks and Caicos.
Scotiabank will be looking to launch a new product during our Celebration of Small Business week which will cater to that segment of the market, providing them with lower loan rates and attractive terms as we recognize that they are generally lower risk and have the potential for even greater earning power explained Mr. Arnold.
Speaking about the work that Scotiabank has invested in developing the technical capacity of its clients, Scotiabank Small Business Banking Manager, Mr. Jerelle Laporte said “We are committed to helping entrepreneurs achieve their financial goals, offering relevant advice; services and tools that will help them start and grow their small business. We believe that financial literacy and business planning and knowledge are vital to our client’s business success.”
As part of the Small Business Week, the Scotiabank Turks and Caicos Virgin Islands team will be promoting the services of its small business clients through in branch displays all week, as well as an hosting an open house where persons interested in starting a business or expanding their operations can visit our small business representatives to talk about the best opportunities to get their company off the ground. The team will also be providing tips and technical advice on how to better manage their businesses into successful enterprises.
Scotiabank works with business owners all over the Caribbean to provide insights and tools to help entrepreneurs confidently manage their business at every stage.
For more information on Small Business Banking and Small Business Week please visit: turksandcaicos.scotiabank.com. Find Scotiabank Turks and Caicos Islands on Facebook by searching www.facebook.com/ScotiabankTC.
L & L Annual Complimentary Teacher’s Workshop was A Great Success
Learn and Lead Educational Center hosted their second annual Back to School Complimentary Workshop for teachers titled “Learning Disabilities in an Inclusive Classroom” to a packed house. Daily teachers are called upon to help every student in their classroom reach their potential. Knowing how to address the needs of any student whose progress might be delayed because of a learning disability will result in greater success.
The workshop highlighted what learning disabilities are and presented strategies for addressing the needs of students with a learning disability in an inclusive classroom. Discussions focused on the importance of knowledge, technique and philosophy in order to create an ideal learning environment for children with learning disabilities. L & L would like to extend a special thank you to Fortis TCI, for providing the refreshments for this workshop.
Facilitator Yolande Robinson said “I am extremely pleased and energized by this year’s turnout. The participating teachers from the 9 schools represented were eager to learn more about learning disabilities, and enjoyed the opportunity to mix and mingle with teachers from other schools. Our hope is that the participating teachers have a few more tools in their tool kits and left feeling more confident in dealing with children with learning disabilities in their classrooms.”
Learn and Lead provides workshops for educators year round by request. For more information about their workshops, or other services, please visit www.learnandleadec.com.
Saunders responds
In a follow up to the re-arrest, Norman Saunders Jr issued his own press release to RTC news.
'I am shocked at the SIPT's decision to charge me. I have not committed the offences for which they have accused me, their charges are unfair, and I will continue to strongly contest them.
I am grateful for the many messages of support that I have already received from friends, clients, and professional colleagues. My hope is that a trial with a jury of my peers can proceed , so that I can put this matter behind me and my family, and so that we can return to a normal life.
I do not intend to make further statements.'
Norman Saunders, Jr.
NORMAN SAUNDERS CHARGED AGAIN
The Special Investigations and Prosecution Team (SIPT) has charged attorney Norman Saunders again, after a basic legal blunder forced them to drop money laundering charges against him two weeks ago.
The new charges were announced on Friday September 20th, by SIPT through Neil Smith, spokesman for the Governor.
It appears from the press release that Saunders, 44, was charged since Thursday, but that the SIPT carefully timed the release of the information.
A note at the top of the press release to Neil Smith with specific instructions stated: "Norman Saunders was charged this morning (Thursday) and will appear before the Magistrates Court at Provo tomorrow (Friday). Can you please issue a Press Release, when I give you the green light tomorrow."
The actual press release stated: "Norman Saunders appeared at the Magistrates Court in Providenciales today charged with the following offences;
1.Assisting Another To Retain the Benefit of Criminal Conduct, in that between 1st August 2005 and 3rd October 2007 he entered into an arrangement whereby Mc Allister Hanchell's proceeds of criminal conduct were used to secure funds that were placed at the said Mc Allister Hanchell's disposal, knowing that he was a person who is or had been engaged in criminal conduct.
2.Entering into or becoming concerned in an arrangement to facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property , in that between 3rd October 2007 and 31st December 2010 he entered into or became concerned in an arrangement which he knew or suspected facilitated the acquisition, retention, use or control or criminal property by or on behalf of Mc Allister Hanchell.
3.Acquiring, using or possessing criminal property, in that between 3rd October 2007 and 31st December 2010 he acquired criminal property, namely monies transferred to him for the benefit of Mc Allister Hanchell.
He was remanded on bail to appear before the Supreme Court for a Sufficiency Hearing on 8th November ."
Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough had ruled that Special Prosecutor Helen Garlick did not have constitutional powers to charge anyone and that those powers would have to be delegated by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
This, apparently, has now been done.
Source-TCI Sun
Typhoon Usagi kills at least 25 people in China
Typhoon Usagi has killed at least 25 people in Guangdong province of south China, the government has said.
Winds of up to 180 km/h (110 mph) were recorded in some areas, toppling trees and blowing cars off roads. Its victims drowned or were hit by debris.
The storm has affected 3.5 million people on the Chinese mainland.
Trains from Guangzhou to Beijing have been suspended and hundreds of flights from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong have been cancelled.
However, Hong Kong has escaped the worst of the storm.
Weather officials say that the ferocity of the storm has abated as it progressed into southern China, but financial markets in Hong Kong were closed for part of Monday morning.
More than 80,000 people were moved to safety in Fujian province and the authorities have deployed at least 50,000 relief workers, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Power supplies in many parts of the province and in Guangdong have been cut off.
The typhoon caused 7,100 homes to collapse and led to direct economic losses of 3.24 bn yuan ($526m; £329m), Xinhua added.
"It is the strongest typhoon I have ever encountered," Xinhua quoted Luo Hailing, a petrol station attendant in Shanwei - in the eastern part of Guangdong province - as saying. "[It was] so terrible, lucky we made preparations."