David Cameron warns the TCI & overseas territories about tax
Prime Minister David Cameron has urged the Turks & Caicos Islands & British overseas territories to "get their house in order" and sign up to international treaties on tax.
He wrote to the10 territories and crown dependencies, including the Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man, which operates low-tax regimes.
Some critics claim companies hiding their profits for tax avoidance or evasion use such places.
The plea comes ahead of the G8 summit in June, when the UK is expected to push for tighter tax measures.
In Mr Cameron’s letter, "With one month to go, this is the crucial moment to get our own houses in order,".
"I respect your right to be lower tax jurisdictions... but lower taxes are only sustainable if what is owed is actually paid."
Apart form the Turks & Caicos, the other 9 territories that received the letter were Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Anguilla, Montserrat, Jersey, Guern-sey and the Isle of Man.
Some have been described by the UK government as having "complex tax arrangements".
Mr Cameron urged them to sign international protocols designed to allow tax information to be shared more easily between countries, and also to take measures to improve their own transparency.
"Put simply, that means we need to know who really owns and controls each and every company," he said.
Tax avoidance, where companies operate within the rules to avoid paying taxes, and tax evasion, which is outside the law, have risen high on the political agenda in recent months.
High-profile companies like Google, Amazon and Starbucks have faced criticism in the UK for the low levels of tax, they appear to pay compared with the size of their businesses.
On Sunday, Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt defended the company's tax affairs.
He said the search engine giant "has always aspired to do the right thing", but added that "international tax law could almost certainly benefit from reform".
Two Americans released
The Royal Turk & Caicos Islands have decided not to prosecute the two Americans accused of having one bullet each in their luggage at the Providenciales International airport.
Director of Public Prosecutions JoAnn Meloche says police decided to discontinue criminal proceedings after a "thorough investigation" into the incidents. The decision was announced in a statement Friday to RTC News.
The two Americans were arrested and jailed separately after a single bullet each was found in their luggage on subsequent days in April. Both 60-year-old Cathy Davis of Dallas and 80-year-old Horace Norrell of Sarasota, Florida, denied knowing anything about the bullets. They both drew support from members of the U.S. Senate and the tourism officials here in the Turks and Caicos.
THE FORCE VISITS TCI
Over the next three months, four marine scientists from Newcastle University, will be conducting research into the coral reefs of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Dr. Pia Schuchert, Sarah Young, Katharine Hart and Georgina Beresford are from FORCE. Future of Reefs in a Changing Environment. (FORCE),
The team has made substantial efforts to tackle a number of these issues. The FORCE project carried out extensive field studies in four Caribbean countries: Barbados, Honduras, St. Kitts and Nevis and Belize. A new project, Future of Reefs (FOR), will be extending the project to three additional Caribbean countries. Following four months in Anguilla, the team has recently arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands, after which they will work in the Cayman Islands.
The team will be based in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and hope to have the opportunity to interview many residents. According to Force, they are interested in hearing local knowledge and perceptions of the reefs around the Turks and Caicos Islands, including their different uses and how they are managed.
The first two months of research will be spent in Providenciales, and the team will move to Grand Turk for the third month.
Community meetings will be held in the Bight and Turtle Cove at 5pm today Monday May 20th in the National Environmental Centre, and in Five Cays on Thursday May 23rd at 5pm.
The team will give an overview of the project, run workshops exploring past changes in the marine environment and help participants create their own use of maps of the area.
Crime & Incident Reports for May 16,2013
The Royal Turks & Caicos Police are investigating a Burglary, which was reported on Thursday May 16, 2013 at 11:40AM. An owner of a Beauty Salon in Residence Yard in Five Cays reported that the establishment was secured at 10PM on Wednesday May 15th, 2013 and upon returning at 9AM the next day, it was discovered it was broken into. Missing are a quantity of fashion jewelry, women watches, one (1) black TV box, one (1) TV and one (1) black RCA radio. The Criminal Investigation Department is carrying out further investigations into this incident.
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The Royal Turks & Caicos Police is investigating an Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm incident, which occurred on Reese Street in Five Cays. A female told officers that she was at her workplace when an unknown female who was throwing stones at her, assaulted her.
Responding officers later arrested a 44-year-old female in Five Cays area in connection with this report.
The complainant was taken to the Cheshire Hall Medical Center where she was examined and treated for a non-life threatening injury. This incident was reported on Thursday May 16, 2013.
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The Police are also investigating a residential Burglary, which was reported on Thursday May 16th, 2013.
It has been determined that the burglary occurred between 11:45AM & 4:00 pm on Thursday May 16th, 2013.
Upon investigation Police found several rooms ransacked, the resident of the property noted one (1) black Samsung 32 inch television, one (1) X-Box game, one (1) HP 17inches laptop and three Dominican passports missing.
The Criminal Investigation Department is carrying out further investigations into this incident.
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The CID Team are also investigating a Burglary at a business in Five Cays, which was reported in the early hours of Friday May 17th, 2013.
According to management, The business was secured in the early evening hours of Thursday May 16th, 2013 and was discovered broken into early on Thursday. The business was ransacked and checks are underway to determine what is missing. Investigations are ongoing.
Tributes to OJ Lewis from PABA
The PABA will resume action tonight at the Gus Lightbourne Sports Complex in Providenciales.
It wont be your typical PABA game as there are emotions hovering over the members of both teams.
TRIBUTEs will be paid tonight to OJ LEWIS #21 of the Five Cays Flyers who passed away just under a week!!
Mr. Lewis was a member of the PABA family. He was a part of the fiver Cays flyers better known as FLYERNATION!! His jovial and friendly personality will surely be missed. The PABA executive members, players and fans send their condolences to the family of OJ and please know, that you are in our Prayers.
President of the PABA, Mr Glasgow President said:
‘All games for the rest of this season will be played in honor of our dear player OJ Lewis.’
St.Monica’s beats Methodist
In the softball games held last night at the National Stadium, St. Monica's went all out for the first major win defeating Methodist church 15-8 in game 1.
Following that game our sports correspondent spoke with one of the players from St. Monica's: 'It was just another great night to play ball and that's what we did.'
In game 2, Prophecy Church won 7 to 5 over Jericho Baptist.
Games will continue on Monday at 6:30pm with Paradise taking on Bethany and St Monica's VS Prophecy.
Top spots in the softball church league is Prophecy 1, Bethany 2 & Jericho is no 3.
Pope Francis hits out at global 'cult of money'
Pope Francis has called on world leaders to end the "cult of money" and to do more for the poor, in his first major speech on the financial crisis.
Free market economics had created a tyranny, in which people were valued only by their ability to consume, the pontiff told diplomats in the Vatican.
"Money has to serve, not to rule," he said, urging ethical financial reforms.
Meanwhile, the Vatican's own bank announced it would publish its annual report for the first time.
The Institute for Works of Religion, which has been at the centre of various financial scandals in recent years, is to hire an external accountancy firm to ensure it meets international standards against money laundering.
The bank would launch a website and publish its annual report in an effort to increase transparency, new president Ernst Freyberg said.
The institute is considered one of the world's most secretive banks.
Hurricane Week Clean-up begins
As part of its preparedness exercise for the upcoming Hurricane Season which runs from June 1 to November 30, the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) will be working with community members and groups to clean up areas around the Turks and Caicos Islands.
On Saturday May 18, 2013 between 8am and 12 noon the Team will be in West Road and its environs. Residents of Grand Turk are asked to join the clean-up exercise. Participants and interested individuals are asked to meet at the John Missick Fish Market at 8:00am.
If you live in West Road please, bag and place any refuse or unwanted items outside your homes for pickup during this cleanup exercise. In addition the DDME is appealing to residents to assist with the loading of the pickup trucks.
Be ready, It Only Takes One Storm.
Minister of Haitian Diaspora commits to working with TCIG
Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands the Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing met today, May 16, 2013 with the Hon. Dr. Bernice Fidelia, Minister of the Haitian Diaspora to discuss the issues and concerns of the government in respect to illegal migration of Haitian nationals to the TCI.
Minister Fidelia along with a delegation of senior officials from the Haitian Government, travelled to the TCI at the invitation of the Premier to have frank discussions on how the two nations can work together to address issues of border security, illegal squatting, deforestation (illegal charcoal making), trade relations and potential investment opportunities.
The Hon. Fidelia gave strong commitments to working with the TCI Government through its Council to aid in communicating the various laws of the Turks & Caicos Islands to the local Haitian community, but more importantly the Haitian people living in the North Coast to inform them of the realities of illegal travel to Turks & Caicos Islands and the legal approach if they desire to visit and work in the TCI.
The Premier expressed delight and congratulated the Hon. Minister on behalf of the TCI Government on the upcoming flag-day celebrations, which commemorates their independence and commitment to strengthening the relations between Haiti and TCI through a Memorandum of Understanding.
The Minister of Health Hon Portia Stubbs gives her address WHD
The Minister of Health Hon Portia Stubbs in her address gave us five concrete steps to minimizing High Blood pressure, not just on World Hypertension day but for everyday living.
A Message to mark World Hypertension Day
From Honorable Porsha Stubbs-Smith
Minister for Health and Human Services
On 17 May 2013, we in the Turks and Caicos Islands will join with the rest of the world in celebrating World Hypertension Day. This year’s theme is “Healthy Heart Beat - Healthy Blood Pressure”.
The world marks World Hypertension Day with activities and campaigns that focus on the causes and consequences of high blood pressure. This week I invite you to visit any of our Primary Care Clinics throughout the TCI and get your blood pressure checked for free.
World Hypertension Day has been established to highlight the preventable stroke, heart and kidney diseases caused by high blood pressure and to communicate to the public information on prevention, detection and treatment. So each year, worldwide May 17th is designated Hypertension Day
Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump.
The higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of damage to the heart and blood vessels in major organs such as the brain and kidneys.
If left uncontrolled, hypertension can lead to a heart attack, an enlargement of the heart and eventually heart failure. Blood vessels may develop bulges (aneurysms) and weak spots that make them more likely to clog and burst. The pressure in the blood vessels can cause blood to leak out into the brain and cause a stroke. Hypertension can also lead to kidney failure, blindness, and cognitive impairment.
The health consequences of hypertension can be compounded by other factors that increase the odds of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. These factors include tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, lack of physical activity, and exposure to persistent stress as well as obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus.
1. Everyone can take five concrete steps to minimize the odds of developing high blood pressure and its adverse consequences.
2. Healthy diet: Avoiding harmful use of alcohol i.e. limit intake to no more than one standard drink a day
3. Physical activity: regular physical activity and promotion of physical activity for children and young people (at least 30 minutes a day). Maintaining a normal weight: every 5 kg of excess weight lost can reduce systolic blood pressure by 2 to 10 points.
4. Stopping tobacco use and exposure to tobacco products
5. Managing stress in healthy way such as through meditation, appropriate physical exercise, and positive social contact.
Let us focus our attention on the prevention and control of high blood pressure, as a means of reducing the number of people affected, both now and in the future, by cardiovascular disease.
Thank you
Porsha Stubbs-Smith
Minister of Health and Human Services
There is an information exchange made available from a Speech by Permanent Secretary of Health , that displays about Hypertension at strategic locations (hospitals, banks, etc.),
Other activities planned to celebrate World Hypertension Day include Airing of PSA’s on Hypertension throughout the week of May 17th-24th via local radio stations and Health Matters Recording aired at 7pm on May 20th by Health Team and Workplace visits for Health Screenings & Nutrition Counseling - Island wide on May 21st.
Hypertension is one of the most important causes of premature death worldwide and the problem is growing; in 2025, an estimated 1.56 billion adults will be living with hypertension.1
Permanent Secretary for Health Desiree Lewis in recognition for World Hypertension Day also had her message for the TCI
The MOH is encouraging each and everyone within the Turks and Caicos Islands and beyond to incorporate exercise in your daily schedule, stay active and know your numbers – blood pressure, cholesterol levels as well as your weight and height. A healthy blood pressure will result in a healthy heart beat.
The Ministry invites one and all to listen to their local radio stations for further activities celebrating World Hypertension Day.