DOC LAUNCH 2016 CULTURAL SUMMER CAMP
The Department of Culture, within the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Culture and Heritage successfully launched its 2016 Cultural Summer Camp on August 2, 2016. The Camp caters for youth aged 6 – 16 years and runs for a week. Campers have been learning various aspects of our Cultural History through art, song, dance and other activities. The Cultural Camp continues next week in North/Middle Caicos. Camp begins in South Caicos on August 15 – 19 and in Grand Turk on August 22 – 26.
This week in Providenciales has been an exciting experience for both the campers and facilitators alike, with the engagement of over 60 campers. We look forward to a great turn out on the remaining islands.
TURKS AND CAICOS POST CABINET MEETING STATEMENT
His Excellency the Governor, Peter Beckingham, chaired the 22nd meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 3 August 2016, at the Hon. N J S Francis Building on Grand Turk.
All Ministers were present except the Hon. George Lightborne, Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication
At this meeting Cabinet:
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve amending the Hotel and Tourism (Taxation) (Designated Restaurant) Order 2016 which lays out the criteria for an establishment to be considered as a designated restaurant for the purposes of the collection of tourism related taxes. The amendments would commence on September 1, 2016.
Cabinet agreed to support in principle an application for a license to construct a rock breakwater seaward in the Juba Salina in Providenciales subject to conditions as set out by the Departments of Planning and Environment and Maritime Affairs.
Cabinet agreed to support in principle an application for a license to construct and operate a beach restaurant and deck business in Grace Bay Providenciales subject to the conditions as set out by the Crown Land Unit and the Departments of Planning and Environment and Maritime Affairs.
Cabinet agreed to support in principle an application for a long-term lease over two parcels of commercial land for the development of a car detailing service center in Grand Turk. Cabinet further approved the issuance of a notice for tender for a long-term lease over the identified parcels in accordance with the Crown Land Ordinance.
Cabinet agreed the Attorney General's Chambers should commence the drafting of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill which will bring the fund into effect.
Cabinet agreed the submission of the Statement of Net Excess Expenditure to the House of Assembly for consideration as part of the charge to Public Funds for the Financial Year 2015/16 and in accordance with the Public Financial Management Ordinance.
Cabinet agreed that the Attorney General's Chambers commence the drafting of amendments to Reg 3 (2) (d) (iii) of the Business Licensing (Amendment) No. 2 Reg 2015 and the repeal of the Immigration (Exemption) Order 2015 (30 of 2015).
Agreed that the Ministry of Finance, Investment and Trade to undertake a review of businesses operating in the reserved and restricted categories with the aim of formulating a policy to protect Turks and Caicos Islanders and Turks and Caicos Islanders interests in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the grant of concession orders for four businesses under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Policy operated by Invest Turks and Caicos.
Cabinet agreed in principle, subject to the standard legal, planning and environmental requirements, to a proposal by Grace Bay Resort for the development of a 48 cottage rental suites and 4 residential homes as an oceanfront development in Providenciales.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the advancement of the amendments to the Tobacco Ordinance to the House of Assembly which will exempt specialty shops, whose sole business is tobacco, to advertise and display tobacco products.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to agree for the Attorney General's Chambers to commence drafting the regulations to the Tobacco Ordinance.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to agree for the Attorney General's Chambers to commence the drafting of amendments to the Public and Environmental Health Ordinance to review the offences under sections 4, 5 and 7 to allow for a ticketing system and imposition of fines as penalties for non-compliance of upkeep of surroundings.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to conduct a consultation for a period of two weeks commencing Friday August 5 2016 among the political parties and those candidates who as of that date are widely known to be running independently, on recommended amendments to the voting ballot to change the current layout from a portrait to a landscape with candidates listed alphabetically and grouped by party affiliation, with the view of simplifying the voting process and presentation of candidates on the ballot for the voting populace.
Cabinet agreed to the commencement of a consultation of industry stakeholders for the construction of a national fibre ring along the circumference of the chain of islands to reinforce the data and communications connectivity of all the islands and to improve the broadband service experienced in the family islands.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the amendments to the Telecommunications (Fee) Structure Regulations for the adoption of a revised license fee structure for commencement September 1, 2016.
Agreed for the body of the late Charles Glinton Snr. to lay in repose from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon on Saturday August 13, 2016 at the General Post Office in Grand Turk.
Agreed to naming of the government building which currently houses the General Post Office as the Charles Glinton Snr. Building in honour of the late officer's contribution to the work of the post office and the civil service.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to grant approval for the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Culture and Heritage to enter a bid for the hosting of the 2017 Caribbean Tourism Organization State of the Industry Conference in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Agreed for the Ministry of Finance to set up a working group for the transitional arrangement for the Carnival Cruise Center and Downtown Welcome Center whose ownership will transfer to the Government once Carnival has recovered their investment which it is expected to be in 2018.
Noted and gave support for the appointment of the Minister of Border Control and Employment Services as the Turks and Caicos Islands Special Representative to the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors to represent the interests of the TCI in CARICOM led initiatives.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the appointment of a Steering Committee for the CCTV Policing and Security Project which will expand the installation and monitoring of closed circuit television cameras in the islands of Providenciales and Grand Turk (initially) as a part of the National Security Council's crime prevention and detection program.The committee will comprise of members of the Police Force, the Computer Unit and other stakeholder government departments or agencies, and chaired by the Director of the Office of the Premier.
Advised His Excellency the Governor to appoint Ms. Tracy Smith of North Caicos to the National Health Insurance Board to meet the number of prescribed appointments in accordance with the National Health Insurance Board Ordinance.
Agreed to the approval of an additional five taxi licenses for Providenciales.
Cabinet denied a request for supplementary appropriation made by the judiciary for additional funding in the SIPT trials towards legal aide.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
‘NEW’ C&W COMMUNICATIONS POISED TO SUPPORT REGION TO ACHIEVE TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
SAN JUAN, PR, August 3, 2016 – “Cable & Wireless Communications, (C&W), is now part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international cable television company. Liberty brings global strength, innovation and experience, and combined with the deep historic roots, and long tradition of Cable and Wireless, along with the spirit of entrepreneurship of the former Columbus Group, creates a telecom leader that will continue to transform the region through sustained investment and development”; so said John Reid, acting CEO C&W Communications, at the recently held 32nd Annual CANTO 2016 Conference and Trade Exhibition in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
John Reid, CEO C&W Communications and Manuel Kohnstamm SVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Liberty Global
Speaking to over 300 delegates at the Ministerial Roundtable at CANTO, Reid indicated that Liberty offers C&W even greater potential to become a technology leader in the region. The Company plans continued investment in its telecoms infrastructure to provide “faster, better and more extensive digital experiences across the Caribbean region,” said Reid. “In the last year alone, C&W re-invested 22% of our revenue on capital expenditures, in terrestrial and sub-sea fiber capacity, new products and applications, as well as next generation mobile networks across the region. Being part of the Liberty Global family provides an even greater opportunity to bring world-class innovation and content to the region to facilitate and foster economic and social growth, creativity and wellbeing across the Caribbean.”
Reid also stressed the need for a group effort to ensure that the Caribbean harness the positive power of the change to deliver positive transformations for all our constituents. “We have an incredible chance through our infrastructure to bring the Caribbean to the world, and the world to the Caribbean. All of the building blocks are being put in place; it is critical that we come together to solve the critical issues that face our industry by investing in our infrastructure, in our people, and in our technology to fundamentally enrich the lives of every Caribbean citizen. Now is not the time to build walls between us; now is the time to promote investment, competition and an enabling regulatory environment that works for our region’s future,” explained Reid.
To this end, C&W will continue to play its part to deepen its stakeholder relationships and work towards fulfilling its mission of ‘Connecting Communities and Transforming Lives.’ The Company finds its motivation in the inherent challenges of technology diversification – it is the source of its competitive drive to continuously learn and invest in the technology that enables the region’s digital revolution.
“The rate of development in our sector continues to accelerate, whether it’s new technology and new standards, the emergence of new apps, unique programming and exponential data growth, and as such our strategies and business models must also continue to develop. In every way the industry is moving forward – and Cable & Wireless Communications is at the forefront of that change. We are investing in the digital highways of the 21st century; whether helping to connect customers, entertain them in their homes, or enable their businesses, we will continue to bring incredible innovation and benefits to our region.”
John Reid, CEO C&W Communications and Manuel Kohnstamm SVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Liberty Global
CANTO, recognized as the leading trade association of the ICT sector for shaping information and communications in the Caribbean, brings together industry professionals, communications ministers and other stakeholders who help to influence the innovation and development of ICT solutions for the benefit of the region.
US jobs growth beats forecasts in July
The US economy added a stronger-than-expected 255,000 jobs in July, fuelling speculation that interest rates could rise before the end of the year. The figure was below June's upwardly revised figure of 292,000 jobs, but was far higher than analysts' forecasts of between 175,000 and 180,000.
The US unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9%. Dennis de Jong from UFX.com said July's figure reveals a "strong but not spectacular US economy".
He said the number "represents more of a return to the form of the first six months of the year". The US Fed recently signalled that it was on course to increase interest rates this year as "near-term risks" such slowing employment receded.
However, subsequent data revealed that the US economy grew at a slower pace than expected in the second quarter of the year.
Apple urged to rethink gun emoji change
Apple has been urged to rethink its plan to convert the handgun emoji symbol into a water pistol icon. The Emojipedia website argued that the symbol could still appear as a lifelike gun in messages sent to non-iOS users. Apple made the change in the wake of a series of shootings in the US.
However, Microsoft announced this week that its toy gun symbol would be redesigned as a more realistic-looking firearm. The emoji character system allows companies to use slightly different designs of the same basic objects, signs or expressions.
Viola Beach claim posthumous number one album
Indie band Viola Beach have scored a number one album chart, six months after they were killed in a car crash. The self-titled debut was compiled by the band's families, using live sessions and studio recordings, many of which were originally bound for an EP.
It outsold the number two album, ELO's All Over The World, The Very Best Of, by about 6,000 copies, said the Official Chart Company. "I'm in shock," said Finn Reeves, whose brother River was the band's guitarist. "I think they'd be absolutely thrilled. I can see the smiles on their faces.
"They made this happen. They did the hard work." Viola Beach consisted of singer Kris Leonard, guitarist River, bassist Tomas Lowe and drummer Jack Dakin. All four members of the Warrington band and their manager Craig Tarry died when their car plunged into a canal in Sweden in February.
Wasteful Employment of Police
39 year-old woman charged with wasteful employment of Police
On Wednesday 3rd August 2016, officers arrested and charged a 39-year-old female of Blue Hills Providenciales with Wasteful employment of Police.
The woman reported to police on Saturday 25 June 2016 around 8 am that a man known to her, beat her about the body, pointed a gun at her and made threats to shoot her. Police immediately responded to the report, where the man was arrested after a high-speed chase along the Millennium Highway in Blue Hills Providenciales.
A few days later, the woman told police that the report she made was false and due to the nature of such incident, the man was charged and taken to the court for Possession of Imitation firearm with intention to cause fear and Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm. However, the case was withdrawn because the woman informed the court that the report was false.
According to sections 6 (2) of the Criminal Law Ordinance Chapter 3.01, “ Where a person causes any wasteful employment of any police officer, knowingly making to any person a false report tending to show that an offence has been committed, or to give rise to the apprehension for the safety of any person or property, or tending to show that he has information material to any police inquiry, he or she shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for six (6) months or to a fine of $2,000 or both imprisonment and fine.
The woman will appear to court on Wednesday 10th August 2016.
BAHAMAS PUBLIC FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON
BAHAMAS PUBLIC FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FRIDAY 5TH AUGUST 2016
GENERAL SITUATION: A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL REMAIN ANCHORED NORTH OF THE AREA WHILE A MID TO UPPER LEVEL LOW LINGERING OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS MAY TRIGGER SOME UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER THESE ISLANDS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BEACH GOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY AND HOT WITH FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY TONIGHT WITH THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 93 °F 34 °C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 79 °F 26 °C
SUNSET: 7:52 PM MOONSET: 9:49 PM
SUNRISE: 6:40 AM SAT MOONRISE: 10:01 AM SAT
LOW TIDE: 4:27 PM LOW TIDE: 5:00 AM SAT
HIGH TIDE: 10:37 PM HIGH TIDE: 11:02 AM SAT
OUTLOOK: 11:00 AM (FOR TOMORROW/WEEKEND) MOSTLY SUNNY AND HOT WITH FEW BRIEF SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: PLEASE SEE LATEST INFORMATION ON TROPICAL STORM EARL.A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO FORM OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO BY NEXT WEEK.
PATRICIA WEEKS/vm
MARINE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS
MARINE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS FOR 24 HOURS FROM 6 AM FRIDAY 5TH AUGUST 2016 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGICAL AT 1000 UTC.
WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
GENERAL SITUATIONS: A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER OVER THE ISLANDS
AREA: ALL AREAS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. BOATERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SWELLS: NONE
WEATHER: ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS
MOONRISE: 9:09AM HIGH TIDE: 10:19AM 10:37 PM
MOONSET: 9:49 PM LOW TIDE: 4:27PM 5:00 AM SAT
EXTENDED FORECAST(FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS): HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEKEND HOWEVER A MID TO UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CENTER MEANDERING ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS COULD ENHANCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THAT AREA.
FORECAST FOR SATURDAY
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN ISLANDS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: BRIEF PASSING SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS
FORECAST FOR SUNDAY
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN ISLANDS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: BRIEF PASSING SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK (HURRICANE SEASON): 1: SEE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL. 2: A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO FOR OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LATE IN THE WEEKEND OR EARLY NEXT WEEK. SOME DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE AND IT REMAINS NEARLY STATIONARY. CHANCE OF FORMATION THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS ARE LOW AT 20%.
FORECASTER: SHEZELLE MATHER / A.T.
EARL HEADS TO CAMPECHE
NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, ON FRIDAY 5TH AUGUST, 2016 AT 6AM.
CENTER OF EARL NOW NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF THE BAY OF CAMPECHE
AT 5AM EDT, TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.4° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 92.8° WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CIUDAD DEL CARMEN MEXICO.
EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. A TURN TOWARD THE WEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF EARL WILL BE MOVING NEAR THE COAST ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHERN BAY OF CAMPECHE TODAY AND TONIGHT, THEN MOVING INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN MAINLAND OF MEXICO ON SATURDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY TODAY OR TONIGHT, WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED ON SATURDAY WHEN EARL MOVES INTO MAINLAND MEXICO.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 12 NOON.
PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: SHEZELLE MATHER
ISSUED AT 5:50 AM FRIDAY 5TH AUGUST 2016