Venezuelans Surprised by Rolling Blackouts
Venezuelan residents were hit by surprised darkness yesterday Monday by rolling four-hour blackouts that the government says will last 40 days, in response to a drought that has rendered hydroelectric power plants nearly useless.
President Nicolas Maduro's government announced power rationing on Monday in 18 of Venezuela's 24 states. The capital, Caracas, has been spared.
But residents complained to news media that they were not warned of the cutoffs, leaving homes with refrigerators full of spoiled food and businesses with no way to complete electronic transactions.
Maduro's government says the El Nino weather phenomenon has caused the power shortages, but his critics blame economic mismanagement and the currently low price of oil on which the Venezuelan economy depends.
Maduro has put in place some power-saving measures such as shorter work weeks and a time zone shift to make more use of daylight. He has also encouraged people to stop blow-drying their hair and ironing clothing, until the power shortage is over.
20,000-plus “illegal” Jamaicans costing Trinidad millions
Trinidad and Tobago’s former national security minister is claiming that there are over 20,000 undocumented Jamaicans in the twin-island republic who are a burden on the country and costing government to lose out on half billion dollars every year.
And, says Gary Griffith, the Keith Rowley administration must not be intimidated by “any foreign political party” in its efforts to safeguard its security and economic resources.
His comments came on the heels of criticism in Jamaica and calls for a boycott of Trinidadian products, after Immigration officers at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad refused entry to 12 Jamaicans last month. Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses had explained that the Jamaicans who tried to enter the country on March 21 were sent back home because they were likely to become a charge on the public purse.
However, Jamaica’s Opposition spokesman on foreign affairs, Anthony Hylton, called on the Andrew Holness-led government to take the matter before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Griffith contended that many Jamaicans refuse to leave the country after gaining entry under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) free movement regime, and end up benefitting from state resources and getting jobs, or contributing to Trinidad and Tobago’s crime problem.
“It is because of this, that there are over 20,000 Jamaican Nationals who have done just that, by using the CSME angle to enter for six months, but then refuse to leave after that six-month period.
STAFF OF TCI REVENUE DEPARTMENT UNDERSTUDIES THE OPERATIONS
The team of eight (8) officers from the Revenue Department recently returned from St. Kitts and Nevis on a one-week professional attachment at Inland Revenue Department from April 18th to April 22nd 2016.
This initiative afforded the officers with the opportunity to understudy that jurisdiction's tax operations, develop an understanding of best practices utilized in the various functions of tax administration, enhance capacity building and professional development and forge information sharing and networking relationships.
The team was led by Assistant Commissioner of Revenues, Mrs. Hilda Caley and Mr Ferique Bruce and comprised of two (2) Senior Tax Officers; Brendalee Williams and Khyla Callender, three (3) Tax Officers; Nycaine Cunningham, Natasha Ewing & Lekensay Missick and Carmaine Ariza, Application Support Officer from the Accountant Generals Office.
The attachment commenced with introductions at the opening meeting and presentations from both IRD St. Kitts and TCI Revenue Department. The day concluded with a discussion on SIGTAS and other IT tools. On day 2, officers were assigned to understudy their respective work functions in the morning and regrouped to discuss Program Management and Intelligence, which continued into day 3 when they observed Business Licence Processing and held discussions with the Accountant General.
The Staff visited Nevis Sub Offices on day 4 and concluded on day 5 with an overview and closure meeting with management of the St. Kitts' Inland Revenue Department.
H.E. Deputy Governor, Hon. Anya Williams stated; "I was happy to fund and support the program from the Professional Development Fund, which seeks to improve efficiency and service delivery across Turks & Caicos Islands Government. These programs create opportunities for exposure and information sharing geared at promoting about innovation and change in TCIG's Public Service.
"This is the second such initiative to take place in the Turks and Caicos Islands Revenue Department whereby 8 other officers during the month of March were also able to benefit as well from a similar experience at the Inland Revenue Department in Jamaica. As we seek to build capacity across the civil service and to improve efficiency in our core customer centered departments, these types of initiatives are imperative to our organization."
She added; "We extend our gratitude to the St. Kitts & Nevis Inland Revenue Departments for facilitating this program and we look forward to future partnership opportunities."
The Permanent Secretary of Finance, Mrs. Athenee Basden also expressed gratitude stating; "The Turks & Caicos Islands Revenue Department continues to undergo reform in an effort to strengthen capacity, tax administration and compliance in the Turks & Caicos Islands. The opportunity afforded to the Staff is invaluable and we will continue to support these initiatives."
DIGICEL BUSINESS WINS DOUBLE AT AVAYA AWARDS
Digicel Business recently won two major awards at the Avaya Partner Engage Week ceremony which just wrapped up in Miami.
The ‘Best Sales Person’ award was presented to Selwyn Adams, Business Solutions Senior Engineer for Digicel St. Lucia, while the ‘Best Project of the Year’ award was presented for a combination of four projects completed by the company in Haiti, Grenada, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.
In St. Lucia and Grenada, Digicel Business completed an ICT project to help both governments transform their telephony and connectivity and improve overall service experience while in Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti, the company implemented an Avaya Contact Centre Solution. This fully integrated contact management system allows Digicel to analyse customer query trends in order to resolve them in a timely manner and ultimately improve the overall customer experience.
Avaya’s Managing Director for the Caribbean and Central America, Jose M. Fernandez, lauded Digicel Business saying; “Digicel Business has been an outstanding and consistent partner for the past five years and we would like to congratulate them on this outstanding achievement. These awards exemplify their commitment and dedication to meeting the needs of all of their customers in the multiple lines of business so they can compete successfully.”
Group Head of Digicel Business for the Caribbean and Central America, Garrett Quinn, said; “Improving our customers’ experience using best-in-class solutions is at the heart of everything that we do, and Avaya has been a great partner in helping us to do this over the years. This award is also a testament to the hard work of our team across the region and I would like to thank them for their dedication and commitment to our customers.”
The Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services launched its “TCI Health and Alive Campaign.”
The first activities have already started in the nation’s Capital, Grand Turk.
Health Educator, Aldora Robinson told RTC that all are invited to Grand Turk to “Get Moving.” On Mondays and Wednesdays they will be hosting their Soca Aerobics starting which commenced on the 18th of April 2016, at Ona Glinton Primary School.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Starting on the 3rd of May, the team at the MOHAHS is inviting residents and visitors to join in at 5:30pm for “Walk to Live” (a 5k walk starting from and returning to the Clock Tower).
Physical activity is an essential part of healthy living and one of the best ways to prevent and control non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension and their complications.
The power is in your hands. So Grand Turk “Let’s Get Moving” and “Strive to Stay Healthy and Alive.”
“THE TURKS & CAICOS AIDS AWARENESS FOUNDATION (TCAAF) LAUNCHES INFORMATIVE WEBSITE.”
The Turks and Caicos AIDS Awareness Foundation (TCAAF) has finally launched there long awaited website.
The non-profit organisation founded back in December of 2003 by a group of individuals who lost friends and/or family members to AIDS continues the mission of the organisation to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS, by providing necessary community assistance and participation, to effect positive lifestyle and behavioural changes.
In enforcing the mission to raise awareness, the TCAAF has launched its website on the .com domain at www.tcaaf.com.
The site provides detailed information on, all the charitable and fund raising activities of the Foundation, bios on the Directors and Board members and most importantly, educational particulars on HIV/AIDS.
The team at the foundation told RTC news that they are inviting one and all to visit the website as the Foundation continues its work to eliminate stigma and discrimination in the TCI.
TCI Community College Students tour Wall Street
The Turks & Caicos Islands Community College’s Business Department took flight for an interesting tour of the Financial District of Manhattan, New York and to see Wall Street where the famed novelist John Grisham used this canvas to paint the stories that have captivated readers for years.
Three (3) lecturers along with nine (9) students from the Associates and Bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance Courses, donned scarves, coats, mitts and caps to brave the ‘freezing’ temperatures.
The Wall Street Tour was indeed the kick-off to a world of adventure and learning! The tour guides ably and superbly navigated the historical evolution of the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street. The group saw the Federal Hall where President George Washington was sworn in, passing by Morgan House, The Federal Bank, The 9/11 Memorial and the statuesque Wall Street Bull.
Students were enthralled by the stories behind the 2008 financial collapse and the lingering evidence of the 9/11 attack in the Federal Hall. The historical accounts continued with the story of the first terrorist attack on Wall street via a horse and carriage. Even more interesting, especially for students pursuing a finance specialism, was the explanation of trading and stock markets, splits, options and futures and the reality of the bull and bear markets. At the end of this tour, we were given a US $1,000,000 note, which unfortunately will only remain in our purses and wallets!
The group had the opportunity to relax, unwind and enjoy some New York Culture as we enjoyed the Broadway play “Shear Madness”. No need to expand on this except to say the title was truly fitting of the play.
The Statue of Liberty remains such a vital part of the United States history, it was decided that the tour would definitely benefit from this rich experience. The group travelled via ferry to Liberty Island where the tour guide explained the island’s history and the reason behind the placement of Lady Liberty at that location. They got to see the breath-taking monument up close and gazed in awe at the sculptor which took so many years of hard work.
Ellis Island was the entry point for immigrants in the early days of New York. The process then was absolutely onerous and frightening and we can only be thankful that all of that will remain history.
Ms. Stacy Ann Lawrence, a Lecturer at the College said, “It is always interesting to see a bit of history to appreciate how far we have come and to get insight as to what it must have been like for the immigrants in those early days.”
Following an interesting and educational tour of New York, it was time to return to the Turks & Caicos Islands. There were a few sad faces as we entered the hotel shuttle and made our way to JFK airport, then sadly blew last minute kisses, “See you later, New York!”
This experience was made possible by Corporate partners who sponsored and participated in assisting our Community College:
N W Hamilton
First Caribbean Bank
Royal West Indies
Le Vele Management Services
CBMS Ltd
Turks and Caicos Banking Company
The Palms Resort Ltd.
British Caribbean Bank
IGA
Jais
International Beauty Salon
Grand Turk Cruise Center
FChambers
Discount Liquors
The Business Department and the TCI Community College told RTC that they wish to thank those who continue to play a role in the life of the College to ensure that these meaningful excursions can take place where students can see their classroom work come to life in the real world.
TURKS AND CAICOS POST CABINET MEETING STATEMENT
His Excellency the Governor, Peter Beckingham, chaired the 13th meeting of Cabinet on Thursday, 21st April 2016, at the Hon. Hilly Ewing Building on Providenciales.
The Hon. Deputy Premier and the Hon. Minister of Border Control and Employment were the only two absent.
At this meeting Cabinet:
H.E approved a review of the Trade Unions Ordinance (Chapter 17.07) with a view of undertaking the necessary consultations and providing the appropriate instructions to the Attorney General for the drafting of the amending and or new legislation deal with trade unions and the activities of trade unions generally;
They also noted the initiation of the Electricity (Amendment) to the Ordinance on March 1st, 2016 and the effective date of the appointment of the Board commenced from April 1, 2016. Cabinet also approved the appointment of Mrs. Teresa Williams-Andrews as Secretary of the Board as per Section 2E of the Electricity (Amendment) Ordinance;
Acknowledged was the replacement of Paul Gardiner with George Hinson as a member of the Physical Planning Appeals Board; Cabinet considered and approved the planning application from Fortis TCI for the relocation and placement of high voltage power transmission cables between Providenciales and North Caicos;
H.E approved the establishment of a working group to review the Service Charge Ordinance and the practices of the hotel and restaurant industry as it relates to the application of the management of service charges within the industry. Membership shall include the Commissioner of Labour, Commissioner of Revenue, a Representative from the AG Chambers & a Representative of the TCHTA as well as three Employee Representatives. The reps are as follows – Monet Collymore (Chair), Russel Garland (Member) and Penditer Hutchinson (Member). Cabinet expressed the desire from the working group to have this work completed within the next 4-6 weeks;
Cabinet advised the Governor to reaffirm the approval granted for a new 25 year lease to Leeside Estates over Crown Land parcels 6113/180-191, 312-340 and 343-376 inclusive, at Long Bay Hills, Providenciales, for the purpose of pursuing the development of a signature residential community for Turks and Caicos Islanders at an annual rent of $68,688.90 and 10% of the sale price of the residential parcels which were previously low-lying swamp lands;
There was also approval for the development of a Donkey Sanctuary at parcel 10402/11 at (Over Island) as a tourism attraction to be funded through the monies appropriated in the TCIG Development Fund. Cabinet additionally agreed to work with the Donkey Welfare Committee to discuss further options to reduce the donkey population on the island of Grand Turk, as well as discussing with the Committee the proposed new Sanctuary;
During the course of that meeting, Governor Beckingham approved the publication of a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the construction of a Police Headquarters and supporting facilities on the island of Providenciales;
The development of a policy to assist the construction of privately owned primary and secondary roads traversed by the public was also approved;
Finally during the cabinet meeting, amendments to the Customs (Government Transit Shed and Queen’s Warehouse Rent) Regulations under Section 19 and 66 of the Customs Ordinance to permit a waiver of storage fees for goods retained in the warehouse for more than 30 days, subject to the payment of the Duty and CPF and a reduction in the current rates by 50% for general merchandise was approved.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in a press conference to be announced.
Don't count them out just yet.
Despite now trailing the Western Conference Finals 3-2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry says, "The series isn't over."
"We've got to believe in ourselves," Curry said after his team lost 118-94 to the Thunder in Game 4 Tuesday. "There's obviously frustration."
Tuesday night's defeat was the second straight loss for the Warriors and marked the first time the team, which set an NBA record this year for the most wins (73) in a regular season, lost back-to-back games.
"It's a terrible feeling once again not stepping up and being ourselves and playing our game," Curry told reporters. "But I think we're a special team. This isn't how we're going to go out."
But The Warriors got their chance to get back in the series on Thursday when they return home to Oakland, California, for Game 5 and defeated OKC 120 to 111.
Can Golden State win 2 straight? Time will tell!
Rafael Nadal is one step closer to claiming his 10th French Open title.
The No. 4 seed defeated Facundo Bagnis in three sets at Roland Garros Thursday, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3. With the second-round win, Nadal also claimed his 200th victory at Grand Slam tournaments.
Roger Federer holds the record for most Grand Slam matches won, with 302.
In his career, Nadal has 14 Grand Slam titles -- nine at Roland Garros alone. He is tied with Pete Sampras and trails only Roger Federer, who holds the record with 17 titles.