The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning contracted the services of a Consultant
The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning contracted the services of a consultant, the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) to assist with reforming the legislative and regulatory framework governing the Turks and Caicos Islands energy sector.
Work on the amendment of the Electricity Ordinance and the improvement of the regulatory framework began with Castalia Strategic Advisors back in 2012, Charting a Roadmap for Improving the Regulatory Framework for the Electricity Sector in the TCI; was restarted in October 2015, with the retention of RAP as the consultant.
During the course of the consultancy, meetings were held with FortisTCI, the TCHTA, the Chambers of Commerce, and members of the Renewable Energy Association. The process now seeks further input from the wider public to ensure all issues are considered and adequately addressed.
A Draft Report with proposed recommendations can be downloaded from the website, http://www.gov.tc/images/DRAFT_REPORT_TCI_ENERGY_SECTOR_REFORM.pdf.
The Ministry of Infrastructure Housing and Planning, is extending an invitation to members of the public to participate in the Consultation Meetings scheduled for Grand Turk this Wednesday May 25, 2016 at 7:00 PM at the Anglican Church Dillon Hall and for Providenciales - Tuesday May 31th 2016 at 6:30PM at Tropicana.
Among a number of deliverables, RAP was tasked with reviewing and modernizing the Electricity Ordinance and designing a regulatory framework for the energy sector consistent with policy objectives to:
1. Protect the interests of consumers, investors and the public.
2. Ensure and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the electricity sector and the economy as a whole.
3. Facilitate the promotion and introduction of renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and other viable technologies; thereby reducing dependency on fossil fuels, consistent with government policies.
4. The promotion of energy efficiency initiatives, projects and programmes to reduce energy demand and costs.
5. Establish effective measures for the implementation and monitoring of service level standards.
Public Statement on Turks and Caicos Islands' Commitment to exchange Beneficial Ownership
In recent developments around beneficial ownership information, transparency is fast becoming a key subject in the fight against criminals using complex structures to hide financial assets, to avoid paying their fair share of taxes which may subject these entities to illicit financial activities.
The business of offshore financial services, wealth management and asset protection is a legitimate one but a number of businesses have taken advantages of the gaps and loopholes in the system. Turks and Caicos Islands' supports the global initiative being proposed to devise a standard to protect the legitimacy of the financial system.
Turks and Caicos Islands' sovereign partner; the United Kingdom is among one of the G5 countries proposing to lead the initiative on beneficial ownership transparency and have invited the territories; Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories to play an active part in the designed and implementation of the international standard.
To-date, the Turks and Caicos Islands, along with the rest of the CD's and OT's have given the UK its assurances to play an active role in the development of the standard on beneficial ownership information by the recent signing of Exchanges Notes and Technical Protocol to the establishment of a register or electronic database holding beneficial ownership information with limited access to enforcement agencies, including regulatory authorities.
With the anti-corruption summit being hosted by the UK this week in London, the territories will feature strongly for their role in the offshore industry, and the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the fight against tax evasion, money laundering and terrorist financing will be stated in their efforts to actively participate in the global Initiative on developing the standard.
Stakeholders, corporate businesses, financial associations, interest groups, etc., are invited to comment and provide feedback, advice, input in any form helpful to Turks and Caicos Islands' active participation in the design of the international standard on beneficial ownership information and transparency.
Residents are asked to submit your feedback by email or hard copy document to the Exchange of Information Unit or the Premier Office no later than 31st May 2016.
Further contact details can be obtained from the Turks and Caicos Islands' Government website: http://www.gov.tc/
GSAT EXAMS STARTS TODAY
The 2016 GSAT examinations begins today in the Turks & Caicos and across the region.
Students on the family islands jorneyed to their centers this morning to sit the two day exam which started with math.
Deputy Premier & Minister for education, the Hon. Ak Missick wished all the students success during the morning report.
Australia Defeats the West Indies
Australia defeated the West Indies by six wickets in the second match of the Tri-Nation One-Day International series at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday.
Scores: West Indies 116 all out off 32.3 overs; Australia 117 for 4 off 25.4 overs
Novak Djokovic Completed the Rare Career Tennis
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic completed the rare career tennis Grand Slam by defeating Britain's Andy Murray at the French Open.
Djokovic, the world's top ranked player, rallied from a first set loss to beat the second seeded Murray in four sets at Rolland Garros in Paris, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
With the victory, Djokovic becomes only the third man to hold all four major tennis titles at one time. The last one was Australian Rod Laver, who did it in the same calendar year in both 1962 and 1969. The other was American Don Budge, who won all four titles in 1938. Djokovic won last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open before winning the French title.
Tiger Woods 'not physically ready' for tournament return
Former world number one Tiger Woods says he will not be "physically ready" to play in next week's US Open.
Woods, 40, who has had three operations to fix back problems and last played a tournament in August 2015, had registered to play at Oakmont.
But the 14-time major winner will now miss both the US Open and the Quicken Loans National at Congressional.
"I am making progress, but I'm not yet ready for tournament competition," Woods said on his official website.
Woods missed the Masters in April for only the second time since his debut in 1995.
Hillary Clinton to be America's First Female Presidential Nominee
Hillary Clinton claimed the democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, which would make her the first woman to represent a major party in the race for the White House.
Her democratic rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, won North Dakota Tuesday, but Clinton won New Jersey.
Clinton maintains a lead in Montana and South Dakota. California results are not yet available. Senator Sanders has pinned a lot of hopes on gaining a major share of California's delegates, previously hopeful that they could keep him in the race long enough to battle for the nomination at the democratic convention.
Clinton addressed a crowd of screaming fans waving American flags in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening.
"The first time, the first time in our nation's history that a woman will be a major party's nominee for President of the United States," she said.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke earlier in the evening, also addressing an enthusiastic crowd.
He strongly attacked Clinton, accusing her of "selling access" to the State Department when she was secretary.
The sharp-tongued Trump said Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have "turned the politics of personal enrichment into an art form for themselves."
goal is to bring people together and he promised to never back down from a fight or let his supporters down.
"Together we accomplished what nobody thought was absolutely possible. And you know what that is. We're only getting started and it's going to be beautiful. Remember that," he said.
U.S. media say Clinton already has the support of the 2,383 delegates she needs for the nomination. This includes the 571 so-called super delegates who are free to support any candidate, but already have pledged their backing to Clinton.
Foreigners Cannot Be Jailed for Illegal Entry
The European Court of Justice, in a ruling released Tuesday, said European Union countries cannot jail illegal immigrants simply for crossing borders inside the continent's 26-nation passport-free area known as the Schengen zone.
The court in Luxembourg said EU rules prevent such arrests, unless non-EU migrants are suspected of having committed a crime or already have been subject to deportation procedures. It also ruled against arrests made at Schengen borders as migrants head elsewhere on the continent.
The impact of the court decision was not immediately clear.
The ruling — issued as Europe grapples with a massive influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa — came in the case of Ghanaian national Selina Affum, who was detained in 2013 by French police at the Channel Tunnel. The detainee was traveling by bus from Belgium to Britain, using someone else's passport.
French police charged her with illegal entry into France and then asked Belgium to take her back. Her lawyers challenged the arrest, saying it violated standard EU rules and procedures for member states when removing non-EU migrants who were in their territory illegally.
With the influx of more than 1 million non-European migrants in the past 18 months, laws governing the Schengen zone have come under intense scrutiny from governments seeking to curb the migration.
Some Schengen countries, including Balkan nations, have addressed the crisis by reinstituting border controls that were scrapped more than a decade ago.
Antigua looking to Cuban market
Antigua and Barbuda is sending a trade mission to Cuba that Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister, Paul Chet Greene, has described as a strategic move given the imminent lifting of the decades-old United States trade embargo.
"We need to get in on the ground in Cuba as early as possible as the potential for business opportunities is significant" he said of the June 20 to July 1 mission.
Greene said that new shipping lanes will soon open into Cuba making the island of 11 million people accessible to products from Antigua and Barbuda and other countries.
He said on a weekly basis, a number of containers leave here empty for the United States and "we could arrange for these containers to take goods destined for Cuban back to Miami, then it's a quick trans-shipment to Havana.
Rowley vows to settle immigration dispute between T&T, Jamaica
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Dr. Keith Rowley and Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness have agreed to bring to an end the ongoing dispute between both countries concerning immigration.
Relations between the two Caribbean Community (Caricom) member states have been strained over the decision of Port of Spain to deport a number of Jamaicans whom they said would have been a charge on the State for their stay here, having shown no means of sustaining themselves while in the country.
"The Jamaican prime Minister and I agreed that the time has come that this matter be put to bed by the voice of T&T speaking directly to the people of Jamaica. I propose to do so myself," Rowley told reporters at a press conference on the weekend upon his return from Cuba, where he attended the summit of the Association of Caribbean States.
The stance taken by immigration officials prompted several Jamaicans to call for a boycott of products from Caricom member state.