A pleasant morning to you Mr. Speaker, Members of this Honourable House, Strangers in the gallery, my good people of ED5 Leeward and Long Bay, those listening via Radio Turks and Caicos and on the internet.
My deepest condolences to HE The Deputy Governor and Family and the wider TCI community on the tragic loss of their son, brother, cousin, uncle and friend Brandon Swann.
Mr. Speaker, I rise first to commend the Office of the Premier, the Governor and Deputy Governor’s Office, the Attorney General Chamber, my Ministerial colleagues, and the Permanent Secretaries from the various ministries for their presence at our recently concluded retreat on the beautiful island of South Caicos.
Mr. Speaker, over the three-day period beginning Monday, October 4-6 2021, several topics aimed to enhance the overall growth and development of our people of these islands were covered. Mr. Speaker, I can safely say that I speak for all, when I say we left there with clearly defined aims and objectives to move our country and people forward in a progressive manner.
Mr. Speaker, I also express thanks to the beautiful people of South Caicos for their warmth and hospitality experienced during our time there.
COVID Works Program
Mr. Speaker, since the launch of the COVID Works Program on September 1, 2021, several works have been awarded and quite a number will be going out for the benefit of all Turks and Caicos Islanders.
Mr. Speaker, to date, the cumulative total for completed and future works stands at $965,523.00, with a lot more works to come.
Once again, we want to encourage persons to register online at https://www.gov.tc/construction-contractors or by visiting the District Commissioner’s Office on your island or by stopping by the Public Works Department.
Mr. Speaker, persons can also submit their tender/bids submissions online at tcigworks@gov.tc
The largest batch of Works closed on October 13, 2021, and the team made up of the Home Affairs Ministry and PPID is conducting their review.
PPID Team Members
Mr. Speaker, we are so excited about a number of recent promotions within the Ministry of PPID. Mr. Speaker, the strongest foundation of any organization is its people. We are proud to welcome Mr. Aquime Campbell to team PWD and celebrate with Max Grant and Lanardo Jolly on their respective promotions.
Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that this Government’s focus is on the development of Human Capital and over the last six (6) months we have seen that commitment especially across TCIG. In PPID alone we welcomed Mr. Garvin Thomas as Director of PWD, Mr. Dominique Durham as Director of Housing, and Mr. Desmond Wilson as PS.
Congratulations are also extended to Mr. Kawa Williams, who was promoted to the post of Project Manager and Mr. Edner Siffrad who joined the department as a Civil Engineer.
We want to encourage persons who are interested in a rewarding career in TCIG to take advantage of the recent job vacancies. The Ministry of PPID will be seeking a second Deputy Secretary, Deputy Director of Housing, Structural Engineer, MEP Engineer, Administrative Officers, Environmental Compliance Manager and Environmental Specialist. The deadline is this Friday, so please do not delay and apply today.
Grand Turk Vendors Market
Mr. Speaker, we confirm that we are swiftly progressing to the re-launch of Cruise Tourism in Grand Turk by December 2021. In response to the concerns of access to beach vending and safe locations for operators and guests alike, we can confirm that PPID has finished the necessary reviews of the facility, and on the heels of the budget passing we will be able to issue the ITTs for the renovation and upgrade works to the facility. Again, we want to urge contractors to register with PWD so that they are aware of the opportunities and be able to bid on them.
Mr. Speaker, this is only a short update today, but one worth sharing, as this Government is committed to not just doing the work but informing the people of these Islands of the work they signed us up for.
May God continue to bless us and the Turks & Caicos Islands.
