Categories
News

West Caicos Development Order in Turks and Caicos Islands

Richard Todd

West Caicos Development Order/Agreement

DEVELOPMENT ORDER
Legal Notice 2 of 2013
Made: 8th February 2013
Commencement: 15th February 2013
JASPER DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD DEVELOPMENT ORDER 2013
______________________________________________________________
MADE by the Governor under Section 4 of the Encouragement of Development Ordinance 1972
(Cap 20.01).
Citation
1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Jasper Development Company Ltd Development
Order 2013.
(2) The Logwood Development Co. Ltd. Development Order and The Logwood Hotel
Development Co. Ltd. Second Amended Development Order are hereby replaced.
Interpretation
2. In this Order:
(a) “Development” shall have the same meaning as in the Development Agreement.
(b) “The Development Agreement” means the Agreement dated the 6th day of
December 2012 and made between the Crown (1) the Government of the Turks
and Caicos Islands (2), the Developer (3), and Deer Valley Holdings Limited (4)
as amended, modified and supplemented (if applicable) in the interim.
(c) “excluded items” means the items deemed by the Collector of Customs to be
subject to full duty and shall include (but shall not be limited to) vehicles (other
than light weight environmentally friendly 4 or 2 stroke carts and/or electric
carts), amusement equipment, games of any kind, sailing boats, water sport
equipment, diving equipment, guest amenities, paper or cleaning supplies,
paintings, audio and audio visual equipment, linens, chinaware, flatware, kitchen
utensils, costumes, decorations, chemical products, gifts, area rugs and general
maintenance parts.
(d) “Developer” shall mean Jasper Development Company Ltd., a company
incorporated under the laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and having its
registered office at P.O. Box 127, Richmond House, Leeward Highway,
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, and shall include its Affiliates.
(e) “Affiliate” means with respect to a person (i) any other person that is directly or
indirectly controlled by, under common control with or controls such a person;
15349797\1 -2-
(ii) any other person owning beneficially or controlling fifty percent (50%) or
more of the voting stock of such person; or (iii) any officer, director or partner of
such person. As used herein, the term “control” means possession, directly or
indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or
policies of a person, whether by the ownership of partnership interest or voting
securities, by contract or otherwise.
Development Enterprise
3. The Development is declared to be a development enterprise in accordance with the
Encouragement of Development Ordinance 1972.
Developer
4. The Developer is declared to be the developer in accordance with the Encouragement of
Development Ordinance 1972.
Premises of Development Enterprise
5. The Development shall be constructed, managed and otherwise operated at the land on
West Caicos specified in the Development Agreement.
Commencement of Development Enterprise
6. The construction by the Developer of the Development has commenced pursuant to the
Logwood Development Co. Ltd. Development Order.
Completion of Development Enterprises
7. The date on or before which it is anticipated that the Development shall be completed is
31st December 2027.
Other Conditions
8. The construction and operation of the Development shall be carried out in accordance
with the terms and conditions of the Development Agreement. The benefits and
covenants expressed therein shall form part of this Order.
Declared Benefits – Phases 1 and 2
9A. Subject to the provisions of the Encouragement of Development Ordinance 1972 and
provided that at least seven (7) days prior to the importation of any article into the Turks
and Caicos Islands pursuant to this Order, the Developer shall furnish the Collector of
Customs with a list which shall be agreed with the Collector of Customs describing the
articles that are to be imported including their categories and their quantities, the
Developer shall be entitled with respect to Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Development (as
those phases are defined in the Development Agreement):
(a) for a period of fifteen years from the date of this Order to exemption from:
(i) any taxes on profits, gains or turn-over attributable to the Development;
(ii) any real property tax, capital levy or other tax on capital invested in the
Development;
(b) in relation to the Hotel Development (as defined in the Development Agreement)15349797\1 -3-
for a maximum period of five (5) years from the date of this Order, or until the
Hotel Development is completed, which ever is the earlier, to a reduction to 7 %
in customs import duties under paragraph 4 of The Customs Tariff (General)
Order 1991 on-
Materials:
(i) all building materials (except excluded items) which the Collector of
Customs is satisfied are imported for and to be used solely in the initial
construction and fitting out of the Hotel Development;
Equipment:
(ii) all plant, machinery, equipment, tools (except excluded items) which the
Collector of Customs is satisfied are imported for and are to be used solely in
the initial construction of the Hotel Development;
Furniture, Fixtures and fittings:
(iii) all furniture, fixtures and fittings (except excluded items) which are normally
capitalised in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles
and which the Collector of Customs is satisfied are imported for and to be
used solely in the initial construction of the Hotel Development;
(c) in relation to the remainder of the Development, for a maximum period of fifteen
years from the date of this Order, or until the Development is completed, which
ever is the earlier, a waiver of all customs import duties on all materials,
equipment, furniture, fixtures, fittings and items (other than excluded items) to be
used in the Infrastructure Works (as defined in the Development Agreement) of
the Development, including:
Materials:
(i) all building materials (except excluded items) which the Collector of
Customs is satisfied are imported for and to be used solely in the initial
construction and fitting out of the Infrastructure Works comprised in the
Development;
Equipment:
(ii) all plant, machinery, vehicles equipment, tools (except excluded items)
which the Collector of Customs is satisfied are imported for and are to be
used solely in the initial construction of the Infrastructure Works
comprised in the Development;
Furniture, Fixtures and fittings:
(iii) all furniture, fixtures and fittings (except excluded items) which are
normally capitalized in accordance with the generally accepted accounting
15349797\1 -4-
principles and which the Collector of Customs is satisfied are imported for
and to be used solely in the initial construction of the Infrastructure Works
comprised in the Development;
(d) from the date hereof until the expiry of a period of 15 years from date hereof, a
reduction to 10% in Customs import duties on all materials, equipment, furniture,
fixtures, fittings and items (other than excluded items) used in the Development;
(e) for a period of 15 years from the date of this Order, a reduction by 50% of the rate
of cargo dues on Materials payable from time to time under the Docks Ordinance
1984; or any statutory modification on re-enactment thereof and any regulations
made thereunder or, any other supplementary or additional enactment imposing
cargo dues, or the equivalent by whatever name called.
PROVIDED THAT if the Developer fails to give at least 7 days notice prior to the importation
of any article the Collector of Customs shall be entitled to charge customs duties at the full rate
in respect of such article AND PROVIDED FURTHER that duties on articles imported may
become payable as provided by Section 9 (1) of the Encouragement of Development Ordinance
in the event of their being disposed of in any manner within five years from the date of
importation.
Declared benefits – Phase 3
9B.1 Subject to the provisions of the Encouragement of Development Ordinance 1972 and
provided that at least seven (7) days prior to the importation of any article into the Turks
and Caicos Islands pursuant to this Order, the Developer shall furnish the Collector of
Customs with a list which shall be agreed with the Collector of Customs describing the
articles that are to be imported including their categories and their quantities, the
Developer shall be entitled with respect to Phase 3 of the Development (as that phase is
defined in the Development Agreement) for a maximum period of ten years from the
date of commencement of Phase 3, or until Phase 3 is completed, whichever is the earlier,
to—
(i) a reduction by 50% of the then-prevailing rate of customs import duty on-
Materials:
(i) all building materials (except excluded items) which the Collector of
Customs is satisfied are imported for and to be used solely in the initial
construction and fitting out of Phase 3;
Equipment:
(ii) all plant, machinery, equipment, tools (except excluded items) which the
Collector of Customs is satisfied are imported for and are to be used solely in
the initial construction of Phase 3;
Furniture, Fixtures and fittings:
(iii) all furniture, fixtures and fittings (except excluded items) which are normally
15349797\1 -5-
capitalised in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles
and which the Collector of Customs is satisfied are imported for and to be
used solely in the initial construction of Phase 3; and
Infrastructure
(ii) a complete exemption from customs import duty on all building materials (except
excluded items) which the Collector of Customs is satisfied are imported for and to be used
solely in the initial construction and fitting out of infrastructure for Phase 3, and
“infrastructure” for these purposes shall be deemed to refer to all or any (as applicable) of
the types of items set out in Schedule 1, paragraph 2 of the Development Agreement
(“Infrastructure Works – General Scope”) and generally to physical services and facilities
reasonably required to build and operate the Development or any part thereof in the
manner and to the standard contemplated by the Development Agreement.
PROVIDED THAT if the Developer fails to give at least 7 days notice prior to the
importation of any article the Collector of Customs shall be entitled to charge customs
duties at the full rate in respect of such article AND PROVIDED FURTHER that duties
on articles imported may become payable as provided by Section 9 (1) of the
Encouragement of Development Ordinance in the event of their being disposed of in any
manner within five years from the date of importation.
9B.2 In relation to Phase 3, the Developer (or its applicable Affiliate, as the case may be) shall
be entitled to a reduction in stamp duty of 50% of the then-prevailing rate on land
transfers and leases (i) to the Developer or any of its Affiliates, and (ii) to buyers of
residential parcels (including strata and built lots) from the Developer or any of its
Affiliates, which are presented for registration in the Land Registry during the
period of five years from the date of this Order.
Cessation of benefits and recovery of duty
10.
(1) If at any time after the date of making of this Order the units within the
Development which are designated or intended for use as accommodation from
which the Government derives revenue under the Hotel and Restaurant (Taxation)
Ordinance are not used or cease to be used for the purposes of such
accommodation other than by reason of force majeure or by reason of seasonal
closure (such not to exceed three months in any given year), the Developer shall
pay to the Government the amount of taxes, capital levy, or customs import duties
which the Developer would have paid if it had not been for articles 9A or 9B.
(2) The rate of interest referred to in paragraph (3) shall be 4% above Barclays Bank
plc’s base rate from time to time; and
(3) interest on that amount at the rate specified in paragraph (2) for the period
beginning with the date on which the taxes, capital levy or customs import duties
would have been paid if it had not been for article 9 or the date when a unit which
has been used as accommodation from which the Government derives revenue
under the Hotel & Restaurant (Taxation) Ordinance ceases to be so used
15349797\1 -6-
whichever is the later and ending not later than the date on which the taxes,
capital levy or customs import duties are paid.
(4) Nothing herein shall be construed so as to entitle the recovery by the Government
from the Developer of taxes, capital levy or customs import duty benefits or
concessions afforded to Logwood Hotel Development Company Ltd or Logwood
Development Company Ltd.
Made this 8th day of February 2013.
DAMIAN RODERIC TODD
GOVERNOR

Categories
News

Governor Ric Todd Reports on Elections Milestones

On Monday, Governor Ric Todd released a comprehensivereport on the progress to April 2012 towards the required milestones imposed by Britain before elections will be resumed in the TCI.

damian_roderic_todd4.jpg
Governor Ric Todd

Since 2009, Todd said, the interim administration has been working to stabilise the economic position of the Turks and Caicos Islands, update laws and legal safeguards to ensure impartial decision making in government, tackle the necessary changes in land and immigration matters, put in place robust public financial control and create a more efficient and effective public service. Progressively, as the changes identified are implemented, UK ministers will be in a more informed position to decide when the time is right to restore a locally elected administration.

Milestone 1 – Implementation of a new TCI Constitution Order

The preparation of a new Constitution was completed in July 2011 and the new Constitution is ready to be put into effect when progress has been made on the other milestones. It will be brought into force thirty days before elections, when a date is decided by ministers in London. Preparations required to be ready for an election were described by the Governor’s Office in October last year, since then they have been progressing steadily and require a few more months to be completed:

• A national census to provide a more accurate measure of the population of TCI began in late January. Enumeration finished in April and a summary of the enumeration exercise is expected to be published soon.

• An updated Elections Ordinance to tighten up the voting procedures, including the arrangements for conducting the ballot for the new ‘All Island’ candidates has been consulted upon widely and the text is completed. It is scheduled to become law in May.

• Drafting instructions for a new law on the conduct of political parties, as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry report, are with a legislative drafter. These define the intention to establish acceptable sources of political funding, campaign methods and accounting practices. Completion is intended for June 2012

• Electoral registration of voters by the Elections Office commenced in April, supported by a project led by the Ministry of Border Control and Labour to verify TCIslander status and issue secure documentary proof of status. This process will continue until 30 June 2012.

A provisional Register of Electors is expected to be published in July. Dependent upon the number of challenges to be resolved during July, a final Register of Electors will be published in August or September. An Electoral Boundaries Commission, scheduled for July, will define the ten new electoral districts and a new Boundaries Ordinance will be prepared in August. Election information and poll worker training is in preparation and will be ready for implementation in the summer.

Milestone 2 – Introduction of new ordinances

Several improvements to the laws of the TCI were identified by the Commission of Inquiry and, subsequently, others were found to be necessary. The programme of drafting new ordinances started eighteen months ago and, in conjunction with a team of legislative drafters funded by the European Union, several further ordinances are in preparation. This ‘ordinances’ milestone mentions requirements for new laws on specific topics:

• The Integrity Commission (Amendment) Ordinance came into force in March. It widens the number of public office holders in TCIG, the statutory bodies, uniformed services and future elected leadership who are required to give personal and financial data about their interests to the Integrity Commission. Information from individuals is assessed against its standards and those in compliance are granted a Certificate of Compliance. This certificate is a necessary requirement to hold public office. The ordinance also reinforces the independence of the Commission from government influence.

• A second, and complementary, ordinance is being prepared by the EU-funded drafters to confer increased powers upon the Integrity Commission for its investigations into suspected fraud and corruption.

• Considerable progress has been made in completing new public financial responsibility ordinances. The Public Financial Management (PFM) and National Audit Office (NAO) Ordinances were put into force on 1 April. The PFM Ordinance defines the new financial management and control procedures to be followed by all public servants in ministries, statutory bodies and any service receiving public funds and creates new criminal and civil penalties for failures in administration. The NAO Ordinance creates a strengthened, independent audit and investigation function over public finances, with direct reporting to the Governor

• A further financial management ordinance is in preparation to define the role of the Chief Financial Officer within the restructured TCIG civil service. This position is a requirement of the UK government loan guarantee and is specified in the 2011 Constitution Order. Completion of this ordinance following consultation is expected in June.

Milestone 3 – Establishment of robust and transparent public financial management processes

Emphasis under this milestone has focused on continued implementation of existing financial controls and the additional requirements in recent legislation:

The new PFM Ordinance came into force on 1 April 2012 and introduced a wide ranging set of verifiable accounting and compliance requirements. In particular, it sets out a clear mechanism for budget control and specifies the delegation of financial responsibilities within ministries. It also addresses financial management within statutory bodies. Public resources are only allocated to statutory bodies through a formal Letter of Sponsorship from a sponsoring ministry and these bodies must now conform to the same financial regulations as government ministries and departments. There has been wide consultation on the new law and further training and in depth briefings should be completed by the end of June

The Audit Department in TCIG is also being reformed into two distinct bodies: the National Audit Office, a statutory body that will operate outside ministerial control, and the Chief Internal Audit Department, which will focus on internal government controls, risk management and governance processes across TCIG. The National Audit Office (NAO) is mandated by the NAO Ordinance approved and scheduled to come into force on 1 September 2012. The operations of the new Chief Internal Audit Office are described in the PFM Ordinance

The TCIG Budget for 2012/13 will be approved on 23 May. Additional time was allowed for new Permanent Secretaries, who took up their posts on 1 April, to carry out a review of their new ministries and submit pragmatic budget bids for their revised areas of responsibility

The PFM Ordinance conferred an Accounting Officer role on all Permanent Secretaries from 1 April 2012. Permanent Secretaries are now legally responsible for the proper use and accounting of public funds by all departments within their ministry, as well as statutory bodies that fall under their remit. In the case of statutory bodies, financial powers are delegated to Directors/CEOs who are held at the same standards as a Permanent Secretary/Accounting Officer

Work is in progress to improve the speed and quality procurement and contracting processes used by TCIG by reform of the present central procurement model, development of a central contracting unit and introduction, where appropriate, of other forms of contract management such as category management, pricing and market testing, framework contracts and proactive management of existing contracts to ensure the public get good value for money.

Milestone 4 – Implementation of budget measures to put the TCI government on track to achieve a fiscal surplus in the financial year ending March 2013

This is a milestone that will continue to demand vigilance. Public expenditure overall for the last financial year (up to 31 March 2012) was lower than the previous one, although unplanned events pushed the final total off-track. This was due in part to the need to tackle the NHIB funding shortfall for the hospital contract and to cover more unpaid bills from the past that surfaced during the year, such as disputed medical treatment expenses with overseas providers and accumulated electricity charges and debts.

An intense and challenging budgeting round has been held since January alongside the slimming down of the number of ministries to five. The new budget is expected to confirm it is possible to achieve and sustain a financial surplus in TCIG’s current (checking) account.

Creating a surplus in TCIG’s annual accounts, where more money is received than expended, can be used to invest wisely in replacing key elements of the national infrastructure, as well as paying off part of the national debt. It is absolutely essential to rebuild the country’s creditworthiness in the eyes of the international community. Over time, restoring an acceptable credit rating for TCI will permit the country to refinance the remainder of its debt at an affordable interest rate when the UK loan guarantee expires in 2016.

Whilst government revenues have improved and public expenditure has fallen, the ability to produce a financial surplus in TCIG’s annual accounts requires vigilance to recognise and mitigate possible external economic shocks, for example major unplanned expenditures or changes in the costs of imported fuel and goods. During the last quarter:

• Considerable effort has been made within TCIG to contain the public sector budget into the future. A voluntary severance scheme was largely completed at the end of March when over 400 people left the civil service. This exercise has reduced the size of the civil service to its 2004 level

• Revenue income has been improved by more rigorous enforcement of existing charges. Further work in this area should tackle the apparent 40% drop-out rate in business licence renewals and gather in payments to TCIG required under Development Agreements

• There are still too many statutory bodies and several have salary levels and terms and conditions that are more generous than their sponsor ministries. Around $10m was spent in the last financial year on running these bodies and for most little or no assessment of their value for money has been undertaken. In January there were 37 bodies in existence. Whilst some are essential or required by the Constitution, they still need to prove their worth alongside the others. By the end of April three bodies were wound up: TC Invest, the Business Licensing Committee and the Business Licensing Appeal Tribunal. Their functions where still necessary have been reabsorbed into TCIG or ways have been found to provide them in a more efficient manner. As a precursor, the Ministry of Finance has placed the same requirement on statutory bodies as for ministries to reduce operational costs in 2012/13 by a further ~25% compared to the last financial year. It is expected this should be achieved by improving operational efficiencies and cutting out unnecessary expenditure. For example, the NIB and NHIB have been asked to combine their separate and duplicative contributions collection operations. Both schemes require payments to be made from salaries and other incomes so a practical plan for joint working should be possible

• Permanent Secretaries now have to sponsor each statutory body and they have been asked to identify if further bodies should be considered for closure, merger or transfer to the not-for-profit sector. Where changes have been identified they will be taken forward by ministries in the coming months and for those that will continue, very close scrutiny of individual business cases will be given to those that require their boards to be renewed on 31 May

• During this quarter, following intensive work by the Ministry of Finance, the compilation of the national accounts for the years of 2008/09 and 2009/10 were completed, alongside the better evidenced accounts for 2010/11 and 2011/12. TCIG is eager to publish these to demonstrate the trend in financial improvement and will do so once they have completed external audit. This audit step is under way for some time but the number of weeks it will take to complete is outside the of the control of TCIG

• A VAT Green Paper was published in March that lays out steps to be taken up to April 2013 to reform the tax system by introducing this change. It also informs the commercial sector of the preparations they will be required to undertake

• The TCIG’s economic planning team have been brought into the core of government and delivered two important tasks since January. First, they organised and led a meticulous and comprehensive national census and are now busy compiling and analysing the data. Second, work has begun on a medium term economic plan. Whilst this work requires further data to be collected from within TCIG and key business sectors, it is expected a report will be available for wider review and consultation from June. An economic development plan is an important step for TCI to show to the international community it has a sound view on what it seeks to achieve in maintaining and growing the economy over the next five years.

Milestone 5 – Implementation of a transparent and fair process for acquisition of Turks and Caicos Islander status

The nationwide consultation exercise led by the Consultative Forum ended in February. Over 140 email submissions were received, many of which represented a number of people. One submission, from The Men of Grand Turk, was signed by 387 Islanders. Hundreds of people attended a series of public meetings held on all of the islands. The high level of public engagement with this exercise was very welcome. In mid-March, the Consultative Forum met to confirm the messages received in response to the consultation. These messages are now being built into the preparation of a new ordinance to meet the milestone.

A transparent and fair process requires more than new law: it needs to be supported by clear policies and procedures and administered consistently by capable staff. The Ministry of Border Control and Labour is continuing to implement its comprehensive change programme, launched last year, to institute clear policies and consistent, lawful practice at every stage in the system. The aim is stronger borders, targeted and prioritised enforcement, effective employment services, and accurate and secure services for citizenship, civil registration and permanent status.

Achievements in the first quarter of 2012 include:

• Clearance of the long-standing backlogs of PRC and nationality cases

• Apprehension and removal of some high-harm individuals from TCI

• Significant progress towards putting the coastal radar system into operation. The mast and base facilities are being renovated and a recruitment exercise for radar operators is under way. A contract was let for the installation of radar equipment and work is planned for May and June.

Milestone 6 – Significant progress with the civil and criminal process recommended by the Commission of Inquiry, and implementation of measures to enable these to continue unimpeded

Thirteen people have been charged with criminal offences by the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team since late 2011. It is understood a number of lines of inquiry are still under investigation.

• In April sufficiency hearings before a judge were held for eleven of the defendants. Four defendants conceded there was sufficient evidence against them to stand trial and for the remainder the judge found there were sufficient grounds for all counts to be taken forward for trial. A further sufficiency hearing is scheduled for May for the other defendants and a plea and directions hearing, at which trial dates are expected to be set, is fixed for July

• The FCO announced a grant of £3.8 million at the end of April to reimburse costs by the SIPT investigations in 2011/12. A further grant of £745 000 was also made by the UK to cover construction costs to rehabilitate the court facilities on Providenciales

• The pursuit of civil recovery cases has continued actively throughout the last quarter. This work is detailed and the prospect of further recoveries remain strong

• Work has continued since late 2011 to prepare three new ordinances: Crimes Ordinance, Criminal Procedures Ordinance and a Legal Professions Ordinance. Initial drafting has been completed and it is expected these will be published by the AG’s Chambers in draft form for consultation in May or June 2012.

Milestone 7 – Implementation of a new Crown land policy

This milestone was completed when the Crown Land Ordinance came into force in March. To ensure the new arrangements for Crown land are implemented successfully various reforms are in place:

• The management of Crown Land, land valuation and land surveying has been moved to the management and control of the Attorney General

• A new Commissioner of Lands has been appointed and is answerable to the Attorney General

• The final approval for the sale of Crown Land in the future will be signed off by the Governor’s Office.

An outstanding matter is the recruitment of a permanent Land Registrar. The UK has agreed to fund further temporary assistance until the summer to provide a further opportunity for a suitable person to be found.

Milestone 8 – Substantial progress in the reform of the Public Service

This reform is not simply a matter of re-sizing departments or moving people from one team to another. It involves changing attitudes in the workplace, innovating new methods of working and reorientation of activities to provide the general public with a more welcoming and friendly service. This milestone involves creating the conditions for impartial policy-making, establishing sensible boundaries to ministerial influence in the internal affairs of a ministry, adjusting the number and structure of ministries and units, and improvements in the volume and quality of services delivered:

• Nine ministries and 13 permanent secretaries were reduced to five each on 1 April

• Following the voluntary release scheme the civil service has returned in size to its 2004 level. No further major rationalisation is expected but the recruitment freeze will continue, except in justifiable cases, and remuneration arrangements will be unaltered

• Further performance management, service quality and policy-making training for the new PSs, managers and key officials in TCIG will be undertaken during 2012

• A new Directorate for Human Resources has been created to replace OPSM

• A new Public Service Ordinance is being prepared by the EU-funded legislation team, together with a rewritten set of General Orders. One intention of this work is to return the determination of staff discipline and performance management to line managers within ministries and give a new, strategic role to the Public Service Commission. These changes are expected to be completed in the next quarter

• A separate project began in April to identify efficiencies and opportunities to pool effort, amongst four, small statutory bodies whose roles are defined in the Constitution, whilst maintaining their individual identities: Public Services Commission, Human Rights Commission, Integrity Commission and Complaints Commission

• New terms and conditions, more similar to the civil service, have been drawn up and will be applied to new board level appointees on statutory bodies. Many of the remaining statutory bodies will have to conform to the new terms and conditions when the boards are renewed at the end of May.

Whilst not specifically part of this milestone, it is pleasing to report:

• Police reform is progressing smoothly and the subject of separate progress reporting to the Governor and Advisory Council

• Prison reform has led to many changes in the regime at HM Prison Grand Turk and the creation of work training and activity programmes for prisoners. For example, the expansion of the prison farm into poultry and eggs has been reported recently in the media. Sentence management for prisoners has been implemented and interventions targeted to assist offenders for life after prison, such as Anger Management and ‘Just Think’ cognitive therapy. Work continues on court video links and plans for a remand centre on Providenciales. These should reduce the need to transport prisoners to court by plane from Grand Turk, with savings in cost and improvements in convenience for all concerned.

DFID has stepped up its assistance to TCIG in April with the establishment of a staffed Programme Office working with Chief Executive Officer. Its role is to identify improvements and maintain momentum in the reform and restructuring under way across every ministry and with the statutory bodies. This will be an active and intensive area of work during the next quarter. Ultimately, the desire is to build up within the civil service a culture of continuous improvement. Incentives and rewards for improvement in service, as well as for outstanding work, are one part of this culture change and these will be reviewed as part of the reform of General Orders.

In conclusion

Sustained and impressive progress has been made in the first quarter of 2012. It is to the credit of all involved in modernising the public service, governance processes and financial management of TCI that step by step the necessary improvements established by the milestones are being fulfilled.

 published on 07th May 2012 in TCI News Now
Categories
News

Further Doubts About Elections This Year in Turks and Caicos Islands

United Kingdom (UK) ministers have cast further doubt about the possibility that elections that will return the Turks and Caicos Islands to self-rule will be held this year.
“It is clear that while significant progress has been made in many areas, further work remains to be done before UK Ministers can judge significant enough progress to allow them to reinstate the Constitution, thus triggering fresh elections,” said Governor Ric Todd who has just returned from an official visit to the UK where he met with UK Ministers.
“For some of the milestones, such as those relating to the constitution and Crown Land, for example, there is little left still to do. Others such as the pathway to acquiring Islander status should be well on the way to completion later this summer. We must continue to give UK Ministers confidence that the country is run according to its stated budget and a fiscal surplus will be achieved this financial year. The milestone relating to substantial progress in the ongoing criminal investigation will require their clear judgment given that the trials will not be completed this year.”
Parts of the TCI Constitution were suspended in August 2009. Elections were constitutionally due in 2011, but over the past few months, certain British officials have been teasing residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands with promises that elections will be held this year.
The Governor added: “The real story behind this update, however, is that there are a great many people both here in the TCI and the UK too working very hard towards achieving these milestones which will make this country a fairer and more transparent society in which to live, visit and to do business in. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them for all of their hard work and commitment.”
According to a press release from his spokesman Neil Smith, Governor Todd will now conduct public meetings in North and Middle Caicos on May 10 and 11, Salt Cay and South Caicos on May 14 and 15, with dates still to be confirmed for Providenciales and Grand Turk, where he will personally update community representatives.

Agen Slot Resmi Gacor Gampang Menang Hari ini toracycle Slot Terbaru – Permainan judi slot online merupakan salah satu jenis permainan judi online yang juga banyak dimainkan oleh para pemain judi slot gacor di Indonesia. Alasan memilih permainan judi slot online tentunya karena beberapa pemain menganggap bermain judi slot gacor lebih mudah daripada bermain judi online lainnya. Apalagi jika Anda bermain dan bergabung dengan situs slot online terpercaya di Indonesia, setiap pemain akan memiliki banyak peluang untuk mendapatkan berbagai keuntungan yang diberikan oleh agen slot online terpercaya. Memainkan permainan judi slot online terpercaya ini membahagiakan yang membuat permainan lebih melipur ialah keinginan pemain slot gacor dalam memperoleh hadiah. Untuk memenangi permainan slot gacor tersebut, pemain judi slot online memakai beragam mekanisme dan taktik. Tiap pemain judi slot gacor mempunyai cara yang unik dan memilih slot di lokasi yang jeli ialah langkah terbaru untuk mencetak keberuntungan di situs slot online tersebut. Langkah awal dan paling penting untuk memenangi judi slot resmi ialah mendapati slot resmi terbaru dan terjelek. Anda harus pilih mesin terbaru dan bagus buat dimainkan di bandar slot online supaya menghasilkan pengalaman yang membahagiakan dalam taruhan selanjutnya slot resmi yang memberinya pembayaran jelek harus dijauhkan. Saat bermain di situs slot deposit pulsa tanpa potongan Anda perlu mengenal banyak hal seperti seperti berikut.

The primary objectives of the Interim Administration, expressed through the milestones, to: stabilise the financial position of the Turks & Caicos Islands; update laws and legal safeguards to ensure fairer decision making; reform weaknesses in land and immigration matters;  put in place robust public finance procedures and create a more efficient public service.
Posted May 7 2012 in SUN TCI