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TCI Cabinet update and actions from session on 26 June 2013

His Excellency Governor Ric Todd chaired the Turks and Caicos Islands’ meeting Cabinet at the House of Assembly Building on Grand Turk.

From:
Governor's Office Waterloo Grand Turk
Published
27 June 2013
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
The TCI Cabinet

The TCI Cabinet met on 26 June 2013

All Ministers were present at the meeting except for the Premier and the Minister for Government Support Services, who were out of the country on official business.

At this meeting Cabinet:

  1. Discussed the Amended and Restated Development Agreement between TCIG and CMK BWI Ltd covering the development led by CMK on South Caicos and agreed that the Governor should sign the Development Agreement when it had been checked and finalised by AG’s Chambers;

  2. Considered and agreed, a proposal from the Minister of Finance for the write off of impaired staff advances and bank balances going back to the financial year 2007/08 and before. Cabinet satisfied itself, on the basis of advice from the CFO and the National Audit Office, that the impaired balances were essentially unverifiable, irreconcilable or the result of accounting errors and should have been written off in the past on an annual basis. Cabinet also noted that improved procedures had been put in place to ensure reconciliation of balances and advances on a monthly basis;

  3. Agreed to a proposal from the Minister of Health and Human Services that Mrs Sonia Williams, Mrs Olga Hall -Taylor and Dr Christopher Steven Bourne be appointed Members of the National Health Insurance Board and that the term of Mr Wilbur Caley on the Board be extended for one month

  4. Considered a proposal from the Minister of Finance for approval of reciprocal cabotage rights between the TCI and Jamaica and approved it subject to confirmation of agreement from the TCI Civil Aviation Authority. The proposal would permit Air Turks and Caicos to provide domestic air services in Jamaica in return for TCI extending similar privileges to Jamaican operators who wish to provide domestic air services on TCI;

  5. Heard a presentation from United Manufacturer Ltd in support of their proposal to establish a factory on TCI to produce tissue paper products. Cabinet agreed that the investment was potentially valuable to TCI. It invited the Investment Unit to work with United Manufacturer to develop the business plan and options for support from TCIG and the Minister of Finance to bring a developed proposal to Cabinet in a month’s time. It also confirmed its wish to consider policy on the further development of manufacturing on TCI on the basis of a paper from the Minister of Finance;

  6. Considered a paper presented by the Acting Premier on behalf of the Minister for Government Support Services about a review of broadcasting regulations and a draft Ordinance on the licensing of sound and television broadcasting. Cabinet noted both that action was required on this subject and its previous agreement in principle that such regulation and legislation would be desirable. It directed that a six week period of consultation be held. In the light of this consultation, the Minister would present a further paper and draft regulation and legislation to Cabinet at a subsequent meeting;

  7. Discussed the draft Development Agreement with Beaches and gave instructions to the AG for the finalisation of the remaining outstanding issues. It confirmed that subject to a satisfactory and mutually agreed conclusion to these discussions the Governor would sign the Agreement as soon as possible;

  8. Agreed a proposal from the Minister of Finance, on the basis of advice from the Ports Authority, that Mr Clinton Wilson be appointed Director of Ports on a one year contract;

  9. Underlined the importance of Financial Services to the TCI economy and invited the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Services Industry to present to Cabinet as soon as they could proposals for how the two could work together with TCIG on a tripartite basis to support and promote the financial services industry on TCI;

  10. Discussed the TCIG Travel Policy in the light of comments from the Integrity Commission as well as some outstanding issues which required resolution and agreed that the policy should be considered further and returned to Cabinet for final approval before publication in the Gazette;

  11. Noted that the Governor and the Minister for Border Control and Labour would travel to Haiti in August. This visit would follow up both the discussions which FCO Minister Hugo Swire had had with the Haitian authorities when he opened the new British Embassy in Port au Prince in June and discussions which the Governor and Ministers had held recently on TCI with the Premier and Foreign Minister of Haiti about how TCI and Haiti could work together to combat illegal migration from Haiti to TCI;

  12. Heard from the AG that he would present to the next Cabinet papers on juries and the rehabilitation of offenders at its next meeting and that Chambers was working to complete the drafting of legislation on citizenship;

  13. Noted the Minister for Border Control and Labour would be in Trinidad from 2-3 July to attend the International Labour Organisation Caribbean Ministerial Conference and then join the Premier at the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, also in Trinidad 4-6 July.

  14. Cabinet welcomed the visit to TCI of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster from 25 -28 June.

Further information on the issues addressed by Cabinet will be provided by Ministers in due course.

Cabinet decided to give further consideration to the date of the next Cabinet and to fix this over the next few days.

Published 27 June 2013