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Turks and Caicos Islands Post Cabinet Statement 11 January 2019

His Excellency the Governor, Dr John Freeman, chaired the first meeting of the Cabinet on Friday 11 January 2019, at the Hon. Hilly Ewing Building, Providenciales.

TCI Cabinet Meeting

All Ministers were present.

At this meeting Cabinet:

  • approved a business licence application by Talbot’s Fisheries to operate business in an area of restricted business activity in accordance with the Business Licensing Regulations

  • approved an application from Parrot Cay Hotel Management for a waiver of customs duty on imported furniture, fixtures and fittings for the refurbishment of its resort on Parrot Cay in accordance with the Refurbishment Policy

  • authorised, on a conditional basis, Invest TCI to draw up a new Development Agreement between Rock House Ltd (Grace Bay Resorts) and TCIG restating the terms of the expired Development Agreement and setting a new conditionality date of 31 July 2019

  • received a revised paper presented by the Hon. Premier, as Minister of Finance, on the draft consultancy report on the redevelopment and modernisation of South Dock on Providenciales. Cabinet noted and accepted the recommendations of the Board of Directors of the TCI Ports Authority in relation to the report

  • approved the appointments of members to the Board of the TCI National Wealth Fund to serve on the Board for a period of 3 years with effect from 15 January 2019 in accordance with the National Wealth Fund Ordinance 2017

  • approved a technical assistance loan of US$ 672,500 from the Caribbean Development Bank for consultancy services to develop a comprehensive integrated solid waste strategy for TCI in accordance with the Loans (Caribbean Development Bank) Ordinance

  • advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment No. 2) Bill 2018 to be sent out for consultation before being submitted to the House of Assembly

  • noted an information paper presented by the Hon. Attorney General on the use in TCI of the proceeds from the legal sale of medical marijuana in foreign jurisdictions

  • authorised the Ministry of Education to work with the Attorney General’s Chambers to prepare a draft Bill to introduce amendments to the TCI Education Ordinance 2014. The draft Bill will be submitted to Cabinet for approval

  • approved the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Education Policy to guide the use of ICT in public schools in TCI

  • received an up-date by the Chair of the TCI National Disaster Recovery Task Force on recent and planned work of the Task Force since the last report to Cabinet. The Chair informed Cabinet that the National Disaster Recovery Plan had now been finalised. An implementation action plan will be submitted to the next meeting of Cabinet

  • advised His Excellency the Governor to grant a licence, subject to conditions, to Royal Bay Resort and Villas Ltd to install umbrellas on areas of beach adjacent to Crown Land Parcels 60803/15, 20, 21, 48, 52, 78, 91 and 93 at the Bight and Thomas Stubbs on Providenciales to provide shade for resort guests

  • authorised Invest TCI to expand its staff complement through the recruitment of a Business Analyst, Market Intelligence Analyst and a MSME Intake Officer

  • received an up-date from the Hon. Premier on a forthcoming visit to TCI by the Bahamian authorities to discuss co-operation on illegal migration

  • the Hon. Minister of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Gaming asked the Hon. Attorney General for up-dates on the review of beach access points in TCI and the status of the fish market on Grand Turk

  • The Hon. Minister of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Gaming up-dated Cabinet on the continuing problem of illegal poaching in TCI waters

  • The Hon. Attorney General up-dated Cabinet on the ongoing Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) inspection of TCI’s anti-money laundering measures and processes

  • noted the recent decisions taken by Cabinet by round robin as follows – gave approval for a lease for the Premier’s Office on Grand Turk; and for an Order to be made under section 10 (3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Ordinance so that the 2018 Revised Laws come into force on Friday 11th January 2019 by Order published in the Gazette.

Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.

Published 17 January 2019