THIS WEEK IN REVIEW – Week Ending July 25, 2014

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The milestones made by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government for the week ending July 25, 2014, were as follows:

Monday July 21, 2014

  • Premier Ewing, other Ministers of Government and other Government Officials met with the Developers Desarrollos Hotelco Turks and Caicos, Ltd to discuss the investor’s commitment to contributing to the development of the Turks and Caicos Islands and a Government’s commitment to fast-tracking the development process, for the mutual benefit of all. Government aims to have a Development Agreement in place by September of this year, to allow construction to commence in early spring of 2015 on the US$202 million dollar, three-prong Hotel-Casino development that will span some 11 acres of the pristine coastline of the award-winning Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, thereby creating some 300-400 jobs locally, before moving on to other equally-anticipated developments by the Desarrollos Hotelco Group for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

 


 

Tuesday July 22, 2014

  • Government sent out Requests for Tenders for the following projects:
    • Summer Works To Doris Robinson  Primary School, Middle Caicos
    • Summer Works Adelaide Oemeler Primary School, North Caicos
    • Refurbishment works to Charles Hubert James Primary School, Kew, North Caicos
    • Summer Works Enid Capron Primary School, Providenciales
    • Summer Works To Raymond Gardiner High School North Caicos

 

Documents can be collected from the Public Works Department (PWD) Grand Turk and Providenciales office and all DC’s Offices in the family islands. Interested contractors can contact Mr. Anryn Malcolm, Public Works Department, Grand Turk Office for further information. Tenders should be submitted in a sealed envelope (labelled with the appropriate projects listed above and void of identification marks of any kind) by 4:00 pm on 28th of July, Director of P.W.D South Base Grand Turk Turks & Caicos Islands.

  • The Ministry of Government Support Services issued an Energy Saving Tip on types of Solar Hot Water Collector Units

Wednesday July 23, 2014

  • The 19th Meeting of the Executive Cabinet took place in Providenciales. The highlights were:
    • Cabinet Members were given an overview of the Manufacturing Policy which will be advanced for Public Consultation by the end of August 2014.
    • Reviewed the list of Bills set to go to the House of Assembly by End of December 2014:
      • Banking Bill
      • Child and Family Legislations
      • Companies Ordinance Amendment Bill
      • Credit Union Bill
      • Crown Land Ordinance Amendment Bill
      • Disaster Management Bill
      • Domestic Insurance Bill
      • Dormant Accounts Bill
      • Electricity Ordinance Amendment Bill
      • Encouragement of Development Amendment Bill
      • Health Regulatory Authority Bill
      • Immigration Bill
      • Insolvency Bill
      • Lottery and Gaming Bill
      • National Health Insurance Amendment Bill
      • National Honours and Awards Amendment Bill
      • National Parks Amendment Bill
      • Securities and Investment Bill
      • Sports Development Bill
      • TC Invest Renewed Bill
      • Trust Ordinance Amendment Bill
      • West Caicos Authority Bill
    • Approved the grant of a 99 year lease to NCPAA Limited for the development of North Creeks Grand Turk.
    • Approved the extension of a licence to Chukka Caribbean Adventures in Grand Turk to establish a Canopy Challenge Course as a Tourist Attraction.
    • Agreed to commence negotiations of a MOU with the Proponents of Caonabo Resort & Spa for development of mixed use hotel and resort on Governor’s Beach Grand Turk.
    • Reviewed the contents of the Consultation Report on the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Gaming Industry as carried out by White Brocklebank Associates. Cabinet agreed to proceed with new gaming and lottery legislation.
  • Premier Ewing, Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade, Hon. Washington Misick and Minister of Environment and Home Affairs, Hon. Amanda Misick joined members of the Planning Department and other Government Officials in a Building Heights Review Consultation with public stakeholders. The purpose of this consultation meeting was to discuss the proposed amendment of the existing building height restriction and density requirement.

Currently:           maximum allowed height for apartment, condominium and hotel buildings is seven (7) floors up to a maximum of ninety (90’) ft. provided that no habitable floors are allowed above seventy-five (75’) ft.  In order to qualify for the construction of seven floors, the entire acreage of the plot must not be less than ten acres. If the acre requirement cannot be met then the building cannot exceed five (5) floors or sixty (60’) ft. in height.

Why review:      The Department of Planning has reviewed several development proposals for new projects in Providenciales. Most of these development proposals are seeking for relaxation and variation on the building and planning regulation especially in building height, minimum setback distances, number of minimum parking spaces and the density.

  • The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services invited open tenders for: FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE ONA GLINTON PRIMARY SCHOOL (NEW BLOCK), TR 14/3.

Tenders are to be submitted in a sealed envelope by 9:00 am on Wednesday August 13, 2014 to:

The Secretary to the Procurement Board

Central Purchasing Unit

White Sands Road

Grand Turk

Turks and Caicos Islands

  • The Office of the Premier, under the direction of the Director of Culture has commenced planning for the National Heritage Month celebrations. The national heritage committees heads met today at the Office of the Premier as a kick start to their planning work. Island committees will also be formed with responsibility for the detail planning of activities in their respective islands and are expected to start meeting the following week.


 

Thursday July 24, 2014

  • Premier Ewing and other Ministers of Government met with representatives of the United Nations. Among those matters discussed were:
    • The National Development Strategy
    • Degree of National Preparedness to deal with Natural Disasters and Climate Change
    • Policy areas for intervention
    • Improve / renewed relationship between TCI and UNDP
    • Physical tool to improve economic policy framework
    • UNDP’s role in assisting TCI with its National Development Plan
    • Framework Agenda Post 2015 – The TCI Program
  • The Strategic Policy and Planning Department released their National Accounts Newsletter and among the highlights were the following:
    • Economy grew by 1.3% in 2013
    • National GDP expected to grow by 4.6% in 2014
    • Hotel and restaurant sector expected to increase 6.1% 2014
    • Construction expected to increase by 4% in 2014
  • The Department of Youth Affairs issued a release seeking two young persons; one male, one female, between the ages of 18-29 to serve as youth ambassadors for the period 2014-2015. Interested persons may contact the Department of the Youth Affairs for application forms Provo 9417471, Grand Turk 3395101, South Caicos 3396205, North Caicos 3386441 or send an email request to tciyouthonline@gmail.com. Application deadline is August 8th 2014.
  • The Turks and Caicos Islands team took part in a spectacular opening ceremony at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, which kicked off eleven days of competition at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Over the course of the Games, 5,000 athletes from 71 different nations and territories will take part in 261 events, watched by an estimated global TV audience of 1.5 billion

Friday July 25, 2014

  • Premier Ewing, Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade, Hon. Washington Misick and members of the Investment Unit met with the Toscana Group to discuss desired updates to the existing Development Agreement.

END

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