Turks and Caicos post Cabinet update 21 November 2013
Governor Peter Beckingham chaired the 25th meeting of Cabinet on at the Hilly Ewing Building, Providenciales, Wednesday, 20 November 2013
The TCI Cabinet in session.
All Ministers were present. At this meeting Cabinet:
-
Received a briefing from the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, and Library Services on work being undertaken by the Ministry to prepare a 5 year Strategic Education Plan. The briefing set out the preliminary findings of a review of existing education plans and policies. The review, undertaken with the support of UNICEF, has identified a number of strategic priorities and initiatives including provision of school places, leadership and management, teachers professional development, curriculum development, technical and vocational education and tertiary and continuing education. Cabinet welcomed the report;
-
Approved a request from the Minister of Finance, Trade and Investment for a supplementary appropriation for the financial year 2013/14 and agreed that a draft supplementary appropriation bill proceed to the House of Assembly for endorsement in accordance with section 25 of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Ordinance 2012;
-
Approved a request from the Acting Attorney General, Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs and the Planning Department on maintenance dredging of existing navigational channels located in the National Parks, and approved an amendment to Regulation 1(d) of the National Parks Regulations to permit applications to be made for maintenance dredging of such existing navigational channels which are already in use in a National Park;
-
Approved a recommendation from the Minister of Health and Human Services and the Minister of Finance to develop a process to merge the compliance and collection functions of NHIP and NIB into one entity as set out in the Bethel Feasibility Study Report. This action is necessary to increase compliance and improve the efficiency of collections;
-
Approved a request from the Minister of Finance, Trade and Investment to abandon the interest payment of a Government charge on a portion of the land on which the Shore Club development is to be constructed and that the matter proceed to the House of Assembly for endorsement in accordance with Section 62 of the Public Finance Management Ordinance 2012;
-
Received a report from the Premier and Minister of Tourism on tourism diversification and integration along tourism development corridors. Cabinet approved a Tourism Policy Strategy to promote intra-island and intra-regional travel of tourists visiting the TCI as a strategy to enhance visitor experience and agreed that the Tourist Board commence discussions with airlines servicing the region and our neighbouring countries to develop multi-destination packages, thus enabling tourists in Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas to visit TCI on day trips or overnight stays;
-
Agreed that a ‘FATCA’ style Intergovernmental Agreement should be signed on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) meeting set for London, UK from 24th November 2013, subject to final review by the Tax Information Exchange Committee.
The following Ministers will be out of the country on official business:
- Hon. Amanda Missick Nov 29 – Dec 3 (Premier acting)
- Min for Finance – Nov 23 – Dec 7 – (Hon. Gardiner Acting)
- Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith Nov 21 – 22, (Premier acting)
During the absence of the Premier, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance while they are in the UK to attend the JMC in London (Nov 23-29), Hon. Gardiner will be Acting Premier.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.