6 NEWS
TURKS AND CAICOS NEWS EXPRESS
April 30 - May 6, 2013
Premier says independence comments were sensationalised BY VANESSA NARINE THE INDEPENDENCE question came up the second time in a matter of months at the 14th annual Caribbean Tourism Organisation
organised Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-14), which opened on April 15 in Trinidad and Tobago. At a regional level, independence in the Islands first came up at the 24th Inter-Sessional meeting of the
Governor agrees with Misick on moving to self reliance FINANCE Minister, Washington Misick, last week told the Weekly News that the Turks and Caicos Islands is working to reduce its reliance on the UK. His comments came after being asked about the local impact of the move by Fitch Ratings in downgrading the United Kingdom's long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) to 'AA+' from 'AAA'. The downgraded credit score translates to an impact to the Turks and Caicos Islands, since it essentially means that the UK government’s loan guarantee to the country is affected. The loan of $170m, at 3.20 per cent, is due to be repaid 2016. However, Misick pointed out that guaranteeing the loan is the extent of the support the UK currently provides to the TCI. At a press conference on Monday, Governor Ric Todd
said: “I think what the Finance Minister explained, more eloquently and clearly than I can, was the situation, which is as you know, TCI has a loan which is guaranteed by the UK, which means that the TCI can borrow at a much lower rate. “In 2016 that loan guarantee expires and from that time TCI will be expected to raise the money it needs on international markets without a UK guarantee. “What Mr. Misick has also explained is that the Premier has now sent to the FSPS… a medium term into long term plan on how the TCI will raise money, spend money, how it will pay down its debt and how it will then be able to borrow in 2016 without a UK government guarantee.” The Finance Minister contended that to date the TCI has done a good job of moving toward greater self-reliance.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 18 and 19. Premier, Dr. Rufus Ewing, when asked to clarify whether or not he was pushing the independence agenda, made it clear that his comments were sensationalised. He told the Weekly News that during his visit to the twin islands, Caribbean media asked about his position on independence for the Turks and Caicos Islands. “The only thing they had to ask me was about independence,” Ewing said. The Premier told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that “independence remains a major issue” three years after Britain suspended the island’s constitution and set up a one-man commission to probe the government of former Premier Michael Misick. During that interview, he said: “I think any right thinking country should have independence as its destination. The time period however is the question. “The need for independence must be the goal and so everything you do should be to prepare your people and country for that giant step. “There will be a number of factors that will come into play as to whether or not that time should be fast tracked or continue along the pace that you would desire to have or would like to have and that would depend on the on-going relationship with the United Kingdom government and the people in the territory.”
Missick questioned over possible curriculum changes EDUCATION Minister, Akierra Missick, in Parliament last Friday (April 26) was questioned on what faults she had discovered with CXC and why the urgency to change the curriculum. The question was moved by Opposition back bencher, Clarence Selver. The Minister said she was not prepared to answer the question, pointing out that the question is asking for her opinion. She said: “I have my opinion, it is not my Ministry’s opinion, but I am entitled to personal opinion.” Selver pressed noting that he was not asking her to express her opinions, but to either say whether or not there were faults with the CXC curriculum, hence the move to address a possible change. To that, Missick stressed that the upcoming National Education Consultation will discover faults, if any, which is the reason for a consultation.
Education Minister Akierra Missick
She said no other assessment of the curriculum and its suitability for the Turks and Caicos Islands has been done. Missick made it clear that the consultation will address different concerns, which include curriculum, school infrastructure, training and retention of staff, the use of
technology, special education, safety and security, and access and inclusion to educational institution. She said: “Every opportunity will be taken to ensure the best for our children and the consultation based on this.” According to her the local education sector is poised to move forward, an effort that will provide youths in the country with access to an opportunity to set a goal, achieve that goal and move on in life. “I will fight for the change we need,” she stressed. Stakeholders in education sector and in the community are being asked to participate in the Ministry’s National Consultation on Education, which will be held in Providenciales, North and Middle Caicos, Grand Turk, and South Caicos during the month of May. The consultations will be in Providenciales on May 6, North and Middle Caicos on May 7, Grand Turk on May 13 and South Caicos on May 14. (VANESSA NARINE)
Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing
Ewing added that the government “of the day” would also have a role to play and should be “allowed to do what is right by the people, for the people to improve their standard of living and to prepare us for our plans for moving towards that step of independence.” He said: “If it doesn’t happen, all it does is to make the people even more convinced that independence is our only way out.” The Premier also told CMC that over the past three years, more citizens have become convinced “that independence is the way to go, more than ever before in the past because of the relationship we have had [with Britain] over the past three years.” He said: “The stability is just about there. We have elected a government that we have confidence in from a stand point of investors…if anything happens then we can keep on going back to by-elections and by-elections and so it may not give the people the level of security they would want.” Ewing also told CMC that he was still “awaiting” a response to suggestions that Britain was trying to re-colonise its territories in the Caribbean including the Cayman Islands. “Well, I am sure everybody has a reason for doing things and I am still awaiting the answer to the question,” he said, adding “if I were a conspiracy theorist that would be my theory” as to whether London was using finances to the territories to “keep them in check”.
POSITION UNCHANGED The Premier made it clear that his position on independence in the TCI had not changed, adding that while his administration is working to put the country on the path to selfdetermination, its realisation will be decided by the people of the Islands. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Secretary of State, William Hague, in a letter on March 12 addressed the issue of independence, a response of sorts to comments made by Ewing at February’s CARICOM meeting. Hague said: “If the people of the TCI express a wish for independence through a clear and proper process, the UK government will meet its obligations to help the territory to achieve it.” In a March 20 letter, Premier, Dr. Rufus Ewing, responded to the Secretary of State. He said: “In regard to our position of independence, it is without a doubt that independence is indeed our destiny. “It may or may not come under my leadership, but whenever it comes, it will be by an act of the determined will of Turks and Caicos Islanders. “When the timing is appropriate the question on independence will be asked through a referendum and I am confident that the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands will be given the same opportunity as those in the Falkland Islands to answer the question as to whether it is their wish remain a UK dependent territory.” On March 15, Ewing told the House of Assembly that Turks and Caicos Islanders are more than ever in favour of independence. He said: “Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that, now more than ever, Turks and Caicos Islanders are more in favour of independence, mainly because of the breakdown in the relationship or so called partnership between TCI and the UK and their appointed officials and their confidence that we, through elected Government, can more loyally and justly serve the better interests of our country and people.” Prior to this, the Premier had gone on record to acknowledge that the TCI is not ready for independence.
House Speaker offers reward for garbage dumpers IN AN act of clear frustration, Speaker of the House, Robert Hall, last Friday (April 26) offered a $200 reward for the identification of persons who have been dumping garbage in inappropriate places. “This is just low down, good for nothingness,” the Speaker
said, “I hope persons will feel some sense of shame and desist from such actions.” Communities, up to last week, hosted massive clean-up campaigns across the Turks and Caicos Islands to mark Earth Day and stress the importance of keeping the country ‘beautiful by nature’.