July 30, 2010
Other Caribbean Territories Moving on with Business, Why Not Turks & Caicos?
The Caribbean has been a long-time favorite spot for vacationers. While many countries in the region have felt the financial down turn of the world economy, the Turks and Caicos Islands had been celebrating a tourism boom. In 2007, the country had achieved its highest surplus yet of $26 million and since then the country surplus had approximately doubled each year. Turks and Caicos' economy was booming and there were no signs of slowing down. Did it come at the expense of other Caribbean islands?
Puerto Rico's government just announced that it is injecting $1.2 billion on a new Ritz-Carlton Resort. The Puerto Rican government states that it's "the biggest hotel project in two years for a region...".
The Puerto Rican government is ecstatic for this opportunity, stating, "This kind of initiative represents an extraordinary advance in the renewal of tourism in Puerto Rico." The new development there will provide economic stimulus and jobs which will provide a much needed boost to the overall economy of the island.
This type of fanfare and excitement has previously been reserved for the Turks & Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. Having been voted “best beaches” and “number one holiday destination”, Turks and Caicos had been enjoying an economic heyday. In 2007, more than 1.5 Billion dollars was pumped into the country through tourism investment there. And that the numbers continued to skyrocket. According to Fortune Magazine, people were lining up to invest in tourism in Turks & Caicos.
Also, according to a quote by the Turks & Caicos government to Forbes in 2007, the country's success in attracting international investors was due to "an unrelenting promotional campaign". The former Premier Michael Misick made no bones about his ambitious plan for the islands' economy. And, it paid off, with the surging surplus to show for it.
However, the Turks & Caicos' Islands tourism boom came to a screeching halt last in 2009 when the British government began receiving complaints about the local government there. A campaign run by the former opposition party leader was aimed at targeting the local government’s tactics.
Though a British governor was installed in the islands to oversee the local government, there was never a complaint of wrong doing. Suddenly, the British took over and deposed the islands' local government in August 2009. With that, the tourism revenue was confiscated by the British. The resorts were closed down and confiscated by the British. The resort developers and investors were accused and punished for corruption and sent packing. More than a dozen important resort developments were suspended by the British, who accused the developers of corruption with the local government for the inducements that they received to invest in the country.
This act by the British has cost the people of the islands tens of millions of dollars in tourism benefits, economic stimulus and jobs. Even so, the British make no apologies for the its actions there claiming that all of these developers were in on a government scam to take Crown land. The former government argues that there has always been a Crown land policy that supports awarding Crown land to promote growth and investment in the islands, these written policies are only now being rewritten by the British installed in the country.
The once growing and economically thriving country has experienced a downward spiraling decline. Joblessness, homelessness and poverty has sored since last August. The crime rate has doubled. Investor confidence is so low there that kick starting the economy will be near impossible, even if the British left tomorrow. The British government has bankrupted that country.
Puerto Rico's now ecstatic mood could very well be at the expense of the Turks & Caicos suffering. A Ritz-Carlton was to be opened in Turks & Caicos' Molasses Reef, but has suffered multiple political set backs based on investor/developer troubles in Turk & Caicos.
Investor confidence has rebounded in other Caribbean islands while Turks & Caicos suffers through its worst economic time in history when it should still be on its way up.
After one year or direct rule, corruption charges still loom over the heads of the former government and the resort developers. This, even after a year of the British trying to find corruption there.
November 10, 2009
Shaun Malcolm impersonates Cem Kinay to make accusations against him on a blog By: Chris Burke
Shaun Malcolm is a malicious blogger in the Turks and Caicos Islands
who credits himself with bringing the UK big Daddy to the islands to
take over its governance. Shaun Malcolm runs the TCI Journal, a media
outlet that accuses developers and government officials of corruption. Yet TCI Journal is said to be
financed and backed by David Hartshorn, a competing developer.
The
UK took over governance of the islands based on Shaun Malcolm's and
friends' reports of corruption involving the Michael Misick
administration.
The UK has taken over the islands' governance and has
ousted all governmental officials and related record keepers as well as
stripped citizens of enumerable rights, including the entire
population's right to jury trials.
Now Shaun Malcolm, the
editor and puppet of TCI Journal, is using Cem Kinay's photo to make
disturbing accusations using Kinay's likeness on this website.
Cem
Kinay is one of the resort developer who was ensnared in the UK Crown land investigation at the hands of Shaun Malcolm and
friends. Cem Kinay was to build a $500 million resort on Dellis Cay in
Turks and Caicos.
Using his caustic brand of innuendo and
irreverence, Shaun Malcolm blatantly is using Cem Kinay's photo to make
comments on blog. There is a law impugning impersonation?
October 30, 2009 By: C.M.
UK's omits checks and balances for a proper democracy in Turks and Caicos
If one digs deeper, one can deduce that Justice Sir Robin Auld was chosen by the British FCO to lead the charge against Michael Misick administration to investigate corruption because of his radical views on how a State should handle an accused person. Sir Robin is no stranger to bizarre conclusions and it is no secret that he took significant criticism from his peers and members of the UK bar when he concluded in his report of the Reform of Criminal Court that jury-less trials should be the norm.
This Judge with such a controversial background, let alone a sole appointee, should not have run the commission of inquiry in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The UK could have been more careful in assuring confidence in the fairness of the investigation instead it made a mockery of the investigation by tinting the investigation making it obvious that a particular result was the objective; and they did so while thumbing their noses at us.
When one compares what Sir Robin has recommended in the Turks and Caicos Islands with his past work on the Criminal Courts Report, there is a clear sign of notable disdain for the working of the judiciary. On top of making such a radical and disproportionate recommendation of suspending Turks and Caicos' autonomous constitution, in line with his thinking Sir Robin has gone further in the TCI commission report by recommending the suspension of jury trials.
This development is particularly interesting when viewed in the context of another of Sir Robin's recommendation to amendment the TCI constitution in the form of TCI constitution interim Order 2009. A cursory review of this UK document quickly reveals that Sir Robin offers no separation of powers offered to the people of Turks and Caicos from the UK government. The UK Governor is the ultimate power, he can hand pick his executive branch without as much as a single town hall meeting for consensus with the residents of the TCI and in particulars TCI Belongers. He can select and appoint his legislative Branch using the same process; the Governor alone selects the members of the Judicial Board who are responsible for the appointment of Judges in the Turks and Caicos islands. It gets better, the governor alone is responsible for the hiring of the Attorney General and his legal staff; in addition to that, he alone is responsible for all branches of the TCI police force and the TCI prison system. On analysis of the areas highlighted above, anyone with the slightest inkling of fairness, justice and human rights for all persons must view this state of affairs as very similar to the autocratic rule that exist in totalitarian states.
For example, let's say a Belonger or a resident of the TCI irritates the Governor without breaking the law; the governor can in the course of his duties seriously curtail that person's human rights due to the absence of the proper checks and balances rightfully required by any democracy. It would not mater if the accused demanded a police investigation, appealed to the Attorney General bringing Criminal Charges or brought evidence to the judge; the accused would not be properly represented. Human rights and democratic justice demand action to amend UK's totalitarian laws enslaving Turks and Caicos citizens to UK's ultimate conclusions.
I have reviewed the FCO web site and it seems to make a big deal about Human Rights and Democracy and the lack thereof. Ironically I see no mention of the Human rights abuses and the lack of democracy perpetrated by the British against the Turks and Caicos Islands; that is another example of double speak to make their actions look legitimate.