The illusion of success

Introduction

The Turks and Caicos Islands continues to grow at a rapid rate evidenced by the growth in the tourism industry, the construction of so many villas and resorts and the revenue that the Government is obtaining by the sale of real estate. Some people support the ongoing development in the country, while others question its effects, noting that many residents are not experiencing a positive impact. In other words, they feel left behind socially, culturally and economically. 

Outprice for locals.

Many Turks and Caicos Islanders are not in position to own a stake in this economic boom that we are currently experiencing. One of the best ways to do so is by investing in real estate. However, due to the significant rising property values, it has price out the ability for many locals to purchase real estate. On top of this, the cost of the living is very high adding further burdens on the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. At some point, we need to do a check and provide some sort of incentives for locals only so that they can have an opportunity to participate in this booming economy. If people don’t directly benefit, development loses its purpose.

Dilution of our culture

With all the development that is taking place, and with the limited number of locals in the country, we must bring people in. When these individuals come, they bring their culture with them and so the more people we bring in, the more our culture gets eroded and as a result we have the potential to lose our national heritage, culture and practices and even our language. We must do all we can to maintain and preserve our culture. We can do so by making sure our heritage is taught in the schools and our festivals throughout the islands are maintained. We must also support our local artists. I think the time has come when we need to stop recruiting foreign artists. Use our local artists and highlight them often on our national radio. We must also ensure that we have a historical center where all our history is captured and recorded.

Rethink Development

True progress should involve uplifting everyone – not just those who can afford to purchase beachfront or canal properties.  Development should incorporate inclusivity, sustainability, and local empowerment.   This can be done by ensuring that crown land is reserved for development by locals and that the crown land is affordable and this can be done by offering discounts. We must also involve the locals in the development decisions. We must also find the ways and means in which locals can compete in those areas that are dominated by foreign  capital.

Conclusion

I know that the Government needs the funding to cover its budget and to provide the necessary infrastructure and health care that we desperately need. However, we must be able to strike a balance between physical development and the development of the people. We must not be left out and so we must ensure that there are policies in place for our locals to benefit and participate. It just does not make sense to brag about the development when our people are not being developed.