Did they do what they said they were going to do?                                                                              

Introduction                       

Today marks three years since this Government won the general elections. Last year, I did a review and I have decided to do another review this year. The scoring is based on the traditional scoring used in the education sector where A is excellent, B is Good, C is Satisfactory, D is Needs Improvement and F is Poor.

Like last year, this report card is based on the PNP citizens contract and my personal observations.  There may be things the Government has done that I am not aware of because one of the main things I noticed is that this Government does not communicate well.

Finally, whatever your opinion is of me, it does not matter to me, but I will declare again that I am apolitical.

A ministerial portfolio for progress and productivity (Grade B)

I think the ministerial portfolios were a step in the right direction. Combining customs and immigration were great initiatives. Adding National Insurance, Labour and Education were good too but eventually labour was removed.  However, I still do not comprehend why E Commerce is under the Office of the Premier and not under the Minister of Finance who is an expert in IT.

Covid 19 and Future Pandemic Readiness (Grade D)

I think improvement is needed in this area. In the citizens’ contract there is mention of undertaking major cleaning of streets and public spaces. I do not see this happening. The only time I saw this happening was when the Royal Family visited.

I could not give a C because it is alleged that many people are getting sick with flu symptoms and there is very little public education.

Economy and Jobs (Grade B)

The economy continues to do well no matter who the Government of the day is. Our economy is linked to the global economy.

However, I do give the Government credit for the expansion of the categories for Invest TCI which has encouraged many entrepreneurs in the country. They have also made the application process simpler.

They are also trying to ensure that the Reserved Categories are upheld. They have put a moratorium on the construction business licences. For example, only Turks and Caicos Islanders that have 100% ownership are allowed to get a new business licence or even renewed for construction licensee. So, if you have 51% and an expat has 49%, you will not be able to get a business licence in construction. In addition, the Government is also enforcing the Real Estate Regulations where only Turks and Caicos Islanders are to be real estate agents.

They have demolished the Tourist Board and replace it with two entities, The Tourism Regulations and the DMO (Experience Turks and Caicos). We have yet to see the benefits of this, but I support this.

They have also recently announced the Mortgage company, but we would see if that materialized. We are still waiting to see the Credit Union come to fruition.

The establishment of TCI Finance to diversify the economy is also good. However, it is too early to tell of any impact.

Food Security (Grade C)

While there has been improvement in the agriculture department in terms of providing grants to farmers. More improvement is still needed in food security. I am not aware of the fishing cooperative that was promised nor am I aware of the food production cooperative.

Health Care (Grade D)

While I do think that hospitals and clinics are doing the best with what they have. Despite the negative talks, there are excellent doctors here in TCI. We do need more specialized doctors. I do see some private medical centers on the island trying to provide this service. I think the Government should partner with these private medical centers because we continue to spend too much money on overseas medical treatment.

Speaking about overseas medical treatment, we have a generous national health program. This program needs to be reviewed again.

I also think the Government needs to be proactive in educating the public on health matters. Prevention is the key.

Mental health is a global issue, and it is great to see the establishment of a mental health institution. I hope people take advantage of this.

Safety, Security and Justice (Grade C)

While we continue to face challenges in safety, security, and justice, I think the Government has made strives. The establishment of the Department of Rehabilitation and Community Services in April 2023 is a great initiative. Hopefully we will see a transformation among offenders.

Increasing the length of time to 12 years should be a deterrent for persons with firearms. I do have an issue though with the justice system which needs changing is that the judges are making the sentences very lenient for visitors who are found with firearms.

I know crime is a big concern for all of us. However, crime should not be politicized. Politicians do not control the minds of criminals. There is something going on in the minds of people, and if individuals do not fear God, we will continue to have crime no matter who is in Government.

Education, Labour and Employment (Grade B)

Every Turks and Caicos Islander and BOTC have an opportunity for free tuition at the Community College. The establishment of the TVET program at the Community College is also a great thing. However, I think we need more technical programs in the High Schools. The After-school programs are also great initiatives.

Crown Land (Grade C)

While the situation with the Crown land is still not where we want it to be, I will give the Government a satisfactory grade of C due to the amnesty. TC Islanders can get a 50% reduction to get freehold title. They can also be purchased by paying in installments. This can be very beneficial for people who are struggling. People also can reduce the size of the parcel so that they can afford to pay for a smaller parcel.

Housing (Grade B)

We continue to face a housing crisis in our country. I know the Government appears to be trying to implement several housing initiatives. For example, you can get duty concessions for the construction of apartments that are 5 units or more. While I do not like the fact that is open to everyone, it is a good initiative. I think they should still revisit this and make it only for Turks and Caicos Islanders.

Another great thing is the formation of the Informal Settlement Unit. No Government in the past has really taken this far. This is a great milestone. However, I am concerned that the Informal Settlement Unit has gone quiet.

Infrastructure (Grade D)

Infrastructure is critical to our development. I know the Procurement process is very bureaucratic and it looks like a takes a full four years for projects to come to fruition. I see some work is now being done but this area requires significant improvement. There was a talk of a government hotel in Grand Turk, what happened to that. What is going on with the Leeward Highway Road? What is happening with the establishment of parks?

Progress is being made with the seaports and airports. Finally, the work done at the JAGS McCartney Airport in Grand Turk is completed.

Environment (Grade C)

Kudos to the new management company for the dump site in Wheeland. Hopefully we will see improvement.

I also give the Government credit for the legislation in which the utility company must reduce its reliance on fossil fuels by a certain time frame.

Thanks also to the DECR who maintains and clears the garbage from the public beach accesses. They have different contractors to clean different areas.

Youth/Elderly/Disabled (Grade C)

There have been some efforts in youth, elderly and disabled but improvement is needed. I visited the Felix Morley Community Center recently and I was very impressed with the facility.  I do hope the young and old take advantage of this facility. I also think the Sports Commission is doing a great job with the various sports programs.

The Government has a generous social program for the elderly. However, we really need housing for the elderly.

Every public school now has a special eds teacher. However, the talk about a Building dedicated to Special Eds Center has yet to come to fruition. The building that the previous administration was planning to use for a technical school remains unused as this Government stated it will be used for a Special Eds Center.

Immigration (Grade C)

While we continue to face illegal immigrants and we do not know who in this country is, I give this Government a C due to the plans to review the requirements for PRC, the plans to have limits on the years for a work permit holder and something else that is very dear to my heart, the extension of Turks and Caicos Islander status to great grandchildren.

Digital Government (Grade D)

The reason the Government did not get an F is due to the work that was done with the Police Records. You can now get a police record within hours of the application. Well done for this but the other areas such as the national id card, the processing of requests for birth certificates seem to be untouched.

Poverty alleviation (Grade C)

While efforts have been made through social development and the three stimuli given, our country continues to face a high rising cost of living. I know there have been duty exemption on basic food items, many people are still facing poverty. I still think the Government should consider price control for certain items.

However, I do think some of us can get out of poverty if we become entrepreneurs. The opportunity is there, and we need to embrace it.

Accountability (Grade B)

I believe many people are holding politicians accountable. I also give credit to this Government as most of them do not take their criticism personally. Unlike the previous administration, if you said anything against them, they are ready to attack you using fictitious names.

However, we must do something about holding the civil servants more accountable.

Conclusion

I will give the Government credit for addressing some things that successive governments did not do. With that said, I think this Government deserves an overall grade of C.