Volume 8 Issue 27

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

Page $1 1

VOLUME 8 No. 27

OBAMA KILLING TCI’s

FISHING INDUSTRY Website: www.suntci.com

Email: sun@suntci.com

Tel: 649-946-8542

Fax: 649-941-3281

www. twitter.com/suntci

Seafood exporters in the Turks and Caicos Islands said this country’s fishing will be dead in the water, because United States President Barak Obama has ordered the United States Congress to terminate the Turks and Caicos Islands from the list of countries that will be allowed to export products to the USA dutyfree.

This shocking move by Obama essentially means that it will cost more to export items including fish, lobster and conch to the USA from January 1st, 2014, when TCI’s eligibility for trade benefits from the USA will come to an end.

In a directive to the Congress which was also posted on the White House website on Friday June 29th, Obama stated: “Pursuant to section 502(e) of the 1974 (Trade) Act, I have determined that it is appropriate to terminate Turks and Caicos Islands' designation as a beneficiary developing country under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program, because it has become a high income country as defined by the World Bank. Accordingly, Turks and Caicos Islands' eligibility for trade benefits under the GSP program will end on January 1, 2014.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

JOE CONNOLLY RESIGNS FROM ADVISORY COUNCIL OVER VAT PAGE 7

MOST AWARDS AT CLEMENT HOWELL HIGH GRADUATION Salutatorian Michael Tiresias almost cleaned up all the awards at the Clement Howell High School Graduation held at the Williams Auditorium on Thursday, July 5. Among the awards captured by Tieresias were: first place in Physics, first place in Information Technology, first place in Electricity and second place in Mathematics. He also captured the Police Award for being the Most Disciplined Student in the graduating batch. Tiresias is seen here with father Jean Claude Tiresias and Principal for the Clement Howell High School Lloyd Fearon. The Valedictorian for 2012 was Joanna Martinez, while the runner-up was Eddie Laurent.

SIPT DROPS CHARGES AGAINST JAK CIVRE – PG7

‘SKIP’ CONFIDENT OF PDM ELECTION VICTORY- PG8

DEREK TAYLOR SAYS HE WAS AMBUSHED BY PDMS - PG11

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Obama killing TCI’s fishing industry CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Obama added: “If the President determines that a beneficiary developing country has become a "high income" country, as defined by the official statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (i.e., the World Bank), then the President shall terminate the designation of such country as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of GSP, effective on January 1 of the second year following the year in which such determination is made.”

Gibraltar, another British Overseas Territory, has also been struck from the list.

Two importers of Seafood Caicos Pride Products in South Caicos and Caicos Seafoods in Grand Turk have expressed concern on the drastic effects such a decision could have on the local industry.

Jim Baker of Caicos Pride Products, which exports conch and lobsters, said that the United States was misinformed about the average income earning of the Turks and Caicos, since, for the most part, as far as he was concern, income has

remained flat.

“I think the timing is not good, first of all, and I am not sure that the information that they received is accurate. I would like to see the information that they made this decision on, because as far as I understand, the average per capita earning is not high.

“The bottom line is that the information that they made the decision on was inaccurate, and it is going to hurt us tremendously because, if we are to pay export duty shipping to America, of course it is going to raise all of our costs. It is not a good day for us; it is not a good day. ”One of the things that we have not been told yet is that how much duty is it. I have been enquiring about it. Either way it goes, it is an additional tax that we must pay to do trade with America, so like I said, at this time it is just not good,” Baker lamented.

Against that background, Baker said that government needed to contact Washington DC and furnish its legislators with the correct information, so that they may get a clearer picture of the earning periphery of the Turks and Caicos, and with which they could use to

make informed decisions in the future.

“I think the economic climate here is totally to the contrary of what they are saying about the economy, so I hope that they would revisit it, and I hope they have a chance to repeal it,” Baker said.

On average, Caicos Pride Products exports 150,000 pounds of conch and 50,000 pounds of lobster to the United States per year.

However, Bakers said that this year, has been an off year, and so the company was not able to export that amount of products.

For his part, Norman Cox of Caicos Seafoods in Grand Turk said that the Interim Administration should waste no time in responding to the United States Government in an attempt to reverse their decision, since the information obtained was false.

“It would affect pricing, because the money that they (customers in the US) pay for our product is so small, and now that you have to pay more for it to get to the United States, it is going to raise the prices higher. So they may buy less or may not want to buy, because they have alternative buyers from other countries, where the charge is much cheaper. It is just that the quality of products from the Turks and Caicos is very good; products from the other places are not so good. The people who purchase from us in the States, they have other suppliers like Honduras, Bahamas and all those places,” Cox pointed out.

He said that sometimes their US clients purchasers from Turks and Caicos only when they have shortfalls from other suppliers, while stressing that the impending duty on local products could sound the death knell for the industry.

“It will definitely affect the local fishermen and plants because once the plants can’t get them sold; there would be no other alternative than to close down. I wish somebody could address the issue, and right now, we don’t have anybody who could address it. They say the Turks and Caicos Islands is a high income place, but I don’t really see it, not with the amount of troubles we are having around here. We are in a deficit that the previous government left us in, and now with the British, the economy went down even further, so I can’t see how they are labeling us as a high income place,” Cox said.

He added: “The United States probably believes that we are a high income country because of the amount of tourists that come here.

Tourism has increased, but if you look at the ship passengers; they don’t do much spending when they get here. They may buy a drink or something to eat or take a taxi, but they don’t spend money like that, because most of the activities that they do here are included in their cruise package.”

The U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a program designed to promote economic growth in the developing world by providing preferential duty-free entry for up to 5,000 products when

imported from one of 128 designated beneficiary countries and territories.

The GSP program also supports US jobs. U.S. businesses imported $18.5 billion worth of products under the GSP program in 2011, including many inputs used in US manufacturing. According to a 2005 U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, over 80,000 American jobs are associated with moving GSP imports from the docks to farmers, manufacturers, and retail shelves.

GSP was instituted on January 1, 1976, by the Trade Act of 1974.

Products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP include: most manufactured items; many types of chemicals, minerals and building stone; jewelry; many types of carpets; and certain agricultural and fishery products.

Among the products that are not eligible for GSP duty-free treatment are: most textiles and apparel; watches; and most footwear, handbags, and luggage products.

On October 21, 2011, President Obama signed legislation to reauthorize the GSP program through July 31, 2013.

The non-independent countries and territories are GSP-eligible beneficiaries are: Anguilla, British Indian Ocean Territory, Christmas Island; Cook Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Heard Island and McDonald Islands; Montserrat; Norfolk Island; Pitcairn Islands; Saint Helena; Tokelau; Turks and Caicos Islands; British Virgin Islands; West Bank and Gaza Strip and Western Sahara.

The independent countries in the Caribbean that are GSP-eligible beneficiary developing countries (BDCs) are: Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St.Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Under US trade laws, “graduation” from the duty-free status is the removal of a country’s GSP eligibility on the basis of factors related to national income or competitiveness. The President may remove a country from the GSP program because the country is sufficiently developed or competitive, or may suspend or limit the country’s access to duty-free treatment with respect to one or more products.

The per capita Gross National Product (GNP) limit for mandatory graduation is set at the lower bound of the World Bank’s definition of a “high income” country (which was $12,276 in 2011).

For circumstances other than mandatory graduation, the GSP Subcommittee normally reviews the country’s general level of development, its competitiveness in regard to the particular product, the country’s practices relating to trade, investment, and worker rights, and the overall economic interests of the United States, including the effect continued GSP treatment would have on the relevant U.S. producers, workers and consumers

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JULYAND 7TH CAICOS - JULY 14TH, TURKS SUN2012

TURKS & CAICOS JUNE 23RD -JUNE 30TH SUN 2012

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COMMENTARY

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

TAXATION AND NO REPRESENTATION

BY ROYAL S. ROBINSON, MBE

The opposition to the implementation of VAT in TCI has the total support of I grew up hearing about, and all the people here! This is when I was able to read, reading one time that I have seen the about the American war for people acting in unison for a Independence and the Boston tea worthy cause. No amount of party affair. The spark that lit the sugarcoating can mask the fire for those incidents of history fact that all of the people was the imposition of taxes on affected by this tax are in the American people without opposition to it. Clearly the them being represented. The premise on which the phrase was coined “No taxation imposition is being made has without representation”! The been shown to be completely British had imposed a tax on flawed and by the words of imported tea which the the chief proponent, Dr. American colonist said that they Hugh, the CFO. It must be were not prepared to pay. When said that what has been the ships were anchored off in advocated as consultations, Boston Harbour, they refused to has been nothing more than a allow them to be offloaded and farce.

No one has said that in the dead of night, dumped all ROYAL ROBINSON money necessary for the of the tea overboard, and this CONTRIBUTER management of the country became known as the Boston and the provision of the Tea Party!

With respect to the Turks and Caicos Islands, necessary social services and infrastructure should VAT or Value-added Tax is to be imposed on us by not be raised. What clearly is the case is that VAT in 1st April, 2013. When the question was raised in the its present form and timing is not in the interest of UK Parliament by Andrew Rosindel, Minister Turks and Caicos Islanders.

VAT in our case, is clearly designed to remove Bellingham’s response was that the UK was not imposing this tax on the people of TCI, and it was the collection of revenue from those that can afford left up to the local TCI government, whether or not it and place it squarely on the backs of those that can it should be done. What he failed to say though, was least afford it, the average “Joe Blow” down the that the current government was imposed on us by street. In our context, this cannot be fair.

In spite of what Professor Hugh is saying, the UK law, because the Interim Constitution Order is UK law. Furthermore, this law sets out a sham, that opposition to him and his tax is gaining momentum. gives cover to the UK government, but there is no Mr. Stanbrook, by setting up the TCIBC and real representation of the people, by the people and employing a public relations firm to lobby for and of the people in the two puppet bodies that have been on our behalf is testament to the weight being set up, namely, the Advisory Council and the applied to the cause. The fight is being taken to the place where it really hurts, at the steps of the UK Consultative Forum.

The order that sets up these two bodies clearly Chancellor of the Exchequer! This is not something states that they can give the Governor advice, but he that is being taken lightly. Just like the British need not take that advice. This had held true on a aristocrats of the American colony led the fight number of occasions, as the advice given was clearly against the British to get their freedom, this fight did ignored by the Governor. So Minister Bellingham, not start with our local British aristocrats, but they you cannot issue platitudes in the House of have been seen to be in the forefront taking it to the Commons to contrary and then think that it would British now! Sam Slattery and Clive Stanbrook, are be swept under the carpet by the people of the Turks just the tip of the spear!

When I heard that a member of the Advisory and Caicos Islands.

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Turks and Caicos Sun Suite # 5, Airport Plaza Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands Tel: (649) 946-8542/ (649) 241-1510 Fax: (649) 941-3281 Email: sun@suntci.com Read us online at www.suntci.com

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The Turks and Caicos SUN is a subsidiary of The SUN Media Group Ltd. We are committed to excellence in journalism, educating and informing our readers, serving and satisfying our advertisers and assisting in the overall development of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

council had resigned, my mind flashed on Joe Connolly! After seeing Simon, who heads up the local PWC Partnership in conjunction with Joe coming out and blasting the Interim Administration from a technical point of view, I said it was Joe because in this particular instance, he is totally conflicted! His firm is giving advice to clients saying that this tax would seriously, adversely impact their businesses, while he is apparently giving succor and comfort to the Interim Administration by staying on, while the Governor is saying that his Advisory Council is giving him total and unequivocal support for VAT’s implementation!

It is now time to fish, cut bait or get out of the boat! We cannot allow these people to distort our economy by the imposition of this VAT tax and when the real “doo-doo” hits the proverbial fan, they are nowhere to be found! This European model of taxation is designed to keep us in total subjection.

Those among us who have aspirations to make men and women of themselves can just forget it! There is no way that the children graduating in this cycle can expect to get involved in a business venture and hope to get it off the ground and be able to make a profit from it. Oh hell, I just forgot that the CFO has said that those persons so engaged, are bitching and moaning of the imposition of VAT because it would preclude them from having a reasonable life style because of their investment in a business that is turning a profit. Why should someone put his resources at risk if not to realize a profit? That is not the way of capitalism! But Professor Hugh lost a business, and was therefore has no clue as to how to turn a profit, so for that alone, he has a beef with a successful business.

So taxation without representation is going to be hard to be continued in Turks and Caicos. These fellows are out of the door, but before they leave, they are hell bent on burning down the house that jack built. They are taking the dog in the manger view, in that they cannot eat the grass, but they can surely prevent the cow from eating it!

This is no time to let up the pressure on these people. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

So let us keep on fighting to get our rights. Do not forget that it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. Right now, there are many squeaky wheels here now!

Royal Robinson was a former Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Health in the Progressive National Party (PNP) Administration.

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LOCAL NEWS

SIPT drops corruption case against Jak Civre

BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Attorney General Huw Shepheard and the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) have dropped criminal charges against multi-millionaire Jak Civre, the developer of Seven Stars.

“I have agreed to discontinue the criminal proceedings against Varet Jak Civre. I took this decision having considered the public interest, primarily because of Mr Civre's age and state of health” Shepheard said in a press release.

He added: “In turn, Mr Civre has agreed not to resist the SIPTs application for a civil recovery order, by which he will pay the Civil Recovery Authority the sum of $4.7million, plus $250,000 costs. I consider this to be a proper and proportionate outcome of the case against him. The prosecution of

those persons who are suspected of serious crime and charged with offences as a result of the SIPT's investigation will continue. The Crown will also continue vigorously and wherever possible to recover assets that are the proceeds of wrongdoing.”

On November 10, 2011, the 76year-old Civre was charged with bribery contrary to common law.

Civre, who was represented by Conrad Griffith QC, appeared before the then Chief Magistrate Joan Joyner, who is now a Supreme Court judge, and was granted $34 million bail and ordered to report to the SIPT on a monthly basis. He was allowed to keep his travel documents.

Sir Robin Auld, who conducted a Commission of Inquiry in 20082009, concluded that the payment by Jak Civre, the developer of the Seven Stars Resort, to the Hon Floyd Hall of

Jak Civre

$150,000 on 8th February 2007, the day before the election, purportedly as a campaign donation, but which the Hon Floyd Hall paid into the business account of his company, Paradigm was a possibly corrupt payment.

Civre, a Belonger and long time resident of TCI, is the President and

Joe Connolly resigns from Advisory Council over VAT Accountant Joe Connolly has Connolly's great experience leave resigned from the Advisory Council the Advisory Council," said Patrick Boyle. "We will continue to work because he was opposed to the hard in his absence to make sure that Interim Government’s decision to we handover the Turks and Caicos implement Valued Added Tax (VAT) Islands to the incoming Ministerialin its current form. led Government in only four months This was confirmed in a better governed, with improving government press release which stated public finances and a more that acting Governor Patrick Boyle accountable, independent civil accepted the resignation on Thursday, service."

5 July 2012.

Connolly was quoted as saying: “Mr Connolly has stood down "It has been a great privilege to because he felt no longer able to serve my country as an Advisory support the Government's VAT Bill in Council member. It has been its current form. He understands the Joe Connolly particularly gratifying to work with Government's objective in trying to my fellow Council members, and secure a regular dependable income through VAT, but feels a delay would give more time to assess its both Governors Todd and Wetherell, to try and ensure the ongoing development of the Turks and Caicos suitability to the Islands,” the release stated.

"We are certainly very sorry to see someone of Joe Islands."

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CEO of Sodalco Development Company Ltd, which bought the 22acre former Allegro Resort property and spearheaded the seven-storey Seven Stars development.

According to the Seven Stars website, since 1968 Jak developed one of the most well recognized corporate conglomerates in Italy.

Additionally he has a long history of successful entrepreneurial ventures to his credit throughout Europe and the United States. He is considered one of the top experts in Marketing Science in Italy, the website stated. In 2002 the entire corporate conglomerate founded

by Civre was sold to a private equity financial group allowing Jak to fully concentrate on his real estate holdings in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The purchase of the Seven Stars site marked one of the largest single real estate acquisitions in the Turks & Caicos Islands. The property has since been sold.

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New PDM leader Oswald Skippings confident of election victory

BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR

Newly-elected People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) Leader, Oswald Skippings is confident that his party will regain the reins of power when the polls closed on November 9, the date announced by the Interim Administration as the election date.

In what could be described as speech punctuated by red meat rhetoric directed primarily at party’s base, Skippings who defeated Derek Taylor 42 – 29, for the leadership position on Saturday, June 29, assured the populace that he planned to be a leader that would protect the rights of Belongers, long term and short term residents, regardless of nationality, and restore the country to respectability.

“To the many people of this potentially great nation, rest assured that with the commitment, dedication, experience, drive and fresh youthful innovation and impetus within this team, we shall win back a democratic government at the upcoming general elections. We shall restore our dignity as a people. We shall rebuild our economy. We shall restructure the public service, and rid ourselves of this medical and NHIP (National Health Insurance Plan) albatross that hangs so heavily around our necks.

“We shall embrace, educate, promote and establish our youth, and last but by no means least, we shall fight for a workable and balanced constitution that would allow us to get back on the highway to self determination and true progress and prosperity for this country,” Skippings said.

While pointing out that the team given to him by the delegates was “not the dream team”, Skippings said that based on its component, victory would be assured over the Dr. Rufus Ewingled Progressive National Party (PNP).

As a matter of fact, the new PDM leader threw down the gauntlet in a

The PDM Executive is seen in photo. Seated from left – New Chairman Lynden Hall; Deputy Leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson and Leader Oswald Skippings. (standing) – Oral Selver – Assistant Treasurer; Terrence Smith – National Chairman; Charmaine Elliott – Assistant Secretary General; Roger Harvey – 2nd Vice Chairman; Clarence Selver – 1st Vice Chairman; Louis Astwood – Party Whip; Lou Handfield – Trustee; Maxivanno Thomas ; Hilly Ewing – Trustee; and Lou Handfield - Trustee.

public show of accepting any challenge that the PNP was willing to mount.

“I may disappoint some of you, but this is not the dream team, but if I may echo the sentiment of the public in general, this is an exceptional and an extraordinary team of visionaries; a force to be reckoned with. And for those who intend to be reckless and foolhardy enough to extend the challenge nationwide for the PDM to bring it on, after leadership elections, let me serve you hot notice, your challenge has been accepted,” he said, to thunderous applause from a handful of party faithful in the room.

Skippings said that he was confident in the ability of the ever vocal Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, the new Deputy Leader, who registered 51 votes to Sean Astwood 29, and Clarence Selver 9, to come out ahead in second tier leadership race.

“I must state here that I am not only comfortable with my deputy in the person of Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, but I am

confident that she is more than up to the task in qualification, ability, drive and the commitment to partner with me and the rest of the team, in the fight to deliver our country and restore it, not only to its former glory, but way beyond,” Skippings said.

In the 2007 general election, the PNP apparently got most of the youth vote, but this time around Skippings said that the PDM would be seeking to corral those votes by burnishing the image of the party in order to appeal to that crucial demographic group.

“One of the main priority once again is to establish the Peoples Democratic Movement as a genuine party for the youth; the party that embraces the youth at every level, not just in party ranks, but in the ranks of government. If you look around this table you may see the humble beginnings of such embracement. This party will once again protect the interest of the youth in every way possible. It is the youth who is our most valuable resource, and as such, we must protect them. This noble

party, on becoming the government, would give priority attention to their education – not just from kindergarten – but right through their tertiary education, by developing the necessary institutions or sending, or securing the funding for their scholarships to obtain their education elsewhere,” he said.

Skippings added: “This credible PDM party is a party that will ensure that the youth secure their appropriate jobs or the challenged to be trained on their appropriate jobs, for which they are qualified when they return home from schooling abroad.

“There is a cliché that said that the youth is the men and women of tomorrow; our philosophy is, in order for the youth to become the men and women of tomorrow, they have to become co-leaders of today. They must be groomed and served alongside experienced and matured leadership, to hone their own leadership skills. That chance is given in the party, and will be given in the government of the Peoples Democratic Movement,” Skippings reiterated.

VAT Bill passes Advisory Council The VAT Bill passed its reading with the Turks and Caicos Islands Advisory Council at their meeting in Grand Turk, on Wednesday July 4th.

Acting Governor Patrick Boyle headed the session which saw the Bill passed to the Consultative Forum for debate next week. This session followed on from the Publication of the White Paper earlier in the week.

“The introduction of VAT is hugely important for the future development of this nation,” said Acting Turks and Caicos Governor Patrick Boyle. “Put simply, VAT will help ensure that public services receive a steady and predictable income. Public finances have fluctuated wildly in recent times.

Under the present system if the money dries up what do we do – stop providing essential services?

“I am certain that the incoming Government in November will be grateful to benefit from such an improved future cash flow. The introduction of VAT will help put this country on a stronger footing for the future by spreading the same tax take over a

broader more stable range of sources.

“The introduction of VAT is not about taking more tax, it is about creating more stable public finances.

“We also have listened to people’s concerns about cost increase, making the number and range of VAT exempt and zero rated items as large as possible. We have ensured that the consumer will not pay VAT on their electricity and water supplies, nor will they pay more for their VAT exempt essential items – rice, flour, fresh meat, fruit and vegetables – and a host of other everyday items too. We also made sure that VAT was not applied to resort Strata fees, which was a key piece of feedback from the Consultation period.

“I do accept, however, that VAT will be newly applied to other items by larger businesses that have to register for VAT, such as legal, accounting, architectural or air-conditioning services which have not previously included tax in their sales price and this could make them initially up to 11% more

expensive if these services are not being provided to another VAT registered business. But those registered firms affected would also have the benefit of being able to offset the VAT that they pay out to their suppliers against the VAT that they bring in from their clients. We also believe that it is fairer to have all significant businesses here in the Turks and Caicos Islands paying their share of the tax burden.

“The proposed rate of VAT of 11% is deliberately set no higher than Accommodation Tax. Indeed, VAT will replace this and a number of other taxes will actually make administration easier for both Government and business.

“We have listened and are trying to do what is right for the future of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

I shall work with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure that in addition to the planned development programme with businesses, that we also reconsider how we might better communicate the undoubted benefits of VAT to the TCI with the consumer too.”

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LOCAL NEWS

Former Jamaican judge to try SIPT cases

BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Prominent Jamaican judge Paul Harrison has been appointed to the Turks and Caicos Islands Supreme Court to deal with the criminal trials arising out of Sir Robin Auld’s Commission of Inquiry and the probe by the Helen Garlick-led Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT).

In a letter circulated to the Bar Council, Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough said that Governor Ric Todd appointed Mr. Justice Harrison for the period July 10th 2012 to June 30th 2014.

The new judge will arrive in Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday July 10th when he will take his oaths of allegiance and office and will preside the following day over plea and direction hearings for 14 individuals charged by the SIPT. Harrison, who is 75-years-old, is highly-respected in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

On Jamaica’s National Heroes Day in 2005, he was presented with one of that country’s highest honours, the Order of Distinction, for his service to the field of law.

He spent in excess of 31 years on the bench and in 2008, he was lauded by the Jamaican Bar Association for his fairness, willingness to listen, compassion, balance and complete integrity.

Harrison is the third Jamaican judge that is currently sitting on the Turks and Caicos Islands Supreme

Court. The other two are Madame Justice Joan Joyner and Madame Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale.

Ramsay-Hale, a former Chief Magistrate in the Cayman Islands, was the judge who presided over the recent sufficiency hearings of 14 persons who were charged by SIPT. She acted as Chief Justice shortly after her arrival in the Turks and Caicos Islands and she was recently chosen by Governor Ric Todd to be a member of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

The new judge Harrison was a contemporary and friend of Margaret Ramsay-Hale’s father Ian McDonald Ramsay, QC, who was widely regarded as one of the most distinguished lawyers in Jamaica and the Caribbean and her uncle Geoffrey Ramsay, a former resident magistrate in Jamaica.

Ramsay, who died on pancreatic cancer in July 2002, was the recipient of Jamaica’s fourth highest national honour, the Order of Jamaica (O.J.), in recognition of his contribution to the development of law in Jamaica and for his outstanding public service. Known for being always impeccably attired, well prepared and armed with an almost incomparable knowledge of the law, biting sarcasm, disarming wit and supreme command of the English language, Ian Ramsay became a legendary advocate of the law in Jamaica.

Meantime, before his appointment to the Turks and Caicos Islands High Court, Justice Harrison served as chairman of Jamaica’s Parliament Integrity Commission, the body which examines the annual statutory declarations of politicians to ensure that

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they adhere to the Corruption Prevention Act. He was appointed to the post on December 28, 2011 on the eve of the December 29 general election. The appointment was made on the recommendation of then Prime Minister Andrew Holness in consultation with former Opposition Leader, now Prime Minster, Portia Simpson Miller.

Harrison also headed the Commission of Inquiry into the fire that killed seven wards of the state at Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in St Ann, Jamaica in May 2009.

On the night of May 22nd, 2009, police were called in to restore order at the facility after receiving reports that some of the wards were engaged in rowdy behaviour. When they arrived stones and other objects were thrown at them and it was while trying to bring the situation under control, they noticed that a dorm was on fire. It was alleged that one of the girls set a mattress alight and there were counter allegations that the inferno was sparked when police threw a teargas canister into the building.

After the inquiry, Harrison said the incident was very painful and reflected an erosion of moral and ethical

standards in Jamaica.

He said: "Jamaica suffers today both from the erosion of moral and ethical standards and the neglect of those who can assist. We all need to display the proper care and approach to the less fortunate in our society; we have failed to do so in many respects.

We do have an ailing society today, indifference to the needs of others, crime and violence, corruption and the disregard for truth are all evident around us."

Regarding Armadale, Harrison said 23 girls in a room measuring 20 feet by 12 feet was a violation of Jamaica's building code and the United Nations' (UN) Beijing Rules, which set out standard minimum rules for the administration of juvenile justice.

"It was a breach of the building code because the building code of Jamaica regulates how much space should be given in a house, in dormitories and institutions and by calculation only five of them should be in that room of 20 by 12, only five!

They had 23," Harrison said.

Justice Harrison was also appointed to the Tribunal set up to investigate three members of the Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC), along with Judge Lionel Jones and Judge Ian Forte.

They were probing the alleged abdication of duty by ABEC Chairman Sir Gerald Watt QC, his Deputy Nathaniel “Paddy” James and alleged partisan behaviour by the commission member Lionel “Max” Hurst.

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

TCIG leasing 17 acres of land at Northwest Point

BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Interim Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands intends to lease 17.7 acres of Crown land at Northwest Point on the island of Providenciales, for a commercial development to raise funds.

A tender notice from the Attorney General’s Chambers stated that Government is in receipt of a proposal to acquire a leasehold title over 17.73 acres of parcels 60000/335 and 60000/635, Northwest & West Central, Providenciales, for a commercial development.

The tender notice stated: “In the spirit of good governance and in keeping with Section 34 of Crown Land Ordinance we would like to open the tender process for competing tenders to these parcels.

This process promotes transparency and helps mitigate favouritism and corruption; as well as affords the Government the opportunity to get the best value for the land.”

It was noted that the parcels are located in an area zoned for tourism development. It is now known as yet who submitted the proposals for the

development, and/or if it has any local partners.

All bids for the land must be submitted to the Tender Board and must be accompanied by a $1000 non-refundable application fee payable at any Treasury location. The return date is scheduled to close at 2pm on August 03rd 2012.

The Interim Government and the Sir Robin Auld-led Commission of Inquiry accused the former Progressive National Party (PNP) administration which was headed by Michael Misick for its handling of Crown Land sales which generated substantial receipts that were used to finance a large development programme.

The Interim Government recently came under strong criticism when it announced that it is putting up for sale one parcel of land at Joe Grant Cay. Sotheby’s has been instructed to act for TCIG on the sale, and will shortly be placing parcel 30101/25, a 200 acre parcel of land at Joe Grant Cay, on the market for sale. The parcel was successfully recovered last year for the Government following a claim by the Civil Recovery team.

In June 2011, TCIG successfully

recovered over 700 acres of land on Joe Grant Cay, following legal proceedings brought against the Star Platinum companies, controlled by Dr Cem Kinay. Those proceedings had been issued following the identification by the Commission of Inquiry of the acquisition of Joe Grant Cay by the Star Platinum companies from TCIG as possibly corrupt.

Under the Turks and Caicos Islands new project proposal guidelines, potential investors must outline the key personnel that will be involved in the project and their curricula vitae. If the names of the individuals are unknown the proponents should outline the education, years of experience, and skills that will be required of key personnel for the project. They must also indicate the number of work permits that will likely be requested, the nature of the skills that must be imported and the reasons for the need to import these staff.

Details on the financing arrangements for the project should be provided, including the amount of equity by the owners, summary of term loan requirements,

financial institutions willing to provide loan financing (name address, key contact, telephone/fax) and the terms under which the financing will be committed. They must also provide the curricula vitae of the principals of the project, financial information on each key investor, preferably with a personal net worth statement, bank/personal references (minimum of two each) for both the firm and or individuals.

The proposed investors should provide information as to the economic benefits, including such things as: total employment from the project and number of Belongers that will be hired directly, revenue accruing to the government from such things as import duties, stamp duties on the sale of property, hotel taxes and visitor departure fees, benefits to the community such as the installation of new recreational facilities or infrastructure, other benefits to the economy of the islands.

They should outline any environmental impacts that might occur from the project, such as waste and garbage disposal, and the mitigation efforts needed to deal with these impacts. The name of an attorney, accountant or agent that the proponents may have hired to act on their behalf, also must be provided.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 11

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

Derek Taylor claims he was ambushed by PDMs

BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR

Defeated Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) leader and former chief minister Derek Taylor is complaining that he was ambushed by an army of detractors during the leadership race last Saturday (June 30), resulting in another former chief minister, Oswald Skippings emerging as the new leader.

Taylor hinted that a number of persons who vehemently campaigned against him were among those sympathetic to former leader Douglas ‘Doug’ Parnell, who he defeated last November to take the leadership crown.

He said those detractors were hell-bent on plotting his demise this time around.

“I understood that Doug Parnell and others; they teamed up on me, man.

Doug said he came back from Miami just to get me out. You can quote that,” Taylor chuckled. “He and whoever supported him, threw their support behind Skippings because of what

happened in November. But that is one of those things in life,” Taylor said.

Taylor, who history has given the title as the longest-serving chief minister for the Turks and Caicos Islands, said that some delegates believed Skippings was more aggressive dealing with the British, while he was a little too accommodating to them for their liking.

“You had delegates who had already made up their minds by the now leader. They had this thing about being aggressive, and what have you, even though honesty and integrity, responsibility and accountability should be the core. They feel that ‘Skip’ and his approach were better suited to deal with the Brits. But my argument is that, it is not about confrontation; it is about engagement.

“Whatever you do, it should be about engagement; understand the world that we are living in, and basically, that is my position. A lot of people seem to have been a bit gullible and they feel that was the way to go.

But that is part of democracy, and

PDM says VAT should be aborted Leader of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) Oswald Skippings said the issue of Valued Added Tax (VAT) is something the PDM feels should be aborted or in the least, handled by an elected government, especially since it represents such a big change in the way the Turks and Caicos Islands collect taxes and makes such a major and costly change in the way businesses do their internal accounting.

In a press statement, Skippings said VAT also poses unavoidable liabilities on businesses that could force them into bankruptcy and closure, not to mention the host of other negative consequences.

“What is so interesting is that when the question was recently asked in the UK Parliament concerning the introduction of VAT in the Turks and Caicos, the response that the minister gave was that it was up to the TCI people to accept or reject it, implying that we have a choice,” Skippings stated. “However, while there has been a resounding echo of rejection by the business people, the politicians and the general public, yet contrary to what the UK government minister has advocated, the resident Governor and his advisors, still insist that whether the people of the Turks and Caicos wants it or not, VAT is coming. This duplicitous, diplomatic rhetoric shows not only disrespect and deceit towards the British Parliament and the British public but also towards the Advisory Council and Consultative Forum here in the TCI, and the TCI people.”

Skippings said the imposition of the VAT by Governor Todd on the Turks and Caicos people, is not only “a brazen and outright contradiction to the British Minister's clear answer in parliament, but it is also a reckless contravention of the Statement of Governance Principals”.

He added: “Forcing VAT down the throat of the Turks and Caicos people is just another example of the abuse of power, the disregard for its own policy, the disrespect for the views and intelligence of the TCI people and the deception that is fast becoming typical of the administrative partnership of this interim administration and HMG. This complicated tax initiative should be aborted or left for an elected government to deal with. A PDM government would then invite and respect the views of the business community and indeed the community at large on VAT, and look at both pros and cons position papers, then make an informed decision that is in the best interest of all parties concerned, including the country's economy.”

Skippings said if the PDM wins the November 9 elections, it will once again be able to revive the Turks and Caicos economy to meet the country's financial demands without introducing this tax measure which most businessmen and consumers alike are convinced is counterproductive to the service economy.

“In the meantime, the near unanimous opposition to the imposition of VAT here should carry some weight with the administering power; and the CFO’s position that it is a foregone conclusion smacks not of a democratic process. It's of paramount importance and the time is now, that an apolitical group of people, representing a cross section from all across this country, go officially knocking on Whitehall's door to deliver the message of the Turks and Caicos businessmen and the community at large, which says, "No To VAT",” Skipping added.

therefore, it is one of those things,” Taylor said.

Taylor added: “but I don’t feel anyway upset about it, because I served my country with the best of my ability.

I was honest and forthright; I never having to look over my shoulder, and no one can say that I have accepted any bribes from them, I never even complained about party finances. I have never lobbied anybody during my time for money or for campaigning financing – not for my government or for the party.”

In the meantime, Taylor said that the leadership loss was not a setback to his further representational political ambitions, as he plans to be at the starting gates for the November 9 general elections, running as an AtLarge candidate.

“I will be offering myself as a member At-Large; and I also stated that, any leader and deputy leader – that would be PNP or PDM, who is looking to run – they should run At-Large, because basically they (voters) need to see you running for the country’s vote than running in a constituency,” Taylor said.

Asked if he had planned to run as an independent in the wake of the party

Former chief minister and PDM leader Derek Taylor

not giving him the nod to run on its ticket as an At-Large candidate, Taylor responded: “The party is going to give me the go ahead. I don’t think that they are going to be that brutal in saying that ‘we are not going to run you At-Large’.

My record speaks for itself. I am a team player, and regardless of what took place on Saturday (election), I still abide by the party’s constitution that whoever is selected by the party, I will support,” Taylor said.

There was speculation that Taylor would have retired from active politics if he was not elected leader, but those expectations were rubbished by the longstanding politicians, who said that the party did not call for him to throw in the towel, and as such, would not be doing so.

Page 12

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

Man seeks justice after police assault Rashad Stubbs is seeking justice from the powers that be after complaining that a trio of police officers physically assaulted him while waiting to pick up his brother who he had dropped off at the Ship Yard Marina in Providenciales.

Stubbs told The SUN that the matter stemmed from a stolen vehicle for which he was mistakenly fingered by the police, as the suspect.

He said that as a result of the assault, he suffered bruises above his left eye, a section of his face and pain to his back, shoulder and foot.

Rashad Stubbs displays a police report and two “I dropped off my brother at the Ship Yard and was doctor’s certificate from what he claimed was obtained waiting for him, when three after he was assaulted by police officers at the Ship Yard police officers came over to me and start questioning me, asking me who I was. And after explaining who I was and why I was in the area, and who my father was, one of them told me that he knew me and he and my daddy were good friends.”

“They then presented me with a printed copy of a photo of me with some scribbling with a pen. They then told me that they wanted to question me for stolen goods. I admitted to them that that it was my photo, but pertaining to the incident, I had no knowledge of that,” Stubbs said.

Stubbs said he told the police that he was informed that he was wanted for questions regarding a stolen vehicle about a month prior, but after he went to the police headquarters downtown Providenciales, the matter was clarified and he was allowed to go.

“I wasn’t the one that bought the vehicle; I wasn’t the one that was seen in the vehicle – it was my younger brother. And he went and turned it in and gave a statement, and they already dealt with that. A week later after I went to the police station to clear the matter up, I was in IGA, and a policeman came out of the blue and told me that it was a case of mistaken identity.

“Now, while the police at the Ship Yard was questioning me, I asked them if I was under arrest, and they told me ‘no’, they just wanted to see me to ask me one or two questions. They then escorted me into the office, and they told me to sit on a chair and wait for them to call a transport to take me downtown,” Stubbs said.

He said at that point he requested a phone call to his brother to inform him of the situation, but was told by one of the officers that he would have to wait until he was through with the processing procedure.

He said one officer went over to him and began asking his name other information which was asked of him earlier.

“So, I was like, ‘man, we had already been through that outside, and you are asking me that again’. I stood up and basically took two steps midway the floor, and told them that I wanted to go next door to inform my brother that I was in custody for this particular matter, and they wanted to detain me. They told me that I couldn’t go, so I asked one of them to go for me, but none of them wanted to go.

“At that time one of the police, who was sitting behind a desk got up and punched me a few times in my face, picked me up, slammed me on the ground, threw handcuffs on me and threw me back in a chair. In the process of them doing that, a next policeman came from up stairs, and told them that they were not suppose to arrest me and he was sorry about that, and said that I was free to go. So, I told them that this would not be the last of it, because ‘you assaulted me and held me against my will, and all of that, and then you are going to tell me that it was a mistake’, Stubbs noted.

Stubbs said that in his disgust, he uttered a few profane language, which he said enraged the assaulting officer, who leapt from behind his desk, but before he could hit him with the pair of handcuffs which was positioned in his hand in knuckle duster fashion, he brother walked in and got between both of them.

He said the policeman later denied hitting, saying in his defense and said that the bruises Stubbs received were as a result of him tripping and falling.

“Their side of the story totally changed later from what actually happened. I did a medical, and I reported it to the authorities. It basically took me two days, because when I went down there (police headquarters downtown Providenciales) they sent me round and round. A regular police constable was taking my statement in the public, but got caught up with doing other things. In between taking my statements, he would leave me for long periods, so I left and went to seek some other help from detectives in CID. “So far nothing has been done, I take my brother to work at the Ship Yard everyday and the policeman who assaulted me see me and always has a smirk on his face, as if to say, ‘hey I assaulted you the other day and you said you were going to report me, but ain’t nothing you can do’,” Stubbs said.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 13

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

Turks and Caicos Islands publishes news draft laws to govern political campaigning Consultation regarding proposed new rules and regulations for governing the conduct of politicians and their parties in the Turks and Caicos, particularly during election campaigns, began with the publication of the draft Political Activities Ordinance on Tuesday, July 3, 2012.

Previously referred to as the Conducts Ordinance, the suggested legislation asks TCI civil society to consider how donor finance to political parties should work, what are the limits for campaign spending, what are parties’ accounting requirements, how might the filing of reports and penalties be better managed.?

According to a Government press release, the specific legislation is specified explicitly in the New Ordinances Milestone and takes forward one of the recommendations of the 2009 Sir Robin Auld Commission of Inquiry. It also specifies the role of the Integrity Commission as the monitor of the conduct of parties for

these measures, as well as describing the penalties for election finance offences.

An earlier draft of the legislation was given to the People’s Democratic Movement and the Progressive National Party (PNP), Advisory Council and Consultative Forum, Election Preparations Oversight Group in Spring 2012. It was a point of specific discussion when the PDM and PNP met with UK Parliamentarians from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in March. This session produced a wide range of modifications which have now been included in the new draft.

The draft ordinance would apply to both political parties as well as independent candidates, although the reporting requirements and obligations on independents are lesser due to their likely lack of party machinery to support their campaigning. Comments as to how this might be best achieved are specifically being sought during the public consultation.

Views are also being sought on: •Should there be a maximum amount an individual donor (person or business) can give a Turks and Ciacos political party? The figure of $50,000 is suggested but is this too much or too little? Who should be allowed to fund TCI political parties and candidates?

•How much should a party be able to spend on campaigning? This is currently proposed as $50,000 for each constituency seat and $200,000 for each at large candidate. The draft legislation is seeking views on people’s views as to whether or not this is appropriate in a seat with less than 700 voters which would average $71 spent per head, for example.

By way of comparison in the UK a constituency of 70,000 electors (a modest size by UK standards) the total spend according to the formula allowed by law is £12,000 (approx. $18,000), equivalent to £0.17 (approx $0.25) per voter. The proposed maximum spending in the TCI is, therefore, 284 times higher per capita than in the UK. “The Westminster Foundation for

Democracy plans to return to TCI in late July to begin their work the local political parties on accounting for campaign financing and political financing, advice on policy-based campaigning and bilateral consultations for prospective independent candidates,” said Philip Rushbrook, Director of Strategy in the Governor’s Office. “The draft Political Activities Ordinance will be used as the basis of their training activities.

“Further, it is proposed that the Integrity Commission would set up an ‘election monitoring unit’ to receive the accounting returns required from parties and candidates, as well as to investigate omissions and complaints. Together, this unit would work in conjunction with the Elections Office.”

This new draft is being considered by the Consultative Forum, with the review period ending on Friday, 13th July. Thereafter, a finalised text will address the responses received and subsequently be taken forward to complete its passage into law before the end of the month.

Locals avoiding AIDS testing

Observation by the National AIDS Programme has shown that locals have been shying away from being tested for HIV/AIDS, resulting in a lack of accuracy as to the true status of records.

While addressing a press conference to launch the 2012 Regional HIV Testing Day, at Scotiabank Cherokee Road Branch in Providenciales, Hezron Henry of the National Aids Programme and youth social group Rap Port said data revealed that of the more than 200 persons tested last year at the one-day event, expatriates far outnumbered locals.

“What we have noticed with our testing initiatives is that mostly persons from other countries were most likely to be tested, rather than local persons, so it is important that we also try to target local persons because they tend to shy away having an HIV test,” Henry said.

Addressing the issue, Director of Health and Human Services, Dr. Nadia Astwood said that stigma and discrimination were the main reasons why individuals shy away from being tested, because they are afraid that others would know their information “I would still encourage people come forward; it is confidential, your results would be kept in confidence, it would be shared with you; you would receive counseling before and after your testing. The responsible thing is to know your status. So, we are encouraging persons to come and get tested for your own personal safety and that of their partners what their status is.

Treatment is available here from the National

BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR

AIDS Programme, it is free, and we advise everybody to know their status. If we don’t know your status, we can’t treat you; we can’t educate you about prevention.

You might have a negative test, but we want to educate you about ways on how to keep your status negative. And for those who are Dr. Nadia Astwood positive, of course, we want to treat them early and intervene early,” Dr. Astwood said.

In the meantime, Dr. Jamila Berry, Health Planner in the Ministry of Health, said that that recent has been showing a decrease in reported HIV/AIDS cases. However, she said that there could be a number of persons in the community afflicted by the disease but were unaware.

“If people don’t get tested, we are unable to know the true number of HIV cases in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Also a of persons may think that they are not at risk, but if a person is sexually active at all, they are at risk for HIV, and they should get tested.

“There may be a belief that some persons may not be at risk or that there may be certain ethnic group or certain types of people that are at risk. But it actually doesn’t matter, if you are sexually active

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It is better to know your status than not to know,” Dr. Berry urged.

In the meantime, Managing Director for the Cherokee Road, Scotiabank branch, Cecil Arnold, said that Scotiabank saw the Regional HIV Testing Day as part of its corporate responsibility in the various countries that the financial institution operates.

“Turks and Caicos is one of those countries and we are just very proud to partner with the great partners - the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Programme to just bring awareness to the society about this plague that has created many problems not only here, but many other countries that surround us in the Caribbean and the world at large,” Arnold said.

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Page 14

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

Government of the Turks & Caicos Islands Ministry of Finance

Value Added Tax (VAT) WHITE PAPER JULY 2012

INTRODUCTION The Government of the Turks & Caicos Islands is in the process of building a taxation system that will help restore fiscal balance and a sustainable economy and contribute to critical social development with the introduction of a modern and broad-based VAT. Given the state of public finances, this Government is not considering a delay in the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT), and therefore is fully committed to an implementation date for VAT of April 1st 2013.

VAT will replace Communications Tax, Hotel & Restaurant Accommodation Tax, Vehicle Hire Stamp Duty, Insurance Premium Tax and the Domestic Financial Service Tax. When VAT is implemented, Customs Import Duty will generally be reduced by 10% - 15%.

VAT is now a common feature within CARICOM being already implemented in Caribbean countries at the following standard rates: Haiti 10% Dominican Republic 16% Trinidad & Tobago 15% Jamaica 16.5% Barbados 17.5% Dominica 15% Belize 12.5% Guyana 16% Antigua & Barbuda 15% St Vincent & the Grenadines 15% Grenada 15% St. Kitts & Nevis 17% It has been decided to set the standard VAT rate in the Turks and Caicos Islands at 11%, which will be the second lowest rate in the Caribbean.

This low rate has been achieved by keeping the range of VAT zero rate and exempt items as limited as possible and has been set with the aim of not exceeding the present Accommodation Tax rate of 11%, in order to avoid difficulties for TCI's key tourism sector.

In keeping with this Government's commitment and obligation to transparency, the Implementation Team is pleased to present this White Paper on VAT. This paper outlines Government's policies as contained in the VAT Bill that is required for an efficient VAT administration in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHITE PAPER The Ministry of Finance tabled a Green Paper for Tax Reform in April 2012, in which it outlined the Government's commitment to implement a VAT. The Green Paper was subject to consultation with a variety of stakeholders in order to crystallize national dialogue on the need for and the proposed operation of the new tax. Comments were requested from the wider population on the published Green Paper and were considered in the development of this White Paper.

The White Paper was developed according to the mandate set out in the Green Paper in a collaborative and consultative manner and the Ministry thanks all the stakeholders who participated in its development.

This process provided avenues for expression as well as information dissemination that allows for smoother policy implementation.

THE CURRENT TAX SYSTEM The Tax system in the Turks & Caicos Islands until recently consisted of a combination of indirect taxes such as Hotel/Restaurant Accommodation Tax, Import Duties and various fees and charges. These fees and charges are applied at various stages during and after importation, manufacturing/servicing and distribution chain thus resulting in compounding and cascading taxation.

Total collections from taxes and tax-like instruments yielded revenues of around 16.5% of the GDP and 90% of public revenues in 2009. Taxes on Income and Business Licenses were less than 1% of the 2009 GDP. Taxes on Payroll and the workforce were almost 2% of the 2009 GDP and Taxes on Property and Wealth were almost 2% of the 2009 GDP. Taxes on goods and services yielded 4.2% of the 2009 GDP. Taxes on International Trade and other International Transactions yielded 7.8% of the 2009 GDP. New and proposed tax measures are expected to raise 2.3% of the GDP Revenue. VAT will replace the new Domestic Financial Service Tax and the Insurance Premium Tax recently introduced as well of some of the pre-existing specific taxes on services.

The current indirect tax regime incorporates unnecessary inefficiencies and inequities contributing to higher than necessary costs of conducting business. This deters investment, business, economic growth and development. Each revenue department collects various fees and levies and the Revenue Control Unit is mandated to monitor, review and, or enforce their fiscal performance/policies. Through the restructuring of the Revenue Control Unit, this mandate will be transferred to the Financial Management's Unit and the Revenue Control Unit as a Collections Unit will merge with the Implementation Team into a VAT Unit just prior to the Implementation of VAT. The new structure will ensure the efficiency of both the VAT Unit's mandate and that of the Operational Review among Revenue Generating Departments.

VAT OVERVIEW VAT will be a tax on consumption. It will be charged on the value of imports and on the value added (mark-up) on goods and services supplied by one business to another or to the final consumer.

VAT was previously considered for implementation but did not receive the commitment and support required for successful implementation.

However, a renewed commitment by the Government to address fiscal deficiencies has lead to an implementation date of April 1st 2013.

VAT WHITE PAPER

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

Page 15

HOW VAT WORKS

A VAT registrant will charge VAT on the sale of taxable goods or services (Output Tax) and pay VAT on purchases and imports (Input Tax). If the VAT charged on sales is more than the VAT paid on the purchases, the difference is paid to the VAT Unit. If output VAT is less, the registered business will be allowed to carry forward the excess credit to the following tax period. If after three (3) consecutive tax periods or months the excess for a given tax period is not used, then the business will be eligible to apply for a refund. In the VAT Unit, the Commissioner reserves the right to use the amount to be refunded to settle any arrears to the TCIG by the registrant before a refund is issued.

VAT is designed to ensure that all forms of consumer spending, with the exception of expenditure on exempt and zero-rated supplies, are taxed evenly and fairly, ensuring that the full burden of the tax applies on the final selling price. VAT is collected by VAT registered persons who will include VAT in their prices so that it is ultimately paid by the consumer.

The following table provides examples of how VAT will be calculated, with an assumed import duty at 20% and CPF of 6% and the VAT Rate of 11%, and the treatment of an item on import.

In the above example the business would only have to remit $6.01 (i.e. $23.17 less $17.16) to the Commissioner of VAT since the Import VAT of $17.16 would already have been paid to the Collector of Customs.

VAT will be calculated on the full landed costs including CIF Value, CPF and Import Duty. The CPF will remain 6% and Customs Duties will generally be reduced by 10-15%. The CPF and Import duties will continue to be calculated on FOB Values with the exception of items at Section XVII of the Customs Tariff, where the landed cost of a motor vehicle will continue to be taken to be the aggregate of (a) the contract price of the vehicle or the normal price of the vehicle, whichever is the greater; and (b) the freight, insurance and all other costs, charges and expenses incidental to the removal or carriage of the vehicle from the place of dispatch to the Islands.

MAIN FEATURES OF VAT Registration A critical concern in designing a VAT system is the threshold requirement. The registration threshold is the minimum annual gross sales which will determine whether a business would be required to charge and collect VAT. The VAT registration threshold will be $200,000 annually other than businesses already registered for Accommodation Tax, where the VAT registration threshold will be set at $50,000. The threshold was determined based on the planned number of registrants, value of imports, business license classifications, and employee earnings information. The threshold also recognizes that smaller less formal businesses do not keep adequate books and records to comply with the VAT requirements.

Registration Threshold A VAT Registrant is a producer or supplier whose annual turnover of taxable supplies exceeds the threshold. Going into consultations, the initial threshold was proposed at a range between $100,000 to $150,000 in gross annual sales. Using feedback from the consultations along with the compilation of potential registrants, the implementation team determined that in the proposed range, smaller, less formal businesses would have qualified for VAT registration. Therefore, the VAT registration threshold has been set at $200,000 in gross annual sales. The Green Paper proposed the Hotel & Restaurant Accommodation Tax would be replaced by VAT only where the business has met the VAT registration threshold. However, even though individual returns may fluctuate or are nominal, collectively the potential unregistered section of the Accommodation Tax pool represent a significant portion of the taxes collected. Accordingly a lower VAT registration threshold of $50,000 has been set for accommodation services to retain Accommodation Tax registrants that will not individually meet the standard VAT registration threshold.

Accommodation Tax will no longer be payable by any business once VAT is implemented from 1 April 2013, so any business currently registered for Accommodation Tax that falls below the applicable VAT registration threshold of $50,000 will no longer charge any tax on its sales. In some cases there will not be threshold requirement e.g.

Government and auctioneers.

Any person or business engaging in a taxable activity is required to register to collect VAT on behalf of the Government if they meet the registration requirements. VAT legislation defines "taxable activity" as activities which are carried on continuously or regularly by any person in Turks & Caicos Islands, or partly in Turks & Caicos Islands whether or not for profit that involves or is intended to involve, in whole or in part, the supply of goods or services to another person for consideration. No application for registration will be accepted where: the person has no fixed place of abode or business; or the Commissioner has reasonable grounds to believe that the person: will not keep proper records; or will not submit regular and reliable tax returns The VAT Unit has identified an initial pool of potential registrants based on type of license, import statistics and employee earnings information.

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Potential registrants not identified in the initial pool would be encouraged to visit the VAT Unit and commence the registration process. The VAT Commissioner will be authorized to register any business that is required to register but that fails to do so. Registration in that case will take place with effect from the date on which the taxable business was required to register. Every person meeting the registration requirements will be required to apply for registration. The VAT Commissioner will be authorized to register any business that is required to register but fails to apply. Registration in that case will take place with effect from the date on which the taxable business was required to register. Businesses that are required to register as of April 1st 2013, must apply for registration at least 3 months before, that is, by January 2. Registration in that case will take effect on April 1st 2013. To avoid providing Government Departments with a competitive advantage in the marketplace, departments that are in direct competition with the private sector will also be required to apply for registration and once registered, charge VAT on their sales.

Every registrant will be issued a Certificate of Registration containing the Trading Name of the Establishment, Registration or (TIN) Tax Identification Number (issued by the VAT Unit) and Date of Registration.

This Certificate must be placed in a conspicuous area in each location of the business where the registered person engages in a taxable activity.

This will enable the customer to quickly identify that the business is legally obligated to collect the VAT. A registered person must notify the Commissioner, in writing, within 21 calendar days of: any change in the name, address, place of business, constitution, or nature of the principal taxable activity or activities of the person; any change of address from which, or name in which, any taxable activity is carried on by the registered person, any material change in the ownership of the business engaged in taxable activity; or any change in circumstances if the person ceases to operate or closes on a temporary basis When a VAT registrant ceases to carry on taxable activities, the registrant is required to notify the Commissioner of VAT in writing of that fact within seven (7) calendar days of the date of such cessation. The Commissioner will cancel the registration once satisfied that the registrant is not carrying on a taxable activity or will not do so within 12 days of cessation.

A business whose turnover has declined below the threshold may also apply for deregistration. A person may apply for deregistration only after the expiration of two years from the date the registration took effect. If deregistration is approved, the Certificate of Registration must be surrendered to the VAT Unit.

Many businesses will not be registered during the early years of the administration of VAT. These businesses cannot charge VAT on products and services provided to consumers or to another business. Since these businesses would be required to pay VAT when they purchase or import goods and services, that VAT paid becomes a part of the businesses' costs. Unregistered businesses will not be allowed to recover the input tax on its business inputs and such suppliers therefore are likely to pass on to consumers the VAT they have been charged on their inputs.

In any case if the market is working well the price differentials between registered and unregistered retailers are likely to be low.

VAT will be collected by the following persons:By the registered person selling goods or services By the Collector of Customs on the importation of goods; or An import of services paid by the recipient of the services TAXABLE SUPPLIES A "taxable supply" is a supply or transaction on which VAT is imposed.

When a taxable supply is made, the person making the supply, if a taxable person, must impose and collect VAT and account for it to the VAT Unit. Even if the person does not collect the tax, the Commissioner is still entitled to collect VAT from the taxable person on the assumption that the VAT had been imposed.

VAT will be applied to every supply of goods and services made in the Turks & Caicos Islands in the course of a taxable activity carried on by a VAT registrant. The concept of a taxable supply includes a zero-rated supply but not an exempt supply.

A supply of goods includes a sale of a goods or a grant of the use or right to use goods, while a supply of services means anything which is not a supply of goods or money. Goods and services together include everything except money.

RATE OF SUPPLY To keep the VAT system simple, it has been decided to utilize two rates, a standard rate and a zero rate which is to be applied primarily to exports.

It is now generally accepted that VAT should not be used as a vehicle for imposing luxury rates of indirect tax. If one wishes to impose high rates

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of indirect tax on specific goods or services, then the generally easier way to do so is with a separate excise duty or tax.

VAT will be levied at a standard rate of 11% and a rate of 0% for certain goods and services.

A VAT registrant must charge VAT at the standard rate unless goods or services are Zero rated or exempt. The VAT rate is based on what items are exempted, zero-rated and the anticipated revenue outcomes. The VAT Rate Study calculated the proposed range stated in the Green Paper on revenue neutrality. Revenue Neutrality is a taxing procedure that will allow TCIG to still receive the same amount of revenue despite changes in tax policies.

Consultation as to the VAT Rate determined that most expressed a rate of 10% to be reasonable. However, they were curious to know what the range was based on and asked for the disclosure of the rate study done so that they could see the projected revenues for TCIG under each rate, so as to enable them to make a more informed contribution to this aspect of the consultation. The VAT Rate study recommended a standard VAT rate in TCI of 10%, but with minimal exempt or zero rated items. The decision to zero rate water and electricity required the standard rate to be raised to 10.5% and the further decision to widen substantially the range of exempt items required the standard rate to be set at 11%. It is felt this is the right compromise between a higher standard rate and a wider range of zero rated and exempt items. The Accommodation Tax rate is already set at 11% and consultation responses from the resort sector indicated a strong preference that the VAT rate should not exceed the Accommodation Tax rate.

PLACE OF SUPPLY Most VAT Jurisdictions use what is called the destination principle for the imposition of VAT. That is, VAT is applied to goods where it is delivered or consumed. With the destination principle, VAT is not charge on the exportation of goods or services. However, VAT is normally applied to the importation of goods or services.

The place from which a supply is made is necessary to determine whether a supply or person is liable to be taxed. VAT will be charged only on goods and services supplied in the Turks and Caicos Islands. A supply of goods takes place where the goods are delivered or made available by the supplier or, if the delivery or making available involves the goods being transported, the place where the goods are when the transportation commences. The general rule for service is that a supply of services takes place at the location of the supplier's place of business from which the services are supplied. However, for some services, e.g. service of a consultant, engineer, lawyer, architect, or accountant, takes place where the recipient uses or obtains the advantage of the services.

TIME OF SUPPLY The time of supply is important for deciding when tax has to be reported in respect of a supply (tax period) and in which any tax credit can be claimed by the person receiving the supply.

The time of supply, often referred to as the tax point, is the date when a transaction takes place for VAT purposes. This date is not necessarily the date the supply physically takes place. Generally, you must pay VAT in the VAT period in which the time of supply occurs, and use the correct rate of VAT in force on that date. This means you'll need to know the time of supply for every transaction, so you can put it on the right VAT Return.

The time of goods and services occurs on the earliest of the date on which: An invoice for the supply is issued by the supplier All or part of the payment for the supply is received The earliest of the date on which the goods are delivered or made available The performance of the service is complete VALUE OF SUPPLY VAT is designed as a tax levied as a proportion of the value added on any taxable supply. It is therefore necessary to attribute a value to all taxable supplies to ensure that this objective is achieved. To be consistent with the fundamental principles of the tax, the value to be taxed must reflect the value added by the supply. The general rule for valuing a supply for VAT purposes is to value it at the total of all payments, or consideration, that the supplier receives or is entitled to receive as a result of the supply. In other words, the value is taken as the actual realized value The general rule for the value of a supply determines the amount of VAT charged on it. The taxable value of a taxable supply is also relevant in determining whether a person meets the registration threshold. The value of a supply of goods or services is the amount of the consideration for the supply. Where a portion of the price of a supply represents tax imposed is not accounted for separately, the value of the supply is the price reduced by an amount equal to the tax fraction multiplied by that price.

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Where a supply is made by a registered person for no consideration or for a consideration that is less than the fair market value of that supply; and the supplier and the recipient are related persons; or the recipient is an approved charitable organization; the value of the supply is the fair market value of the supply.

The value of a supply of goods under a credit agreement is the cash value of the supply.

The value of services consisting of a hotel accommodation or tour package in Turks and Caicos Islands arranged by a non-resident, unregistered travel agent or a non-resident, unregistered tour operator is the consideration charged by the registered supplier for those services, less the commission or fee paid to that travel agent or tour operator for those services.

Except where the services are rendered between related persons, the value of insurance services is the premium charged.

When a registered person regularly sells goods or services to unregistered resellers at a discount to the retail price, or to the stated value on coupons, cards, or vouchers, the consideration for the goods or services sold to these resellers is the retail price or stated value.

VALUE OF TAXABLE IMPORTS In the special case of imports of goods, it is standard practice to use the Customs value of goods as the value for VAT, subject to specific adjustments. The "Customs value" generally represents an internationally agreed upon approach to the valuation of goods subject to Customs duty and therefore minimizes the scope for difficulty or dispute in levying VAT on the import. It also simplifies the operation of VAT on imported goods and allows the VAT to be calculated at the same time as the customs duty and by the same officials.

Some standard adjustments are needed to convert the Customs value of goods to the value for VAT. First, the value for VAT should include the customs duty itself. Second, the value usually includes all freight and handling charges and similar costs to bring the goods into Customs control. Third, excises and other similar levied on imports should likewise be added to the VAT base.

For the purpose of TCI, the value of an import will be the sum of: value of the goods for the purposes of Customs duty under the Customs Ordinance; cost of insurance and freight which is not included in the Customs value amount of any Customs duty, excise tax, environmental surcharge, or any other fiscal charge (other than VAT) payable on the entry of such goods for customs purposes; and amount of Customs processing fee payable on the entry of such goods.

As it relates to services, the value of an import of services is the amount of the consideration for the import.

Zero Rated Supplies Zero-rated supplies are goods and services that will be taxable but at the rate of zero percent. Even though a zero percent rate is charged on supplies to the consumer, a VAT registrant is allowed to claim input tax credit on inputs used in making the zero rated supplies.

Zero rates are intended for the benefit of the final consumer. It is important to note that only goods and services will be zero-rated not businesses or individuals. They differ from exempt supplies in that persons making zero-rated supplies can register for VAT and claim back the VAT on expenses incurred in making zero-rated supplies.

Some examples of Zero-rated supplies are: • Goods and services for export • A supply of goods by a licensed duty-free shop that has given satisfactory • documentation that the goods are to be removed from Turks and Caicos Islands • a supply of goods under a rental agreement, charter party, or agreement for chartering, where the goods are used exclusively in an export country • The supply of electricity • The supply of water Exempt Supplies Exempt supplies are those goods and services that are not directly subject to VAT. This means that VAT cannot be charged on the sale of exempt supplies. Persons engaged in supplying exempt goods and services cannot claim input tax credit on purchases associated with the exempt supplies. It is important to note that only goods and services will be exempt not businesses or individuals. Some examples include: • Domestic Financial services other than those rendered for a fee/commission • Basic food items such as rice, flour, sugar, milk and eggs • Chicken (Fowls of the species Gallus; Fowls of species Gallus domesticus; not cut in pieces frozen) • Meat fresh, chilled or frozen Fresh Fruits and Vegetables • Canned corned beef (of bovine animals) • Infant and deictic use

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• Preparation for oral hygiene, dentifrices • Sheath contraceptives • Napkins and napkin liners for babies and adults (incontinence aids) • Exterior shutters (Hurricane) • Baby carriages and parts • Cement • Steel • Coffins • Human remains • Exported Financial Services • Medical Services excluding cosmetic services • Prescription drugs Education Services • Sale of Real Property for dwelling that are subject to Stamp Duty • A supply of Fuel • A supply of an accommodation in a dwelling under a lease or rental • A supply of land for dwelling for a commercial real property establishment or for agricultural purposes where the supply is subject to Stamp Duty • Daycare services including after-school care and summer camp for children under 18 • Supply of transportation of passengers within and to and from the islands but not including rental of passenger and other vehicles • Supply of transportation of passengers to and from the islands • A supply of services provided by a facility to the following persons who needs care: - Aged persons - Indigent persons Disabled persons - Handicapped persons • A supply of religious services by an institution of religious worship • A supply of printed matter, articles and materials classified under the • • Customs Tariff but not including printer matter provided electronically, on a compact disk or comparable device • Supply of approved agricultural inputs • Supply of goods and services by an approved charitable organization in connection with its charitable function, except when it is competing with the private sector.

• Supply of services from the operation of a Gaming Machine subject to Gaming • Machine Tax Persons who are engaged in making only exempt supplies will not be required to register.

EXEMPT IMPORTS There are some goods that will be imported into the Islands free of VAT, that is, the Customs Department will not charge VAT on the importation of these goods. Other import taxes will be applicable.

TCIG proposed to exempt the following: • Imported goods (including packing containers) that were produce or manufactured in the islands or exported and thereafter returned to or brought back by the exporter or any other party, without having been subjected to any process of manufacture of adaptation and without a permanent change of ownership but not including goods if at time of export• The supply of the goods was charged with the tax at the rate of zero percent • The supply of goods was made before the commencement date of the tax and that supply would have been charged with tax at the rate of zero percent if the supply had taken place on or after the commencement date.

• The personal effects of a passenger, carried in his or her baggage or on his or her person which he or she might reasonably be expected to carry with him or her for his or her own regular private use, which are so declared and passed as such by a Customs Officer at the port of entry and which in the case of a passenger 18 years old or older may include: • Goods not exceeding $400 in value in the possession of a returning resident to the islands.

• 2 liters of Wines (less than 25% by Volume), 1 liter of spirits, manufactured tobacco (includes 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 100 cigarillos, 250 grammes of smoking tobacco) 50 grammes of perfume or 0.25 litres of toilet water.

• An unconditional gift of goods (other than for resale) to the Government if the Collector of Customs received written notification from the Ministry of Finance before entry that the goods are an unconditional gift subject to exemption under this Schedule An import of: • The remains (including it receptacle) of a citizen of the Turks & Caicos Islands or a person residing in the islands who has died abroad • The personal effects (not including merchandise) of a citizen of the Turks & Caicos Islands or a person that resides in the islands, who has died abroad.

• Household goods and personal effects, as prescribed by the Collector of Customs, which accompany a passenger or which are imported by a passenger within a period as the Customs Collector deems reasonable.

• Implements, instruments and tools of profession, trade, occupation or employment of a passenger • Goods which are shipped or conveyed to the Turks & Caicos Islands for transshipment or conveyance to any other country.

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• Goods imported by nationals returning home for permanent residence in the approved categories • Containers temporarily imported under the Customs Tariff Heading • Cups, medals, shields and similar trophies not being articles of general utility proved to the satisfaction of the Collector of Customs or be specially imported for bestowal as honorary distinctions or prizes won aboard, or sent by donors residing abroad provided that the articles are not imported or stocked for purposes of trade.

• Newsppers, trade catalogues, advertising matter, patterns, samples of no commercial value

BASIC INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR A VAT RETURN

Imports of goods by: • A person to the extent provided under Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act, an international or regional treaty or convention having force of law in the Turks & Caicos Islands or the recognized principles of international law • A consular mission of a foreign country established in the Turks & Caicos Islands, relating to transactions concluded for the official purposes of such mission • An organization or Government to the extent provided under a technical assistance agreement entered into with the mission • An organization or Government to the extent provided under a technical assistance or humanitarian assistance agreement entered into with the Government of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

• A supply of qualified goods to a duty-free shop • Imports of goods designated by the Minister, with the approval of Cabinet, under a state of emergency declared under the Emergency Powers Ordinance.

• United States Currency, in notes and coins imported from the United States.

Import by a person with a commercial fishing license of a fiber-glass or wooden boat, outboard engine, or inboard diesel engine, but only if the boat is registered or will be registered as a fishing boat by the department of Environmental and Coastal Resources.

PAYMENTS

IMPORTATION OF SERVICES The VAT Ordinance will impose VAT on the importation of services. These services are services if were supplied in Turks and Caicos Island by a registered persons would have been subject to VAT. Import service is a service supplied by a non-resident to a resident of Turks and Caicos and who will utilize or consumed that service within the Islands. Further, for service to be regarded as imported service, the recipient is not normally permitted to claim input tax credit.

The primary reason for this is to provide a level playing field for local supplier of services.

The recipient of the service must account for the VAT on imported services and must pay the VAT thereon. The recipient must complete the prescribed form and submit payment together with the form for each foreign payment.

Not all services rendered by foreign suppliers comprise of imported services. If the recipient uses or consumes the service in the course of making taxable supplies or if the services are consumed outside the Turks & Caicos Islands, they are not considered to be imported services.

Similarly, if the foreign supplier is required to register and account for VAT in the TCI, the service is not an imported service.

INPUT TAX CREDIT Registered businesses will pay VAT on the importation of goods at the Customs Department. Registered businesses will also pay VAT on the purchase of goods and services from other registered businesses. All VAT paid by businesses in respect to their operations is termed as input tax or input VAT. Input VAT will only qualify as a Tax credit if the purchase is directly related to the supply of taxable goods or services.

When businesses file their monthly returns with the VAT Unit they will have the right to deduct the input VAT which they have paid at customs and on their qualifying domestic purchases during a particular month.

This deduction is referred to as an Input Tax Credit.

However, businesses will not be allowed a deduction for input taxes paid where they do not have a tax invoice or declaration forms evidencing the payment of VAT. RETURNS Every registered taxpayer must file a VAT return for each tax period on or before the 21st day of the following month. A monthly return is due regardless as to whether or not a tax liability or refund exists. Registered businesses are expected to calculate the tax payable/credit and submit payment with their tax returns.

The return is to be filed with the Commissioner of the VAT Unit and must be in the prescribed form, stating the information necessary to calculate the tax payable for the period. Returns must be filed with the Turks & Caicos Islands Government VAT Units.

Taxpayers: Name, address, TIN Tax period for which the return is being filed Total Supplies: - Standard rated, Zero-rated and Exempt Total output tax Input tax: - VAT paid on local purchases & at Customs Net tax payable or refundable (Total output tax less total Input tax) Amount of VAT paid Date of filing

The VAT payable by a registered taxpayer for a tax period (one calendar month) is the total amount of VAT collected (output tax) by the business in respect of taxable supplies during the month, less the total VAT paid on purchases or imports (input tax) for that month. The due date for the payment of VAT is the same as the due date for filing the VAT Return (on or before the 21st day of the following month). In the case of an importer of goods, payment is due at the time of import.

During the consultation, many inquiries have been made into the possibility of online filing and payments. TCIG has included these initiatives in its development plan as long term goal but will not be available upon implementation.

REFUNDS A credit exists where a registered person's input tax for the month exceeds the output tax for that month. With the exception of major exporters, the difference will be carried forward to the next month and will be treated as a deductible input tax credit for that month. Further excesses will be carried forward consecutively for a maximum of three months and if after three months excess credit remains, that person may then apply for a refund or the Commissioner may apply the credit to another tax type where a liability exists. The Commissioner is required to serve on a person claiming a refund, a notice in writing of the decision in respect of the claim within 30 calendar days of receiving the claim except where there is an audit. If the refund is not paid within one month of the application, the TCI Government will pay interest at a rate of 1%.

ASSESSMENTS VAT is a self-assessed tax, however, the Commissioner of the VAT Unit may make an assessment of the amount of tax payable by the person including where: • A taxable person fails to file a VAT return • A taxable person fails to submit adequate supporting documents a • The Commissioner is not satisfied with the return or import declaration furnished When an assessment has been made, the Commissioner will be required to serve a notice of the assessment on the person assessed.

ACCOUNTING RECORDS One of the strengths of the VAT is that it requires registrants to maintain adequate books and records, documenting business transactions completed for the period. The VAT registration threshold was set at a level as to exclude smaller, less formal businesses that probably don't and would likely find it a tedious and expensive task to start maintaining proper records. That being said, businesses above the threshold are businesses that already keep the kind of records required to be properly maintained as such it is not considered an onerous task to report for VAT. Records must be in English, kept in the Turks & Caicos Islands, valued in US Currency, kept up to date and clearly show the figures reported in the VAT Return for the taxable period. These books and records, including electronic data, must include the following: • Original Tax Invoices, tax credit notes and tax debit notes received by the person • A copy of all tax invoices, sales receipts, tax credit notes and tax debit notes issued by the person • Customs documentation relating to imports and exports by the person Accounting records relating to taxable activities carried on in the Turks & Caicos Islands • Any other records as may be prescribed by regulations VAT INVOICES A VAT invoice shows certain VAT details of a sale or other supply of goods and services. VAT registrant must issue a VAT Invoice when supplying goods or services to another VAT registrant. VAT invoices are used to reclaim the Input VAT on qualifying purchases. If you issue a VAT invoice that includes zero-rated or exempt goods or services, you must show clearly that there is no VAT payable on those goods or services and the total of those values separately.

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Invoices must contain the following information: The supplier's name, address and tax identification number (TIN) The date of supply An invoice number The type of supply made A description which identifies the good or service supplied The customer's name, address and identification number, if VAT Registered The total tax exclusive amount The rate of any cash discount The amount of tax payable A VAT invoice cannot be issued to an unregistered person, instead a sales receipt must be issued stating clearly the amount of VAT charged.

Records are required to be retained for five years after the end of the tax period to which they relate.

It is recognized that there are businesses in TCI that may not be keeping formal books and records and preparing financial statements. The VAT threshold has been set at a level to ensure that the smaller less formal businesses will not be required to register and therefore will not have to conform to the above record keeping requirements.

OBJECTIONS & APPEALS Legislation makes provision for a taxable person who is not satisfied with a decision by the VAT Commissioner to appeal that decision. The decision to be appealed is termed as an "appealable decision" under the VAT Act. The objection has to be made to the VAT Commissioner within 30 calendar days after the service of the notice of the decision. The objection must be in writing precisely stating the grounds for the objection. However, except with leave of the Commissioner, a person may not be allowed to object to an assessment unless he has paid 100% of the amount due.

A person dissatisfied with a decision on an objection may within 15 calendar days after being served with notice of the decision, lodge a notice of appeal with the Appeals Tribunal and if lodged, serve a copy of the notice of appeal on the Commissioner.

A person dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeals Tribunal may, within 30 calendar days after being notified of the decision, lodge a notice of appeal with the Magistrate Court and serve a copy of the notice of appeal on the other party to the proceeding before the Appeals Tribunal.

A party which is dissatisfied with a decision of the Magistrate Court may appeal to the Court of Appeal.

The burden of proving that an assessment is excessive or that a decision of the VAT Commissioner is wrong is on the person objecting to the assessment or decision.

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taxable persons repeatedly violate the provisions with respect to: Filing of returns Issuing proper tax invoice Improperly claiming tax refunds Impeding tax administration Failing to pay tax when due Notwithstanding anything in any other law where a person liable to pay the tax fails to pay on three occasions the Commissioner may publish the names of that person in a newspaper circulating in the Islands.

CONSULTATIONS & SECTOR CONSIDERATIONS The consultation period commenced on April 20th with the launch of the Green Paper up until June 19th for a duration of approximately 9 weeks.

It consisted of fourteen public meetings and sixteen focus groups meetings across the islands. During this time the VAT Implementation team was also engaged in answering and addressing questions and concerns in relation to the issues for consultation, via email and through the publication of a series of frequently asked questions and answers. The matters for consultation were: The VAT Rate VAT Registration Threshold VAT exempted and zero rated imports and supplies VAT refunds VAT accounting records VAT returns and simplified systems VAT sector considerations VAT social and economic impact VAT transitional issues Many sectors that were consulted have submitted position papers as there are some intricacies of their business that must be taken into consideration. There have been submissions from: TCASE- Turks and Caicos Society of Architects, Accountants, Surveyors and Engineers The Accounting Association The Divers of Grand Turk The WINE Cellar The Bar Association The Grand Turk Chamber of Commerce The Providenciales Chamber of Commerce The Realtor's Association The Banker's Association The Turks and Caicos Hotels and Tourism Association The Turks and Caicos Resorts Economic Council Other groups/sectors consulted are: Kiwanis Rotary Customs Brokers

PENALTIES TOURISM The VAT legislation makes provision for several penalties and offences including: Failure to apply for registration Failure to display registration certificate Failure to notify VAT Unit of change of address Failure to notify the VAT Commissioner of cessation of operations Issue of false invoice F a ilure to pay VAT due Failure to file VAT Return Failure to comply with notice for recovery of tax Failure to maintain proper records Non-compliance with price quotation requirements Failure to comply with notice to give information Making false or misleading statements VAT Evasion Impeding Tax administration Making false or misleading statements The operation of the VAT will be reinforced with several administrative provisions to identify and rectify any non-compliance with the legislation.

These provisions will include the ability to audit VAT registrants' records, impose penalties and initiate actions to recover outstanding debts. Where there is reason to believe that a person has committed an offence, that person may be served with a nominal penalty notice. A nominal penalty must be paid to the clerk of the Magistrate's court within 31 days from the date of the notice.

Where this penalty is not paid within the time specified, proceedings in respect of the offence specified in the notice shall thereafter proceed in the manner prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code.

VAT is collected by businesses on behalf of the Government. If VAT is collected but not paid to the Government, the VAT Commissioner would be authorized to recover the amount through garnishment, seizure of property by court action or through legal proceedings.

The VAT Commissioner may also, by order of the court, temporarily close businesses for a period between three to thirty calendar days where

In the Turks & Caicos Islands, the tourism sector continues to be one of the most significant contributors to the economy, recording a positive growth of 18% in the fiscal year 2010/11 from that of 2009/10 and substantial growth continuing in 2011/12. At a VAT rate of 11%, registrants of the Hotel & Restaurant Accommodation Tax Base will see almost no change but the revenue base however will be broaden as all sales types will be taxable, in addition to accommodation and meals.

The Green Paper proposed the Hotel & Restaurant Accommodation Tax would be replaced by VAT, subject to the business meeting the VAT registration threshold. However, even though individual returns may fluctuate or are nominal, collectively the potential unregistered section of the Accommodation Tax pool represent a significant portion of the taxes collected and so a lower VAT registration threshold of $50,000 is set for the Accommodation Tax sector to retain Accommodation tax registrants that will not individually meet the standard VAT registration threshold. In addition to a second threshold, persons purchasing or who have purchased condominiums for commercial purposes i.e to let or rent, will be required to rent within the pool of the establishment in which the condominium is located. This measurement reduces revenue loss from persons that illegally rent by either collecting or not collecting accommodation for their rental without registration or remittances of collected or uncollected Accommodation Tax. Resorts will therefore be required to keep records, receive payments and remit collectively for all units.

The development of resort units for commercial purposes will be taxable under the VAT legislation. Likewise the development of resort units for residential sale will be exempted under the VAT legislation and will be subject to Stamp Duty. But where units, thereafter are used for commercial purposes, the sales will qualify as taxable and VAT must then be remitted.

Since supplies are often pre-paid, with rights to receive goods and services in the Turks & Caicos Islands being sold through one or more travel agents, local suppliers may not contract directly with the tourists to whom they provide goods and services.

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In the case of travel agents who sell pre-paid accommodation and other goods or services to be enjoyed by tourists, the tax will be applied only to the amount received by suppliers in the TCI. This means that the profit or margin earned by the foreign travel agent is not taxed and the taxable value of the goods and services consumed in the Turks & Caicos Islands is limited to the amount charged by the local supplier. The only exception to this is where the travel agent is owned in whole or in part by the local supplier.

Strata fees allocated to owners of resort accommodation units will not be subject to VAT, as these represent a sharing of costs that are already subject to VAT, within a Strata company arrangement formed on behalf of the owners for cost sharing purposes.

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locally and any VAT paid on inputs into the production of such supplies will be credited against the amount of tax charged or chargeable on sales.

SMALL BUSINESSES Small businesses and small traders whose sales fall below the $200,000 threshold (or $50,000 threshold for businesses already registered for Accommodation Tax) threshold would not be required to register for VAT and therefore cannot charge VAT on their sales. VAT paid on purchases would not qualify for a tax credit. Therefore, small businesses may increase their prices to the consumer to the extent of any VAT paid on purchases; however, in most cases this will be offset by equivalent reductionsin import duty.

AGRICULTURE Agricultural inputs will be exempt. These will include fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and specialized equipment for Agriculture and Forestry. This means that these items will be imported free of tax. Exempt Agricultural inputs will not include vehicles. No tax will be charged on goods sold by farmers, but tax will be paid on purchases they make, except when the goods or services purchased are zero-rated or exempt.

The reasons for exempting the Agricultural sector are: Most agricultural producers are below the tax threshold. They do not follow normal business practices and because of their location and size of the operation can be difficult to monitor.

The peculiar nature of their operations makes it difficult to match taxable sales with taxed expense and the administrative cost of doing so would be prohibitive.

FINANCIAL SECTOR What is currently being taxed under the Domestic Financial Services Tax and the Insurance Premium Tax Ordinances will also be taxed under VAT. Domestic Financial services other than those rendered for a fee/commission will be exempted from VAT. During consultation, businesses in this sector outlined a major concern as it relates to offshore services and the ruling as to whether it will be considered a taxable supply at the standard or zero rate or an exempt supply. The VAT Bill provides that where a taxable supply (service) is supplied by a registered person in the course or furtherance of a taxable activity, that service would be subject to VAT if it is not specifically exempt.

If the said service is deemed to be an exported service, the rate of tax applicable is zero percent. The supply of offshore financial services (including professional services) would be subject to VAT at zero percent on those fee or commissions base services. The other services would be exempt from the payment of VAT. The supplier would be entitled to any permitted input tax which is in connection with the provision of that supply.

MEDICAL SERVICES Medical and Dental services will be exempt. Therefore, medical practitioners and dentists will pay tax on their taxable purchases, but will not charge tax on the services that they provide. The tax paid on their purchases will not be refundable. The importation of prescription drugs approved by the Ministry of Health through the Medical Practitioner's Board / Chief Medical Officer are exempted.

EDUCATION Education services are exempt from VAT. This means that education establishments such as pre-schools, elementary, primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions will pay tax on taxable goods and services purchased but will not charge tax on the services they provide. VAT paid on their purchases will not be refunded to t h em.

REAL PROPERTY Land transactions will only be subject to VAT where they are not subject to Stamp Duty.

In consultation with the TCREA, concerns for effects on their cost of doing business was expressed and that the sector will be priced out of the market as there are many cheaper options available for the same product. This exemption will not be extended to businesses that may facilitate these transactions as this transaction by its very nature is a supply of taxable service.

A small business which usually sells to a registered VAT business may find it beneficial to register under the VAT so that the registered business buying from him can claim a tax credit on purchases made. A registered small business would enjoy the same benefits from the VAT system as large businesses. The legislation makes provision for small businesses to voluntarily register for VAT. However, this option will not be available before the first 18 months of the introduction of VAT in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

ECONOMIC IMPACT VAT will deliver long-term improvements to the Turks & Caicos Islands economy. These improvements will be reflected in increased investment and economic growth as a result of the removal of current market distortions, increased competitiveness, a strengthened investment climate and an increase in revenue. This should help ease the country's fiscal position. As noted previously, the current indirect tax system has a number of features which creates distortions and impedes economic growth. These features include: Different rates of fees and levies on services provided locally and on imported goods, and there is no opportunity to reclaim tax paid on expenses thereby causing a cascading impact.

The non-taxation of services which can lead to an inefficient allocation of resources to preferentially taxed goods and services Concessions on certain goods, or for certain taxpayers, especially discretionary concessions, which distort competition between enterprises and significantly reduce revenue.

The economic efficiency impact of the VAT relies on the fact that it is levied ultimately on consumption and not on businesses. The input tax credit mechanism ensures that the VAT is not imposed on intermediate transactions between businesses.

VAT will be applied on the value added at each stage of the production process but the mechanism allows businesses to claim a credit for inputs through the invoice-credit or input tax credit method. This characteristic of the VAT allows local production of goods and services to be domestically and internationally competitive as domestic costs are lessened and exports are not taxed.

VAT, as designed, is intended to raise revenue based on the revenue implication studies conducted.

With the introduction of VAT, prices in the economy will increase for some goods and services while others will reduce or remain the same.

SOCIAL IMPACT VAT has taken into account the need to include policies to alleviate the impact on less advantaged social groups. Some of these policies include the exemption from and zero-rating of VAT for medical supplies and treatment, education and some educational supplies, items included in the basic food basket, utilities and mass transport domestically and internationally.

Fiscally, it is expected that VAT will enhance revenue yield. Higher revenue yields will promote and encourage fiscal sustainability, debt servicing to reduce the national deficit, support improvements to social programs, provide public sector savings and maintain higher levels of public sector investments thereby generating additional economic growth.

EXPORTS

IMPLEMENTATION

The general principle is that exports should be free of domestic taxes so that they remain competitive on the external market. That is, no VAT will be collected/charged on goods or services exported from the Islands.

However, a registered business involved in the export of taxable goods or services is entitled to claim a credit for all taxes paid by it in relation to the production of goods or services that have been exported from the Islands. Systems will be put in place to monitor exports and ensure compliance VAT registrants' compliance.

The Ministry of Finance has established a few committees and teams to supervise and manage the process of introducing VAT into the Turks & Caicos Islands. These include:

In contrast, VAT will be collected on taxable goods and services sold

A Steering Committee: chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Finance and comprising of the Budget Director, Revenue Counsel and Advisor, the Revenue Controller, the Customs Collector, Strategic Planning and Policy Unit, TCIG Press Office and the Human Resource Management Directorate. This committee is responsible for providing policy guidelines to the VAT Implementation Team.

VAT WHITE PAPER

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A VAT Implementation Project Team: This is managed by a Project Coordinator and supported by technical officers, including a Customs Specialist, a Senior Revenue Officer, a Legal Specialist and Economic Analyst. This team, guided by the Steering Committee, is responsible for the daily co-ordination and implementation of the activities of the VAT Action Plan. The Implementation team has facilitated a series of consultations on the Green Paper and will conduct Advisory visits leading up to implementation to assist with transitional issues and provide technical assistance as necessary.

The introduction of VAT, like any other substantial change, needs to be explained to the public to avoid uncertainty. Hence TCIG will undertake programs to: • Create awareness amongst the populace with regard to what will be a major change in the Turks & Caicos Islands Tax Administration • Inform the business community of their rights and obligations on the changes and operation procedures of VAT, and the resulting consequences of non-compliance.

The public awareness and education campaign for the introduction of the VAT commenced in April 2012 with series of discussions in the local media. Prepared paraphernalia, billboards and posters/brochures will be disseminated throughout the entire implementation process. Radio,

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television and print media will be utilized heavily to facilitate public sensitization and awareness. Several workshops, most in conjunction with various stakeholders, seminars and consultations across the islands were be managed by the VAT Implementation team, under the auspices of the Steering Committee.

The VAT Implementation Team has identified potential VAT Registrants and will provide them with application for registration forms. The team will also engage in advisory visits with VAT registrants. These visits will be pre and post VAT Implementation. All taxable persons will be required to install/maintain suitable bookkeeping measures. They will be guided through public education sessions and advisory visits.

The Staff of the Customs Department along with the staff of the Revenue Control Unit are receiving and will receive training in VAT operations so that they will be able to participate in the publicity and education programs and also perform the new procedures associated with the VAT. The training to be delivered by the local trainers and advisors will include training in taxpayer registration, calculation of VAT and processing of returns. The systems and procedures in Customs Department and the VAT Unit are being reviewed to ensure a smooth implementation of the program and improve compliance with the VAT upon introduction.

The updated Implementation Plan summary is expected to be as follows:

TRANSITIONAL ISSUES The proposed VAT legislation contains transitional arrangements to facilitate smooth VAT implementation. The Green Paper articulated that in principle, no credits would be allowed in lieu of input tax credit for taxes paid on imports (and domestic supplies) prior to the implementation date.

Businesses with large inventory were less than happy with the proposals in the green paper for transitioning their systems and stock prior to implementation and requested that a credit be given on the stock on hand as at April 1st 2013. At the conclusion of the consultation period, it was determined that the proposed transitional arrangements may not prove feasible for some businesses. Being that transitional arrangements will be made a matter of administrative policy rather legislation and in doing so, transitional arrangements will be agreed during advisory visits to suite the nature and structure of that business. In addition, businesses will have the following options as suited: Depleting stocks to minimum levels Free storage at the ports for a short period Converting their existing storage facilities to bonded warehouses (this will be done on a case by case basis, and approved by the Collector of Customs).

VAT Bill & Regulations The Value Added Tax is a creature of statute, meaning it is completely governed by legislation. There will be a VAT Ordinance (Substantive Law) and Regulations supplemental to the VAT Ordinance. The proposed Ordinance which is currently in Bill form, contains the fundamentals of the administration of VAT, including Registration criteria, what constitutes the supply of goods and service, (which defines time place and value of

the supply), calculation of the VAT tax, tax period returns and assessments, carryovers refunds, Criminal and Civil penalties etc. There are four schedules to the proposed Ordinance which covers zero rated supplies, exempt supplies, exempt imports, and objections and appeals.

The proposed Ordinance gives power to the Minister in concurrence with the Governor to make Regulations from time to time, which will in essence constitute an extension of the Ordinance.

The proposed Ordinance/VAT Bill is currently under review by the Attorney General's Chamber. It is expected to be submitted to the Consultative Forum for debate and the Advisory Council shortly. It scheduled to be signed into Law by His Excellency the Governor on the 13th of July 2012, but will not come into force until VAT Implementation day, April 1st 2013. During the time after the passage, but before the Ordinance comes into force the draft regulations will be reviewed and published by August 2012.

CONCLUSION VAT should be seen as an opportunity to completely reform the existing tax regime. It is envisioned that it will simplify and improve the efficiency in the tax system thereby encouraging voluntary compliance amongst taxpayers. We look forward to educating the general public and assisting VAT registrants to realize the successful implementation of VAT in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

VAT Implementation Project Office Ministry Of Finance Butterfield Square, Downtown Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI email: vatunit@gov.tc vatunit@gmail.com

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LOCAL NEWS

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Fortis TCI stages media day

BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR

Light and power company Fortis TCI opened its doors to members of the media on Tuesday, July 3, in what was designated by that entity as ‘media day’ – an initiative to allow them to better understand electricity generation to the people of Providenciales.

Media practitioners were given an in-depth tour of the Category 5, $15million hurricane-proof Leeward Highway plant, including the recently completed water detention pond, the 12,000-squarefoot storage warehouse, the bulk fuel storage area, and the nerve of the company’s operation – the control room.

The detention Pond was the last piece of the storm water plan to be constructed at the site. It comprises a series of underground pipes and gully soak-aways. The gully soak-aways are able to contain up to a 15-year rain event, so that the body of water which once took up residence along that stretch of highway is now being channeled to that catchment area for useful operation.

The detention pond was designed in such a way that it is able to separate oil from water. Water that is trapped into the system is used for irrigation and engine cooling purposes on the compound. The pond is able to hold 1.1 million gallons of water, in addition to another 300,000 gallons of cistern capacity.

The warehouse, which was built after Fortis bought plant almost five years ago, is to store essential items and machinery that would be prone to damage by extreme weather such as hurricanes. Materials were stored for outside lines and generators, before the company converted its generators to Wartsila Engines. Spare parts for the Wartsilas are also stored at the warehouse in the event that an engine or crucial parts are affected by a natural disaster and need replacing.

The two bulk fuel storage tanks which feed what is referred to as ‘day tanks’, have a combined capacity of 800,000 gallons. The bulk tanks are equipped with electronic sensors that provide reading of storage levels and other signals to the control room.

The four ‘day tanks’, which are connected directly to the electricitygenerating engines, have a combined

The detention pond, which traps water from the roadway and on the compound

Engine room operators explain how the system works

storage capacity of 100,000 gallon. The operation of the tank fuel-generating mechanism is completely automated, to ensure that the correct volume of fuel is used each time, and that it is done safely.

The tanks are also affixed with firefighting foam tanks and pumps, so that in the event of a blaze, workers at the plant would be able to put it out in quick time. The fire-fighting mechanism is also able to operate remotely from the control room.

The two bulk fuel tanks are constructed inside a concrete swimming pool-like area called a sump; this to contain every ounce of oil in the wake of a spill. Camera installations are also placed at strategic points on the site to enable 24-hour monitoring of its machines and other areas of the plant.

The media was also taken to the engine room where diesel fuel is

converted into electricity. The engine is described as internal combustion, which produces a great deal of heat, noise and exhaust similar to a car engine.

However, all that noise and heat is trapped by the sound attenuation construct of the building in which they are placed, making the noise almost unnoticeable from the outside.

There is also a series of cooling mechanisms comprising water and radiator fans, which keeps the engine, fuel and the lube oil at certain temperature. The water takes away the heat from the engine before it is cooled and returned. The used lubricating oil is collected and shipped to the US, where it is burnt in a furnace.

The operation of the engine is also manned on computer monitor screens in that same room. It is also monitored in what can be described as the nerve

system of the plant – the control room – which monitors electronically the input and output operations at the plant. While employees are required to record hourly manual data log, all Fortis electricity generation is monitored electronically from the control room.

The control room is manned by two operators – a senior and junior - who are on shift duty. The operators are there to monitor whether there are increase or decrease in generating capacity. From that room, the operators are able to determine real time fuel consumption by its customers.

And according to the operators, the system is so advanced that they are able to tell when someone turns on a switch in his/her house. From that same room, Fortis is now able to monitor all of its fuses and switches in the community, making it better able to make dispatches to affected areas.

The media was also given a live demonstration of the energy-efficient practices. In a number of the offices, the lighting mechanism turns on when someone walks in the room, and then turns off about five minutes after the rooms are empty.

Following the tour, media representatives were shown an overview of Fortis’ geographic information system (GIS), which provides accurate information of the mapping system of Providenciales. The GIS operation would enable Fortis to pinpoint calls made to its office from customers reporting a problem and respond accordingly, by alerting the control room via an alarm system.

Head of Fortis TCI, Eddington Powell said that the purpose of the media day was for Fortis and the members of the media fraternity to get to know each other better for representatives of the news outlets to get a better understanding of the company’s operation.

“We are your neighbours, and we would like to think that we at Fortis come here, some of us, seven days a week, to do a good job for the country.

It also gives us the opportunity to see how important technology is to utilities and increasingly so. The purpose of media day is an informal way for members of the media to get to know members of the company and what we do – some of the plans, some of our priorities that we have, ranging as far as environmental management,” he said.

Digicel Winner walks away with 40” Samsung TV as Part of Olympic Promo One lucky Digicel customer will be watching the Olympic games in style on their brand new 40” Samsung TV. Mike Reid, a local chiropractor on the island of Providenciales won the TV as part of Digicel’s Olympic Promotion. To enter to win the fancy flat screen, customers simply had to purchase a Samsung Smartphone during the promotional period which ran from May 11th to June 14th.

Digicel has teamed up with Samsung for a series of promotions counting down to the 2012 London Olympic games. Prizes such as television sets, Samsung

Galaxy Tablets, Samsung Smartphones and free credit have been up for grabs since March to countdown the games.

Head of Marketing, Ava-Dayne Fulford says of the promotion, “The Olympic games draw nations from around the world together as no other event. Digicel as a strong Caribbean company feels proud to celebrate with our Caribbean Athletes as they travel to the Games to represent their individual countries but in a broad sense, this region. We want our customers to feel a part of the Olympic spirit, so we have incorporated several

promotions to ensure that our customers have an opportunity to win!”

The Olympic Promotions will climax with a Promotion that gives one lucky winner a chance to win a Samsung 60” TV, a Samsung Galaxy II Smartphone as well as an Olympic Party for friends hosted by Digicel. To qualify to Win, customers need only purchase a Samsung smartphone, top up with $15 or more or sign up for a smartphone data plan during the promotional period. This Promotion kicks off on July 6 and runs through to July 30.

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LIFESTYLE

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Scientology: What is it?

Since the recent divorce announcement of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, the religion of Scientology has once again come under sharp focus worldwide.

One of the most controversial religious movements of recent times, Scientology has, among other things, been regarded as a cult with weird beliefs and which bilks its members.

Apart from Cruise, who is one its strongest advocates, Scientology’s wellknown believers include Lisa Marie Presley, Kelly Preston, John Travolta and Greta Van Susteren.

The following information about Scientology was taken from their website.

WHAT IS SCIENTOLOGY? Developed by L. Ron Hubbard (born March 13, 1911, in Tilden, Nebraska, and passed away January 24, 1986), an author, philosopher and humanitarian Scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being.

The first Church of Scientology was formed by a group of Scientologists in Los Angeles in 1954.

Scientology addresses the spirit—not the body or mind—and believes that Man is far more than a product of his environment, or his genes.

HOW DOES SCIENTOLOGY WORK? The Scientology religion provides answers to many questions about life and death. It encompasses an exact, precisely mapped-out path. In developing Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard discovered a technology to free the human spirit and thereby allow Man to really know himself. He thoroughly tested all procedures and recorded those that proved most workable in bringing about uniformly predictable results. These comprise standard Scientology technology.

HOW DO PEOPLE GET INTO SCIENTOLOGY? Usually by word of mouth, often by reading a book, seeing promotional materials or visiting a Church of Scientology. Sometimes one becomes interested by meeting a Scientologist and sensing that person has “something”—a positive attitude toward life, certainty, self-confidence and happiness, which they too would like to have.

IS SCIENTOLOGY A SECRET SOCIETY? One may go into a Scientology Church at any time and Scientology books, recorded lectures, films and other literature are readily available to anyone. There is no demand for one to withdraw from society when he begins Scientology; on the contrary, Scientologists are widely known for becoming deeply involved in life around them as they are eager to take responsibility for improving conditions.

DOES SCIENTOLOGY HAVE A CONCEPT OF GOD? In Scientology, the concept of God is expressed as the Eighth Dynamic—the urge toward existence as infinity. This is also identified as the Supreme Being.

As the Eighth Dynamic, the Scientology concept of God rests at the very apex of universal survival.

Unlike religions with Judeo-Christian origins, the Church of Scientology has no set dogma concerning God that it imposes on its members. As with all its tenets, Scientology does not ask individuals to accept anything on faith alone. Rather, as one’s level of spiritual awareness increases through participation in Scientology auditing and training, one attains his own certainty of every dynamic. Accordingly, only when the Seventh Dynamic (spiritual) is reached in its entirety will one discover and come to a full understanding of the Eighth Dynamic (infinity) and one’s relationship to the Supreme Being.

WHAT ARE SCIENTOLOGY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE? Most of the world’s religions express some view of the creation of the world. Some religious traditions, such as Hindu and Buddhist, see the universe as essentially eternal, without beginning or end. The first books of the Bible contain an account of the creation of the universe, which some Christian faiths hold to be allegorical and others regard as an expression of

Lisa Marie Presley

Kelly Preston

literal fact. Other religious traditions have other views, but each attempts to explain this ultimate question of where we came from and how it occurred.

In Scientology, this view flows from the theory of theta (the life force, or spirit) creating MEST (a coined word for the physical universe, Matter, Energy, Space and Time). In fact, it could be said that the creation of the universe is an inseparable part of that theory.

DOES SCIENTOLOGY RECOGNIZE GOOD AND EVIL? Yes, in Scientology, a very clear distinction is made between good and evil. Those actions which enhance survival on the majority of the eight aspects of life (the Eight Dynamics) are good, and those which destroy or deny these aspects of life are evil.

Scientologists strive to make decisions that will enhance the majority of these dynamics of life.

Good may be defined as constructive. Evil may be defined as destructive.

DOES SCIENTOLOGY BELIEVE MAN IS SINFUL? A fundamental tenet of Scientology is that Man is basically good; that he is seeking to survive; and that his survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe. However, his experiences in the physical universe, through many lifetimes, have led him into evil, where he has committed harmful acts or sins, causing him to become aberrated (departing from rational thought or behavior). These harmful acts further reduce Man’s awareness and innate goodness as a spiritual being.

WILL SCIENTOLOGY PUT ONE IN CONTROL OF HIS MIND? Scientology addresses the spirit and, through application of its principles, increases one’s awareness and ability as a spiritual being. As Man is a spiritual being, quite separate from the mind and body, Scientology will help one achieve a far better command over the mind—just as it helps one to control, in an intelligent way, all aspects of one’s life.

DOES SCIENTOLOGY BELIEVE IN MIND OVER MATTER? In practicing Scientology one addresses oneself—not your mind, not your body, but you.

Scientologists have found that the spirit is potentially superior to material things, and that the spirit (you), if cleansed of past traumas, transgressions and aberrations, can make miraculous changes in the physical universe that would not otherwise be possible.

DOES SCIENTOLOGY BELIEVE ONE CAN EXIST OUTSIDE OF THE BODY? Before entering Scientology many people experience the feeling of looking down on one’s body, but they do not understand what is happening. Once they have achieved greater spiritual awareness through

John Travolta

Greta Van Susteren

Scientology auditing and training they find that this experience becomes nothing out of the ordinary. In Scientology, this phenomenon is called exteriorization—the detachment of one’s spirit from the body while yet fully conscious and aware.

Scientology believes that Man is not his body, his mind or his brain. He, a spiritual force, energizes the physical body. Indeed, through the discovery of exteriorization, Scientology proved, for the first time, that Man is a spiritual being.

DOES SCIENTOLOGY BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION OR PAST LIVES? The vast majority of the world’s population believes in reincarnation and only in the last few hundred years, with the rise of the physical sciences, did a strictly materialistic view begin to eclipse the spiritual.

More recently, the traditional definition of reincarnation has been altered from its original meaning. The word has come to mean “to be born again in different life forms” (such as an animal, an insect, etc.) whereas its actual definition is “to be born again into the flesh or into another body.” So what is commonly thought of as reincarnation is a definite system and is not part of Scientology. Rather, the Church ascribes to the latter, original definition.

Today in Scientology, many people have certainty that they have lived lives prior to their current one.

These are referred to as past lives, not as reincarnation. Past lives is not a dogma in Scientology, but generally Scientologists, during their auditing, experience a past life and then know for themselves that they have lived before. To believe one had a physical or other existence prior to the identity of the current body is not a new concept— but it is an exciting one.

DOES SCIENTOLOGY HAVE DOCTRINES CONCERNING HEAVEN OR HELL? Scientologists believe that people are immortal spiritual beings who have lived before and who will live again, and that their future happiness and immortality as spiritual beings depend on how they conduct themselves in the here and now.

The sense of social responsibility is reinforced when, in the course of participating in auditing and training services, Scientologists come to the realization that they actually are spiritual beings who have lived before and will live again. The corollary of this realization is a higher standard of ethics and morals.

The world one makes today is the world one returns to tomorrow and one lives with the fruits of his labors or the results of his transgressions in lives to come.

Scientology seeks the complete reversal of this dwindling spiral and the attainment of spiritual freedom for the individual and society as a whole.

Scientology shares the goal of spiritual salvation that exists in many faiths such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism. While the terms in which salvation is to be accomplished differ in Scientology, the spiritual goal of saving the soul is a commonality shared with many faiths.

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Amazing Spiderman relaunches with record of $35M LOS ANGELES — "The Amazing Spider-Man" has swung into action with $35 million domestically in its first day — a record for a film opening on Tuesday.

The new launch for the Marvel Comics superhero outdid the previous best Tuesday debut of $27.9 million for "Transformers," which also opened the day before the Fourth of July in 2007.

Box-office trackers had projected that "The Amazing Spider-Man" might earn around $120 million in its first six days, through the end of Fourth of July weekend. But its strong start indicates it could do considerably more.

The original "Transformers" went on to do $155.4 million domestically through Fourth of July weekend, which included receipts from Monday night previews before its official Tuesday debut.

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" opened the week before the Fourth of July last year and pulled in $180.7 million in just over six days.

The opening-day results show the resilience of the Spider-Man brand, which set box-office records from 2002 to 2007 with the three films directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging superhero.

After a falling out between Raimi and distributor Sony on a fourth film, the franchise started over, with

Actor Andrew Garfield as Spiderman

Marc Webb directing and Andrew Garfield slipping into Spider-Man's red-and-blue suit.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" retells the story of how a bite from a radioactive spider endows gangly teen Peter Parker with super strength, agility and senses. The film co-stars Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

Some critics had argued that it was too soon to reboot the franchise, just five years after Raimi and Maguire's "Spider-Man 3." But good reviews for "The Amazing Spider-Man" and a solid box-office start should put the carping to rest on the film, which also had a strong head-start overseas last week with about $50 million in a handful of international markets.

Debuting on a Tuesday, "The Amazing SpiderMan" is far down the list of best opening days, since most movies premiere on Friday as the weekend kicks off.

Last summer's "Harry Potter" finale had the best single-day start ever with $91.1 million. It's followed by last May's "The Avengers" with $80.8 million on its way to a record $207.4 million opening weekend.

"Spider-Man 3" opened on a Friday in May 2007, taking in $59.8 million on day one and $151.1 million for the weekend, which was a record at the time.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" is the middle chapter in Hollywood's superhero summer, which opened with Disney and Marvel's "The Avengers," whose worldwide receipts have climbed to $1.45 billion. On July 20, DC Comics and Warner Bros. debut "The Dark Knight Rises," the third and final Batman movie from director Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale as the masked vigilante.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes split after five years of marriage Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are divorcing after five years of marriage.

The actress’ attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, says in a statement to People: “This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family. Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

Soon after Holmes' announcement, Cruise released his own statement on the split. "Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children," his rep tells People."Please allow them their privacy to work this out."

Holmes filed in New York on Thursday, and according to TMZ, she is seeking sole custody and "primary residency custody" of Suri, 6, as well as a "suitable amount" of child support. The site also reports that the couple has a prenup. Together, they are worth a reported $275 million, with Cruise earning the bulk of that.

The Hollywood couple wed in a lavish ceremony in Italy in November 2006 with their daughter Suri, then just a baby, by their side. It was the first marriage for Holmes and the third for Cruise, who was previously wed to Nicole Kidman and Mimi Rogers.

Cruise, who turns 50 on Monday, and Holmes, 33, have not been seen together in public since April 1 when they stepped out hand-in-hand and seemingly very happy. Still, the actress did not accompany her husband on the red carpet for any of his recent “Rock of Ages” premieres and was noticeably absent when he received the Friars Foundation's Entertainment Icon Award on June 12 – a big deal considering he is only one of four people to ever get the honor. Her excuse? Holmes had to appear at an ice skating event in China. Instead, Cruise brought along Suri as his date, as well as his 17-year-old son Connor (whom he adopted with previous wife Nicole Kidman). "[Katie's] in China working," he said during his speech.

"The women are all working. So Suri is my date this evening. Suri, thank you. My son Connor is [also] here. You guys really inspire me."

Holmes, who has been in New York City with Suri while Cruise has been filming in Iceland, hasn't exactly been acting like a woman upset over the ending of her marriage. In recent weeks, the former “Dawson’s Creek” star has looked happier than she has in a long time, smiling for the cameras,

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise

walking around Manhattan, and hanging out with pals – which ironically is exactly how she was living her life before Cruise mysteriously swept her off her feet in April 2005, just weeks after she split from fiancé Chris Klein.

On May 23 of that year, Cruise made quite a spectacle of his new love when he infamously jumped on the couch on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and pumped his fists for joy, as he gushed to the talk show host. “What

has happened to you?” joked Winfrey.

“This is how I feel about it,” replied an elated Cruise. “I’m in love!” Less than a month later, he proposed to Holmes, then just 26, atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris. And if it wasn’t whirlwind enough, in October of that year, the two announced they were expecting their first child together. Daughter Suri was born in May 2006. Although Cruise and Holmes often said they couldn’t wait to have more children, they never did.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Anderson Cooper finally admits he is gay Anderson Cooper has confirmed what most people in the media world and New York already knew: He is gay.

"The fact is, I'm gay," Cooper wrote in an email to Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan. "Always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."

Sullivan, who is gay and is a longtime friend of Cooper's, had asked the CNN anchor for his reaction to a recent Entertainment Weekly story-"The New Art of Coming Out"--that was, in part, about the importance of gay celebrities coming out of the closet to combat America's bullying epidemic.

"Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years," Cooper responded. "Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to."

"But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons," Cooper continued. "Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've

Anderson Cooper

often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people's stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist. I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love,

Career Opportunities:

Grace Bay Club is looking for candidates that have the requirements listed along with an outgoing professional manner. They love to work with different types of people, meet challenges with a positive attitude and live the standards of our organization. Their management style is one that balances a commitment to people and their development with business/financial accountability and delivers an exceptional guest experience

Director of Owner Relations Requirements: • Relationship management at executive levels is a critical part of this role – 3 years experience • Communication expertise in dealing with executive management, ownership, investors and guests • Exceptional organizational skills coupled with a drive and ability to deliver customer service excellence • Negotiating skills and budget development and management • Understanding and experience with budgets and strata management • Comfortable with ambiguity and a wide spectrum of tasks • Competency with Microsoft Office Professional products and Opera • Team player, motivated by providing the ultimate experience for clients.

• Must read and speak English fluently. Additional languages an asset.

• Past 5 star luxury experience needed in Housekeeping, Engineering, Finance, Front Office operations, Revenue Management and Interior Design • International Experience in Hotel Management needed Qualified Belongers need only to apply Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience Maintenance Assistant Requirements: • Operate and maintain the waste water treatment plant • Cleaning and maintenance of pools, Jacuzzi and plunge pools services • Verify all sanitary lift stations

should not be something they have to discuss publicly."

Cooper said he did not come out in his 2006 memoir, "Dispatches from the Edge," because the book was meant to be about war and not about his personal life. But his thinking has since changed: Recently, however, I've begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It's become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something— something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid.

This is distressing because it is simply not true.

While it's the first time Cooper has been on the record about his sexuality, it's been an open secret in the media and gay communities for years. In 2007, for example, Out magazine put Cooper on its list of the 50 most powerful gays. In 2011, Cooper gave a winking nod to his homosexuality during a panel discussion with writers from The Onion.

And last month, Cooper was

• Cleaning and maintaining of water fountains • Maintain the proper use, cleaning, maintenance and storage of all tools • Assist with the garbage pickup and masonry work around the property • Assist on the repairs of the guest rooms, including plastering, painting, repair screens, replacement of water heaters and any additional plumbing work.

Qualified Belongers need only to apply Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience Chief Operating Officer & Principal Requirements: • A minimum of 15 years in luxury hospitality properties with a minimum of 5 years resort experience in the Caribbean with international experience in international 4 and 5 Star properties.

• Minimum of Bachelor of Arts degree, ideally with graduate experience in Hospitality • Strong operational experience in all phases of the hospitality business as a senior corporate officer responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of a multi-property corporation and for operations management.

• The candidate must have knowledge of the business and industry, understand modern management theories, employ process/quality improvement techniques and have experience in driving businesses to success.

Qualified Belongers need only to apply Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience PASTRY CHEF Job Requirements & Qualifications: • Oversee the day to day operation of the Bakery.

• Responsible for new product development as well as maintaining existing recipes.

• Creates new dessert items • Must be at least 18 years of age.

• Requires a minimum of three (3) years pastry experience to include a minimum of one (1) year supervisory experience in the hospitality industry.

• Requires working knowledge of methods and materials used in commercial baking.

among the celebrities featured in a New York Observer cover story on "the glass closet."

"In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted," Cooper—who says he's always been open with family and friends—added in his email. "Visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter's shield of privacy."

Gay groups quickly applauded Cooper's courage.

"Our members share his sentiment that as journalists, not activists, we have a significant role to play as advocates for fair and accurate coverage of the LGBT community in the mainstream media," David Steinberg, president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, said in a statement to Yahoo News. "We have worked hard to ensure that all journalists are comfortable being out in the newsroom and having it not be perceived as detrimental to their ability to do their job."

Cooper's announcement "helps us move 'what shouldn't matter' closer to 'what doesn't matter,'" actor Michael McKean tweeted.

• Must be able to operate various types of ovens, mixers, and other kitchen appliances.

Requires the ability to read, interpret, and follow complex recipes and directions.

• Must be able to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment, meeting strict deadlines, and have good interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively with people.

• Self motivate, detail orientated professional • Extensive experience with plated desserts, artisan breads and classic pastries.

Belongers need only to apply Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience Food & Beverage Manager Requirements: • At least 5 years of 5 star Food & Beverage experience.

Caribbean experience considered an asset.

• At least 5 years five star restaurant management experience.

• Degree in hospitality desirable.

• International experience and multi-lingual to assist our International clientele would be an asset.

• Knowledge of fine wines.

• Energetic, positive visionary leader, dedicated to motivating and developing team members.

• Must be competent with a PC and Micros experience is an asset.

• Assists with strategy, budgeting, cost management and delivering on objectives.

• Exceptional communication and customer service skills and lives the standard of the organization.

Belongers need only to apply Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience Interested persons can contact our Human Resources Department no later than July 13, 2012 @ (649) 946-5050 Ext. 1050 Email: veronica.clare@gracebayclub.com Fax: (649) 9465758 P.O. Box 128 Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies

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FUN LOCAL & GAMES NEWS

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INSIDE

• Christie says Bahamians to decide on national lottery • Dominican Republic bets on gold to boost economy

Barbados offering public shares in its oil company, airport and seaport BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Within a few months, the Barbados government will float 30 per cent of its stakes in the Grantley Adams International Airport, the Barbados National Oil Company, and the Barbados Port Authority, through an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

In announcing the IPO during his recent national budget presentation, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Christopher Sinckler said the sale of the shares would be undertaken in a way that would ensure broad ownership and “economic democracy and market liquidity”.

The Barbados National Oil company produces about 1000 barrels of crude oil per day. Crude oil is shipped to Petrotrin in Trinidad through a Processing Agreement, where it is refined.

Barbados has built a pipeline network which enables the delivery of natural gas to commercial, industrial and domestic customers throughout the island, whilst minimising venting.

Grantley Adams International Airport, named after Barbados’ first premier, is the aviation hub of the Eastern Caribbean, handling daily flights to and from the other

Barbados Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Christopher Sinckler

Caribbean islands connecting to major cities in the US, Canada, UK and Europe.

Nonstop flights occur daily to London,Toronto, New York, and Miami as well as to most of its Caribbean neighbours. The 11,000 ft asphalt runway has all required landing and other navigational aids and is one of the longest runways in the eastern Caribbean. The airport handles in excess of two million commercial passengers arriving and departing and the terminal was designed to handle 1,600 arriving and

1,600 departing peak hour passengers.

Alluding to the lacklustre performance of the Barbados Stock Exchange (BSE) in recent times, Minister Sinckler said the public listing of these three major entities was expected to “inject some much needed life in[to] the exchange”.

In fact, Sinckler revealed that while the BSE more than doubled the global average for its market capitalisation – the ratio of the stock market’s capitalization to Barbados’s Gross Domestic Product is 101% compared to a global average of 55% - he lamented that the number of listed companies continued to decline and the viability of the exchange seemed under threat.

Therefore, the IPO announcement came as part of an overall strategy being implemented by government to develop the capital markets in Barbados.

In his presentation, Sinckler presented a view of a capital market system that was not meeting Barbados’s development needs.

“The available evidence therefore points to a bank-dominated capital market, an illiquid stock market dominated by a few large firms, an almost non-existent Junior market, a

National Insurance Scheme desperate for suitable investments and an economy facing an acute shortage of ‘risk capital’ for the investments needed to drive a restructuring of the Barbados economy,” he said, before announcing new measures aimed at stimulating the market while meeting small companies’ capital requirements.

The main offering was 10-year tax incentives for companies who chose to list on the BSE’s Junior Stock Market. The incentives involved a mix of income tax holidays, and exemptions from withholding tax on dividends and other distributions and from transfer tax on share transfers on the Junior Market.

In order to qualify for these incentives, Sinckler said, companies needed to have a minimum of 50 shareholders with the majority shareholder owning less than 25 per cent of the shares in the company and no other shareholder owning more than five per cent. Companies that violated these criteria over the 10 year period would be severely penalised as Sinckler stated: “If at any point these are violated the company must repay the Government all taxes claimed.”

Cayman Islands building a $300 million town centre, residential community and 18-hole golf course A developer has ambitions to build a $300 million town centre, residential community and 18-hole golf course in the Cayman Islands, according to a report in the Caymanian Compass newspaper.

Eagle Assets Management intends to create the “Ironwood” community during a period of six years on 430 acres spanning the districts of North Side and East End. According to a news release, construction on the project – which will also include a “sports village”, tennis courts, movie theatre, shopping and tourist accommodations – is slated to begin later this year.

“This development will provide the convenience and catalyst that the eastern half of [Grand Cayman] has long needed,” Premier McKeeva Bush said.

Project spokeswoman Denise Gower, of Fountainhead Business Development, said, “Eagle Assets Management is a local real estate development company that is comprised of local and international investors. Some of the major shareholders are members of a family that has been coming to, investing in and living in the Cayman Islands since 1958 and have significant ties to the community.”

She said the identities of the principals and more detailed information about the project will be made public in the near future.

“This group has significant experience in

developments of this calibre, including association with one of the largest retirement communities in the United States. The group is also a developer of toptier golf courses, having developed championship golf courses all over the world,” she said.

Consisting of multi-family and single-family homes, the residential portion of the development will target locals and North American retirees.

Ms Gower said, “This is a highly desirable segment of investors for Cayman – low-impact, with dispensable income that will support local businesses and will not be seeking employment. This is a group that will fit perfectly in the quiet, peaceful East End. With every amenity available at their doorsteps, there is great incentive for retirees to make the move to Ironwood in the Cayman Islands.”

Planning permission for what will be the first phase of the project – basically the town centre – has been in place since 2005. The plan was modified in 2006 to accommodate the planned East-West Arterial extension, which will run through the middle of the initial 54-acre plot, and was again modified in midMarch 2012. At the moment, the developer has permission to create a subdivision of about 170 lots and also to excavate a pair of 14-feet-deep lakes.

The developer will not be seeking credits, import duty waivers or other government concessions.

Mr. Bush said the project will provide

government with more than $40 million in funds during the next six years.

For the sake of comparison, the development of Camana Bay has had an economic impact of more than US$800 million (roughly CI$660 million) during the past seven years, according to the Dart Group.

The Ironwood project is just a few miles down the road from Dr. Devi Shetty’s proposed medical tourism development, which includes an approved 1,500-unit assisted-living facility, and which Dr. Shetty said needs to eventually grow to include at least 10,000 assisted-living residents.

However, the Ironwood project is independent of Dr. Shetty’s hospital and “healthcare city”, Ms Gower said.

“This project is not connected to the Shetty hospital, other than the fact that both developments have undertaken similar valuations and recognised the considerable potential of East End. There are obvious synergies between the two projects that surely both developments will be able to capitalise on because of location, but they are separate interests,” she said.

Ms Gower said the majority of the land for the Ironwood development is owned by Eagle Assets Management, although some parcels have been leased from neighbouring landowners.

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Prime Minister Christie says Bahamians to decide on national lottery When it comes to legalizing a lottery in The Bahamas, that decision will be placed in the hands of the Bahamian people themselves, according to reports in the Nassau Guardian.

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie said the Bahamian people must decide whether or not to create a national lottery in The Bahamas.

"Once the people decide, public policy will govern itself accordingly," Prime Minister Christie told participants in the Ministry of Finance Budget 2012/13 Budget Symposium at the Sheraton Cable Beach.

The Prime Minister said he met with the Christian Council, which presented significant concerns about the revenue options the Government is considering, which include creating a national lottery and/or the web shop operations, as they currently exist.

"The major parties agreed that they will put it to a referendum; and that is

Bahamas Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie

significant because we cannot continue to institutionalize hypocrisy in the governance of The Bahamas," he said.

"I do not have the timidity of a politician when it comes to the

decision-making that I am just going to put it to the Bahamian people to make a decision. It has significant revenue implications."

The Prime Minister told the senior government officials that no matter their spiritual or religious beliefs, the Government of The Bahamas has agreed to put the issue to a referendum for the Bahamian people to decide.

He said there is a system where these operations are paying national insurance and all of the institutional requirements are met, but there is a tendency to act as if they do not exist.

"We are going to put a stop to this.

The country must decide," Prime Minister Christie said.

The issue of having a referendum on the legalizing of gambling in The Bahamas is something the Prime Minister had promised to look into during his government's first 100 days in office.

PM Christie anticipates facing opposition on the issue from the religious community and other stakeholders.

He indicated that if the public votes not to hold a national lottery, it could have some impact on webshops.

"Bahamians will make a decision on what they want," said Christie.

"If they say they want it, then they have it. If they say they don't want it, then by the majority vote, it will not happen. That means it will remain against the law and it will be rigidly enforced."

And what about the argument that legalizing gambling can negatively affect the family unit?

"Our people, obviously, are free today, to do what they want to do, and the reality is they are doing it (gambling) and to what extent, we will find out. I don't know," said the Prime Minister.

Dominican Republic Hawksbill bets on gold to boost Agreement creating a dilemma for Grand economy SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic— One of the world's largest gold mining operations is about to open in the Dominican Republic, where the industry has a toxic legacy of pollution that stained rivers a searing red and failed to lift the fortunes of this largely poor country.

Abandoned 13 years ago by state-owned Rosario Dominicana, the Pueblo Viejo mine left behind an environmental mess and a cluster of depressed mountain towns.

Now, a joint venture by the world's two biggest gold companies, both of them Canadian, is launching a much larger operation at the site within weeks. Officials promise it will be radically different from the previous one, and will be managed to prevent environmental damage, in addition to underwriting the cleanup of past contamination and providing billions of dollars for the country, especially in the mining region in the forested mountains north of the capital.

"People have been scared, people have actually had a bad experience and now it's up to us to prove we can actually do the contrary," said Manuel Bonilla, president of the joint venture, which is 60 percent owned by the Barrick Gold Corp. of Toronto and 40 percent by Goldcorp Inc. of Vancouver.

The joint venture has said the Barrick Pueblo Viejo project will begin processing gold in the second half of this year, and that it will take 12-18 months to reach full

production of about 1 million ounces annually. It also plans to process silver, copper, nickel and other metals.

Several other companies are exploring for underground metals elsewhere in the Dominican Republic as well as in neighboring Haiti, where large-scale formal mining is likely years away. The Dominican Republic has another smaller gold and copper mine, and mines that produce nickel and bauxite.

Supporters of the project note say Pueblo Viejo will be a huge economic boon for the Dominican Republic. The nearly $4 billion direct foreign investment is by far the largest in the Caribbean nation's history. Barrick will be the Dominican Republic's largest exporter and add 2 percent to the nation's GDP. The mine itself will only produce about 2,000 jobs but the company says about 11,000 workers were involved in the construction and there will be more than 10,000 jobs indirectly created by the project, company and government officials say.

The company will pay a 3.2 percent per ounce royalty on net sales after production begins, income taxes and a net profit tax of nearly 29 percent after it has recovered its investment plus 10 percent. The company projects it will contribute about $7 billion over the estimated 25-year life of the mine to the government, with 5 percent allocated for municipalities around the mine.

Bahama

FORMER Health Minister Dr Marcus Bethel has called for "wide consultations" on the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, claiming the agreement created a "dilemma" in Grand Bahama.

Dr Bethel described the dilemma as "primarily a political issue with vast social and economic repercussions for Grand Bahama," explaining the city was left with no efficient regulatory authority.

The agreement, signed in 1955, helped create Freeport as a duty free zone and gave the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) exclusive rights to develop land and grant business licenses in the area.

"The governments of the Bahamas, since 1955, have historically maintained a 'hands off' approach to the affairs of Freeport/Lucaya until circumstances demand intervention, usually as a result of public pressure," Dr Bethel said.

"The judiciary has repeatedly affirmed the regulatory powers of the GBPA, thereby restricting meaningful intervention by the central government in the day-to-day affairs of the Port area.

"The GBPA, on the other hand, has taken a laissez-faire approach to performing its regulatory duties in areas such as environmental regulations and public utilities, resulting periodically in great distress to businesses and the public residing within Freeport and in neighbouring communities, such as Eight Mile Rock."

Dr Bethel named "outcries" over the Grand Bahama Power Company's electricity rates and Bahama Rock's underground blasting as examples of "great distress."

He also noted: "Foreign direct investments and domestic investments continue to be hampered by the cumbersome and conflicting uncertainties surrounding the roles of the GBPA and the central government."

Previous governments, including the UBP, PLP, and FNM have "lacked the political will or interest" to promote or make changes to the agreement, Dr Bethel said - instead preferring to "tinker at the edges."

"Hence the resolution of conflicts amongst the principals to the agreement will require the leadership of the government of the Bahamas convening negotiations with the parties to address and make recommendations for amendments to the Hawksbill Creek Agreement if deemed necessary," he said.

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

World Travel and Tourism president calls British Air Passenger Duty a ‘disease’ World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) president and CEO, David Scowsill, has called Britain’s Air Passenger Duty (APD) a “disease”.

Calling for a concerted effort to persuade the UK to discontinue the travel tax to the Caribbean, he pointed out that it actually harmed the UK as well as Caribbean economies.

He said WTTC research shows that removal of APD would result in an additional 91,000 British jobs being created and £4.2 billion added to the economy in 12 months, which would result in an overall increase in GDP. The APD was introduced by the British government in 1994. Since then, there have been several increases, the last of which was in April, and it is now more than double the 2009 rate to the region.

A passenger flying to the Caribbean from a UK airport must now pay £81 in APD, and is twice that for those flying in premium-economy, business or first class. From April 2013, the APD is set to rise again to £83 per person in economy class.

Essentially, the APD places countries in charging bands based on the distance of their capital cities from London. Therefore, flying from London to Los Angeles or Hawaii in the United States is calculated as being the same as to Washington, DC, the US capital, while destinations in the Caribbean are charged at a higher rate.

“Now we will have to go to war,” Scowsill said at the Caribbean Tourism Summit in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

“This APD is a disease that will spread to other countries unless we stop it now. We have to find a different way to persuade the UK government on its view on the APD and this is going to require money, funds for the lobby organisations and one voice rather than independent voices that are shouting about the issue around the world.”

Scowsill said there had been much discussion around the UK’s APD, but arguments and pleas by the industry continued to fall on deaf ears. “The Caribbean industry has been at the forefront of the argument that the

St Vincent to open new US$216 million international airport next year KINGSTOWN, St Vincent and the Grenadines – Argyle International Airport is target to open in late 2013.

This has been confirmed by the developer responsible for constructing the new St Vincent and the Grenadines international air gateway.

According to the International Airport Development Company (IADC), work has been completed on close to three-quarters of the earthworks for required for the airport’s runway, apron and taxiways. Earthworks on the airport commenced in August 2008 and since then the work team, comprising Vincentians and Cubans, have been have been hard at work, clearing and grubbing the area, demolishing the abandoned structures on the site, and removing the top soil.

The IADC affirmed that “work on the terminal building continues apace”, ensuring that it is on schedule to be completed by the contracted date of December 2013, in time for the tourism high season in the Caribbean.

The Argyle International Airport is being built on about 290 acres of land, with a paved runway 2,743 metres (9,000 feet) long, and 45 metres (150 feet) wide.

Its runway length will allow for direct flights to St Vincent and the Grenadines from USA, Canada, Europe and Central and South America. The airport is designed to accommodate jets as large as the Boeing 747-400s.

The US$216 million airport is expected to boast a single 1.5 million capacity per annum terminal built over three-storeys on 145,000sq ft with dedicated areas for ‘domestic’ and ‘international’ passengers. The terminal building will have about 8,700 square metres of floor space, to handle about 1.4 million passengers per year.

As of May 2012, the contractor, Overseas Engineering Construction Company (OECC), had completed 23 percent of the work on the building.

structure of APD leaves the region at a considerable competitive disadvantage compared to other destinations.”

Emphasizing that it was now time for the global industry to speak with one voice and one message, Scowsill urged the Caribbean tourism partners to join with the WTTC in the fight against the APD. “We aim to work together with you to help provide solutions on which governments can take action. My commitment to you is that WTTC will unite the voices of our members with the inter-governmental agencies and organisations, and with those of the global industry and trade bodies. We will target our messages in a clear and unambiguous way,” he told the delegates.

Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Minister Dr Rupert Griffith has said he is prepared to approach Cabinet for funds to lobby the UK government to reverse the APD if the region agrees on a co-ordinated approach to lobby against the tax.

Griffith said the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has made two approaches as a coordinated group and has spoken to backbenchers from the House of Commons and the House of Lords who are sympathetic to their cause, but the British Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have refused to budge.

He said he expected that by the time the CTO’s annual meeting comes around in September, a position paper will be ready, which will determine the best way forward.

“We are very concerned about the effect of the APD on tourism in the region and in Tobago, which relies so heavily on European tourist arrivals,” Griffith said. “We have lobbied in conjunction with the CTO, and if it means that we have to find funding to lobby harder, then I will go back to Cabinet for that funding because as it stands now, we give a tax incentive to passengers by paying £100 out of the £120 that the UK government charges on a ticket.”

Grenada wins court battle in Taiwan debt dispute A United States court has, at least temporarily, ended a financial crisis for the tiny Caribbean nation of Grenada, which had found itself squeezed by a diplomatic battle between China and Taiwan, officials said Thursday.

Judge Harold Baer of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York freed Grenada from an earlier court order that allowed a Taiwanese bank to seize tourism-related revenues to pay off $30 million in loans.

Taiwan's government Export-Import Bank had loaned the money for infrastructure projects at a time when Grenada gave the island diplomatic recognition. It was part of Taiwan's battle against Chinese attempts to strip it of international recognition. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that is still rightfully part of China.

In 2005, Grenada's government dropped Taiwan and recognised Beijing. Its new friend paid for a cricket stadium and gave millions of dollars in aid to recover from the ravages of Hurricane Ivan.

Taipei's foreign ministry accused Grenada's leaders of "extortion-like behaviour" and the Export-Import Bank sued the developing country in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York to get back concessionary loans offered when the two countries were allies.

Under a court ruling, the Export-Import Bank has been collecting payments owed to Grenada by airlines and cruise ship companies for the past nine months.

Baer's ruling means Grenada can once again get those funds. In the decision, he noted that the payments "are used as a source of revenue for carrying out public functions" in Grenada.

"I am very relieved because this has had a significant and adverse reaction on our cash flow," said Ambrose Phillip, general manager of the Grenada Port Authority, one of several island agencies targeted by the bank. "We anticipate that we will be able to recover these funds soon."

Paul Summit, a Boston-based lawyer for the Export-Import Bank, said he plans to appeal the

judge's ruling.

The case is being closely watched by other small island nations that have long leveraged political support for the two Asian rivals. Just over half of the 23 countries that retain ties with Taipei are in Central America and the Caribbean, where Beijing has sharply increased its investments and loan-backed construction in recent years. The others are in Africa and the South Pacific.

The 15-nation Caribbean Community bloc had complained that the Taiwanese bank's "unprecedented legal measures" amounted to "economic strangulation" of tourism-dependent Grenada.

Grenadian Finance Minister Nazim Burke says Taiwan should be repaid, but he argues that the loans are owed by the central government, not by the agencies he insists are independently run.

He blamed the administration of former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, now leader of the Opposition, with botching the 2005 diplomatic switch, saying Taiwan's response should have been anticipated.

"They naturally felt they wanted to teach Grenada a lesson as a result of its decision. What we were stunned by was the level of aggressiveness with which Taiwan pursued their position and unrelenting resolve," Burke said in an interview with The Associated Press in his office this month.

A top delegation from China's Export-Import Bank visited Grenada in recent weeks, signing a memorandum of understanding giving the island access to a $1-billion loan programme for Caribbean economic development that was first announced last year. But Beijing has not indicated it will bail Grenada out of its debt dispute with Taiwan. "(China) knows that Grenada is not going to 'revert' to recognise Taiwan, given the time passed, the bad blood, and the current diplomatic rapprochement," R Evan Ellis, an assistant professor at National Defence University in Washington, wrote in an e-mail.

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INSIDE

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

• Six arrested in London antiterror operation • Former President Sarkozy’s home and offices searched

Hillary Clinton slams Russia and China over Syria U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton blasted Russia and China on Friday for blocking efforts to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose muchreviled regime has endured a serious crack in its armor -- the defection of one of its key members.

Speaking at the Friends of Syria conference in Paris, Clinton called on Russia and China to "get off the sidelines" and accused them of "standing up for" al-Assad's regime. She urged the other 100 or so nations and organizations represented at the summit to "make it clear that Russia and China will pay a price" for that support.

"I ask you to reach out to Russia and China and not only ask but demand that they get off the sidelines," she said. "I don't think Russia and China believe they are paying any price at all, nothing at all, for standing with (the) Assad regime."

High-ranking general defects from Syrian military But it was unclear whether those two

nations will reverse their longstanding opposition to forcing al-Assad from power. The two trade partners of Syria have vetoed previous efforts by the U.N. Security Council to condemn the violence in Syria and oust al-Assad.

Neither Russia nor China was represented at the Paris meeting.

Western and Arab nations started the Friends of Syria initiative because both countries posed diplomatic obstacles in tackling the Syrian crisis. The United States and others hope this meeting of the group could lead to stricter economic sanctions and more support for the opposition.

Speaking after the meeting wrapped up, Clinton argued for additional sanctions to be backed by a Security Council resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter. Chapter 7 could ultimately authorize the use of force.

"No transition plan can progress as long as the regime's brutal assaults continue," she said. "That's why the entire

world is looking at those few nations who have influence in Damascus."

Clinton warned allies of al-Assad within Syria that evidence of abuses is being collected and that they should "get on the right side of history."

She added: "Let me say to the soldiers and officials still supporting the Syrian regime -- the Syrian people will remember the choices you make in the coming days."

Clinton's tough comments came as a Western diplomat confirmed that Brig.

Gen. Manaf Tlas of Syria's elite Republican Guards has abandoned the regime.

Tlas, the son of a former Syrian defense minister, defected over the killing of Sunnis, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official was not authorized to speak to the media.

"He's an inside confidant of Assad.

So it counts that even an insider thinks it's time to go," the official said.

His father, a former defense minister,

and the rest of his family are in Paris, the official said.

Western officials told CNN that Tlas is on his way to Paris. It was not immediately known if he has joined the Syrian opposition.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, speaking at the end of the Friends of Syria meeting, called the defection of someone close to al-Assad a "hard blow" for the regime.

"We are told of the defection of someone quite important in the regime, very close to Bashar al-Assad, which means that his close entourage is starting to understand that the regime is unsustainable," he said.

Fabius said he did not know what the final destination was for the defector, whom he did not identify by name but said was a member of the Republican Guard and longtime friend of al-Assad's.

Asked about the defection, Clinton did not name Tlas but said an "increasing stream of military defectors" was leaving Syria.

The defection is one more setback for al-Assad, who Clinton said has been feeling the bite of economic sanctions.

The Syrian leader's "currency and foreign reserves have collapsed," she said, curbing his ability to continue his crackdown.

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Palestinians may exhume Yasser Arafat's body for tests RAMALLAH, West Bank - Yasser Arafat's body may be exhumed to allow for more testing of the causes of his death, the Palestinian president said Wednesday, after a Swiss lab said it found elevated levels of a radioactive isotope in belongings the Palestinian leader is said to have used in his final days.

Arafat's widow, Suha, called for an autopsy in the wake of the lab's findings, first reported by the Arab satellite TV station Al-Jazeera. In an interview with the station, she did not explain why she waited nearly eight years to have the belongings, including a toothbrush and a fur hat, tested. At the time of his death, she refused to agree to an autopsy.

The Palestinian leader died at a military hospital outside Paris in November 2004 of what French doctors called a massive brain hemorrhage — weeks after he fell violently ill at his West Bank compound.

Doctors, including independent experts who reviewed his medical records on behalf of The Associated Press, have been unable to pinpoint the underlying cause of the hemorrhage.

Speculation has lingered in the Arab world that he was killed by Israel,

which viewed him as an obstacle to a peace treaty. Israeli officials have vociferously denied any foul play.

Francois Bochud, who heads the Institute of Radiation Physics in Lausanne, Switzerland, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his lab examined belongings that Arafat's widow said were used by Arafat in his final days, as well as others that he hadn't worn. Suha Arafat said the belongings were put in a secure room at her attorney's office in Paris after Arafat's death and stayed there until AlJazeera approached the lab on her behalf at the beginning of this year, he added.

Experts found what Bochud characterized as "very small" quantities of polonium, an isotope that is naturally present in the environment. But there were higher quantities of polonium in Arafat's underwear and hospital clothing.

This would not necessarily mean Arafat was poisoned, Bochud said, adding that it is not possible to say where the polonium might have come from. "What is possible to say is that we have an unexplained level of polonium, so this clearly goes toward the

Yasser Arafat

hypothesis of a poisoning, but our results are clearly not a proof of any poisoning," Bochud said by telephone from Switzerland.

Polonium is best known for causing the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a one-time KGB agent turned critic of the Russian government, in London in 2006. Litvinenko ingested tea laced with the substance.

In a statement issued by his office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he is willing to cooperate with further testing, provided Arafat's family agrees.

"The Palestinian Authority was and remains fully prepared to cooperate and to provide all the facilities needed to reveal the real causes that led to the death of the late president," the statement said. "There are no religious or political reasons that preclude research on this issue, including an examination of the late president by a reliable national medical body, upon request and approval by his family."

The top Muslim cleric in the Palestinian territories, Mufti Mohammed Hussein, said there would be no objections on religious grounds to an autopsy.

With Mrs. Arafat and religious authorities in agreement, it was unclear what other steps were needed for the body to be exhumed from his grave in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

At the time of his death, Arafat was confined by Israel in the Ramallah government compound. The United States and Israel viewed Arafat as largely responsible for the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising.

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Bids are to be returned in a sealed envelope addressed to: Chairman of the Tender Board N. J. S. Francis Building Pond Street Grand Turk

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Six arrested in London anti-terror operation Five men and a woman suspected of terrorism offences have been arrested in London as part of an intelligence-led investigation involving MI5.

One of the six, who are aged between 18 and 30, was Tasered by police. Eight homes in west, east and north London and one business are being searched.

It is understood the arrests relate to a possible plot involving Islamist extremists, with potential UK targets.

One of those arrested in Newham is an ex-Police Community Support Officer.

Three of the men are brothers and a married couple have also been arrested.

The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were not linked to the Olympics or Paralympics.

Security sources are describing the arrests as "significant", but there is no suggestion at the moment of any imminent attack, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says.

It is understood that police involved in the long-running operation decided

Armed British police carried out an early-morning raid on a residential address near London’s Olympic Park, using smoke grenades and a stun gun in what they said was a pre-planned anti-terror operation.

to act on Thursday on the grounds of public safety.

The UK terrorism threat level is unchanged from "substantial", which means a terrorist attack is a "strong possibility". There are two higher levels

WikiLeaks releasing embarrassing Syrian emails LONDON - The secret-spilling group WikiLeaks said Thursday it was in the process of publishing material from 2.4 million Syrian emails — many of which it said came from official government accounts.

WikiLeaks' Sarah Harrison told journalists at London's Frontline Club that the emails reveal interactions between the Syrian government and Western companies, although she declined to go into much further detail.

Harrison quoted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as saying that "the material is embarrassing to Syria, but it is also embarrassing to Syria's external opponents."

WikiLeaks only posted a handful of the documents to its website Thursday, but the disclosure — whose source WikiLeaks has not made clear — wouldn't be the first major leak of Syrian emails.

In February, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published excerpts of what it said were emails hacked from Syrian servers by Anonymous, the shadowy Internet activist group. In March, Britain's Guardian newspaper published emails it sourced to Syrian opposition activists.

The messages appeared to catch the glamorous wife of Syrian President Bashar Assad shopping for pricey shoes while her country slipped toward civil war.

Harrison said the WikiLeaks emails dated from August 2006 to March 2012 and originated from hundreds of different domains, including Syria's ministry of presidential affairs.

Harrison said her group was "statistically confident" that the body of material was genuine.

Assange, who is currently seeking asylum at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, was not at the brief presentation. He is wanted by British police for possible extradition to Sweden to face questions about alleged sexual misconduct there.

He has denied wrongdoing but faces arrest if he leaves the embassy.

Harrison acknowledged that WikiLeaks is facing "a difficult time at the moment" but said "we are continuing to work through that."

- "severe", meaning an attack is "highly likely", and "critical", meaning an attack is "expected imminently".

Some - if not all - of those arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of

terrorism are British nationals, our correspondent adds.

They include a 21-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, who were detained at separate addresses in Ealing, west London.

A 29-year-old man was arrested in an Ealing street, while three other men, aged 18, 24 and 26, were detained in Newham, east London, during the operation involving armed officers. The three men are believed to be brothers.

The woman is believed be married to one of the men arrested in Ealing.

The 24-year-old man who was Tasered during his arrest did not need hospital treatment, police said.

All six have been taken to a police station in south-east London.

The London arrests are not linked to a "police-led incident" which closed the M6 Toll motorway near Birmingham in both directions earlier, BBC correspondents say.

Police said the incident, involving a passenger seen acting suspiciously on a coach, was not terrorism-related.

Pakistan opens supply route after US apology WASHINGTON - The Obama administration said that Pakistan was reopening its supply lines into Afghanistan, after the U.S. belatedly issued an apology for the November killing of 24 Pakistani troops in a NATO airstrike.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed her condolences for the deaths in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The incident badly damaged already strained relations between the two countries and forced the U.S. and its allies to send supplies via costlier northern routes into Afghanistan.

"We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military," Clinton said in a statement, recounting her discussion with Khar. "I offered our sincere

condolences to the families of the Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives. Foreign Minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives."

It is the first time any U.S. official has formally apologized for the deaths, a step hotly debated within the Obama administration and one demanded by Pakistan while its supply routes remained closed for seven months. It came as key Pakistani civilian and military leaders were meeting Tuesday evening in Islamabad to discuss whether to reopen NATO supply routes.

Some 7,000 truckloads of equipment bound for the U.S. military in Afghainstan have been stranded in Pakistan, reports CBS News correspondent David Martin.

Now that the supply lines have been reopened, Pentagon officials estimate it will take about two months to clear that backlog which stretches some 900 miles from the border to the port of Karachi.

U.S. officials believe the Pakistanis accepted that more limited apology because the closure of the supply routes was hurting Pakistan financially at least as much as the U.S. With the supply lines closed, the U.S. has been forced to use more costly transportation routes through Russia and Central Asia. Panetta has estimated the cost at an extra $100 million a month. He warned that it could get more expensive as the U.S. starts to withdraw equipment in advance of the 2014 troop drawdown in Afghanistan.

UK defense secretary outlines army cuts

Russia fears new epidemic of synthetic marijuana

LONDON — Britain's Defense Secretary Philip Hammond is outlining a major restructuring of the country's armed forces as the military prepares to lose 20,000 soldiers.

The U.K. army is shrinking from 102,000 troops to 82,000 by the end of the decade — one aspect of the steep cuts to government spending ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron's government.

Hammond on Thursday is laying out to lawmakers how the army will be overhauled and what the smaller force will look like under the plan dubbed "Army 2020."

He said the Army will lose 17 major units.

Under the plans, reductions in regular Army strength would be offset by increases in parttime reservists and greater reliance on civilian contractors.

MOSCOW — Russia's leading anti-drug crusader says the abuse of synthetic marijuana is turning into a "horrible" epidemic in his country.

Experts say a range of hallucinogens known as "spice" are very hard to kick, and addicts lose sleep, weight and get kidney and brain disorders from them.

Evgeny Roizman, who spoke Wednesday, heads a rehabilitation clinic in the central city of Ekaterinburg.

Concerned about the spread of "spice," Russian drug enforcement agencies have banned several of its chemical ingredients. But producers can easily change the chemical makeup to come up with new brands, which are advertised online and widely sold across Russia.

Components of "spice" have been banned in several European nations and in parts of the United States.

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Former President Sarkozy’s home and offices searched PARIS — French investigators searched former President Nicolas Sarkozy's home and office on as part of a probe into suspected illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the L'Oreal cosmetics heiress, an official said.

Potential legal troubles have threatened Sarkozy since he lost the presidency to Socialist Francois Hollande in May elections. Sarkozy, who lost his immunity from prosecution June 15, denies wrongdoing.

Judge Jean-Michel Gentil and other investigators from the Paris financial crimes unit conducted Tuesday's search of Sarkozy's home and offices, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be publicly named

discussing an ongoing investigation.

The probe centers on the finances of France's richest woman, L'Oreal cosmetics heiress Liliane Bettencourt.

A long-running family feud over her fortune ballooned in 2010 into a multi-layered investigation and political affair. Allegations emerged that Bettencourt provided illegal campaign cash to Sarkozy's party during the 2007 campaign. Sarkozy vigorously denies the claims.

The allegations struck a chord with Sarkozy's critics, who were frustrated with Sarkozy's handling of the recession-hit economy and saw him as too cozy with the rich.

An accountant for Bettencourt said in 2010 that she gave €50,000 in cash in 2007 to Sarkozy's party treasurer for the presidential campaign — well beyond the €4,600 legal limit

on individual donations. A book released last year suggested that Sarkozy himself received undeclared campaign money. Sarkozy denies the claims.

The case also stirred up debate over media freedom. Le Monde filed a lawsuit accusing Sarkozy's office of using counterintelligence services to identify a source leaking information about the investigation. Sarkozy's office said it had never given such instructions to an intelligence agency.

Sarkozy faces other possible legal challenges.

Days after losing his presidential immunity, relatives of French victims of a deadly bombing in Pakistan in 2003 filed a lawsuit accusing Sarkozy and two former advisers of violating a duty to secrecy in an investigation of the attack.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy'

The Karachi car bombing killed 15 people — mostly French defense contractors. Investigators are probing whether a French defense deal in the 1990s with Pakistan involving suspected kickbacks set the stage for the attack. Sarkozy's office insisted the former president, who was budget minister in the 1990s, was not involved in any way.

Iran threatens swift retaliation on US bases TEHRAN, Iran — Iran declared that it can destroy nearby U.S. military bases and strike Israel within minutes of an attack on the Islamic Republic, reflecting tensions over Iran's suspect nuclear program.

The veiled threat came during a military drill that has included the firing of ballistic missiles.

The elite Revolutionary Guards, conducting the war games in Iran's central desert, said that the missiles were aimed at mock-ups of foreign military bases.

Israel and the U.S. have hinted at the possibility of military strikes against Iran if sanctions and diplomacy do not rein in Iran's nuclear development program. The West suspects

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Iran may be aiming to build nuclear weapons.

Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes.

The semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Gen. Ami Ali Hajizadeh of the Revolutionary Guards as saying U.S. bases are in range of Iran's missiles and could be hit in retaliatory strikes. He referred to Israel as "occupied territories."

"Measures have been taken so that we could destroy all these bases in the early minutes of an attack," said Hajizadeh, chief of the Guards' airspace division.

Israeli officials refused to comment. There was no immediate comment from Washington.

Hajizadeh said the Guards also successfully test fired an anti-ship missile that could sink U.S.

warships in the Gulf. Gen. Hajizadeh told state TV that the shore-to-sea ballistic missile, called "Persian Gulf," has a range of 300 kilometers (180 miles).

State TV showed video of the launching of a white missile that hit a huge target in Gulf waters.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, an island in the Gulf about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Iran, well within range of Iranian missiles.

On Tuesday Iran said it launched a variety of missiles during the desert drill, including Shahab3 missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) that could reach Israel and southern Europe.

Woman has 51-pound tumor removed during five-hour surgery A New Jersey woman had a 51-pound tumor removed and almost didn't survive the delicate surgery.

The woman identified as "Evelyn" began to notice her belly started growing in late April but without insurance coverage, she waited six weeks to see a doctor until Medicare kicked in on her 65th birthday.

She wasn't in any pain when she finally saw doctors at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank in N.J. in early June - she was only perplexed that her slim body kept getting rounder.

"We were kidding about it, of course," Evelyn told CBS New York. "But we didn't know it that it was something really, really serious."

A CT scan revealed the enormous fast-growing tumor called a sarcoma that weighed in at over 50 pounds. The tumor was so big that it covered the woman's entire abdomen.

"The size was something I'd never seen," said her surgeon at the hospital, Dr. David Dupree.

The woman's reaction to the scan? "'Whew, that thing is huge!'"

Dupree immediately rushed Evelyn to surgery because the tumor was crushing her organs and the main vein leading to her heart. Following a five-hour

A New Jersey woman's 51-pound tumor after removal

surgery in which doctors carefully separated the tumor from surrounding organs one millimeter at a time, two surgeons were able to take the tumor out.

"We both literally had to hold our hands together to lift this 51-pound tumor out," Dr. Dupree said.

Evelyn survived the surgery, which was described as touch-and-go at times, and she is expected to leave the hospital and return home in a few days.

"I love him to pieces," Evelyn said of her doctor.

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Former Barclays boss apologises for ďŹ xing interest rates READ BELOW

Virus could black out nearly quarter million PCs About a quarter-million computer users around the world are at risk of losing Internet access on Monday because of malicious software at the heart of a hacking scam that U.S. authorities shut down last November.

Some blogs and news reports hyped the risk of an outage, warning of a potential "blackout" and describing the Alureon malware as the "Internet Doomsday" virus.

Yet experts said only a tiny fraction of computer users were at risk, and Internet providers would be on call to quickly restore service. They said they considered the threat to be small compared with more-prevalent viruses such as Zeus and SpyEye, which infect millions of PCs and are used to

commit financial fraud.

As of this week, about 245,000 computers worldwide were still infected by Alureon and its brethren, according to security firm Deteque.

That included 45,355 computers in the United States.

The viruses were designed to redirect Internet traffic through rogue DNS servers controlled by criminals, according to the FBI. DNS servers are computer switchboards that direct Web traffic.

When authorities took down the rogue servers, a federal judge in New York ordered that temporary servers be kept in place while the victims' machines were repaired. The temporary servers will shut down at

12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Monday, which means the infected PCs that have not been fixed will no longer be able to connect to the Internet.

Some U.S. Internet providers, including AT&T Inc and Time Warner Cable, have made temporary arrangements so that their customers will be able to access the Internet using the address of the rogue DNS servers.

Information on how to identify and clean up infections can be found on a website that a group of security firms and other experts set up: www.dcwg.org.

"It's a very easy one to fix," said Gunter Ollmann, vice president of research for security company

Former Barclays boss Bob Diamond apologises for reprehensible behaviour LONDON - The chastened former head of Barclays apologized for the "reprehensible" behavior of his traders who fixed interest rates, but told British lawmakers on Wednesday his bank had been unfairly singled out after coming forward to admit wrongdoing.

Bob Diamond, 60, quit this week after Barclays agreed to pay nearly half a billion dollars in fines for manipulating the interest rates at the heart of the global financial system.

British politicians have seized on the case as a symbol of a culture of greed that has poisoned the entire financial industry. Newspapers have highlighted e-mails disclosed in the case which show traders congratulating each other for fiddling figures with promises of bottles of champagne.

Appearing thoughtful and humble before an often hostile parliamentary committee, the man who until Tuesday was one of the world's highest paid and most powerful financial executives with an aggressive reputation acknowledged "inexcusable" behavior among his group's traders.

"When I read the e-mails from those traders, I got physically ill," Diamond said. "That behavior was reprehensible, it was wrong. I am sorry, I am disappointed and I am also angry."

He said those involved in rigging interest rates would be subject to criminal investigation and should be "dealt with harshly".

The wrongdoing at the 300-year-old bank was "not representative of the firm that I love so much", the American banker said, appearing on his nation's Independence Day. But he insisted that Barclays was being made a scapegoat because it had cooperated with the authorities to help unearth the misdeeds.

"This week the focus has been on Barclays because they were the first," Diamond said, describing years of cooperation with regulatory agencies to uncover the practice.

"I think it's a sign of the culture of Barclays that we were willing to be first, we were willing to be fast and we were willing to come out with this."

The decision by Britain's third-biggest bank to cooperate with regulators may have been designed to limit damage but it appeared to have backfired, hurting Barclays' reputation and costing Diamond his job, banking analysts said.

The case has reopened a debate in Britain on whether big banks should be split into retail and investments units, while also raising questions about the morality of bankers' salaries and bonuses and whether banks should be more closely regulated.

Of his own decision to step down, a day after saying he wouldn't, Diamond said he had realized that he had become a lightning rod for criticism.

"The focus of intensity was my leadership. It was better for me to step down."

Barclays has acknowledged that its traders colluded with others to manipulate the London Interbank Offered Rate, or Libor, the rate that big banks say they borrow from each other which underpins trillions of dollars in global contracts.

In addition to the manipulation by traders, which took place from 2005-2009, Barclays also has admitted it deliberately understated its submissions of Libor rates at the height of the 2008 financial crisis to make its balance sheet look stronger.

Damballa. "There are plenty of tools available."

Many of the machines that remain infected are probably not in active use since most victims were notified of the problem, said security expert Johannes Ullrich, who runs the Internet Storm Center, which monitors Web threats.

The United States has charged seven people for orchestrating the worldwide Internet fraud. Six were arrested in Estonia, while the seventh, who was living in Russia, is still at large. Tallinn has so far extradited two of the men to New York where they appeared in Manhattan federal court.

The case is USA v. Tsastsin et al, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 11-cr-878.

France slaps 7 billion euros in taxes on rich, big firms PARIS - France's new Socialist government announced tax rises worth 7.2 billions euros on Wednesday, including heavy one-off levies on wealthy households and big corporations, to plug a revenue shortfall this year caused by feeble economic growth.

In its first major raft of economic measures since Francois Hollande was elected president in May promising to avoid the painful austerity seen elsewhere in Europe, the government targeted companies and the rich with tax hikes.

An extraordinary levy of 2.3 billion euros ($2.90 billion) on wealthy households and 1.1 billion euros in one-off taxes on large banks and energy firms were central parts of an amended 2012 budget presented to parliament.

The law, which also includes increases in taxes on stock options and dividends and the scrapping of tax exemptions on overtime, should easily win parliamentary approval before a July 31 deadline, given the Socialists' comfortable majority.

Hollande says the rich must pay their share as France battles to cut its public deficit from 5.2 percent of GDP last year to an EU limit of 3 percent in 2013 despite a stagnant economy and rising debt.

"We are in an extremely difficult economic and financial situation," Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici told a news conference. "In 2012 and 2013, the effort will be particularly large. The wealthiest households and big companies will have to contribute."

The budget followed a grim assessment of public finances on Monday by the state auditor, which warned that 6-10 billion euros of deficit cuts were needed in 2012 and a hefty 33 billion in 2013 for France to avoid a surge in public debt dragging it into the centre of the euro crisis.

Some 300,000 people are likely to be affected by the one-off rise in wealth tax on households with net worth of more than 1.3 million euros, which rolls back a tax shield on the rich introduced by Sarkozy, officials said.

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BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

Apple may launch mini iPad by year end Rumors of an Apple iPad "Mini" are starting to get some credible backing.

Apple's component suppliers are gearing up for mass production of a smaller-sized iPad in September, said The Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch, according to people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg, meanwhile, similarly reported that a 7 or 8-inch tablet is in the works, and will debut by the end of the year.

The Wall Street Journal's two sources --- who asked not to be named --- claim the new tablet will "likely come with a screen smaller than 8-inches," compared to the iPad's 9.7-inch screen. Since its launch in 2010, the iPad has not seen a screen size change, though the iPad 3 boasts a high-definition, pixelpacked Retina display.

Apple is said to be working with LG Display for the "iPad Mini" screens, according to one of the sources, while the other said Apple had signaled to manufacturing partners to prepare for mass

production on the smaller tablet.

It follows earlier reports that the so-called "iPad Mini" would arrive in the third-quarter in time for the Christmas holiday, and corroborating recent rumblings that the technology giant is preparing to launch the production lines for the highlyanticipated device.

NPD DisplaySearch's Richard Shim told CNET on Tuesday that there was a "business plan" for a 7.85-inch iPad. He also noted how supply chain companies -- firms that make the components and build the end-product -- were gearing up the production lines, but noted that "plans can be altered."

IMF warns US against cutting deficit too fast The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that the Obama administration could be slicing the deficit too fast for the weak US economy as it pared its growth forecast.

"Downside risks have intensified," IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said at a news conference, citing external pressures from the eurozone debt crisis and its potential deterioration, and domestic issues linked to the debt ceiling and the fiscal cliff.

In an annual report on the world's largest economy, the IMF trimmed growth forecasts to 2.0 percent in 2012 and 2.3 percent in 2013, down a tenth point from April's estimates.

The slower growth outlook mainly was due to sluggish consumer spending, the key driver of gross domestic product activity.

"It is critical to remove the uncertainty created by the 'fiscal cliff' as well as promptly raise the debt ceiling, pursuing a pace of deficit reduction that does not sap the economic recovery," the fund report said.

The country's "tepid" recovery three years after exiting the Great Recession was under threat from the pre-programmed "fiscal cliff" combination of sharp spending cuts and tax increases at the year-end, and the need to raise the debt ceiling in the coming months.

The fiscal cliff is the result of Congress's failure to agree on a deficit reduction plan, resulting in mandated tax increases and spending cuts to take effect by January 1, 2013.

Congress remains deadlocked over how to avoid the mandated measures, and the political impasse was not expected to end before the November 6 presidential election.

The IMF warned that leaving the measures to take effect could force a US contraction early next year, slamming an already fragile world economy.

Lagarde highlighted that the US fiscal and debt issues have eroded confidence in the country.

"The domestic effect would be severe, with negative spillovers to the rest of the world," Lagarde said.

The IMF noted the nation's debt ceiling will need to be raised in early 2013, after a historic

battle over the same issue in Congress last year roiled markets and cost the United States its coveted triple-A debt rating for the first time.

The looming debt crunch was "bringing back the risk of heightened uncertainty and financial market disruption," the Washington-based institution said, calling for the limit to be lifted as soon as possible.

The IMF criticized President Barack Obama's proposed fiscal 2013 budget, which calls for slashing the nation's deficit by three percentage points to about 5.5 percent of gross domestic product.

Even if as expected the deficit cutting is less than three points, the IMF warned that "this smaller reduction would be too rapid, given the weak economy."

"The composition of spending should be as growth-friendly as possible," the IMF said, suggesting a larger deficit of about 6.25 percent of GDP would be appropriate.

Moody's Analytics analyst Nate Kelly warned that the IMF's prescription on deficit reduction "will prove difficult if this year's elections do not change the current political landscape substantially."

Republicans, who seized control of the House of Representatives two years ago, adamantly oppose tax increases, while Obama's Democrats favor a mix of spending and tax cuts to get the economy back on a sustainable growth track.

The IMF called for spending on infrastructure, measures to ease the housing crisis, and worker training programs in the distressed labor market, where job growth has nearly stalled and the unemployment rate stands at 8.2 percent.

But the IMF emphasized that weak consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy, was expected to remain a key stumbling block to recovery.

"Consumption is expected to be held back by households continuing to repair their balance sheets amid a sluggish recovery of house prices" after the housing bubble collapsed six years ago, the report said.

Bloomberg reports the longawaited "smaller, cheaper iPad" may be announced by October, but will lack the high-definition Retina display that the iPad 3 boasts.

Sterne Agee & Leache analyst Shaw Wu said the "iPad mini" will likely sell at a similar price tag to that of the Amazon's Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7 tablet.

Last week, Google debuted the 7inch Nexus 7 tablet, selling at $199 - the same price as the Android-powered Kindle Fire -- and will likely end up serving as the prime competition to Apple's anticipated 7-inch iPad. Microsoft's Windows-powered Surface tablet, announced in June, has a larger 10.6-inch display, but pricing has yet to be announced.

Windows division president Steven Sinofsky said the device will be "priced like comparable tablets."

Surface is also expected to debut on store shelves this fall in time for Christmas.

British drug maker to pay $3 billion in fines, the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history TRENTON, N.J. British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline will pay $3 billion in fines — the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history — for criminal and civil violations involving 10 drugs that are taken by millions of people.

The Justice Department said Monday that GlaxoSmithKline PLC will plead guilty to promoting popular antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin for unapproved uses. The company also will plead guilty to failing to report to the government for seven years some safety problems with diabetes drug Avandia, which was restricted in the U.S. and banned in Europe after it was found in 2007 to sharply increase the risks of heart attacks and congestive heart failure.

In addition to the fine, Glaxo agreed to resolve civil liability for promoting Paxil, Wellbutrin, asthma drug Advair and two lesser-known drugs for unapproved uses. The company also resolved accusations that it overcharged the governmentfunded Medicaid program for some drugs, and that it paid kickbacks to doctors to prescribe several drugs including Flovent for asthma and Valtrex for genital herpes.

Sir Andrew Witty, Glaxo's CEO, expressed regret and said the company has learned "from the mistakes that were made."

This is the latest in a string of settlements related to drug companies putting profits ahead of patients.

In recent years, the government has cracked down on drugmakers' tactics, which include marketing medicines for unapproved uses. While doctors are allowed to prescribe medicines for any use, drugmakers cannot promote them in any way that is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Prosecutors said Glaxo illegally promoted Paxil for treating depression in children from 1998 to 2003, even though it wasn't approved for anyone under age 18. The company also promoted Wellbutrin from 1999 through 2003 for weight loss, sexual dysfunction, substance addictions and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, although it was only approved for treatment of major depression.

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JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

TCI FA celebrates refs

Winston Wright, Giselle James-Wright, Patrice Senior, Matthew Green

In order of appreciation for all their hard work, effort and commitment to developing the sport the TCIFA held a social evening for their referees and coaches last weekend.

The event was designed to ensure that these volunteers were fully aware just how valuable they are to the association as well as give them a chance to relax and enjoy some food and drink.

TCIFA President Chris Bryan stated that “After an extremely busy 2011/2012 season we’ve taken an evening out to step back and reflect on what we all have managed to achieve in progressing football forward in the last twelve months.

An evening like this gives everybody a chance to interact in a social setting and discuss ideas and experiences. Most importantly it also gives the Association a chance to thank all the coaches and referees for their hard work and commitment throughout the year.” His words were echoed by General Secretary Sonia Bien-Aime “The commitment and dedication of the referees and coaches to our programmes is immeasurable!

These people give up their time from work and family life to commit to players and football

Yarielca De La Cruz, Sonia Bien-Aime, Yarileny De La Cruz

Wilkiens Martin accepts a plague from Joan Whent

development in general – for this I would like to express our gratitude and appreciation which goes far beyond words!”

Several awards were given out during the evening. Each coach received a Certificate of Appreciation and four referees were awarded with

the following accolades: Most Knowledgeable Referee – Giselle James-Wright, Young Referee of the Year – Wilkiens Martin, Assistant Referee of the Year – Patrice Senior and Referee of the Year – Bobby Kwatt.

The evening gave an opportunity for the referees and coaches to enjoy themselves after a very busy year on the field.

The association has expnanded in recent years so ther referees and coaches are more active than ever before. In 2007 there were only two leagues in operation and there were only around 100 registered youth players. The association now has over 500 youth players as well as over twenty leagues and competitions throughout the year.

Technical Director Matthew Green said that “without the help of our referees and coaches, none of this development could have occurred. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated and committed individuals working in our programmes”. He added “this event will be held every year as it is important for the referees and coaches to know just how important they are to our continued development.

Without them football would simply cease to exist”.

AFC Nationals dethrone Northern Stars in Beach Soccer

The TCIFA Men’s Beach Soccer League came to an end last week as AFC National defeated the reigning champions Northern Star 19-11.

The young National side got off to a flying start and took a 6-1 lead after the first period.

Northern Star tried to get back in the game with goals from Chris Bryan and Richard Lock but despite a strong performance in the final third of the game they were always second best to their young opponents.

Micahel Laird led the attack for AFC National scoring eight goals and he was ably assisted by Fred Dorvil (3), Wildens Delva (3), William Noel (3) and Luis Turbyfield (2). Chris

Bryan (5), Richard Lock (4), Matthew Green resources wisely but as we already have leagues and Stephen Wilson scored for Northern Star. in operation it is not too far fetched to believe After the game presentations were made and the that we can compete against many of the bigger following players received individual awards: nations in the region”.

League MVP – Herby Magny; Top Goalscorer Technical Director Matthew Green added – Michael Laird (21). “we have had another successful season of Team MVPs: Northern Star – Richard Lock, Beach Soccer with both the women and the men.

AFC Academy – Anell Super, AFC National – We know what we have to work on to raise the Luis Turbyfield, Conch Shack – Robert Valmyn. standard but the enthusiasm and expertise is TCIFA president Chris Bryan addressed the there to push this side of the game forwards. As players saying that Beach soccer is something we have beautiful beaches and warm weather that the TCIFA is keen to develop in the future throughout the year, Beach Soccer is a natural and by next year National Teams will be in choice for us to develop and compete on the place. “As a small nation we need to use our world stage”.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 47

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

BLAKE BEATS BOLT AGAIN

Usain Bolt withdraws from Monaco meet with slight injury LONDON – Usain Bolt withdrew from his final race before the Olympics on Thursday with what his coach called a "slight" injury problem following the Jamaican trials.

Bolt was scheduled to run the 200 meters at the Monaco Diamond League meet on July 20 but pulled out to have treatment ahead of the London Games.

Despite the withdrawal, Bolt said Thursday he would be in London to defend his titles.

The Olympic champion and world record-holder in the 100 and 200 meters had his right hamstring stretched out on the track after finishing second to Yohan Blake in the 200 at the Jamaican Olympic trials over the weekend. He also was beaten by Blake in the 100 meters in Kingston.

Bolt's coach, Glen Mills, said in a statement the withdrawal was because of "a slight problem" Bolt had at the trials. He didn't elaborate.

"After careful assessment I have had to withdraw him (Bolt) from the Samsung Diamond League Meeting in Monaco on July 20 to give him sufficient time for treatment and time to train and prepare for the Olympic Games in London," Mills said.

Bolt's surprising losses to Blake suggested the superstar sprinter may not be in the dominant form he was at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 when he powered to gold medals in the 100, 200

and 4x100 relay, all in world-record times.

"I am happy to have earned my spot on the Jamaican Olympic team despite the challenge," Bolt said in the same statement. "I will be in London to defend my titles in the 100, 200 and 4x100 meters. I want to congratulate my fellow Racers Track Club Members along with the other athletes who made the team. I thank everyone for their support."

Blake beats Bolt again to Dominica Football Association secure Jamaican sprint double president banned ROSEAU, Dominica - After serving for more than 16 years as president of the Dominica Football Association (DFA), Patrick John has been banned from football administration for the remainder of his term, which was due to expire in 2015.

According to Dominica media reports, this sentence was handed down against the former prime minister early on Saturday (June 30) when the association of football clubs voted to place a total ban on its president. The vote was reportedly Patrick John carried 24 to 7 at Football House in Bath Estate.

The ban comes after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body for football, placed a two year ban on John from all football activity and fined him 3000 Swiss francs in November 2011. At the time, FIFA said that John was among 11 Caribbean football leaders sanctioned for their parts in an alleged bribery plot involving former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam and former Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) president and sitting minister Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago.

According to FIFA, the Caribbean officials were allegedly offered or received US$40,000 cash payments during bin Hammam's campaign visit to Trinidad in May 2011 to support the candidate against Sepp Blatter in the run for FIFA President.

John has had a chequered history in Dominican football. After serving as DFA president from 1992 to 2006 he was ousted. In 2007, he was named to the Caribbean Football Conference (CONCAF) Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was returned to the helm of the DFA by a vote of 23 to 8.

At the time of his election in 2008 John promised that he would serve for only two years and then step aside, but that never happened.

Since Saturday’s vote, John has reportedly not spoken to the press nor issued any statement on the matter.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Yohan Blake set himself up as the man to beat in London with a stunning 200 meters victory, beating world record holder Usain Bolt for a second time in three days to bring the Jamaican Olympic trials to an explosive conclusion on Sunday.

Blake, who shocked Bolt with an emphatic win in the 100m on Friday, followed it up with an even more impressive performance in the 200, catching the triple Olympic gold medalist down the stretch before holding him off in the closing meters.

The winner clocked a time 19.80 seconds to a massive roar from a frenzied crowd at the National Stadium. Bolt secured his Olympic spot by taking second in 19.83, grinning as he hugged his training partner in the finish area.

"He (Bolt) said, 'Congratulations good run, you won,'" Blake told reporters. "'You're the better man on the day,' and I just gave him thanks because he has always motivated.

"He told me coming into the race to keep calm and that's what I did.

Warren Weir earned the third spot on the Jamaican team, taking third in 20.03.

Bolt ended the race lying flat on his back on the track grimacing in pain as medical staff rushed to his side to work on a cramped right thigh.

The lanky sprinter was quickly back on his feet accepting his defeat with grace and putting on a brave face after what had to have be an extremely trying weekend for the world's fastest man.

If Bolt was concerned, however, he did not show it, instead looking ahead to the London Games and defending his 100 and 200m titles.

"Definitely (I have something to prove)," said Bolt. "I'm the Olympic champion so I have to show the world I am

still the best.

"It's not like I was blown away, I know what I need to do to get it right. I just have to get my stuff together.

"It's all about putting in the work. I need to figure out what I did wrong and just work on that."

Bolt will certainly have plenty to occupy his time in the next four weeks before he settles into the blocks in London.

His coach Glen Mills confirmed earlier in the week that Bolt was not 100 percent fit and it became obvious throughout the trials that he needs to spend time on his starts after struggling out of the blocks.

"I'm a little bit weak but I have a few more weeks to get myself back into shape," assured Bolt. "I'm not far off, I know I can get it done, I'm not worried.

"Everyone is talking about Yohan Blake and he is proving himself as one of the greatest, but for me it is just going back to training and work on what I need to work on and get it done.

"I can never be discouraged. I'm never worried until my coach gets worried and my coach is not worried."

Blake, who trains with Bolt, gave credit to his team mate for helping him get to the top of the podium in Kingston but the "The Beast" might not be getting too many more tips following four-days of total domination.

Bolt ends the Jamaican trials still in possession of his world records in the 100 (9.58) and 200 (19.19) but those and his Olympic titles could soon be in the hands of the powerful Blake, who heads to London bristling with confidence.

"He (Bolt) has helped me a lot in training and the mental part of the game," said Blake. "I know Usain's strengths and his level and he is not 100 percent so I will just keep working on my form going into the Olympics."

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 48

The Turks & Caicos Islands Hospital

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER InterHealth Canada (TCI) Ltd is seeking a well qualified and experienced human resources professional to head up a small team at the Turks & Caicos Islands Hospital. Based at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, there will be occasional travel to Cockburn Town Medical Centre.

The successful candidate will need to have the following qualifications, skills and attributes.

• A formal qualification in human resource management at undergraduate level or post graduate certificate or post graduate diploma level.

• Membership of an internationally recognised professional body in human resource management • Human resource management experience of at least 5 years at management level.

• Recruitment services management experience of at least 5 years at management level.

• A minimum of five years experience specifically in the field healthcare and working in human resources and recruitment.

• Computer literacy in the MS Office Suite is essential and the selected candidates will also be taught the use of the ‘Simply Personnel’ software system.

• Demonstrated skills in change management and turning around problem departments / areas.

• A team player who can also lead colleagues in the move towards excellence. .

Candidates will be responsible for the day-to-day activities in both human resources management and recruitment at the hospital and will be the prime contact with both immigration and labour departments and so strong interpersonal skills are essential. Whilst a management level post this is very much a hands-on position, as the department is small.

The successful candidate will also be responsible for the development of the human resources department staff with the aim of ensuring a suitable succession plan from within the department at some future point.

Applicants are invited to send a full curriculum vitae to jtrainor@ interhealthcanada.tc Closing Date for Applications: 23 July 2012

NAVA JEWELERS LTD, dba JEWELRY, world renowned jewelers and retail sellers of signature brand jewelry and jewelry related products, with a chain of affiliated jewelry stores and outlets throughout North America, the Caribbean and Worldwide, is now accepting applications/resumes from suitably qualifies persons as:

SALES SUPERVISORS and/or ASSOCIATES

At the Company’s prestigious retail Jewelry sales and Jewelry related merchandise sales Store located at the Carnival Corporation’s Grand Turk Cruise Center, South Beach, Grand Turk.

Requirements:

• A sound educational background and a minimum of five (5) years jewelry sales and general merchandising experience, in the case of Supervisors and two (2) years in the case of Associates, together with a proven and unblemished track record of employment in a highly trusted related field of employment and/or business.

• A positive and disciplined attitude and aptitude toward work in a customer service oriented business.

• Excellent communication, inter-personal and customer service skills.

• A trustworthy, dependable and honest disposition.

• Must be willing to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays and irregular cruise ship schedule.

• Clean criminal record.

• Unblemished employment history.

• All candidates must be proficient in the English written and spoken word.

Suitable candidates that do not meet the above requirements who, in the sole discretion of the Company’s management team, demonstrate a clear willingness to embrace the Company’s in-house training initiatives and established standard operating policies and procedures, may be eligible for recruitment in exceptional circumstances. Preference will be given to documented Turks and Caicos Islanders.

Interested persons may submit their applications and resumes, via e-mail to: resume@effyjewelers.com, via fax to: 6499461340, or hand deliver the same to any senior member of the company’s staff at its store, commonly known as Jewelry located at Suite No. 2, Building 1, Grand Turk Cruise Center, South Beach, Grand Turk.

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

WANTED A SALES CLERK to work 6 days per week. Salary is $5.50 per hour Contact Dwayna @ 243-5028.

AXT AUTOMOTIVE & REPAIRS Requires

AUTO BODY SPRAYER

Honest, reliable & skilled person to carry out auto body repairs & painting on damaged vehicles.

Must be able to work flexible hours, speak good English and have own vehicle.

Job for immediate start $6 per hour Please call Steve on 946-5701 By 30 June 2012 to arrange interview.

LABOURER WANTED Salary $5.00 per hour 6 days per week North Caicos contact Roberta Outten at 242-9426

The Terrace Ltd Seeks

Restaurant Helper/Cleaner

Restaurant experience necessary Able to work morning, day & night shifts Able to work any days of the week including Sundays & holidays Able to work long shifts and beach work catering Contact 231-2355

HOWARD STUBBS

1 DOMESTIC WORKER SEEKS

Salary $200 per week Contact 333-1913

B & F VARIETY

1 Labourer SEEKS

Salary $5.00 per hour Contact 243-4659

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 49

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

WORLD SPORTS

Manchester United files to list on New York Stock Exchange NEW YORK - Manchester United plans to become a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange after filing with the U.S. government to raise $100 million from selling shares in the club.

The American Glazer family, which bought the club in 2005, would retain control over the club through Class B shares, which would have 10 times the voting power of the shares that would be sold to the public.

Under the reorganization, the team would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manchester United Ltd., a newly formed holding company based in the Cayman Islands.

The record 19-time English champions filed their registration statement to hold an initial public offering of stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday.

While the stock price and the number of shares were not listed, the registration statement said the club hoped to raise a maximum of $100 million.

The team was listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1991 until June 2005, when Glazer completed a leveraged buyout valued at $1.47 billion.

Glazer also owns the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

United has been looking to raise funds to help reduce debts from the 2005 takeover that were $663 million as of March 31.

A $1 billion offering on the Singapore stock market was pursued last year, but the plans were halted due to volatile global markets.

The team, European champions in 1968, 1999 and 2009, was valued at $2.24 billion by Forbes magazine in April, ranking it as football's most valuable club for the eighth year in a row.

United was on track for its 20th league title this year, taking an eight-point lead in the final weeks of the season. But crosstown rival Manchester City, which became football's biggest spender following its purchase by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, won the title on goal difference on the final day of the season.

United said that it had a loss from continuing operations of $47.5 million in the year ending June 30, 2009, then had profits of $13 million and $13.3 million in the following two years. It said it had a profit of $38.2 million in the nine months ending March 31.

Several other English Premier League teams have U.S. owners, including Arsenal (controlled by Stan Kroenke), Liverpool (by the parent company of the Boston Red Sox), Aston Villa (Randy Lerner) and Sunderland (Ellis Short).

Steve Nash goes to the LA Lakers PHOENIX - Steve Nash is going to the Los Angeles Lakers, a Pacific Division rival the two-time MVP point guard tried so hard to beat, with little success, in his eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns.

At Nash's request, the Lakers and Suns reached a sign-and-trade deal, with Los Angeles using the trade exception it got when it sent Lamar Odom to Dallas to facilitate the transaction.

The 38-year-old Nash, who spent the past eight seasons with the Suns, was a free agent but a sign-and-trade agreement was necessary for the Lakers to afford him. He agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract. In return, the Suns get four draft picks — first rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2013 and 2014.

In a statement released by the agent, Nash said that after he and the Suns agreed to part ways, he reapproached them to ask to pursue a sign-and-trade deal with Los Angeles "because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family," who

Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant

live in Phoenix.

"They were very apprehensive and didn't want to do it," Nash said.

"Fortunately for me, they reconsidered.

They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for

them to do a deal that helps their team get better."

There had been sign-and-trade talks with New York and a lucrative free agent offer from Toronto.

The deal will put Nash on the floor with the team he tried so hard to unseat as a Western Conference power,

Dwight Howard wants to be traded to Brooklyn Nets ORLANDO, Fla. - Magic general manager Rob Hennigan says that Dwight Howard told him in a face-to-face meeting last week that he would like to be traded, and that his preference is to be dealt to the Brooklyn Nets.

Hennigan said Monday that Howard singling out one team complicates any potential trade scenarios, but he has not committed to honoring that demand and said he will keep communication lines open between both the All-Star and his agent.

The new Magic GM says Howard never claimed in the meeting in California the Magic blackmailed him to give up the early termination clause in his current deal. Howard

asked to be traded last season, then opted-in for 2012-2013 — forgoing becoming a free agent this summer.

Hennigan says Howard is "progressing well" after back surgery.

CBSSports.com's Matt Moore says Howard is trying to prevent the Magic from trading him to a "rental" team like the Rockets.

"It's a full-court press to avoid a situation in which a team other than the one he wants gets his Bird rights," Moore says. "Howard wants the extra year and raise structure that comes with re-signing with the team that has his Bird rights."

teaming him with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and at least for now, Pau Gasol.

Nash has never made it to the NBA Finals. He was last in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers in 2010, when the Suns lost in six games and Los Angeles went on to win the NBA title.

The Suns drafted Nash in 1998 but traded him to Dallas after two seasons because Phoenix already had Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd at the position.

Nash played six seasons for Dallas but bolted when owner Mark Cuban declined to spend big money to keep him. Then-Suns owner Jerry Colangelo brought a plane load of team players and officials to Dallas to woo Nash.

Nash thrived in Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun system, earning MVP honors in 2005, when he averaged 15.5 points and 11.5 assists, and again in 2007, when he averaged a career-high 18.8 points and 10.5 assists. Nash averaged fewer than 10 assists only once, 9.7 in 2008-09, and topped 11 per game five times in his eight years with Phoenix.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

INSIDE

Page 49

• Steve Nash goes to the LA Lakers • Dwight Howard wants to be traded to Nets

Usain Bolt could run 100m in 9.4 seconds, says Michael Johnson Olympic track legend Michael Johnson said Jamaica's Usain Bolt is still favourite to win three gold medals in London, despite Yohan Blake's victory in the hundered metres in the Olympic Trials in Kingston last week.

Speaking in an interview with 'Laureus.com', Johnson said, 'Yohan Blake showed he will take advantage when Bolt does not perform at his best.

Bolt now has a legitimate challenger and will need to be at his best in London to defend his Olympic title.'

'But I think Usain can do whatever he wants to do! He's got that type of talent and he wants to win three gold

medals again. I would say if he gets to the starting line healthy, at his best, everyone else at their best, he wins every time, I mean he's just that good,' said he.

Johnson, who won four Olympic gold medals at 200 metres, 400 metres and 4x400 metres relay, also believes that Bolt could run much faster, if he improves his technique.

'He could break the world record again, he could run 9.5 secs, lower.

Ultimately if he were to really be focused and committed on cleaning up his technique, he could probably run 9.4 secs, but he would have to do some major training and adjustments in the

way that he runs,' added 44-year-old Johnson, who won gold in Barcelona in 1992, did the 200m and 400m double in Atlanta four years later, and claimed another gold in the 2000 Sydney Games.

'We have done some analysis at the Michael Johnson Performance Center in Dallas and compared to say Tyson Gay or Asafa Powell, he runs very raw. He's not a very clean sprinter, if you look at him from a biomechanical standpoint. Usain Bolt could absolutely run faster, but it would take a tremendous commitment on his part to do a complete overhaul of his technique.'

Asked who would be Bolt's main challengers in the 100 metres, Johnson said: 'His training partner Yohan Blake (who beat him in Kingston), the three Americans, Tyson Gay, Walter Dix and Justin Gatlin, Christophe Lemaitre, the Frenchman, and Richard Thompson from Trinidad.'

'Those are the guys that we will probably see in the finals, but it just sounds funny to even talk about who can stop him. Because they can only stop him if something The 25-year-old broke his own world record with a time of 9.58 secs at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

Soccer to Adopt Goal- Former England batsman Ramprakash quits Line Technology After years of resisting the encroachment of technology into how soccer matches are officiated, the sport’s international leaders approved new systems Thursday to help determine if a ball crosses the goal line. The International Football Association Board recommended to FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, that it allow the implementation of two technology systems: Hawk-Eye and GoalRef. The systems could be put in place as early as the 2012-13 season in England’s Premier League (at a cost of about $200,000 per stadium), and would certainly arrive in time for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

FIFA said it also planned to use goal-line technology at the Club World Cup in Japan in December and in Brazil during the Confederations Cup next year.

The I.F.A.B., founded in 1886, is soccer’s pre-eminent lawmaking body, composed of four members from FIFA, including its president, Sepp Blatter, and four from the British associations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

The decision was a landmark one for a sport that, unlike the N.F.L., the N.HL, the N.B.A. and Major League Baseball in the United States, has been reluctant to tinker with rules or customs on the field — despite several infamous officiating mistakes in important games.

Disputed goals (the entire ball must completely cross the goal line for a goal to be awarded) have marred the sport at its highest levels for years. In 1966, England, as the host, won its first and only World Cup title, over West Germany, on an overtime goal by Geoff Hurst that is still the subject of intense debate. During an England game in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Frank Lampard’s shot clearly bounced behind Germany’s goalkeeper before bounding back into play. Neither the referee Jorge Larrionda nor his assistants saw the play on which England would have tied the score, 2-2.

Germany went on to win the second-round match, 4-1, eliminating England.

“For me as FIFA president, it became evident the moment what happened in South Africa in 2010,” Blatter told reporters in Zurich. “I have to say ‘thank you Lampard.’ I was completely down in South Africa when I saw that it really shocked me; it took me a day to react. It happened again in Ukraine, and Ukraine can still not believe it now.”

The outcry from English fans and the news media is believed to have compelled FIFA to address the issue.

But as the demand for goal-line technology grew, UEFA, the sport’s European governing body, took a conservative step to placate critics when it decided instead to place additional officials on each end line to rule on infractions in the penalty area, including goal-line issues, but only as advisers to the referee on the field.

Mark Ramprakash

LONDON - Former England batsman Mark Ramprakash, widely regarded as one of the most gifted stroke players of his generation, has retired from all forms of cricket.

The 42-year-old, who last played for his country in 2002, featured in 52 tests. He scored 2,350 runs at an average of 27.32, with two hundreds representing a poor return for a batsman of his class and talent.

Ramprakash scored 114 centuries in 461 first-class matches for Middlesex and Surrey.

He said he decided to retire when Surrey told him he was longer in their future plans.

"I had a tough start to this season but I continued to try and remain fit and wanted to play," Ramprakash told a news conference at The Oval on Thursday.

"However last week I was informed I was not in Surrey's selection plans and therefore I felt the time was right to step aside."

Ramprakash is expected to pursue a career in the media but also expressed an interest in coaching junior cricketers.

Page 50

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

Manchester United files to list on New York Stock Exchange NEW YORK - Manchester United plans to become a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange after filing with the U.S. government to raise $100 million from selling shares in the club.

The American Glazer family, which bought the club in 2005, would retain control over the club through Class B shares, which would have 10 times the voting power of the shares that would be sold to the public.

Under the reorganization, the team would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manchester United Ltd., a newly formed holding company based in the Cayman Islands.

The record 19-time English champions filed their registration statement to hold an initial public offering of stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday.

While the stock price and the number of shares were not listed, the registration statement said the club hoped to raise a maximum of $100 million.

The team was listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1991 until June 2005, when Glazer completed a leveraged buyout valued at $1.47 billion.

Glazer also owns the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

United has been looking to raise funds to help reduce debts from the 2005 takeover that were $663 million as of March 31.

A $1 billion offering on the Singapore stock market was pursued last year, but the plans were halted due to volatile global markets.

The team, European champions in 1968, 1999 and 2009, was valued at $2.24 billion by Forbes magazine in April, ranking it as football's most valuable club for the eighth year in a row.

United was on track for its 20th league title this year, taking an eight-point lead in the final weeks of the season. But crosstown rival Manchester City, which became football's biggest spender following its purchase by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, won the title on goal difference on the final day of the season.

United said that it had a loss from continuing operations of $47.5 million in the year ending June 30, 2009, then had profits of $13 million and $13.3 million in the following two years. It said it had a profit of $38.2 million in the nine months ending March 31.

Several other English Premier League teams have U.S. owners, including Arsenal (controlled by Stan Kroenke), Liverpool (by the parent company of the Boston Red Sox), Aston Villa (Randy Lerner) and Sunderland (Ellis Short).

Steve Nash goes to the LA Lakers PHOENIX - Steve Nash is going to the Los Angeles Lakers, a Pacific Division rival the two-time MVP point guard tried so hard to beat, with little success, in his eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns.

At Nash's request, the Lakers and Suns reached a sign-and-trade deal, with Los Angeles using the trade exception it got when it sent Lamar Odom to Dallas to facilitate the transaction.

The 38-year-old Nash, who spent the past eight seasons with the Suns, was a free agent but a sign-and-trade agreement was necessary for the Lakers to afford him. He agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract. In return, the Suns get four draft picks — first rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2013 and 2014.

In a statement released by the agent, Nash said that after he and the Suns agreed to part ways, he reapproached them to ask to pursue a sign-and-trade deal with Los Angeles "because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family," who

Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant

live in Phoenix.

"They were very apprehensive and didn't want to do it," Nash said.

"Fortunately for me, they reconsidered.

They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for

them to do a deal that helps their team get better."

There had been sign-and-trade talks with New York and a lucrative free agent offer from Toronto.

The deal will put Nash on the floor with the team he tried so hard to unseat as a Western Conference power,

Dwight Howard wants to be traded to Brooklyn Nets ORLANDO, Fla. - Magic general manager Rob Hennigan says that Dwight Howard told him in a face-to-face meeting last week that he would like to be traded, and that his preference is to be dealt to the Brooklyn Nets.

Hennigan said Monday that Howard singling out one team complicates any potential trade scenarios, but he has not committed to honoring that demand and said he will keep communication lines open between both the All-Star and his agent.

The new Magic GM says Howard never claimed in the meeting in California the Magic blackmailed him to give up the early termination clause in his current deal. Howard

asked to be traded last season, then opted-in for 2012-2013 — forgoing becoming a free agent this summer.

Hennigan says Howard is "progressing well" after back surgery.

CBSSports.com's Matt Moore says Howard is trying to prevent the Magic from trading him to a "rental" team like the Rockets.

"It's a full-court press to avoid a situation in which a team other than the one he wants gets his Bird rights," Moore says. "Howard wants the extra year and raise structure that comes with re-signing with the team that has his Bird rights."

teaming him with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and at least for now, Pau Gasol.

Nash has never made it to the NBA Finals. He was last in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers in 2010, when the Suns lost in six games and Los Angeles went on to win the NBA title.

The Suns drafted Nash in 1998 but traded him to Dallas after two seasons because Phoenix already had Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd at the position.

Nash played six seasons for Dallas but bolted when owner Mark Cuban declined to spend big money to keep him. Then-Suns owner Jerry Colangelo brought a plane load of team players and officials to Dallas to woo Nash.

Nash thrived in Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun system, earning MVP honors in 2005, when he averaged 15.5 points and 11.5 assists, and again in 2007, when he averaged a career-high 18.8 points and 10.5 assists. Nash averaged fewer than 10 assists only once, 9.7 in 2008-09, and topped 11 per game five times in his eight years with Phoenix.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

JULY 7TH - JULY 14TH, 2012

Page 51

LOCAL NEWS

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