Volume 7 Issue 11

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

TURKS AND

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voLuMe 7 no. 11

$1.00

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

By Hayden Boyce SUN Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

AFTER THREE TOUGH, often turbulent and mostly testing years in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Governor Gordon Wetherell will be leaving here in August of this year.

Wetherell, a 62-year-old career diplomat who was appointed to the TCI on August 5, 2008, confirmed in an interview with The SUN, that his three-year contract will end in the next five months.

“I came here on a three-year appointment that ends in August of this year, so there really was always the expectation that after serving for that specific time period, it would be time to move on,” Wetherell said.

“Overall, I can say that it has been quite an enjoyable experience. Yes, it has been challenging at times with a whole set of problems to deal with. The first year was a rather difficult period, having to deal with the Commission of Inquiry and what stemmed from it, then there were hurricanes Hanna and Ike back-to-back and so on…then in the second year we had to do quite a bit of financial fire-fighting and that really retarded things. It turned out to be perhaps a much bigger task that anticipated and the issues were more numerous than imagined, but I did my best in the circumstances.”

Governor Gordon Wetherell will be leaving TCI in August

continued on Page 2

civiL recovery unit nets $3M so Far Page 7

caLL to restore civiL servants Pay Page 9

robert haLL banned FroM advisory counciL Meetings Page 13

Long hosPitaL waits can’t be avoided Page 14

gay tourists attacked in st. Lucia Page 35

Page 2

Governor Wetherell leaving TCI in August

LOCAL NEWS Continued from Page 1

Wetherell, who assumed full responsibility for the TCI after the British Government suspended parts of the Constitution and imposed direct rule on August 14, 2009, said that after sorting out some personal issues, he will eventually travel to his native Ethiopia to visit his 91-year-old father, before deciding firmly on how he will spend his retirement.

Asked how we felt about leaving the TCI at this particular time, Wetherell said: “Obviously, it would have been nice to see this period to its conclusion, but I’m quite certain that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will choose someone who is qualified and experienced and who will have a team around them to give them the necessary advice and support.

Meantime, reliable, high-level sources in the UK told The SUN that the recruitment process to replace Wetherell already has started.

According to the source, several highly-qualified persons have either formally applied for, or expressed keen interest in, the position.

“Without of course divulging any names, I can tell you that those who

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have expressed interest in the position so far are persons who, to be sure, have been closely and intensely following and monitoring developments in the Turks and Caicos Islands for a considerable length of time and they have a real sense and feel of not only what is happening there, but also a great appreciation and understanding of what generally will be required and expected of and by the residents of that British Overseas Territory, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and also and ultimately the British Parliament,” said the source who requested anonymity.

The source told The SUN that the person who will succeed Wetherell is expected to be a “well-rounded individual”.

“Whoever is the successful candidate will obviously be coming in at the deep end, so to speak, and will therefore have to adapt and adjust extremely quickly and hit the ground running, because of the situation in which the country now unfortunately finds itself and particularly also because of the expected challenges and myriad of issues that inevitably will arise in the quest to take the Turks and Caicos Islands on the path

of sustainable growth and development to which there must be absolute commitment if the country is to truly come of age and realise its true potential,” the official added.

Wetherell spent more than 35 years in the diplomatic service.

His Foreign Office career has included service in East Berlin, Geneva, New Delhi, and Warsaw.[6] From 1997 to 2000 he was the British ambassador to Ethiopia. He served as ambassador to Luxembourg from 2000 to 2004, and High Commissioner to Ghana from 2004 to 2007.

His biography on the TCIG’s website stated that first foreign posting was in East Berlin from 1974 to '77. Of it, he said it was "an experience that I treasure more with the passage of time; because that whole atmosphere and situation – of Berlin as a divided city and the Cold War was unique. It has all gone and you would not be able to recreate it anywhere now."

From 13 August 1961 until 9 November 1989 East Berlin was separated from West Berlin by the Berlin Wall. The East German government referred to East Berlin simply as "Berlin" or often "Berlin,

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Hauptstadt der DDR". This doesn't exist anymore of course, and on reflection, he said it was "an experience which was also unique because East Germany had only just been recognised internationally at that time; so, there was something very new about it and being on the other side of the wall certainly added a element to the experience."

From there he went to Geneva in 1977 where he worked as First Secretary in the UK delegation on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Negotiations. Moving on, the career diplomat spent three years in New Delhi India as First Secretary, of which he said it was "a great experience," a culture that was very vibrant and rich and completely different to any that he'd previously known.

It was England again in 1983, then off to Warsaw Poland in 1988 as Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission. His time there, he said, coincided with the change from the communist regime to the Solidarityled government and "it was one of those rare occasions where you can say that you were present when changes of great historical significance were taking place."

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Local

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

After nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 10.8 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific.

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IP/VAS ENGINEER DEPARTMENT: 4ECHNICAL REPORTS TO (TITLE): 4ECHNICAL -ANAGER Primary objective of the job: s %NSURE REVENUE DUE TO $IGICEL FROM )NTERNATIONAL #ARRIERS IS CORRECTLY BILLED AND COLLECTED IN A TIMELY MANNER s %NSURE THAT DISPUTES RAISED WITH CARRIERS ARE WITHIN CONTRACTED TERMS AND RESOLVED IN A TIMELY MANNER s #O ORDINATE COLLECTION OF ROAMING REVENUE WITH -!#( OUTSIDE #OLLECTION AGENCY

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TURKS TURKS & CAICOS SUN & CAICOS SUN TURKS TURKS & & CAICOS CAICOS SUN SUN

FEBRUARY 18TH - FEBRUARY 25TH,25TH, 2011 2011 MARCH 18TH - MARCH

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011 FEBRUARY 18TH - FEBRUARY 2011

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

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LOCAL NEWS

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LOCAL NEWS

WHY DOES THE US FEAR ARISTIDE’S RETURN TO HAITI?

By Ricky Singh

SUCCESSIVE administrations in Washington have demonstrated an obsession with the presence in Haiti of Jean Bertrand Aristide — whether or not he is functioning as president of that Caribbean nation that languishes in a state of permanent crisis. Latest example is the unsolicited advice publicly given by the Hillary Clinton-led US State Department that the former popular Roman Catholic priest of the poor, turned politician, should not return to his homeland before this coming Sunday's scheduled second round presidential run-off.

This is quite baffling. What gives the government of President Barack Obama the right — legal or moral — to publicly and presumably privately as well, request him to delay his planned imminent return to his homeland from exile in South Africa?

Twice elected to the presidency and twice ousted from power in mid-term, with the US Central Intelligence Agency as an accomplice with corrupt Haitian political and military leaders, Aristide was restored to power in 1994, with the use of military force by President Bill Clinton, who has continued to distinguish himself as a stout "friend'' of the people of Haiti.

By 2004, amid orchestrated domestic political turmoil, the Washington administration of President George W Bush was to play a leading role, along with France, in ousting President Aristide from power, against the protestations from the governments of the Caribbean community of which Haiti is a member state.

Aristide was flown into exile on a US military aircraft and following a brief period of political asylum in Jamaica, South Africa became the place of choice for his almost seven years in exile.

When the unprecedented earthquake-triggered devastation of Haiti occurred in January last year, Aristide was lamenting his absence from Haiti and has shown an interest to be back among "my fellow Haitians".

Following the surprise return to the country of ex-dictator Jean Claude Duvalier, Aristide applied for a new Haitian passport and signalled plans to return soon. However, once the passport was delivered he started to experience unexplained complications in official arrangements, including

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security, to return home.

He felt obliged that he had no interest in becoming involved in the ongoing political squabbles over the controversial outcome of last November's parliamentary elections which led to violent demonstrations and a necessary second round presidential run-off in the face of documented examples of electoral rigging Early last month, then US State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley, was to go public with a claim that Aristide's return to Haiti before the second round presidential run-off "would be an unfortunate distraction and the two participating candidates (Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly) should be the focus at this time…"

That contention provoked an immediate protest demonstration from Haitians, including militant activists of Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party, who cried "no Aristide, no second round (election)…"

As if bent on pursuing a course of action to deter Aristide — a former legitimate Haitian president forced out of office by the US and allies like France — from returning home before this Sunday's run-off presidential pol — a new State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, has emerged to sound a warning with an even more disturbing overtone.

For Toner, Aristide's return before Sunday's decisive vote, "can only be seen as a conscious choice to impact Haiti's elections", and that Washington was also seeking the cooperation of the South African government to persuade the former president from returning before the March 20 poll.

Why this fear of Aristide's presence at this time?

For seven years Aristide has been in exile.

During that period no credible information was provided by either governments in Port-au-Prince or administrations in Washington (Republican or Democrat), that he has a political agenda to disturb the peace (sic) in Haiti, affect the conduct of the presidential run-off and create more problems for that poor nation of endless miseries.

The governments of Caricom should speak, unequivocally, in one voice, on the fundamental right of the former president of Haiti to return to his homeland, whenever he so determines, and that this should not be left to the whims and fancies of a foreign government, in this case one, ironically, headed by President Barack Obama.

Editorial Cartoon

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

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

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Hayden Boyce Senior Editor: Vivian Tyson Web Designer: Patrina Moore-Pierre Graphics Editor: Joleen Grant Office Manager: Dominique Rigby Distribution Manger: Kelano Howell Advertising and Marketing ManagerPatrina Moore-Pierre

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.

It is quite understandable for the Joint Organisation of American States (OAS) and Caricom Mission in Haiti to have made their public appeal on Monday for a peaceful atmosphere to prevail for Sunday's final presidential run-off, and to have again denounced the political violence that had marred the first-round campaign of last November's parliamentary and presidential poll.

Nevertheless, it is quite strange that Caricom has refrained from commenting on the repeated public calls for Aristide to stay away from Haiti until after Sunday's second round run-off between the 70-year-old former first lady Manigat and 50year-old pop singer Martelly.

For that matter, why the silence of outgoing Haitian President Rene Preval himself?

Having agreed to Aristide being given the new passport he required, and the former dictator Jean Claude Duvalier, is in Haiti and soon to face court trials for crimes committed, why not a statement of clarification on Aristide's right to return to his homeland, whenever he chooses?

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN’S LETTERS POLICY The Turks and Caicos SUN welcomes Letters to the Editor.

Letters containing libelous or defamatory charges, personal attacks or abusive language will not be considered for publication.

We would prefer letters of 500 words or less, and we will not print anonymous letters or letters tagged with initials.

All letters are subject to the final approval of the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, who reserves the right to accept or reject submissions and to edit letters and headlines to meet our established standards for grammar, clarity and length.

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Civil Recovery Unit recovered $3Million so far and investigating more than 50 cases

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

By Vivian Tyson SUN Senior Editor

ON TOP OF $3.1 million in cash and land already recovered, the Civil Recovery Team which is probing shady government deals of past administrations, said in short order it should recover several more millions of dollars in land and cash which does not include large cases.

This was disclosed by attorney Laurence Harris of Edwards Angel Palmer and Dodge (EAPD), the British law firm contracted by the Attorney General Chambers to investigate and recover Crown assets deemed to have changed hands illicitly.

According to Harris, EAPD was currently probing almost 60 of what it referred to as “live” matters most of which are Crown land deals.

Pressed by members of the media in attendance for information as to the identities of some of the individuals from which monies and Crown Land were retrieved, Harris said he would

LOCAL NEWS

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Laurence Harris

not be drawn into any for of divulging, citing in court proceedings and out of court dialogues that were currently held.

“The money that we have recovered is in relation to a variety of claims. There were some money claims, where monies have been paid over to Government or there has been

Crown Land sale past $5 billion

THE AMOUNT OF Crown land sold in the past several years has reported to be exponentially higher than $5 billion as was previously estimated by the Edward Angel Palmer and Dodge (EAPD) Civil Recovery Team.

Updating journalists at the Hilly Ewing Building in Providenciales, about the latest on the civil recovery proceedings on Wednesday, March 16, Laurence Harris, of the British law firm, confirmed that the previous figure has been adjusted beyond $5 billion, but could not say exactly what the value was.

At a news conference last year in Providenciales, the Civil Recovery Team explained that the amount of Crown Land sold in recent time was between $3 billion and $5 billion.

“I think the amount of Crown Land being sold is significantly higher than that number,” said Harris. “But I wouldn’t like to put a figure on it; I haven’t done the calculation; I wasn’t sure it was me who gave the figure, but my guess is that it would be significantly higher than the three to five million (dollar) figure that you (SUN) mentioned.

Harris noted that the Civil Recovery Team has pinpointed different types of ways that land and other properties owned by the Crown were disposed of my members of previous administrations and civil servants.

“There are cases in which, as the Commissioner of Inquiry identified, development agreements were obtained from the previous regime where there were reasonable grounds to suspect improper conduct had taken place, that’s one sort of case. And clearly, a lot of Crown Land was disposed and then sold on at profit, and that is another sort of case; there are also damages claims.

There are a lot of categories; it’s quite a wide variety, and we are not limited at looking at certain types of categories, so issues would come to light at varying sorts, and the Attorney General and his Chambers and other parts of Government will raise it with us, or other people would come to us and say ‘look, here is a situation where you can have a look at it’. We would have a look at it and we would evaluate whether the Government has civil claim,” Harris explained.

an agreed settlement and is being asked to pay to Government, or we have made recoveries of land, where we have taken possession of the land and are now being registered in the Government’s name,” Harris said.

These claims are on top of other civil proceedings against the Salt Cay Development Company development, the Joe Grant Cay development and the Third Turtle Club development, all of which were identified in the Sir Robin Auld Commission Inquiry held two years ago to probe TCI Government skullduggery.

Trial dates have been set for Salt Cay and Joe Grant Cay developments, and according to Harris, the first trial is expected to begin in the second half of this year and could last for two years outside of an appeal.

According to the Civil Recovery attorney, so far, six major sets of civil proceedings have been issued and are progressing.

Harris said claim proceedings issued against Richardson Arthur and Clyde and Suzanna Robinson, for flipping Crown Land and profited

substantially have been ongoing, so too were claims against Emerald Cay, for alleged profiting from substantially underpayment on stamp duty.

Harris noted that Government was looking to collect at least a million dollar for each of those live claims, adding that some claims should be substantially higher than others.

“In each of those claims, the Government is seeking the recovery of land or damages or both involving every case, substantial seven figure sums, and in some case, considerably more than that. The Civil Recovery Programme is just about ongoing for just about a year and a quarter since my firm was appointed to assist the Attorney General and his Chambers in this work.

“And a wide range of claims have been considered, and more claims are coming to light overtime. We have well over 50 live matters now, and they cover a range of case that we are looking at, and we expects to issue further proceedings as the programme continues,” Harris said.

Lionfish may be here to stay DESPITE NUMEROUS CAMPAIGNS mounted by countries of the region including the Turks and Caicos Islands to eradicate the rapid procreation and spread of the invasive lionfish, a marine biologist who had done extensive studies on the creature said their extinction is probably mission impossible.

According to Dr. Pam Schofield, a biologist with the USGS Southeast Ecological Science Center in Gainsville, the rapid spread of lionfish along the U.S. eastern seaboard, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean is the first documented case of a non-native marine fish establishing a selfsustaining population in the region.

"Nothing like this has been seen before in these waters," said Schofield, saying that more than 30 species of non-native marine fishes have been sighted off the coast of Florida alone, but until now none of these have demonstrated the ability to survive, reproduce, and spread successfully.

"We've observed sightings of numerous non-native species, but the extent and speed with which lionfish have spread has been unprecedented," Schofield said. "Lionfish pretty much blanketed the Caribbean in three short years."

Scientists say lionfish have voracious appetites and few predators. Lionfish themselves exhibit predatory behavior, which Schofield indicated "may negatively impact native species in the newly invaded ecosystems."

The Turks and Caicos Islands, like some of its Caribbean counterparts, have moved to eradicate the fish from its waters in a variety of ways, including holding cash contest to catch the species.

The Department of Environmental and

Coastal Resources (DECR) has also sought to inform the population that the fish can be eaten and had documented and hold demonstrations on ways which the fish can be prepared.

Indo-pacific red lionfish, Pterois volitans, originally came from the IndoWest Pacific Ocean. They were first reported off Florida's Atlantic coast in the mid-1980s, but did not become numerous in the region until 2000.

Since then, lionfish have been documented along the entire U.S. east coast from Florida to Massachusetts, east to Bermuda and south throughout the Bahamas and in other Caribbean nations such as Turks and Caicos and Cuba.

Schofield says no one knows exactly how the predecessors of the current population first made it into the Atlantic and Caribbean, but she believes the invasion serves as a warning of the dangers posed by the introduction of non-native fishes into an ecosystem.

She said it is not yet clear exactly how the new invasive species will affect reefs in the region, saying that lionfish have been observed preying on and competing with a wide range of native species.

Schofield was said to have spent years compiling and verifying sightings of lionfish, reaching out to local experts such as biologists, museum curators, natural resource managers, dive masters and citizens groups to collect detailed records of specimen collections and sightings throughout the region.

The records were compiled in the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database and used to map the fishes' spread.

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LOCAL NEWS

Public sector job cuts coming

IT APPEARS THAT more civil service job cuts are looming on the horizon as hinted by His Excellency Governor Gordon Wetherell, during a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio interview this week.

According to Governor Wetherell, in order to balance the budget, repay loans and make the system of Government work more ably in the TCI, there has to be a series of job cuts over the next three years. He pointed out to the BBC that the public sector remains the taxpayers’ cash hog, as it has gobbled up more than 60 percent of the recurrent revenue.

“On the public service management side, we have got a real

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opportunity here to set the TCI on the basis of sound public service financial management, which will be sustainable in the longer term, and we have got to adjust our spending accordingly.

“And part of that relates to the public service, where at present this accounts for something like 60 percent or more of revenue which we are getting, and that is unsustainable in the long run. So we need to find a way over the next three years of reducing that, but this will be done tentatively,” Governor Wetherell said.

According to Governor Wetherell, based on the current state of the public sector, there will needs to be drastic cuts over the next few

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years, to bring to a level where it would not threaten the viability of the local government.

“There will need to be (job losses) over the next few years of what we would call a right-sizing of the public service. It would involve some reduction in the workforce in certain areas. It would also involve the strengthening of the service in certain areas where it is felt that it is unable to supply the service that the population of the islands demands,” Governor Wetherell said.

The TCI Governor noted that it was high time that individuals knowledgeable on the real financial situation of the country, and what it would take to turn the current fortunes around financially, stop beating around the bush and be forthright with the TCI populace.

“We also need to be straightforward with the people of the islands and explain the pretty dire situation that we have been facing,” the Governor said, adding that were it

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

not for the $260 million load guaranteed by the UK, the current position would be even worst.

In the meantime, Governor Wetherell has repelled accusations that his management of the country has further plunged it further down the financial abyss.

“Things are difficult, I am not denying that because, not only did we inherit the results of the public financial maladministration of the previous government, but it also came at a time of global economic downturn. We inherited all of that, and the problem is of a dimension that it wasn’t going to be cured overnight,” Governor Wetherell pointed out.

Last year, the government chopped 10 percent of civil service pay across the board, including those of the essential services. But while individuals in that sector grumbled under their collective breaths, the government said more cuts were needed in order to make the country stay afloat financially.

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TCI Civil Servants Association calls for restoration of full salary and more

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

IN A STRONGLY-WORDED statement to the Interim Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Civil Servants Association (CSA), has demanded, among other things, the reinstatement of full salary to all Civil Servants as it was prior to April 2010.

In a media statement, the CSA said it submitted its list of demands/proposals to the Interim Administration on Friday March 11, 2011 and they expect a response by Friday March 18, 2011.

The press release noted that in April 2010 the Government had implemented a 10% cut in Civil Servants salary which was supposed to have saved 7 Million dollars and reduce the need to make persons redundant.

According to the CSA statement: “This 7 million dollars saving has been realized. The recent repayment of the SIPT expenditure by the British Government to TCIG has now made available 7 plus million dollars which should be paid to Civil Servants retroactively for the 10% salary cut.

The introduction of the new taxation measures will make it difficult for Civil Servants to meet their basic needs without the reinstatement of this 10% salary cut.”

The CSA noted that the decision taken by the Interim Administration on the advice of the Customs Tariff Advisor to change the tariff system has resulted in a significant shortfall in government revenue for which Civil Servants are now being asked to pay for with the various reductions in Pension and Payroll.

LOCAL NEWS

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The CSA is also demanding the immediate payment of Pension to all retired Civil Servants who are so entitled and the calculation of such pension payments as provided for in the Pension Ordinance and Regulations; payment of Gratuity to all retired Civil Servants who are eligible for such if so requested and the calculation of such according to provisions in the Pension Ordinance and Regulations and payment of pension and gratuity to all Civil Servants whose posts were abolished such as persons who were transferred to the New Hospital.

The CSA also rejected the proposal to amend the Pension Ordinance so as to remove the option for Civil Servants to receive up to 25 percent of their pension as gratuity upon retirement from the service or upon abolition of their post and it is requesting that all Civil Servants employed in a pensionable post after April 5, 1992 and who have been confirmed in such post be paid a gratuity upon retirement from the service or on being made redundant as provided for in the Pension Ordinance for persons employed before April 6, 1992.

“We are rejecting the proposal to reduce housing allowance from 5 years to 3 years for persons so eligible.. We are rejecting the proposal to provide transportation allowance based on “official miles” and we request that the existing policy for issuance of this allowance remains.

We are requesting that a provision be made so that all persons who were

TRULY NOLEN PEST CONTROL Truly Nolen is looking for a

LabOURER

Person must be able to work flexible hours. Must be serious worker or need not apply.

Contact # 946-4272, 231-0195 or Fax: 941-3450

employed after April 5, 1992, if so desire can be employed on a contractual basis, the terms of which should be governed by the Employment Ordinance. Pensioners in receipt of full pension from both NIB and Government should be given at least 3 months notice about the pending change in an effort to minimize hardship and allow sufficient time to rearrange their finances,” the statement added.

The CSA also recommend that the following provisions within the General Orders regarding leave are followed: G.O 8.1.17 makes prevision for all leave accumulated prior to the General Orders coming into force (1998) to be used in the 5 proceeding years and the remainder to be held over until retirement. Also G.O. 8.1.17 speaks to in exceptional circumstances that the Chief Secretary (now PSC) can allow leave above 30 days to be accumulated and hence individuals must retain that right to make representation to the PSC. We further recommend that persons with excess leave are allowed to proceed on it into early retirement, and the value be paid in monthly installments as another option to minimize upfront costs.

The CSA statement continued:

“We support the Acting Appointments for 3 months at a time but propose that the application of salaries for that appointment be standardized to the difference between the persons’ salary and not the issuing of responsibility allowance. We recommend that Acting Allowance should be issued as provided for in the General Orders. We recommend that Professional allowance be clearly defined and how and to whom it will be issued.

Whenever reductions have to be made in staff salary or personal emoluments, persons should be notified in writing as to why the reductions are being made and given an opportunity to respond to such notice in order to provide additional information to support their case as to why the reductions should not take place. All persons to whom reductions to their personal emoluments have to be made should be given a 3 month grace period to rearrange their finances. We recommend that the option to be paid a Responsibility Allowance be kept whereby persons below Heads of Department can be provided with such if there are no other allowances to compensate for their extra responsibilities or duties.”

SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION Pursuant to the provisions of the Registered Land Ordinance, British Caribbean Bank Limited, Governor’s Road, Leeward, Providenciales HEREBY GIVES NOTICE that it will cause to be sold by public auction the following properties:

TITLE

DESCRIPTION

60902/111 Leeward Going Through Providenciales

1 residential luxury home and 1 guest houseon Pinta Lane with canal frontage located on 0.92 acres of land

60904/216,217,218,22 1 222,351,352,514 Leeward Going Through Providenciales

7.65 acres of adjoining raw land located at the entrance of Leeward Development.

Zoned – Hotel/Tourism

REGISTERED PROPRIETOR Henry Clark

Clarke Properties (TCI) Ltd

The auction will be held on Tuesday 22th March, 2011 at 10:00am at the offices of the British Caribbean Bank Limited, Governor’s Road, Leeward, Providenciales. Conditions of sale may be obtained from the British Caribbean Bank Limited and further inquiries may be directed to the Risk Management Unit @ 1-649-941-5028 ext 302.

ALL SALES ARE SUBJECT TO RESERVE; 10% DEPOSIT REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER SUCCESSFUL BID.

Page 10

Governor warns of tough decisions

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

GOVERNOR GORDON WETHERELL says the United Kingdom (UK) Government-backed financial support package which is now in place for the Turks and Caicos Islands, will buy the time needed to tackle the dire fiscal legacy the Interim Government inherited, but it does not provide any money to reverse previous spending cuts or fund significant new expenditure.

“The package provides enough money to refinance Turks and Caicos Islands Government’s (TCIG) high level of debt and the monthly deficits that will continue for two more years even with new budget measures,” the Governor said in a release issued on Tuesday, March 15, 2011.

“We need to use the breathing space it provides to bring revenue and spending into line. Tackling the severe and structural fiscal problems and achieving a fiscal surplus in the financial year 2012/13 will be tough, but getting on course to do so is a key milestone.

The Governor outlined a set of measures that will be needed to set the Turks and Caicos Islands on the road to fiscal surplus, but he stressed that they will require some “tough decisions”.

“None of this is easy work and it will require some tough decisions,” he stated. “I recognise that not everyone will be comfortable with the short term impact of some of these decisions. But we are set firmly on a clear course to establishing a strong financial foundation on which TCI and future governments can build with confidence as the economy recovers. Let us work together to help make

Governor Gordon Wetherell

TCI what we would all like it to be - an outstanding place to live and work with equal opportunities for all and an attractive, welcoming destination for tourism, the central pillar of our economy.”

The release noted that there are three elements to the $260m package, which include: • A bridge loan of $170m at 0.25% over LIBOR, to be replaced by a bond, syndicated bank loan, or other funding in the next few months. This has allowed TCIG to repay its core debt - the existing and much more expensive Consolidated Loan, which was priced at 5% above LIBOR, along with other bank debt and the recent loans provided by DFID, and to pay the large backlog of unpaid non-financial creditors.

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) is a daily reference rate based on the interest rates at which banks borrow unsecured funds from other banks in the London wholesale money market or interbank lending market.

• A five year term loan of $30m at 0.75% over LIBOR. This is available if desired to repay other more expensive debts of TCIG. • A five year revolving bank facility of $60m, at 0.25% over LIBOR, which will fund the projected deficits over the next two years.

He said the budget will set out in detail the measures that are needed to set us on the road to fiscal surplus. The measures will include: • raising revenues through the introduction of new revenue streams, changes to existing streams, plus improved collection and enforcement; • cutting the cost of the public service by 25% by 2013/14, while building capacity in the most important services; • reducing the costs of statutory bodies by 25% by 2012/13; • introducing a new, more targeted and more fairly applied system of student support; • cutting Government expenditure on rents by 25% by 2012/13; • eliminating all non-essential expenditure and improving financial management and reporting; and, • requiring all purchase orders and contracts over $5000, and all new leases, to be approved by the CFO and Permanent Secretary, Finance.

Vacancy Notice

Job Title: ACCOUNTANT GENERAL SUMMARY OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: An exciting opportunity awaits you in the Turks & Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) Service for the post of Accountant General. The incumbent in this managerial position would have the responsibility for overseeing and maintaining high performance and service delivery standards in the Treasury Department. He/she would be responsible for working with the TCIG Management Team to monitor and evaluate the implementation of financial policies and strategies that may impact the public service delivery; overseeing the provision of general accounting services as well as managing the Creditors’ Payment Settlement System, cash resources and relationships with all stakeholders. He /She would also be responsible for setting and maintaining best practice accounting standards and controls for Turks and Caicos Islands Government and preparing Government statutory accounts for audit and periodic financial management reports. The incumbent will also represent the Ministry at meetings, conferences and seminars, and provide impartial, accurate and timely advice to the TCIG Management Team.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE The position requires an undergraduate degree in accounting (BSc/BCom/ BBA) and professional accounting qualifications e.g. Chartered Accountant (CA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

A Masters Degree in Financial Management and Accounting is also desirable.

The candidate must have at least eight (8) years hands-on experience, five (5) of which should have been obtained by managing a public sector financial department or institution.

The incumbent must also be knowledgeable in public financial management legislation, procedures and practices and be familiar with public sector financial reforms and best practices in countries similar to the Turks & Caicos Islands. The successful candidate is required to be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite as well as accounting software packages. He /She must be able to make prudent financial and budgetary decisions and be proficient in managing financial data. Excellent management and human relations skills are also a requirement for this post.

SALARY: $95,000 per annum

Applicant’s resume including contact number or email address, two letters of reference and a police certificate should be sent to the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Public Service Management, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands. Fax (649) 946-1582. Email: recruitment@gov.tc Extension: 10318 ONLY SUITABLE CANDIDATES’ APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED

Round two of protests coming soon

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

TCI UNITED FOR Justice and Equality, the organization that spearheaded the four-day demonstration along the Airport Road in Providenciales between Tuesday and Thursday last week, has vowed to continue its anti-government protest to press the authority to give an election date before December, and also to backpedal on the proposed 10 percent utility taxes and roll back the year-old 10 percent civil service paycut.

The SUN understands that the next protest would take place in the Bight region of Providenciales, but the protesters have not confirmed this, nor have they given a date as to when and what shape or form the impending action would take.

“I can’t tell you. You are a journalist, so if I tell you those who are not supposed to know before the time will know, and probably, the whole plan may have to be put off for another time,” stated a member of the group, who said he did not want to be named at this time.

Speculations are rife that the venue for next protest may take place in the vicinity of Beaches Resort, but when pressed by this newspaper, the individual failed to state where the next

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

picket line would be cited.

A handful of protestors were surprised early last Saturday morning following a night or reveling, when the police swooped down on the airport road location of the demonstration and cleared the roadblock mounted by them, which, for four days, prevent traffic flow to and from the Providenciales International Airport.

There were no confrontations between the police and the demonstrators during the exercise, as reported by the police point man on information, Sergeant Calvin Chase.

The clearing of the roadblock ignited a firestorm on social network site Facebook, where some of the protestors and others engaged in heated discussions as to why the police were allowed to clear the blockade.

One protestor claimed that at least one member from among its ranks was paid up to $50,000 to have the road cleared, however this could not be independently confirmed. Others blamed the absence of enough people at the scene at the time of the police’s arrival, which the contributor attributed to an overhanging on the part of many of the protestors from a night of drinking and partying, instead of

Page 11

Demonstrators at last week’s protest. A spokesperson for TCI United for Justice and Equality told the SUN that a second wave of protest will be coming soon.

“keeping sober and holding the fort”.

The duration of the demonstration resulted in tourists and locals alike being inconvenienced. On the first day of protest, tourists were seen along the airport road dragging their luggage to and from the air transport point, as all the entrances and exits to the aerodrome were blocked by the protestors.

A subsequent opening was made leading through the Kew Town community, but that pathway was

initially blocked by the protestors causing a huge pile-up of visitors at the airport, but was later cleared by the police, who maintained a presence along the route for most of the time.

However, despite the protest, Governor Gordon Wetherell did not budge, stating that elections would not be held this year. He also did not mention in his public address as to whether or not the other demands would be considered.

international reach pleaded guilty Thursday.

Robert Sinclair Pope, 53, could get up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

He also has to give up 21 acres in the Turks and Caicos islands and property in the Dominican Republic, as well as his personal airplane, a 1973 Ferrari, a boat and about $42 million kept in dozens of bank accounts.

Authorities have accused Pope and six other people of defrauding investors in Britain and beyond and dumping millions of illicit gains in banks in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, among other places, between 2004 and 2008.

The group hijacked the identifies of defunct corporations and sold bogus stocks as though they owned

them, according to a federal indictment filed in Tampa.

They pocketed about $130 million, the indictment states.

Pope is the only one in the group of seven who has pleaded guilty. The others — including a Hillsborough father and daughter — appear to be heading toward a trial in January.

If Pope helps the U.S. Attorney's Office with its case against the other defendants, prosecutors could ask the judge for a lighter sentence, according to the plea agreement.

Pope, who formerly worked in insurance, was arrested in Spain in the fall and extradited to Tampa in January.

The investigation was handled by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the London police.

BRITISH MAN WITH 21 ACRES IN TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS PLEADS GUILTY TO ROLE IN $130 MILLION TAMPA-BASED INVESTMENT FRAUD SCHEME

A BRITISH MAN believed to be one of the masterminds behind a Tampa Baybased investment fraud scheme with

D&D CLEANING SERVICES

D & D CLEANING SERVICE IS LOOKING SOMEONE INTERESTED IN A CLEANING JOB. INTERESTED PERSONS CAN CONTACT WAINWRIGHT MISICK ON CELL 231-0195

T & C MINITURE GOLF CLUB SEEKS 1 LABOURER Must be hardworking and reliable Salary $5.00 per hour Contact 941-4653

Page 12

Kangaroo Care bounces into TCI

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

InterHealth Canada announces new health care initiative

A GROUND-BREAKING initiative that could save the lives of newborn babies has been launched in the TCI. InterHealth Canada has introduced Kangaroo Care at its medical centres in Provo and Grand Turk.

Few things are more natural in life than a mother holding her newborn infant in her arms for the first time, and Kangaroo Care teaches parents an alternative method.

The concept involves the practice of providing skin-to-skin contact to an infant immediately after birth. Typically, the baby is placed in an upright position on the mother’s bare chest, so there is as much skin contact as possible – hence Kangeroo Care.

And while the method has been proved to improve the bond between parent and child, it’s also helped save lives.

InterHealth Canada pediatrician, Dr Lorena Soler, who has helped introduce the initiative, explained: “In 1983, the practice was implemented for the first time in Bogota, Colombia.

Neonatologists Edgar Rey and Hector Martinez proposed this method of care as a means to combat the lack of space

Pictured is Madelaine Edejer who practiced Kangaroo Care with her daughter Portia Miracle Climo, who was born at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Provo.

and technology in the local hospitals.

“Studies indicated that the implementation of Kangaroo Care reduced the infant mortality rate from 70 percent to 30 per cent.

“Kangaroo Care is something that a number of InterHealth Canada staff

have used in other countries prior to coming to the TCI and so it seemed a natural progression to introduce it here.

“So far it worked out really well and has been embraced warmly by parents. Already we have seen it help bond parents and their babies and in

some cases it’s definitely greatly helped improve the health and wellness of infants.”

With the skin-to-skin contact encouraged by Kangaroo Care, a hormone called oxytocin is released, which calms mother and baby and can assist with satisfactory milk production.

And the bonding benefits of this method of newborn care are not exclusive to new mothers with fathers also encouraged to become active participants.

Neonatol nurse, Susan Howe, who launched the project with Dr Soler, said: “We have seen some fantastic results with Kangaroo Care here in the TCI and it’s something that is being embraced by mothers and fathers alike.

“Already we have seen a couple of babies’ health improve dramatically because of the practice and that is obviously very good news.

“Whether baby is fully healthy or requiring extra attention, Kangaroo Care can make a huge difference and it’s something we intend to offer to teach all parents, should they be interested.”

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY TURKS AND CAICOS NATIONAL INSURANCE BOARD

The Turks and Caicos Islands National Insurance Board wishes to invite suitably qualified individuals for consideration for appointment to the post of Human Resource Manager at its Grand Turk Head Office.

HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION MANAGER – TCINIB

AMBERGRIS CAY SERVICES LTD

POSITION AVAILABLE Ambergris Cay Services Ltd (in Receivership) is seeking (2) suitable applicants to fill available posts on Ambergris Cay. The available posts are for:

DOMESTIC WORKER/HOUSEKEEPER

Daily tasks will include, but are not limited to: • Assisting the Housekeeping Team with daily housekeeping duties, including cleaning of members/guests homes, staff dormitories, offices, etc. while ensuring that the housekeeping area is kept in a tidy manner at all times.

• Clean and maintain housekeeping equipment as required.

Requirements: Applicants must be: • attentive to details • self-motivated • able to understand and speak English fluently • able to work with little or no

supervision • physically fit, dependable and hard working • in possession of clean police record Salary: $7.00 to $9.00 per hour Closing Date for Applications is Wednesday March 23rd, 2011

Applications must be addressed to: Ambergris Cay Services Ltd Unit 51, Salt Mills Plaza, Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands E-mail: heather.allen@ambergristci.com Tel: (649)-941-3777 Fax: (649)-941-3778

Duties and Responsibilities Reporting to the Deputy Director Corporate Services, the Human Resources and Administration Manager is generally accountable for the human resource management infrastructure, related institutional policies and support systems which facilitate the attraction, management, development and retention of the human resources required to effectively achieve the stated objectives of the Turks and Caicos Islands National Insurance Board.

Requirements The successful candidate must be a matured, seasoned and highly motivated, results-oriented team player that is committed to HR development and problem solving. The individual must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Knowledge of National Insurance operations will be an asset. The Turks and Caicos Islands National Insurance Board will consider applicants that possess not less than a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management and at least five (5) years related experience, two (2) of which must be at senior managerial level. Experience must include hands-on responsibility for the full scope of human resources activities.

The successful candidate will be appointed on a permanent basis subject to the completion of a successful period of probation. The compensation and benefits which attend this position will be commensurate with the qualifications, experience and potential of the successful applicant.

Salary will be in the Salary Range Management VI $70,001 to $90,000.

Your application along with detailed curriculum vitae must be addressed in a sealed envelope to reach no later than March 30th, 2011 to: The Secretary Turks and Caicos Islands National Insurance Board Misick Building Church Folly Grand Turk Turks and Caicos BWI.

Page 13

Robert Hall banned from Advisory Council meetings

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

POPULAR TCI RADIO talk show host Robert Hall who is employed to the state-run Radio Turks and Caicos (RTC) allegedly has been banned from covering future Advisory Council meetings as a result of his role in the four-day anti-government protest between Tuesday, March 15 and Friday, March 18 in Providenciales.

This newspaper was informed that the information to this effect was communicated to Hall by the station’s director, Chris Jarrett.

When contacted by The SUN to clarify the matter, the social commentator confirmed the incident, saying that it appeared there was an attempt to muzzle him.

Hall said: “I would have to say it’s true in the sense that when I returned from Provo, the manager of the radio station told me that….(someone) said that he had listened to the programme – I don’t know if it was the public address that I made or what – and believed that I was in breach of the Public Broadcasting Ordinance or something to that effect, in that, my comments, and according to him, were not appropriate.

Hall said he did not give the communication much though; since he believed that the demonstration was peaceful and no one was incited to commit any form of violence during the demonstration.

However, he noted that the following day Jarrett approached him again and related to him that he would no longer be welcome to cover Advisory Council meetings.

“The following evening he (Jarrett) told me (he was told) that I am no longer invited to cover Advisory Council Meetings,” Hall explained.

Hall, however, remained undaunted in the wake of the verbal communications, vowing that he would attend the news briefings until he received a letter from Jarrett saying otherwise or be thrown out by the Governor.

“I told him, as the manager (for the station), if he puts it in writing, I would respect his wishes, but other than that, covering Advisory Council

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Radio talk show host Robert Hall

remains my job description. And in the absence of the letter stating otherwise in carrying out my functions, I will go to such a meeting and let the Governor put me out if is so desires,” Hall insisted.

Hall noted that since he received nothing in writing from the station manager he did not feel the need to take up the matter with the Governor Gordon Wetherell or the Attorney

General Hew Sheppard, saying that he was awaiting the Jarrett’s next move.

“Let’s put it this way, if… (anyone) felt that I have committed an infraction, I would expect them to point out those infractions and give me an opportunity to respond, that’s what I expect. And from the management point-of-view, they (station) would have a paper trail to suggest well, at least, I have been warned in this regard.

“But in the three years that I have been conducting those programmes, never once has the manager or anyone said to me, ‘well, Robert did that or the other’, and I am always mindful of things like that. So I would not say anything slanderous, libelous or what have you, to bring the programme or the station in disrepute. I am very careful about that” Hall asserted.

The SUN understands that the message that Hall was barred from attending Advisory Council meetings was communicated by an official from the Governor’s Office. It was noted, however, that the station itself was not banned from attending meetings, as the Governor’s Office indicated that other journalists were welcomed to attend and that Hall’s relationship with the

station was no way threatened, and so his talk show remains intact.

Informed sources also disclosed that an email was sent to Hall and copied to Susan Malcolm, Permanent Secretary in Office of Public Service Management, on Wednesday, March 16, minutes before Hall left Grand Turk to attend the National High School Track and Field meet in Providenciales regarding the communication from the Governor’s Office.

In the meantime, in wake of the development Hall gave the following summary: “It is clear in my view that they (Government) are comfortable when I criticize the PNP and the PDM as I have done many times – local people. But apparently, but it seems that the British are untouchable. And as far as I am concerned, now that they are in direct control, whatever happens now is on their watch, and it is fair criticism; it’s up to the press and the public to critique their performance.

“And the direction that they are heading in with cuts and taxes and what have you, that’s not the way to grow this economy, that’s not the way to bring prosperity to the people.”

Wanted

KITCHEN HELPER/ FOOD SERVER/PURCHASER

Giggles Ice Cream Parlour – Starting wage $6.00/hr – Start April 15, 2011 JOB REQUIREMENTS * Food Handlers Permit, Experience in Food Prep * Must have own vehicle * Computer skills, Word Perfect and Excel * Excellent interpersonal skills * 3 character references required * Must be available day times, evenings, weekends, & holiday’s Send Resume to Mrs. Műck at brita@tciway.tc or drop off at Giggles in Ports of Call. Tel. no. 649-946-5394Closing Date: April 11th , 2011

ONE PAINTER

Salary: $7 per hour Interested applicants contact Claudette Gibson at 941-5853

Page 14

LOCAL NEWS Rudolph R. Smith is seeking one

domestic Worker

to work week days.

Salary negotiable. interested persons please call 231-1916

ABuNdANt liFE FRENCh miNiStRiES

SEEKS FoR FouR (4) pERSoNS 1 Bus driver 1 musician 2 Cleaners must be hardworking and reliable Salary $6.00 per hour Six days per week Contact 242-5459

Hospital responds to complaints of long waits TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

PATIENTS OF THE two new hospitals in the Turks and Caicos Islands who have been complaining about long waiting periods before they are seen by doctors, have been told by health officials that it is “unavoidable”.

In response to questions by The SUN on behalf of several concerned patients of the hospital in Providenciales and the one in Grand Turk, who have contacted this newspaper complaining about lengthy waits, InterHealth Canada’s chief medical officer, Dr Robyn Barnes, said: “Waiting times exist in emergency departments the world over and, unfortunately, it’s something that is unavoidable. Like all other hospitals, InterHealth Canada operates a triage system at both Cheshire Hall and Cockburn Town Medical Centres.”

She added: “This involves people’s needs being assessed as soon as they enter the department and they are then seen in order of priority. Obviously those with the most serious

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

complaints are seen first. On occasions, persons are rushed into the department needing immediate, life-saving treatment and so the waiting times of those already in line will obviously increase because of this. If the department is quiet then people will naturally been seen quicker than when it is busy.”

In response to questions from Grand Turk residents who said the health of children in the island-capital was being compromised because there was no pediatrician there for some time, Barnes explained: “There is a pediatrician in place at the Cockburn Town Medical Centre in Grand Turk, and has been for some six weeks now. Prior to that there was a period without one while recruiting was taking place, although clinics and emergencies were obviously covered during this time by doctors traveling over from the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.”

New ambulances for TCI

TWO BRAND NEW ambulances are now on the streets of Provo.

The state of the art vehicles have arrived on island and are expected to go into service by the end of the month.

Both are packed full of the very latest in medical equipment, including high tech stretchers and anti-bacterial fittings.

Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Judith Campbell, said: “We are delighted to have obtained these two brand new vehicles, which will be a huge asset to heath care in the TCI. “It’s a key milestone for the Ministry of Health and a positive outcome to what has been a priority issue.

“But more importantly it’s about the benefits the ambulances bring to the people of the TCI. “Modern, extensively equipped vehicles such as these will ultimately help save lives – something that is simply priceless.”

The purchase of the ambulances, which cost $85,000 each, brings to an end an embarrassing chapter for the TCI Government.

Over recent months, the country’s existing medical response

vehicles have been beset by mechanical problems, forcing them off the road for long periods.

In fact, as recently as December, a hired mini-bus with blacked out windows was being used.

“These have been trying times for the Turks and Caicos Emergency Medical Services (EMS)”, said Campbell, “and I’d like to thank its staff for their hard work and patience over recent months.

“We have all been frustrated by the lack of working equipment, but we can now look forward with confidence and pride.”

The flame red Ford diesel E350’s, which come with 12 month warranties, had originally been ordered from Canadian suppliers, Demers, for military duty in the Middle East.

But after the customer changed its mind, the TCI Government was able to snap them up at a muchreduced price.

EMS paramedic supervisor, Pat Riel, said he and his staff were looking forward to operating the new ambulances.

He explained: “This is a wonderful day for the TCI and I am so pleased we have these fantastic vehicles.

“They really are state of the art

and they even include specially treated walls, floors and ceilings that make it almost impossible for bacteria to breed and that is certainly an amazing development in terms of modern day ambulances.

“All EMS staff are now undertaking mandatory driver training, after the vehicles will be freshly sign-written and then go into service on the streets of Provo.”

He added: “Beyond that, the current stock of ambulances in the TCI will now undergo rigorous repairs and maintenance and the plan is to then ensure that every other island has an emergency response vehicle at its disposal.”

Meanwhile bosses at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre have also welcomed the arrival of the new vehicles.

InterHealth Canada TC CEO, Roger Cheesman, said: “The EMS teams provide sterling service to the community and have proven extremely flexible in working under difficult circumstances.

“These purchases by the TCI Government and the executive team at the Ministry of Health will enable the EMS teams to serve with even greater efficiency and moves the overall healthcare system of country one step forward.”

FoR RENt

Fully furnished, one bedroom one and a half bathroom waterfront cottage in Chalk Sound with Central AC, washer/dryer and utilities already connected. Elevated site with magnificient views ocean view. Available Immediately. For Further Details call Carol on 241 1388.

Page 15

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

LOCAL NEWS

CROSSING THE THATCHER LINE We are $260M in the hole and digging deeper at a rate of $50M per annum. We are geographically, culturally, socially and economically American, but due to an historical aberration of geo-colonialism, the Euro-Brits are here to fix our economic problems.

Those problems were caused MOSTLY by the governmental failures of those very same Brits across a 30-year span. That pattern of failure was itself a consequence of the Brits' treacherous scheme to nudge these worthy but profoundly ill-prepared islands out into the cruel world.

Students of irony will note that had the Brits not engaged in a 30-year policy of pursuing a cynical premature independence, but had rather pursued a policy of inculcating good governance instead, then these islands might just have been ready by now to take that step to full independence.

Instead, they were betrayed. Brit policy destroyed these islands' chance of developing a resilient civil society. It also obviated the foundational concepts of tolerance, honesty and transparency in public service and inalienable individual freedoms within these otherwise excellent islands.

To make present matters even more perilous, the occupying Euro-Brits are fresh off the 65-year destruction of their own economies through a vigorous tax and spend government intrusion philosophy that proclaims there is no single human problem that cannot be resolved with more government intrusion into private activity.

And lo and behold, the Euro-Brits now claim that a VAT, a distinctly Euro concept, an intrusive electricity tax (that will be forced upon PPC as a condition of its continued monopolistic rape of the populace) and a tinkered work permit fee collection system (don't say income tax though) will do the trick for us too. So who would have seen that coming?

Yet not a one of our leader-less islanders has dared to ask the Brits publicly, "Can you tell us precisely where and when a small island economy with virtually no natural resources has ever grown itself out of massive debt via a system of increased government intrusion and taxation that targets and tends to exclude the very customers needed to run its small economy and produce public revenue?" Not a peep. Not even from those docile Brit-selected islanders on the non-advisory and non-consultative councils.

Clue for the Clueless Brits: You can tinker around cleverly with the work permit collection system (don't say income tax) all you want. If it operates to increase the cost of an employee beyond his value to his employer, he's gone, together with what would have been collected, plus future growth, had you not tinkered around so cleverly. If there is then no islander of equivalent-commercial value (education plus experience plus potential minus the cost of the work permit) to fill that job, the employing business must attempt to cope without the value that had been provided by the prior employee.

If the business can't survive because you've cleverly taxed away its key personnel beyond the critical point, the business folds and all of its other jobs and taxes are gone too. This has always happened to your clueless tinkering everywhere you've tried it on this particular planet. It will happen here even if you don't want it to. It will happen here even if it doesn't conform to the last 20 Socialist

seminars to which the FCO sent you. It will happen here even if you will personally be long gone when the consequences of your clever tinkering become apparent to the leader-less islanders.

Clue for the Leader-less islanders: The Brit VAT, and indeed any other tax increase forced upon us while our small island economy is in the tank, will be fundamentally flawed in three ways: (1) direct consumption taxes are disastrous for island economies; (2) our economic problem is PRIMARILY a spending one, not a revenue one; and (3) a VAT will never go away.

(1) If you want less of something, tax it. If you want a lot less of something, tax it on an island.

This cause and effect has been demonstrated time and time again on large land masses with much more captive populations.

The effects of supply and demand are concentrated in an island economy, depending upon the degree of initial stability at the commencement of the tax. The Torch suggests that we are at a low level of social, economic and demographic stability at the impending commencement of this very clever disastrous VAT. The Brits can't see this because capitalism is simply contrary to their post-WWII view of how government intrusion fixes everything. When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When you're a Socialist, everything looks like more government intrusion will fix it.

So they will seek to ignore supply and demand, even though its effects will be concentrated in our small unstable, de-populated economy, by taxing what they think people cannot do without - household goods, electricity and work permits. They will be surprised to find that supply and demand will defeat their Socialist brilliance yet again.

The Brits may well speak blithely of "revenue streams," but an extensive VAT black market will develop and many more customers of our economy will leave and not be replaced as a direct consequence of the existence of a VAT, electricity tax and a tinkered work permit fee (don't say income tax).

Then, when these inevitable market forces take away their anticipated revenue, the Brits, after consulting even better experts, will increase the taxes they instituted - on the basis that they were not intrusive enough. The solution will never be that they were TOO intrusive. And so it will devolve - as it has in Europe since WWII. (2) If public sector spending here was slashed, there would be hardship for those who had no reasonable expectation of their valueless jobs and contracts in the first place, but things would get better faster for all other individuals who did not take such jobs.

The Brits will never cut public sector spending sufficiently because on an ideological level, public sector employment represents their ideal: public employment is not oriented toward making a profit, there is no competition, generous health-care and retirement benefits are provided by the government.

This is how Socialists think all people should live.

Therefore, if the Brits tell us that they will cut public sector spending by 25%, that is how we know that a much higher percentage cut would be appropriate. We don't know how much would be proper because the Brits have declined so far to provide figures, which would reveal the full extent of their treachery over the years.

Those who live at the public trough can do so only because most people don't live at the public trough. The Socialist utopia of public employment being financed by a new VAT and other intrusive taxes (don't say income tax)eventually crosses what

objectivist commentator Robert Tracinski calls the Thatcher Line—the point at which, as the Iron Lady used to say, you run out of other people's money.

(3) VAT's never go away. Once implemented, our reputation and economy will be tainted by a VAT forever.

Additionally, sooner or later the Brits will have to hand over the expandable VAT revenue stream to one of the local political gangs. It doesn't matter which one, the bigots or the criminals (that's not to imply that the bigots are not criminals, just less imaginative ones).

The same Brits who designed the Crown Land policy and handed it over to the political gangs would be doing the same thing with the VAT. So what could possibly go wrong with that?

It is against this backdrop of Brit economic cluelessness that we who care about the future of the TCI must proceed. We must drag those clueless scheming Socialist Brits into our future.

Suggestions are needed. We've had some good ones.

But then action must ensue, based upon the very best suggestions only.

You are aware of The Torch's Executive Residency Program suggestion to grow our economy by advertising for executive/professional types to come live here and run their businesses and professions from here while being our immigration, customs, real estate and local business customers. As a secondary consequence, such a program would balance the national budget in a time frame dependent upon how spending is controlled.

However, a VAT would destroy an Executive Residency Program. What high-income individual would come here from the US to save perhaps $4050K per annum (Federal and state) under IRC 911 in order to pay, not just an EXTRA 100% on all purchases just because we're on an island, but then an EXTRA approximate $7-8K a year to PPC (not including the 10% tax), an EXTRA perhaps $8-10K per annum in customs duty (an average rate of say 20% on directly and indirectly imported goods of say $3K customs value per month), an unknown EXTRA amount for monopoly stevedoring and then ADD an EXTRA what, $9K per annum (a 15% VAT on say $5K of goods purchased locally per month).

Why would anyone even consider us under those circumstances?

Obviously, more sophisticated high earners would also have many personal non-economic factors they would consider in deciding whether to come here and then whether to stay. Those might include how warmly and friendly they are welcomed by the local population and allowed to assimilate; how efficiently they are treated here by government departments; how secure they feel in their immigration status; how clean the environment is; the availability of competent staff and household help; the level of honesty and competence of local businesses; the level of public and private justice for all individuals in society; the level of fair treatment provided equally to all individuals in both the public and private sectors; and the extent to which they have and are able to enjoy inalienable human rights unquestionably.

So you can you see how important it is that all of our economic ducks are in a row. Do the Brits get this? The Torch doubts it. Do islanders get it?

The Torch doesn't know. Will we cross the Thatcher Line. Probably.

"I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." - Winston Churchill, the last Brit before Mrs. Thatcher to understand the above.

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Precious Treasures Primary hosts first Boys Day

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

By Vivian Tyson SUN Senior Editor

IT WAS A proud occasion on Friday, March 11, when fathers, and male guardians, whose children attend the Precious Treasures Pre and Primary School took time from their arduous schedules to share close moments with their offspring at the institution’s first annual boys day recognition exercise.

The fathers, who ranged from varying rungs of the corporate and socioeconomic ladder, appeared only too happy to turn up and give support to their male children much to the delight of the children.

Grade Six teacher and a coordinator for the day’s events, O’Neil Chung noted that the initiative was to demonstrate to the male student population that the school appreciated them and wanted them to recognize that that at some point in their lives they will be called upon to play special roles in society.

Chung noted that the day’s theme: “The power of being a man”, was the bedrock on which the day’s activities were built. He said the theme was broken down into subtopics, and speakers that were invited to deliver lectures, spoke along those lines.

Fathers and mentors are captured with their children in the Precious Treasures auditorium observing a performance on stage

The speakers included Principal for the Maranatha High School, Reinford Trail, who spoke with the boys on “I am a man, a wonderful creation”, and Pastor for the Community Fellowship Centre, Bradley Handfield who spoke to the fathers on the importance of growing up their children in a Godly fashion.

“It’s a day of celebrating and commemorating our boys. We started out with presenters coming in, and

end it with games with father and son participating. It is something that is going to be ongoing; it is a work in progress for sure, so it should be better and more enjoyable next time,” Chung asserted.

Chung noted that the looks on the children’s faces demonstrated their deep appreciation that their fathers stayed away from their daily activities to join them for the entire day at school. He noted that there were students that their fathers had been absent, but amends were made with bringing in role models and mentors

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

for them to feel comfortable.

According to him, one of the fundamental reasons the event was held was to allow the boys to identify and adapt to the positives in society while shunning the negatives.

Referencing between the corporate world where males are in the minority and the prisons where they make up for the majority, Chung points to the necessity of having a day where boys are pointed in the right direction.

“When you look a prison, you find mostly males, but the absence of males in educational organizations and institutions. So that is really negative in regards to the male’s role in society. So if we try to solve this problem at an early age, I think the future will be bright for us,” Chung surmised.

In addition to lectures and games, there was also a panel discussion where fathers from among the audience were chosen to lead the discussions. There was also a skit performed by fathers on how one should attire and act when going for a job interview and also how to impress young ladies.

The Precious Treasures Pre and Primary School is run by Yvonne Hutchinson. Last year that school boasted the top GSAT (Grade Six Achievement Test) student in the country in Jonbonae Chung. Together with Jonbonae, Precious Treasures had three students in the top ten.

Runway extension toward Five Cays Road is not a problem, says John Smith

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

THE TURKS AND CAICOS Islands Airports Authority is trying to allay the fears by some members of the public who have been expressing concern that the expansion of the Providenciales International Airport Runway was too close to the Five Cays main road and could be a potential for disaster.

Some residents who contacted The SUN, said now that trees have been cleared to give better view of the airport and its expansion, it appeared scary when passing the Five Cays round-a-bout and seeing the planes taxiing in their direction for take-off and landing.

One of the resident even draw reference to American Airlines craft which overshot the runway at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, mowed down the perimeter fence, crossing the road and ended up on the beach meters short of the Caribbean Sea. However, Smith noted that while there is almost a clearer view of the airport from section of the Five Cays main road, noted that the runway stops a great distance from the roadside perimeter fence. Smith noted also that in many major cities across the world, airports are located near the road, and there had been not reports of frequent

LOCAL NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Rehabilitation work being done near the perimeter fence along the Five Cays Main Road

accidents in that regard.

Smith noted that at the end of every runway there is an extended area called the Runway End Safety Area (RESA), which he said, by international standard, should be a specified length. He noted that Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority has strictly complied with the highest standard of RESA so as to avert any form of overshooting danger.

THE PHYSICAL PLANNING

(DEVELOPMENT PERMISSION) REGULATION 1990 REGULATION 7 APPLICATION GRAND TURK BOARD FOR CASINO AND STAFF

ACCOMODATION GRAND TURK BLOCK AND PARCEL 10503/97

Notice is hereby given to the application PR 10767 has been submitted by Calvin Nathaniel Harvey to the Physical Planning Board for approval in respect to Block and Parcel 60609/84, located on Five Cays, South Dock Road, Providenciales, the construction of the Church, Parking Lot and Landscaping.

Any person wishing to make representation(s) concerning the development may do so in writing by sending such representation to the Director of Planning, South Base, Grand Turk or through the Department of Planning, Butterfield Building, Providenciales with twenty eight (28) days of the publication of this notice.

Notice Posted:

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“If you look at airports runways in major cities and in other places, you would see that some of their perimeters fences are rather close to the road as well. That does not mean that there is not a built-in safety measure in that. Each end of the runway you can find the highest standard of RESAs now. They were 180 metres, and now we are moving them to 240 metres.

“That is not a concern with that; we are fully compliant with the ICAO (International Civil Aviation

Organisation) and its fourteen standards as it currently stands and we are taking it a step further,” Smith said, adding that Government can be sued if it revealed that the RESA does not meet international standard.

The Airports Authority CEO said in order to achieve the 240 metre RESA, the runway has been shifted further to the west, which is said would be evident once the overlay work is completed.

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LOCAL NEWS

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Essential pension and payroll changes Issue Under the Pensions Ordinance, TCI Government Officers are required to take compulsory retirement at the age of 55 years but NIB pensions are not payable until 60 years. For public servants employed after 6th April 1992 this would result in 5 years of retirement without the ability to draw a pension.

The Interim Government is committed to ensuring that all public servants receive the pay and allowances to which they are entitled.

At the same time, we must obviously ensure that they do not receive payments to which they are not properly entitled. To achieve this would be an important objective at any time to safeguard and properly account for public money; but the crisis in TCIG finances means that it is now critical and we must act swiftly.

Failure to do so is not an option as this would require more severe and immediate cuts in public expenditure elsewhere.

We have thoroughly reviewed the payroll to ensure that all payments are properly made and accounted for; this exercise has identified a number of significant anomalies which need to be resolved as proposed in the attached paper. This will ensure that all public servants are treated fairly while generating significant savings that will help to reduce the need for cuts in the size of the public service. It is important to note that most of the problems identified can be fixed simply by proper application of the existing rules.

Issue When the National Insurance Ordinance was introduced in 1992, TCIG transferred its liability for employee pensions into that scheme. From 6 April 1992 TCIG has paid contributions to NIB to fund employee pensions, and any employees joining the service after that date are only entitled to an NIB pension.

To avoid double payments the NIB Ordinance states that government pensions shall be reduced by the amount of NIB pension received. This has not been happening and pensioners have received both pensions in error. This has resulted in overpayments by TCI Government of $2m so far, and is currently costing over $600k per year.

Current Process For people employed by TCIG before 6 April 1992, TCIG pension is payable from the age of 55. NIB pension is payable when the person reaches the age of 60.

Revised Process TCIG pension will be paid until 60 years of age. When the pensioner reaches the age of 60, NIB will inform TCIG of the pension payable and TCIG will reduce its payment accordingly.

Those currently in receipt of both pensions will have their TCIG pension reduced by the correct amount. No change is required to the existing legislation. The Interim Administration has no wish to see pensioners suffer because of poor administration in the past. Accordingly, we will not seek to recover past overpayments.

Current Process Civil servants employed before 6th April 1992 are entitled to a TCIG pension at the age of 55.

Civil servants employed after 6th April 1992 are entitled to an NIB pension at the age of 60, leading to a 5 year pension gap.

Proposed Process The retirement age for TCIG employees will be increased to 60.

For officers over the age of 50, so a transitional scheme will be introduced under which they can still retire at 55 years; if they were employed before 6 April 1992 and are entitled to a TCIG pension they will still be able to receive it.

If they were employed on or after 6 April 1992 they will be able to draw a TCIG pension of ¾ of the pension that would have been payable if they had been employed before 6 April 1992 (without the opportunity to convert any amount into a gratuity).

TCIG will retain the right to extend the retirement age to up to 60 for officers currently over 50 years of age if it is in the public interest to do so. Issue It has been standard practice for persons in TCIG to retire at 55 years and draw a government pension and then on being re-employed receive simultaneously a salary and pension.

Current Process Officers retire from public service and are then reemployed so that they draw both a pension and a salary.

Proposed Process Pension payments will automatically cease on reemployment within government service with no exceptions.

All pension payments for retired officers who are re-employed within government service will be suspended in accordance with the current legislation.

Issue The Pensions Ordinance for civil servants employed prior to 6 April 1992 allows them to convert ¼ of the pensionable salary into a gratuity equal to 12 ½ times its value.

This is a significant financial burden on government and is also the cause of significant inequality between officers employed before and after the introduction of the NIB Ordinance.

Once civil servants reach the age of 60 years after 5 years of retirement their TCIG pension will be reduced by the NIB pension and the TCIG will in effect have overpaid 7 ½ times the worth of the gratuity. This overpayment has totalled in excess of $6m.

Current Process Officers retire at 55 years and convert ¼ of the pensionable sum to 12 ½ times its value.

At 60 years the NIB pension is payable and the TCIG pension should be reduced by this value but this has not happened.

Proposed Process The right to convert ¼ of their pension to a gratuity will be removed from the Pensions Ordinance.

Issue The pension calculation takes into account housing and other personal allowances in its calculation but these allowances seek to reimburse the costs of actual expenditure incurred. As TCI Government does not prescribe where the individual lives after retirement these costs should not be included in the calculation in future. The volume of these allowances has increased significantly over the last 10 years.

Current Process Housing allowances are included in the calculation of pension entitlements.

Proposed Process The Pensions Ordinance will be changed to remove the inclusion of housing allowances in the pension calculation. Only basic salary will be included in the calculation.

Issue General Orders cap the amount of leave civil servants can accumulate from one year to the next at 30 days. However many civil servants have accumulated leave in excess of 300 days and request payment up on leaving the service.

Systems for recording annual leave have not been effectively managed and there is a possibility that leave is taken but not recorded. For the financial years 2006 to 2010 this has cost the tax payer $3.6m, with instances where over $200k has been paid to specific individuals.

Current Process Any accumulated leave is paid when a civil servant leaves.

Accumulated leave has been capped at 1 years salary although cases exist where numbers in excess of this have been approved.

Proposed Process No more than 30 days accumulated leave will be paid when an employee leaves the service.

A temporary concession will be applied allowing payment for up to 60 days leave where this is supported by proper records. This will be reduced by 2½ days each month until March 2012 when the 30 day rule will be strictly enforced.

Contract workers will no longer be able to accumulate annual leave and be paid this upon completion of their contracts.

Issue Permanent Secretaries have the right under General Orders to hire waged staff and temporary employees for up to 3 months. The number of waged and temporary employees has grown

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Essential pension and payroll changes cont’d significantly, and there are many employees who have been paid on temporary contracts for more than 3 years. There are also instances where temporary staff are appointed when waged staff take annual leave.

Current Process Permanent Secretaries inform Treasury of a new starter and payments are then initiated.

responsibilities.

Current Process Responsibilities allowances are often included in officers’ emoluments.

Temporary responsibility allowances have been awarded for considerable periods of time.

Temporary employees are paid through the accounts payable system through vouchers generated in the department and forwarded to Treasury for payment.

Proposed Process Where responsibility allowances have been awarded to posts as part of remuneration, these will be re-designated as professional allowances.

Newly awarded responsibility allowances will cease automatically after 3 months.

Proposed Process OPSM will be involved in the recruitment of all waged staff. Restrictions over the appointment of salaried staff will also apply to waged staff.

Responsibility allowances will only be awarded to civil servants at Head of Department level and above.

All staff, both permanent and temporary, will be paid through the payroll system with no exceptions.

Permanent Secretaries will need to submit a business case to retain any temporary staff currently paid through the accounts payable system. Temporary staff will not be employed to cover duties when waged staff takes annual leave.

Issue

The cost of acting allowances has increased significantly and some staff continue to receive these once their acting positions have ceased.

Current Process Acting allowances are awarded to staff who undertake the duties of more senior officers when they are absent for periods of 28 days or longer.

Often these are awarded for considerable periods of time with documentation leaving expiry open ended, and they have continued to be paid when they should have ceased.

Proposed Process Acting allowances will only be awarded for a maximum of 3 months; these will automatically cease at the end of this period and Accounting Officers will be required to re-submit applications for extension.

Acting allowances will only be awarded to officers who are acting for Head of Department level or above.

Issue

Responsibility allowances are awarded to staff undertaking additional duties for a period in excess of 7 days, but some jobs have been wrongly advertised with responsibility allowances when the salary should have reflected these additional

Issue

The number of civil servants receiving transport allowances has been steadily increasing, causing a significant drain on government finances. As there are no qualification criteria for the allowance it has been paid inconsistently.

Current Process Presently 299 officers are in receipt of transport allowances but there are no qualifying criteria in GO’s.

Proposed Process A review of existing transport allowances will be undertaken; Permanent Secretaries will be required to determine the number of miles officers undertake on official duties each month.

A business case will need to be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance where a decision will be made regarding their entitlement.

Future applications for transport allowances will only be considered where it can be clearly shown that the officer is undertaking in excess of 300 official miles per month; at least 3 months of casual usage must be undertaken before the application can be made.

Issue

Housing allowances are awarded to contract officers, police and local officers who are required to transfer to another island in the interest of public service. Presently a significant number of officers have been in receipt of housing allowances for long periods.

Current Process Transferred officers are entitled to receive a housing allowance for up to 5 years at which time it is considered to be their permanent place of work and allowances should cease. This has not been happening and often local appointees have

been awarded allowances despite working in the island from which they were recruited.

Proposed Process Housing allowances for transferred officers will cease after 3 years.

All officers in receipt of housing allowances (except police and contract officers) will be requested to submit an electronic application setting out why a housing allowance should be payable.

These will be reviewed and unjustified payments will cease within 2 months.

Issue

The provisions in the NHIP and NIB ordinances state that all emoluments should be included in the calculation of payments due, but this has not been correctly applied with a number of allowances remaining outside the current payroll calculations.

Proposed Process To ensure compliance with the existing ordinance NHIP and NIB contributions will be calculated on all emoluments.

Issue

Pensioners are not currently subject to any verifications to ensure they remain entitled to the payments.

Current Process TCIG pensioners are not verified like those under the NIB scheme.

Proposed Process Pension verification/life certificates will be issued to all pensioners at 6 monthly intervals requesting medical certification. This is similar to the process operated by the NIB. Where forms are not returned pension payments will be suspended until contact is made and the forms submitted.

Issue

The 10% pay reduction was to be applied to all salaries and allowances, with the exception of the housing allowance, but in practice a number of allowances were excluded. The result of this has been overpayments of $34k per month, equating to $408k per annum.

Proposed Process The 10% cut will be applied to all allowances with the exception of housing allowances.

The housing allowance will be kept under review and may be reduced in future if necessary.

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LOCAL NEWS

Committed to Investing in the

TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS

CAPITAL INVESTMENT = 25.3% “Four years ago we developed and implemented a very strategic capital investment programme. This programme is a roadmap which provides us with direction and guidance on how to plan and manage our infrastructure investments. Our motto is the “Relentless Pursuit of Progress” and from 2007 PPC Ltd has invested approximately one hundred and ten million dollars ($110,000,000) in infrastructure projects to provide the best quality electricity and service to residents and businesses within our service territory.”

- CEO and President Mr. Eddinton Powell

IT Room

New Building

Vehicle Fleet Facility

Fuel Farm

Linesmen Centre

South Caicos Building

New Engine

Transmission & Dev. Upgrades

PPC LTD. The Relentless Pursuit of Progress!

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Top Chef scrumptious creation

The Winning Team

Team Andre Maragh— Andrea Bryan, Judith P. Lacsa & Jolito Taranza

Team Wayne Brissett— Josiane Duncan, Takeyce Taylor & Wenton Rolle

1st Place Team Andre Maragh— Andrea Bryan, Judith P. Lacsa & Jolito Taranza

Team Wayne Brissett planning their strategies

Judge- Manager of Somewhere Restaurant & Bar, Luis Fabara; BeachesFood & Beverage manager David Bairos.

Top Chef competition in progress

Station 1 presentation

Team Christopher Johnson’s Chicken/Crab Salad with Avocado

Assistant Training Manager, Raluca Petrica and Executive Chef, Colin Watson

Team Dillon Campbell’s Seared Scallop

Top Chef scrumptious creation

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LOCAL NEWS

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MARCH 5TH - MARCH 12TH, 2010 MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

About Easter Jesus Christ died on a cross on a Friday almost two thousand years ago. Christians believe that on the following Sunday, Christ rose from the dead and, in doing so, proved that He is the Son of God. The day Jesus died and was buried is known as Good Friday. The following Sunday is Easter.

In olden times, Christian monks were very good at explaining their religion to those who hadn’t heard of God or Jesus. They almost always took symbols of significance of the people they were teaching and used those symbols to teach about God. The timing of Easter was such that it coincided with the spring festivals of many pagan religions.

These spring festivals celebrated the wakening of the world after spring. Luckily, this “awakening” went very well with the monks teaching of Jesus’ resurrection! The ideas of the rebirth of spring were merged with the Christian teachings of Jesus resurrection to form the Easter holiday most of us know today.

How to Organize an Easter Egg Hunt 1. Send out colorful construction paper cutouts in the shape of ducks and rabbits as invitations to the hunt.

2. Fill plastic eggs with small toys, jellybeans, coins, stickers, beads, stamps, key chains and candies. Estimate about a dozen eggs per guest.

3. Decorate nearby tables with pastel-colored tablecloth and streamers.

4. Stock the tables with punch and snacks for hungry hunters.

5. Set up the playing area according to age groups, either dividing the area by age group and marking the boundaries clearly, or by color coding eggs (for example, blue and green ones for the older kids, yellow and pink for younger kids).

6. Hide eggs based on the age group. Go easy on the younger ones, leaving eggs on low branches and open places.

7. Station supervising adults in designated areas of the hunting site at the beginning of the game.

8. Start the game off with a whistle, and let the hunt begin!

Lady Gaga to receive Style Icon Award

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Lady Gaga is certainly known for her eye-popping, always-evolving style, and she has shown her passion for fashion at numerous high-profile events. This hasn't gone unnoticed by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as the trade organization announced on Wednesday night that the pop star will be among its 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards winners, the Associated Press reports.

Gaga will be presented with the style icon award at this year's ceremony, which will take place on June 6 in New York City. CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg and executive director Steven Kolb made the announcement at the DVF Studio in the Big Apple, where all the

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

nominations were made public for the event.

Also set to be recognized at the CFDA Awards is designer Marc Jacobs, will who will receive the lifetime achievement award.

According to von Furstenberg, Jacobs e-mailed her noting that he didn't think he was old enough for the honor and that he wanted it renamed the "halflifetime award." She explained to the fashionistas in the room, "I told him that I'm much older than him and I'm still kicking." In addition, Jacobs garnered a nomination for the womenswear designer of the year prize, as did Alexander Wang and the design duo Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler.

Tyra Banks is attending Harvard Business School

Tyra Banks is going back to school, and not just any school: The super-model-turnedmogul has been attending Harvard Business School since last year.

But why did Banks, who runs a successful multi-million-dollar empire, feel the need to further her education?

"In order for my company to grow and be the best, and to reach these women, and to serve them, I needed the best. So I went to the best," Banks, 37, told CBS News recently.

Going back to school has been a long time coming for Banks, who started modeling at age 17, just months before she was supposed to start at L.A.'s Loyola Marymount University.

"The day that I put college on hold because I got discovered to go to Paris and try this whole modeling thing ... was one of the most difficult decisions of my entire life," she said.

But Banks turned that opportunity into dreamlike success: In 2009, Forbes listed her as the highest paid woman in prime time, with an annual income of $30 million.

Now, Banks can clearly afford the steep tuition at Harvard's elite Owner/President Management Program, which requires students participate in intensive three-week sessions costing $31,000 a year for three years.

The America's Next Top Model host admits that people are often shocked to hear she's attending such a prestigious university – but Banks likes it that way.

"When people have low expectations, you're just constantly going, 'Ta-da!' And they're like, 'Wow,' " she said. "It doesn't take a lot to wow them when they have low expectations."

The Olsen twins are also up for an award. They will be competing in the womenswear category for emerging talent for their collection The Row, going up against Prabal Gurung and Joseph Altuzarra. The International Award will go to Phoebe Philo, who designs for Celine and who gets a shout-out from Kanye West on "Dark Fantasy," the lead cut from his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album.

Other 2011 CFDA nominees include Wang, Phillip Lim and Robert Geller in the up-and-coming menswear designer category, and Alejandro Ingelmo, Eddie Borgo, Pamella Love and Jason Wu for accessories.

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MICHELLE OBAMA TO WRITE BOOK ABOUT WHITE HOUSE GARDEN

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama will write a book about the kitchen garden she started at the White House and her efforts to promote healthy eating, the Crown publishing group said on Wednesday.

The as yet untitled book will be published in April 2012, and will see Michelle Obama describing how she was inspired to plant the first edible garden on the White House's South Lawn since Eleanor Roosevelt's World War Two era "victory garden."

She will also share some of her family's favorite healthy recipes, said Crown, a unit of Random House

Lady Gaga

publishers.

Crown said Michelle Obama received no advance and would donate the proceeds to a charity to be determined later.

The book will include photos of Obama's White House garden as well as other community, urban and school gardens around the United States, The first lady has been a strong advocate of healthy eating and exercise and in February 2010 launched her "Let's Move!" initiative aimed at beating child obesity and improving the quality of food in U.S. schools.

Canadian singer Justin Bieber (black top) poses with a waxwork model of himself.

JUSTIN BIEBER MEETS WAX DOUBLE Teenage pop sensation Justin Bieber took time out from touring on Tuesday to visit the Madame Tussauds museum in London and pose next to a waxwork model of himself.

The model, dressed in a red and black checked shirt and black jeans, was one of three Bieber replicas being unveiled -- the others were in Amsterdam and New York.

"It's pretty incredible to see," said the 17-year-old, before joking about how small the waxwork was. "As you can see, you know, I'm at least six feet taller than this guy."

Liz Edwards, spokeswoman for the museum, said the real Bieber would naturally change quickly over the eight months it took to create the life-like model.

"So we really wanted to make sure we made a 'moment in time' figure," she said. "But it's the hair that everyone is paying the biggest attention to. So, I'd say it's the hair that's been the biggest challenge."

The singer, already one of the world's biggest pop stars with albums "My World" and My World 2.0", was accompanied to the event by his mother, and he greeted a small crowd of fans.

JERMAINE JACKSON TO PEN MEMOIR ON BROTHER MICHAEL

Singer Jermaine Jackson is detailing the life of his famous family and late brother Michael Jackson in a memoir that its publisher promises gives a close look at the complex life of the King of Pop. The book, titled "You Are Not Alone: Through a Brother's Eyes" and set for release in fall 2011, will look at the Jackson family from growing up in working class Gary, Indiana to Michael Jackson's private life behind the gates of his Neverland ranch in southern California.

"You Are Not Alone" also will examine his complex relationships with his mother Katherine and father, Joe. Jackson, whose "Thriller" remains the best-selling album of all time, died of a drug overdose in June 2009, and since then, his death has been ruled a homicide.Murray has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set to begin in May. Jermaine Jackson and his brother were part of the Jackson 5 singers who found fame in the late 1960s and 1970s with hits like "ABC" and "I'll Be There," and as a solo artist in the 1980s, Michael Jackson was a force in music.

Page 28

ENTERTAINMENT

Uh uh uh aahh uh uh I can do the pretty girl rock rock Rock to the pretty girl rock rock rock Now what’s your name

My name is Keri, I’m so very Fly oh my is a little bit scary Boys wanna marry looking at my deri And you can stare but if you touch then ima beri Pretty as a picture Sweeter than a swisher Mad cause I’m cuter than the girl that is with ya I ain’t gotta talk about it baby you can see it But if you want ill be happy to repeat it

My name is Keri, I’m so very Fly oh my is a little bit scary Boys wanna marry looking at my deri And you can stare but if you touch it ima beri

Pretty as a picture Sweeter than a swisher Mad cause I’m cuter than the girl that is with ya I can talk about it cause I know that I’m pretty If you know it too then ladies sing it with me

All eyes on me when I walk in, No question that this girl’s a 10 Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful. Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful. My walk my talk the way I dress It’s not my fault so please don’t trip Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful

Aye, now do the pretty girl rock rock rock Do the pretty girl rock rock rock Do the pretty girl rock rock All my ladies do the pretty girl rock rock rock Do the pretty girl rock rock rock Do the pretty girl rock rock Do the pretty girl rock

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Now were you at, If you’re looking for me you can catch me Cameras flashing, daddies turned his head as soon as I passed him Girls think I’m conceded cause I think I’m attraction Don’t worry about what I think why don’t you ask him Owoaah!

Get yourself together don’t hate(don't do it), jealous is the ugliest trait(ohh, don't do it) I can talk about it cause I know that I’m pretty If you know it too then ladies sing it with me

All eyes on me when I walk in, No question that this girl’s a 10 Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful. Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful. My walk my talk the way I dress It’s not my fault so please don’t trip Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful Doing the pretty girl rock rock rock Do the pretty girl rock rock rock Do the pretty girl rock rock Do the pretty girl rock rock All my ladies do the pretty girl rock rock rock Get along with your pretty girl rock rock rock Still show me your pretty girl rock rock rock All my ladies do the pretty girl rock rock rock Sing it with me now

All eyes on me when I walk in, No question that this girl’s a 10 Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful. Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful. My walk my talk the way I dress It’s not my fault so please don’t trip Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful [x2]

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Page 29

ENTERTAINMENT

KFWS • MindGym March 14, 2011

Page 30

FUN & GAMES

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

—2—

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King Features Weekly Service

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

March 14, 2011

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

FUN & GAMES

March 14, 2011 March 14, 2011

King Features WeeklyService Service King Features Weekly

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) With change dominant this week, don’t be surprised to find new facts emerging that could put another slant on a situation and offer you another choice. Think it through before you decide.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) There could be some lingering problems from a previous matter that involved a decision you felt you had to make. Resolve the situation with your strong Taurean nononsense approach.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) The Gemini’s carefully made plans could be undone by someone’s unexpected decision. Getting the full story behind that surprise move can help you decide how to deal with the matter CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Recently uncovered information might put a new light on a situation you thought had been resolved.

Keep an open mind about possible changes that you might have to consider.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) With a potential revision of an old agreement, you can’t beat the Big Cat for knowing how to sharpen a “clause” to the best advantage. Someone close could have the news you’ve been waiting for.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Certain issues in the workplace could put you in the middle of a dispute you’d rather not deal with.

Express your honest feelings before the pressure to take sides builds up.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You might feel uneasy disagreeing with —13— someone you’ve been close

TO THE VICTOR BELONG THE SPOILS

This deal from a team-offour match demonstrates how psychology sometimes plays a primary role in determining the outcome.

The contract at both tables was three notrump played

by South, and both Wests led a spade. Both declarers won East’s ten with the jack, but that is where the similarity ended.

Both declarers realized —13— that they would need a club trick to make the contract, and also recognized the danger posed by the possibility that East might have the ace of clubs. In that case, East

to. But your relationship should be able to withstand and even thrive when confronted with your true feelings.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A romantic situation seems to be creating more confusion than you can handle. If so, own up to your feelings. The sooner you do, the better your chances are for working things out.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) With change directing the Archer’s aim, consider a second look at your plans and see where they might benefit from a revision. A workplace matter is close to a resolution.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) New contacts help you learn some important information about upcoming developments.

The week calls for the Sea Goat to be more flexible than usual in a number of matters.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) With both change and uncertainty in your aspect, you might feel less confident in a previous decision. That’s OK. Check it out and see where it could be modified, if necessary.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Old relationships that seemed to be sinking are buoyant again, and new relationships are benefiting from Cupid’s loving care. This could be a good time to make a major move.

BORN THIS WEEK: While you prefer to tread your own path, you’ll go out of your way to help someone in need.

• one wri wh sag is n not The a m If as org the • out wa a tr gro any the 10 • futu flig are ma • ear as The atu • log is has pie

© 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.

could win the first club lead and return a spade. If West originally had five spades, this would defeat the contract.

At the first table, South crossed to dummy with a diamond at trick two and led a low club toward his hand, hoping to steal his ninth trick if East had the ace and played low. Unfortunately for South, East alertly put up the ace and returned a spade, whereupon West cashed four spade tricks to sink the contract.

The declarer at the second table found a more devious way to try to steal a club trick. After winning the first spade, he cashed the ace of diamonds and then led the club king.

This sequence of plays was designed to foster the impression that South had started with the singleton ace of diamonds and was trying to create an entry to dummy. East was tempted to take his ace, but he had no way of knowing for sure that his partner could run four spade tricks.

So East ducked the king, after which declarer ran like a thief with his nine tricks to net 700 points for his team. © 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.

Onl Car Stre Tru

by J (Na Boo Rev

Ja desc age doe to s inco larly Nev on mig For only and out Tr for an a of r and the ours side the Sco Nor brea and she adv H

’t ur g os. nt cs. y y k y te y M s. le he h

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

King Features Weekly Service

FUN & GAMES

March 14, 2011

n vbve d he

Page 32

ur t, y of h n rt

a h as

—2— —2—

ts ly s, m er n k5, 5, e-

—23—

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

BTC vote could trigger early elections in The Bahamas

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

If Free National Movement (FNM) MPs vote against the privatization of the Bahamas Telecomunications Company (BTC), an election would be called to allow Bahamians to decide on the matter, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said.

"That is our policy," Ingraham told reporters following a tour of the new treasury building on East Street.

The sale of a 51 percent stake of BTC to Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) requires parliamentary approval.

Debate on the issue is expected to begin in the House of Assembly on Monday. At the end of debate parliamentarians will vote on whether the sale should go forward.

Over the past several months the pending sale has created much controversy. The Progressive Liberal Party has already indicated publicly that it will not support the sale of BTC to CWC. Ingraham said yesterday that he is not concerned that the deal will be rejected by FNM members.

"The Manifesto of the FNM

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

we will return to the public of The Bahamas the power that you gave us so that you can decide who will govern you, because if you have a party that commits in its Manifesto that [it is] going to do something but is unable to do so because of the candidates elected, then you have a right to have a say in the matter."

While Ingraham seems sure that the FNM’s parliamentary caucus will support the sale, stiff opposition to the deal remains in other circles.

The unions representing BTC Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham employees have protested the sale from the onset. They believe that Bahamians committed the party if it became the should own the majority stake in BTC. government to privatizing BTC. Every Last month, the unions lost their candidate who ran for the FNM bid to have the court block the sale of committed him or herself to that policy. BTC. Those who won, won on the basis of The Bahamas Communications the policies in our Manifesto. and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) “We therefore expect when it's time and the Bahamas Communications and to vote on it, all FNM MPs will vote for Public Managers Union (BCPMU) it. If FNM MPs do no wish to vote for were seeking an injunction to stop the it and wish to repudiate that then we government from selling BTC. will say that ‘we have said to the public However, Supreme Court Justice of The Bahamas that we will do Neville Adderley said the unions lacked something that we are unable to do’ and the legal capacity to institute and

maintain the action in their own names.

The unions are appealing that decision.

Additionally, groups opposing the sale plan to hold another demonstration outside Parliament when debate begins on Monday.

Despite the opposition to the sale, Ingraham said "nothing can stop" the sale of BTC. The Government of The Bahamas and CWC have already signed the shareholders agreement and share purchase agreement which will give Cable and Wireless the controlling interest in BTC and the sale has recently received approval from the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA).

In addition to the House of Assembly, the Central Bank of The Bahamas must also approve it.

Following those, the Bahamas Investment Authority must issue the new licensee a permit and the Communications Act must be amended to redefine licensing terms to make the proposed exclusivity period legally binding.

INTERISLAND AVIATION SERVICES COMPANY SEEKS:

ONE ASSISTANT MAINTENANCE MANAGER The Engineering Manager is responsible to the Chief Operating Officer for: • ensuring that all aspects of the company’s maintenance activities in relation to its AOC comply with the requirements of the applicable legislation • the maintenance of the company aircraft and equipment in accordance with the approved maintenance schedule (s) • discipline of all engineering staff • coordinating maintenance arrangements with Aircraft Maintenance Organization (s) ensuring that the facilities are JAR145 approved or DCA authorization is obtained prior to work being undertaken • maintaining facilities (office/working environment/storage facilities) appropriate to the planned work (s) • tools, equipment and materials to perform the planned task (s) • all necessary airworthiness data from Regulatory Agencies and aircraft and component manufacturers as appropriate to the task being performed, and for notifying the Accountable Manager whenever deficiencies emerge which require his attention in respect of finance and the acceptability of standards • ensuring that maintenance procedures are established and published within the Company, to achieve good maintenance practices and compliance with DCA requirements and for establishing a Quality System in the organization to ensure that work is accomplished to the highest standards of airworthiness and workmanship • ensuring that all maintenance is correctly certified and that records of maintenance carried out are retained safely and securely for the statutory period (s) • for reporting to the manufacturer and the DCA any condition of the aircraft (or a component) which could hazard safety • keeping aircraft historical records (logbooks0 and maintaining the currency of the Technical Library • maintaining aircraft and component service history so that maintenance periods are not exceeded • liaison with the DCA as necessary on all maintenance matters • the organization of maintenance courses and training as required by the Company or the DCA to ensure that the Company maintenance personnel are qualified and competent to carry out the duties assigned to them TWO AIRLINE EXECUTIVES • 10-15 years related experience in Commercial flight operations.

• Must have a demonstrated knowledge of weight & balance, flight planning and ETOPS operations.

• Knowledge of the practices and procedures of all airside and landside activities and functions as outlined in Ground Flight Operations Manual and Regulations.

• Competency in PC Windows, Email, Databases and Microsoft Office tools is expected.

• Ability to develop and train workforce, build relationships, utilize skills in the workforce that is most appropriate.

• Ability to execute functional aspects relating to domestic travel transactions and maintain records and documentation.

• Ability to operate all equipment relating to the job.

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, understanding manner, and listen attentively to others, understands material, and provides instruction to employees.

Schedule the appropriate staff compliment to ensure the smooth and effective operation of shift.

• Coordinate with authorities in all International/Domestic Stations, Security measures affecting aircrafts, passengers, luggage and goods.

• Manage local and International carriers contracts.

(3) RAMP ATTENDANT • Over 5 years experience in Ramp Supervising.

• Over 5 years experience in maneuvering heavy duty equipment e.g. (pushing and towing aircraft).

• Experience in general handling of General Aviation. Narrow body and wide body aircraft.

• British Airways, JAR OPS, Supervisor Aircraft loading qualified.

• US Airways fleet service door opening trainer.

• Awareness Certification of acceptance/refusal of hazardous material as per IATA regulations.

• Comprehensive knowledge in the operation of all Ground Service Equipment (GSE).

TWO DISPATCHERS Must be familiar with the navigation facilities over airline routes and at airports as well as the take off. Must be competent in airline communication and meteorology.

Experience with monitoring, analyzing and/or calculating various flight factors such as weather reports, runway performance and weight balance issues.

Salary commensurate with experience.

All positions require the following: Excellent command of the English language – reading, writing and speaking.

Good communication skills and team player Detail oriented & organized individual Ability to work shifts, early mornings, late nights, weekends and Holidays.

Clean police record Able to work under pressure Belongers need only apply.

Interested person should apply to HR@flyairtc.com or via fax to HR Department 649946-4040.

No phone call please. Qualified candidates will be contacted for interview. Application deadline September 30, 2010

Page 34

First ever Caribbean tourism summit in Europe ends CARIBBEAN NEWS

BRUSSELS – The first ever Caribbean Tourism Summit (CTS) has ended here with Caribbean tourism leaders and European Union (EU) officials indicating that there has been a greater understanding of each other’s concerns regarding the tourism sector. A statement issued at the end of the summit said that two sides discussed key subjects including ways to bridge the gap between policy intentions and practice; sources of funding for tourism development; tourism, aviation and taxation; tourism, education and social development; tourism and climate change; and how the tourism sector can benefit from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Caribbean and Europe.

Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Rickey Skerrit, who led the regional delegation, said there were six key conclusions reached at the first ever summit held in Europe.

According to Skerrit, who is also the St. kitts and Nevis Tourism Minister, the two sides agreed that “tourism is a significant sector for both the EU and the Caribbean and

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

both regions have much to do to advance the policy discussion to ensure that tourism is given the attention and support that it deserves”.

He said there are various types of funding available in the EU and the EPA to support tourism-related initiatives and there is a need to establish modalities to work together to ensure that such funding is chanelled towards priority areas, including tourism “and that Caribbean public and private sectors must reach consensus on the priority areas”.

On the issues regarding aviation taxation and Emission Trading Schemes (ETS) Skerrit said they were identified as “real threats to Caribbean tourism.

“Tourism is a major driver of economic and social development in the Caribbean and any negative impact on tourism will have far reaching consequences across the range of services that might be wholly unrelated to the sector but that rely in part on government funding through income from tourism,” he said.

The CTO Chairman noted that while the Caribbean has not been a significant contributor to greenhouse

Cuba devalues currency to match US dollar

Cuba is devaluing its currency by about 8% compared to the US dollar as part of efforts to revive the economy.

The hard-currency convertible peso used mostly by tourists and foreign firms will now be on a par with the dollar.

The central bank said the aim was to boost exports and local production.

The move will increase the value of remittances received by many Cubans with relatives in the US, and is intended to make the island more affordable for tourists.

The government says it will keep a 10% tax on exchanges with the dollar, which it describes as compensation for the "irrational and unjust" US economic embargo.

Each convertible peso will still be worth 24 of the standard pesos in which most Cubans are paid under the communist island's two-tier currency system.

It is the first time Cuba has revalued its currency in six years.

The decision will make foreign imports more expensive, but the government said it hoped to compensate for this by increasing domestic production, especially food.

In a statement published in the official communist party newspaper, Granma, central bank president Ernesto Medina said limits placed on payments to foreign companies introduced in 2008 had also been reduced.

He added that there had been "significant advances" in the renegotiation of debt with Cuba's main foreign creditors.

Last year Cuba launched a programme of major economic changes designed to reduce the state's overwhelming role in the economy and promote private enterprise.

Under the plan announced by President Raul Castro last September around a million state workers were due to be laid off and encouraged to find new jobs in the private sector.

Thousands have already applied for licenses to set up small businesses, although the timetable for redundancies has been delayed.

The changes to Cuba's socialist system are due to be discussed at a rare Communist Party Congress in April.

President Castro has said that the changes are vital to overhauling the economy, which is burdened by debt and the effects of the longstanding US trade embargo, as well as having to fund costly social programmes.

gas emissions it will suffer significantly from the impact of climate change, but the Caribbean can be a world leader in conservation and climate change initiatives.

“The Caribbean heard that the EPA contains specific commitments to the sustainable development of tourism.

“It seems that both CARIFORUM and the EU have some distance to go before these provisions can be finalized, but the hope is that this forum will have prompted a closer, more effective partnership that will achieve the goal of sustainable development of a thriving tourism economy,” Skerrit said.

Earlier, Geert Laporte, Deputy Director, European Centre for Development Policy Management, (ECDPM), agreed that regulatory barriers may hold back potential EPA benefits and that the European Development Fund (EDF) procedures are “complex and not very private sector friendly”.

The ECDPM, whose aim is to promote development and improve relations between the European Union and the countries in the African

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region, noted that the way forward should include a widening of the economic base of the tourism industry by systematically strengthening linkages with other sectors.

Laporte said there is also need to address EU policy incoherence such as removing regulatory obstacles including the hassle to get EU visas and different policies in different EU member states.

The ECDPM official also said that Caribbean countries also need to address policy incoherence at their levels including giving greater priority to tourism.

He said also the private sector should also “put its act together” and thing “beyond donor money as a source of funding”.

Laporte said there is also need to agree on a “clear private sector role division in the design, programming management and implementation of tourism programmes on the basis of comparative advantage”.

Laporte also wants there to be a regular evaluation “the impact of EU policies and actions on Caribbean tourism”.

IMMEDIATE OPENINGS SECURITY GUARD Requirements • Must have previously worked as a security officer • Must be CPR and First Aid certified • Must have knowledge of emergency process and procedures, good communication skills for writing security reports and dealing with guests • Must submit a Police certificate Duties include: • Assisting in all aspects of maintaining a secure environment for property and guest Starting salary $6.00 per hour not including service charge

POOL & BEACH ATTENDANT Requirements: • Must be able to work in all outdoor element, rain, sun, etc. as required • Must be able to work long hours on feet • Must be able to lift 30lbs or more • Must be trained and certified in CPR, First Aid. • Life guard experience is a plus Duties Include: • Creating a luxury guest experience through delivery of high level service for all pool and beach services Starting salary $6.00 per hour not including service charge.

KIDS CLUB COUNSELOR Requirements: • Must be able to work in open air environment and have flexible scheduling as required • Must submit a Police certificate • Must be able to work on beach, tennis court and croquet areas with children, and organize and participate in physical activities with children ages 4-12 years old • Must be able to work weekends and holidays • Must be able to read, speak and write English fluently • Must be able to work long hours on feet • Must be trained and certified in CPR and First Aid with mandatory annual recertification.

Duties Include: • Creating an outstanding experience for children and young guests through delivery of all kids club services • Maintain safety and security of kids club participants at all times Starting salary $6.00 per hour not including service charge.

Interested applicants should apply to the Regent Palms Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and bring along a recent C.V. You may also enquire by calling the Regent Palms Human Resources department at 946-8666 during business hours, or by emailing mdorsett@regentexperience.com.

Page 35

St Lucia defends hospitality after gays attacked

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

CASTRIES, St Lucia – The St Lucia government today that the recent attack on three gay visitors to the island appeared to be perpetrated by individuals whose views do not reflect the sentiments of the majority of law abiding citizens.

In a statement, the authorities said that they were extending “sincere apologies” and a speedy recovery to United States citizens Todd Wiggins, Michael Baker and Nick Smith, who were assaulted while on the island.

“St Lucia does not condone such acts of violence appeared to be perpetrated by individuals whose views do not reflect sentiments of the majority of law-abiding citizens.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

“Whether or not this crime was motivated by anti-gay sentiment, or during the course of robbery, it is nonethe-less unacceptable behaviour and our destination will not tolerate it. Our law enforcement authorities are pursuing this matter relentlessly,” the statement noted.

The three visitors were attacked as they showered together in a cottage in the west coast town of Soufriere.

One of the men has since taken his story to several leading gay publications in the United States and has also documented his ordeal on various social networks, suggesting that the incident represented a hate crime directed at gays.

CARIBBEAN NEWS

The visitors say that in addition to being attacked, robbed and beaten they were subjected to certain discriminatory remarks.

Police said they have arrested two of the five men involved in the incident and have recovered most of the stolen items.

In the statement, the government said that St Lucia has always been a safe destination, respectful of people’s own choices for religion, beliefs and perspectives on life.

“We are saddened by the experience these three men suffered while staying with us, and while horrible crimes such as these can happen anywhere across the globe, we are deeply disappointed that

it should have happened here. Our authorities will continue to provide updates on the police investigation,' the government statement added.

Tourism Minister Allen Chastanet over the weekend warned that the situation had the potential to tarnish the island’s reputation and tourism sector.

“One of the sensitive issues in this regard is that two of the gentlemen are gay and there were some discriminatory remarks which were made to them, and which obviously offended them tremendously.

“Given the fact that homosexuality is against the law in St Lucia, the visitors harboured concerns about going to the police,” he noted.

Caribbean to benefit Grenada seeking more cruise line calls in the future from people sending back money home WASHINGTON - Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean are likely to rise this year after stabilizing during 2010, although a weaker dollar and higher inflation are reducing their purchasing power in many countries, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) reported Monday. MIF said that money transfers made by Latin American and Caribbean migrants to their countries of origin reached US$58.9 billion in 2010, virtually unchanged from US$58.8 billion in 2009, when remittances saw a 15 per cent drop due to the effects of the global economic crisis.

“Remittances remain a vital source of income for millions of families in the region who depend on these flows to cover the cost of basic needs such as clothing, medicine or food,” the MIF said in a report released here.

“For many of these recipient families, 2010 was a year of increased economic vulnerability, since with stronger local currency values and rising inflation, the remittances they received did not reach the same value of the previous year.”

Last year’s total was significantly below the record US$69.2 billion reached in 2008. Expatriates started sending less money home during the second half of 2008, a trend that accelerated over the following year as the countries where most of them work (the United States, Spain and Japan) fell into recessions caused by the global financial crisis.

However, during 2010 remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean started to stabilize and even rise, albeit with significant differences among sub regions. Money transfers to Central America recovered 3.1 per cent, as migrants’ employment and earnings prospects improved in the United States. In contrast, remittances to Andean countries fell 4.1 percent, reflecting the prolonged economic malaise in European nations where many of their expatriates reside.

Haiti saw the sharpest increase in the region, a 20 per cent jump to almost two billion US dollars, as its Diaspora responded to the humanitarian crisis caused by last year’s earthquake.

The report said that remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean are likely to continue rising in volume in 2011, although still below the double-digit rates they attained in years prior to the global crisis. The pace of growth will depend principally on how strongly the job markets in source countries such as the United States and Spain recover.

MIF said that the value of remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean was strongly affected by the appreciation of most local currencies against the U.S. dollar and the Euro during 2010.

“On a weighted average, money transfers to this region were worth 4.4 per cent less than in 2009 due to currency fluctuations, but in some countries the effect was even more pronounced,” MIF said, noting that rising inflation further eroded the purchasing power of money transfers in many countries in the region.

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada – round destination with Grenada has embarked upon the hope that cruise lines an “aggressive campaign” to planning their itinerary lure more cruise lines to the for 2013 and beyond island following a recent would give consideration statement by a Florida-based for more stops at the St. cruise line company that it George’s Port. was repositioning one of its “We are working on ships from the Caribbean to it now. It doesn’t mean Europe. Tourism Minister that things would change Peter David, who is heading next year. These cruise a delegation to the 2011 Sea ships plan a long time Trade Summit, now down the road but we are underway in Florida, said the beginning the aim is to get more cruise engagement.” liners to visit St. George’s Grenada boasts a Tourism Minister Peter David this summer. head count of “There was some engagement before but approximately 300, 000 cruise passengers we are going on a much more aggressive annually, and tourism officials say the spin-off campaign now to see if we can turn things effect on other local industries is tremendous. around and get some more into the summer,” “When people come on cruise, they also he added. come back many times as stay-over visitors so Last week, the Florida-based Royal the more we get the better for us,” David said.

Caribbean Cruise lines announced plans to The Tourism Minister said while in reposition the “Serenade of the Seas” to Florida he also plans to meet with potential Europe from the region, for the 2012 summer. investors adding “by increasing the room stock David said while he is aware that current in the country, certainly we would increase the discussions may not yield immediate benefits, amount of airlift and the amount of persons he is determined to promote Grenada as a year coming into Grenada”.

IMMEDIATE OPENINGS

STEWARDING MANAGER Requirements: • Prior experience managing the stewarding department of a 5 star Luxury Resort. • Must have an excellent working knowledge of the kitchens, equipment, food productions, sanitation, hygiene and safety. • Must be able to organize and delegate large banquet functions. • Willingness to work long hours, nights, split shifts, weekends and holidays.

Duties Include: • Ensures the maintenance of a clean, sanitary kitchen by supervising steward personnel • Issuing cleaning supplies to stewards, checking usage and making adjustments • Ensuring that kitchen floors and walk-ins are clean • Monitoring cafeteria and provide assistance to kitchen personnel during set-up and clean-up • Working with the Food & Beverage Director banquet orders • Taking inventory of and ensure proper amounts china, dishes etc. are available • Ensuring the training of and proper use daily of all safety, hygiene and sanitation practices Starting salary $35,000.00 per annum not including service charge

Interested applicants should apply to the Regent Palms Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and bring along a recent C.V. You may also enquire by calling the Regent Palms Human Resources department at 946-8666 during business hours, or by emailing mdorsett@regentexperience.com.

Japanese choppers dump water on stricken reactor

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Survivors of Friday's earthquake and tsunami carry their belongings in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan.

ZAO, Japan – Japan tried high-pressure water cannons, fire trucks and even helicopters that dropped batches of seawater in increasingly frantic attempts Thursday to cool an overheated nuclear complex as U.S. officials warned the situation was deteriorating.

The top U.S. nuclear regulatory official gave a far bleaker assessment of the crisis than the Japanese, and the U.S. ambassador warned U.S. citizens within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant on the northeast coast to leave the area or at least remain indoors.

The Japanese government said it had no plans to expand its mandatory, 12-mile (20-kilometer) exclusion zone around the plant along the northeastern coast, while also urging people within 20 miles (30 kilometers) to stay inside.

The troubles at the nuclear complex were set in motion by last week's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami knocked out power and destroyed backup generators needed for the reactors' cooling systems.

That added a nuclear crisis on top of twin natural disasters that likely killed well more than 10,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Four of the plant's six reactors have faced serious crises involving fires, explosions, damage to the structures housing reactor cores, partial meltdowns or rising temperatures in the pools used to store spent nuclear fuel. Officials also recently announced that temperatures are rising in the spent fuel pools of the last two reactors.

Two Japanese military CH-47 Chinook helicopters began dumping seawater on the complex's

damaged Unit 3 at 9:48 a.m. (0048 GMT, 8:48 p.m.

EDT), defense ministry spokeswoman Kazumi Toyama said. The choppers dumped at least four loads on the reactor in just the first 10 minutes, though television footage showed much of it appearing to disperse in the wind.

Chopper crews flew missions of about 40 minutes each to limit their radiation exposure, passing over the reactor with loads of about 7,500 liters (about 2,000 gallons) of water.

The dousing is aimed at cooling the Unit 3 reactor, as well as replenishing water in that unit's cooling pool, where used fuel rods are stored, Toyama said. The plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power Co., said earlier that pool was nearly empty, which would cause the rods to overheat and emit even more radiation.

Defense Minister Toshifumi Kitazawa told reporters that emergency workers had no choice but to try the water dumps before it was too late.

Along with the helicopter water drops, military vehicles designed to extinguish fires at plane crashes were being used to spray the crippled Unit 3, military spokesman Mitsuru Yamazaki said. The highpressure sprayers were to allow emergency workers to get water into the damaged unit while staying safely back from areas deemed to have too much radiation.

But special police units trying to use water cannons — normally used to quell rioters — failed in their attempt to cool the unit when the water failed to reach its target from safe distances, said Yasuhiro Hashimoto, a spokesman for the Nuclear And

apan's Self-Defense Forces's helicopter heads to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to dump water on the stricken reactor in Okumamachi

Industrial Safety Agency.

Officials of Tokyo Electric Power Co., which owns the plant, said they believed they were making headway in staving off a catastrophe both with the spraying and with efforts to complete an emergency power line to restart the plant's own cooling systems.

The interim power line would be a temporary but "reliable" way to cool down the reactors and storage pools, said Teruaki Kobayashi, a facilities management official at Tepco. "This is a first step toward recovery," he said.

Crews were standing by to resume spraying Friday.

U.S. officials, meanwhile, said Unit 4 also was seriously at risk.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said at a congressional hearing in Washington that all the water was gone from that unit's spent fuel pool. Jaczko said anyone who gets close to the plant could face potentially lethal doses of radiation.

"We believe radiation levels are extremely high," he said.

Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany

Germany has temporarily shut down seven of its nuclear reactors while it reconsiders its nuclear strategy.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said that all reactors operational before 1980 would be taken offline, and safety checks carried out on the remaining plants.

The move comes after concerns about radiation leaks at a Japanese plant after last Friday's earthquake.

The EU has also reached agreement on "stress tests" of all European nuclear facilities.

"We want to look at the risk and safety issues in the light of events in Japan," the European energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger said.

Chancellor Merkel also pointed to the safety concerns behind the German move.

"In light of the situation, we will carry out a safety check of all nuclear plants," she said.

"Those nuclear power plants which began operation before 1980 will be provisionally shut down for the duration of the moratorium. They will be out of

service.

"Safety is the priority. Those are the criteria by which we acted today."

All safety questions would be answered by 15 June, she said.

Last year, Germany decided to extend the life of its 17 nuclear power plants by 12 years, but that decision was suspended for three months on Monday.

The government had faced growing pressure for the extension to be scrapped.

More than a quarter of all German electricity comes from nuclear power.

The Swiss government has also suspended decisions on its nuclear programme.

Concerns are growing about radiation leaks at a nuclear plant in Japan that has been hit by a third explosion in four days following last week's earthquake and resulting tsunami.

The blast occurred at reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant - 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo - which engineers had been trying to stabilise after two other reactors exploded

Page 37

Hilary Clinton not interested in keeping job if Obama wins in 2012 MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday she does not want to stay in her job if President Barack Obama wins a second term in 2012.

The nation's top diplomat also firmly said she neither has plans to mount another White House bid nor interest in other posts, such as vice president or defense secretary.

Clinton, visiting Cairo, was asked whether she would stay on in a second Obama term. She also was asked if she would like the jobs of president, vice president or defense secretary. She

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

offered single word responses to each: "No." Speculation about Clinton's future is always high and she has been mentioned as a possible successor to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has told Obama he is stepping down. In an interview with CNN, Clinton made clear she has no interest in running the Pentagon or repeating her 2008 presidential run.

"You know, I had a wonderful experience running and I am very proud of the support I had and very grateful for the opportunity, but I'm

going to be, you know, moving on," Clinton said.

"I am doing what I want to do right now and I have no intention or any idea even of running again. I'm going to do the best I can at this job for the next two years," she said.

Clinton and Obama competed in 2008 for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama bested her, won the White House and then named his one-time rival his top diplomat. Clinton immediately became one of the highest profile members of Obama's Cabinet.

She has kept a busy international

London woman convicted of keeping a slave A former hospital director has been ordered to pay £25,000 to an African woman she kept as a slave in London.

Mwanahamisi Mruke, 47, was flown from Tanzania in 2006 and made to work 18-hour days for Saeeda Khan, 68, at her home in Harrow, north-west London.

Khan was convicted of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation.

The judge at Southwark Crown Court, who also gave her a suspended nine-month prison term, said she was guilty of "the most appalling greed".

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC said Khan had told "a pack of lies" during her trial by saying her victim, whom he described as "naive and illiterate", was treated as part of the family.

Sentencing her he said: "Your own behaviour was callous and greedy. "You could easily have afforded to pay her a reasonable sum by way of wages. You chose to give Saeeda Khan, the widow who trafficked Mwanahamisi Mruke into her virtually nothing."

Britain, then forced her to sleep on the kitchen floor of her north London He told Khan that her age, the fact she has two adult home. disabled children and was in poor health had prevented him from passing an immediate custodial sentence.

But the court heard how Khan fed her two slices of During the trial jurors heard Miss Mruke was denied bread a day and ordered her around by ringing a bell she her passport and liberty and endured the ordeal to support kept in her bedroom. her daughter through college in Africa.

Ms Mruke was banned from leaving the house and Ms Mruke said she could "never forgive" her captor never learned English because the family watched for her four-year ordeal.

Pakistani TV. "I felt like a fool, I was treated like a slave," Ms Mruke Beginning work at 0600 GMT, she would often not be said. allowed to rest before midnight as she cleaned, gardened, After bringing her into the country from Tanzania, cooked meals and accompanied Khan's disabled son on Khan initially gave her an allowance of £10 a month to walks. work around the clock at her beck and call, the court heard.

Ms Mruke told the court that sometimes she did not Within a year she stopped paying her altogether. sleep due to the long hours she had to work, doing "all the "Even the money I was promised, I was never paid. I housework, cooking, cleaning, inside and out". feel terrible about this," Ms Mruke said.

"She didn't attack me physically. It was just the words "I was hoping I would receive a salary and improve and the way she was treating me. my life. But my hopes were dashed, my strength was "I feel that justice should be passed and others should reduced and I became unwell." learn from this. I feel terrible about her."

Ms Mruke was brought to the UK after getting a job at Ms Mruke's plight was discovered when she went to a hospital in Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania which Khan see a doctor for an examination of her varicose veins. owned.

During her three-year ordeal, Ms Mruke's parents died Khan told her that she would work six hours a day and and her daughter was married, yet she was granted no that her daughter in Tanzania would be paid 120,000 contact with her family.

Tanzanian shillings a month, equivalent to £50.

Ms Mruke is now pursuing a civil claim against Khan.

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schedule and has been mentioned as a possibly candidate in 2016.

"There isn't anything that I can imagine doing after this that would be as demanding, as challenging or rewarding," Clinton said.

US hints at Libya airstrikes

The United States is suggesting that the United Nations should do more than just impose a no-fly zone on Libya as Moammar Gadhafi's forces fight their way east toward the rebel capital of Benghazi.

Airstrikes against Gadhafi's forces are among options being discussed as diplomats try to hammer out a U.N. Security Council resolution, a diplomatic source said.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. raised the possibility of "going beyond a no-fly zone," Wednesday.

Ambassador Susan Rice said a "range of actions" were up for serious discussion, including but not limited to a no-fly zone, which has "inherent limitations in terms of protection of civilians." She said she hopes to see a serious resolution as early as Thursday.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe is flying to New York Thursday to lobby the Security Council in person to approve a resolution on Libya. France is a co-sponsor of the measure, along with the United Kingdom and Lebanon.

Libyan state TV said Thursday that the rebel capital of Benghazi would soon come under attack.

"The armed forces are coming to support you and clean your city from the armed gangs," state TV said. "The armed forces are your protective shield, and they call on you stay away from places where the armed men exist, and places where weapons are being stored."

There were airstrikes on Benghazi's airport Thursday, with three blasts hitting the site about 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) outside the city.

It is not clear that Gadhafi's ground forces are actually within striking range of Benghazi, but they have been fighting their way in that direction for several days.

Page 38

Berlusconi: I’m too old for so much sex WORLD NEWS

ROME – Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi has sat down with the enemy, telling an opposition newspaper that he is too old to have had all the sexual encounters he is accused of by Italian prosecutors.

The 74-year-old faces trial in Milan next month over charges he paid for sex with a Moroccan minor and used his influence to try cover it up. In court documents, prosecutors have identified 33 women, including the Moroccan teenager, who allegedly prostituted themselves during parties at Berlusconi's villa near Milan.

"Even though I am a little brat ... 33 girls in two months seems like too much even for a 30 year old," the premier said in an interview published Wednesday in La Repubblica, a leftist newspaper that has led a campaign for his resignation in the wake of the scandal.

"It's too much for anybody," Berlusconi is quoted as saying. He insisted he has a girlfriend, whose identity is secret, who was always with him and would not have allowed what the prosecutors allege.

"She would have ripped my eyes

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

out," he said.

Berlusconi spoke to La Repubblica a few hours after Milan prosecutors notified three of his associates that an investigation into their alleged role in the scandal is closed. The move paves the way for the prosecutors' request for an indictment against the three, accused of procuring women for the premier and, for one suspect, handling payments.

Berlusconi has already been indicted in the case and his trial opens on April 6. The premier said he plans to attend all hearings, and to appear on TV to defend himself and the women involved.

The prosecutor's document details how the soirees at Berlusconi's villa allegedly took place: They started with dinner; continued with "bunga bunga" parties in a room used as a disco, in which the women, sometimes masked, performed a striptease or an erotic dance "touching each other mutually, touching or being touched in their intimate areas

by Silvio Berlusconi;" and culminated with Berlusconi's choice of a sex partner, or partners.

Berlusconi told Repubblica "I could

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not believe my eyes" when he read the reports. He said "the girls were just shaking a leg in the disco — alone, as I've never liked dancing."

The premier also rejected allegations that money changed hands via bank transfers, saying, "How can it be that someone pays for a sexual performance via bank transfer?"

He said he was just trying to help people in need, taking care of everything from dentist and surgery bills to university fees.

Paying for sex is not a crime in Italy, but it is if the prostitute is under the age of 18.

The Moroccan teen, Karima elMahroug, known by her nickname Ruby, turned 18 in November, but was a minor at the time of the alleged encounters.

Berlusconi is also accused of abusing his influence when he called police in May to get Ruby out of custody in Milan, where she had been held for an unrelated theft.

The prosecutors say the premier sought to keep his sexual relation with the girl secret. Berlusconi has said he

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi

intervened because he believed Ruby was the niece of now ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and wanted to prevent a diplomatic incident.

"I can swear that a week before, I had spoken with Mubarak about this girl for at least 15 minutes," Berlusconi said in the interview. "The interpreters and fellow dinner participants can confirm it."

He insisted he only sought information and did not exert any pressure.

CIA contractor Ray Davis freed over Pakistan killings

A Pakistani court has freed a US CIA contractor after acquitting him of two counts of murder at a hearing held at a prison in Lahore, officials say.

Raymond Davis, 36, was alleged to have shot dead two men in the eastern city of Lahore in January following what he said was an attempted armed robbery.

The acquittal came when relatives of the dead men pardoned him in court.

They confirmed to the judge overseeing the case that they had received compensation - known as "blood money".

Under Pakistani Sharia law, relatives of a murder victim can pardon the killer.

Reports say about 18 family members of the two dead men were in court on Wednesday and confirmed that they wanted Mr Davis to be freed and pardoned because they had received "blood money".

The Pakistani media has reported that the families received 200 million rupees ($2.34m, £1.1m) but US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denied the US government had paid any blood money.

Protests against the acquittal took place in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. In Lahore demonstrators clashed with riot police near the US consulate.

Six people were injured and several others were arrested after police baton-charged the crowd.

In other parts of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad demonstrators set tyres on fire and disrupted traffic.

Cameron Munter, the US ambassador to Pakistan, said that he

was "grateful for the generosity" of the families.

"I wish to express, once again, my regret for the incident and my sorrow at the suffering it caused," he said.

Mr Munter said that the US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the incident.

Washington has always insisted that Mr Davis had diplomatic immunity and was acting in selfdefence.

Faizan Haider, a lawyer representing the family of one of those killed, said the "blood money" deal was done without his knowledge and that he was in detention when it was made.

"I was not allowed to participate in the proceedings of the case... and could not see or approach my clients," Asad Manzoor Butt said.

"I and my associate were kept under forced detention for four hours.

"If my clients have indeed signed a blood money deal, then this has been done behind my back and I don't know anything about it."

As recently as three days ago, relatives said they wanted justice not compensation.

Aijaz Ahmad, a cousin of Faizan Haider, said that eight members of his immediate family have not been traceable since news of the deal emerged.

"There is a padlock on their door.

Their phones are all switched off. If they have done this then they have acted dishonourably," he said.

The immediate family of the other man killed is also reported to have gone missing.

Page 39

Gaddafi seen growing in confidence as rebels fade

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

As his armed forces roll over rebel fighters, Libya's Muammar Gaddafi has shaken off his delusional first response to the uprising and is reasserting his grip on the country he has ruled for more than 40 years.

After presidents in Tunisia and Egypt succumbed to popular revolutions, swift early gains by rebels in Libya made it look as though Gaddafi would be the next Arab domino to topple.

His initial reaction to the rebellion was defiant, but denied what was happening in plain sight on Libyan streets. There were no demonstrations, he told Western journalists. Nobody was against him and all his people loved him.

With his penchant for bedouin tents and heavily armed female bodyguards, Gaddafi has cut a bizarre and eccentric figure over the years, and his accusations that the rebel fighters were al Qaeda stooges high on drugs did nothing to dispel that view.

But another feature of his long period in power has been his readiness to use deadly force against his own people. That is what is happening now, as Gaddafi presses his counteroffensive and rebel hopes of Western military aid are fading.

As his forces advanced towards the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, a confident Gaddafi taunted Western countries that have backed a no-fly zone over Libya but shown no sign of actually imposing one.

"Strike Libya?" he said. "We'll be the one who strikes you! We struck you in Algeria, in Vietnam. You want to strike us? Come and give it a try."

WORLD NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

An airstrike by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi near a rebel checkpoint on a road outside Ras Lanuf

And if Western nations do strike, "we will ally ourselves with al Qaeda and declare holy war," he told an Italian newspaper.

Long derided in the West as crazy, Gaddafi said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, one of a small number of Western voices to back a no-fly zone over Libya, was "suffering from mental illness".

Gaddafi's increasingly defiant response to the uprising comes as Western nations have shrunk from taking concrete action to help the rebels. But his handling of the crisis seems also to be conditioned by his background.

"Gaddafi is firstly a military man," said Tara O'Connor, managing director of Africa Risk Consulting.

"He postured until his perceived enemy showed its hand. The West's prevarication and Gaddafi's

preparedness to use overwhelming force will see him secure his hold on power.

What will follow is a wave of brutal repression to 'cleanse' Libya of resistance groups and to discourage any further popular support," she told Reuters.

Gaddafi had forgotten that his role as leader was to serve and protect his people and had turned them into his enemy.

"In this, he keeps faith with Africa's few remaining dinosaurs -Robert Mugabe, Omar Bashir and Teodore Obiang Nguema," O'Connor said, referring to the leaders of Zimbabwe, Sudan and Equatorial Guinea.

Opposition figures in Benghazi were under no illusion about what might happen once a reinvigorated Gaddafi prevailed in the absence of

Western assistance for the rebels.

"He will kill civilians, he will kill dreams, he will destroy us more and more, and it will be on everybody's conscience that they haven't interfered," said Dr Jalal Al Gallal, of the opposition National Libyan Transitional Council, in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday.

Gaddafi's ability to push back the rebels on the battlefield has been based on superior military force, which is now being brought to bear after initial advances by the opposition.

Difficult fighting in the town of Zawiyah has shown that the rebels are hard to beat if it comes to street fighting. But Gaddafi apparently has the resources to sustain his military machine even if the country's oil revenues have now dried up.

He has tens of billions of dollars in cash hidden in Tripoli that will allow him to keep fighting despite an international freeze on Libyan assets, The New York Times reported, with some of the funds recently moved from Libyan banks to the leader's own compound in the capital.

With his record of supporting international terrorism and taunting the United States, Gaddafi was called "the mad dog of the Middle East" by President Ronald Reagan.

But that is not the full story on the Libyan leader, according to psychiatry professor and former CIA staffer Jerrold M. Post. Writing in Foreign Policy magazine, he suggested Gaddafi was "crazy like a fox" -- mad on the surface, but actually shrewd and cunning.

4 New York Times journalists missing in Libya

NEW YORK – The New York Times "Their families and their says it's holding out hope that four of colleagues at The Times are its journalists who went missing while anxiously seeking information covering the Libyan conflict are alive about their situation, and and in the custody of the Libyan praying that they are safe," government.

Keller said.

The four were last in contact with In September 2009, editors on Tuesday from the northern Farrell and Sultan Munadi, an port city of Ajdabiya where they were Afghan journalist and covering the retreat of rebels. interpreter who worked "We are grateful to the Libyan regularly with the Times and government for their assurance that if other news organizations, our journalists were captured they were taken hostage when they would be released promptly and went to cover the aftermath of unharmed," executive editor Bill Keller a NATO airstrike that killed said in a statement on Wednesday. scores of civilians in northern He said there were unconfirmed Afghanistan. reports that the journalists had been Munadi and a British detained at a government checkpoint commando died in the raid Anthony Shadid, winner of the 2010 between Ajdabiya and Benghazi, a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. that rescued Farrell, a Briton. rebel stronghold. If so, Keller said, they Mr. Shadid was one of the four New York Britain is currently Times journalists reported missing. would eventually be taken to Tripoli. holding an inquest into the "Beyond that, we're still pretty much in the death of the parachute regiment soldier, Cpl. John dark," he added.

Harrison, in Salisbury. The inquest heard The missing journalists are Pulitzer Prize- Wednesday that the soldier was shot dead just winning reporter Anthony Shadid, the newspaper's seconds after leading his unit out of a helicopter Beirut bureau chief; Stephen Farrell, a reporter and while under heavy insurgent fire during the rescue videographer; and photographers Tyler Hicks and mission.

Lynsey Addario. In 2009, Farrell was kidnapped by Farrell also was kidnapped in 2004 in Fallujah, the Taliban and later rescued by British commandos. Iraq. He previously worked for the Times of

London.

In 2008, New York Times reporter David Rohde was kidnapped while trying to make contact with a Taliban commander in Afghanistan. Rohde and an Afghan colleague escaped in June 2009 after seven months in captivity, most spent in Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says it has documented five assaults, 25 detentions and dozens of attempts to obstruct or intimidate journalists as they try to cover Libya's unrest.

The White House on Wednesday urged the Libyan government to refrain from harassing or using violence against journalists. Obama spokesman Jay Carney said the United States is firm in its belief that journalists should be protected and allowed to do their work.

The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said it was asking its correspondents in Libya to help track down the journalists' whereabouts.

"It's a very dangerous climate for reporters right now," said Clothilde Le Coz, Washington director for Reporters Without Borders. "It's a reminder that these are real people, and they are putting themselves at real risk to bring information out of these places."

Pro-Gadhafi forces have largely gained control of Ajdabiya after two days of relentless shelling but still face pockets of resistance in the city of 140,000 people.

Higher prices for food are about to get worse TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 40

WASHINGTON – Americans are noticing higher prices at the grocery store, and it's about to get worse.

Food prices at the wholesale level rose last month by the most in 36 years.

Cold weather accounted for most of it, forcing stores and restaurants to pay more for green peppers, lettuce and other vegetables, but meat and dairy prices surged, too.

The big questions are how long food prices will keep rising and how high they'll go.

The impact is already visible.

Wendy's, paying higher prices for tomatoes, now puts them on hamburgers only by request. Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts have raised prices because they pay more for coffee beans. Supermarkets warn customers that produce may be of lower quality, or limited.

"It has thrown the whole industry into a tizzy," says Dan Bates, director of merchandising for the produce division of grocery chain Supervalu Inc. Food prices rose 3.9 percent last month, the most since November 1974.

Most of the increase was because harsh winter freezes in Florida, Texas and other Southern states, which damaged crops.

At the same time, global prices for corn, wheat, soybeans, coffee and other commodities have risen sharply in the past year. That's raised the price of animal feed, which has pushed up the cost of eggs, ground beef and milk.

Paul Ashworth, an economist at

Capital Economics, says his firm has warned since last summer that spikes in commodity prices would eventually work their way down to wholesalers and consumers, "and here it is. There is plenty more to come over the next few months."

Crop prices began to increase last summer, after droughts slammed harvests in Russia and several other countries. Sharp growth in new world economic powers like India and China has also increased demand.

Overall, the producer price index, which tracks price changes before they reach the consumer, rose 1.6 percent in February, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That's double the rise from the previous month and the biggest increase since June 2009. The index is adjusted to account for seasonal variations.

More expensive food means people have less money for the casual spending that helps the economy grow and create jobs. And it adds to growing concerns about inflation down the road, still a worry two years after the Great Recession.

Another is the weak housing market, which most economists say is years away from a full recovery. The government said Wednesday that home construction plunged in February to the lowest level since April 2009 and the second-lowest in more than a halfcentury.

The stock market dropped sharply

on the disappointing U.S. economic reports and growing concerns about Japan's nuclear crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average fell by more than 240 points, or 2 percent.

Hints of steeper food prices will likely show up in the government's report on consumer prices, due out Thursday. The consumer price index is forecast to rise 0.4 percent, the same as the previous two months, but the wholesale report caused several economists to warn it could be higher.

Many economists expect food prices to keep rising through the end of the year. Consumer food prices will be about 5 percent higher this fall than the previous time last year, according to RBC Capital Markets. That's up from the current annual pace of about 2 percent.

Food prices are already the highest since the U.N. began keeping track in 1990.

Corn prices have almost doubled since last summer, although they did dip this week after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The harsh winter took a toll on restaurants, grocery stores and consumers. Normally if there is a shortage of one product in Florida, such as green peppers, companies can turn to Mexico or Texas. But all the major vegetable producing regions were harmed. That has led to everything from smaller heads of lettuce to higher prices for bananas and scarred fruit.

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

"This year was basically a perfect storm," says Supervalu's Bates, who hopes things will improve now that the spring growing season is almost here.

Ashley Sewell, who works three parttime jobs in FortWorth,Texas, says she sees the difference when she goes out to eat or shop for groceries. She's an avid cook who used to wander the grocery-store aisles looking for inspiration. Now, she takes a list.

"I used to cook for my friends and neighbors. I can't do that anymore," she says.

Americans are also being hit by the highest gas prices in more than two years. The national average price Wednesday was $3.55 a gallon, up 42 cents from a month earlier, according to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge.

Still, the U.S. is mostly insulated from more devastating impact of higher food prices around the globe. Last month, the World Bank estimated that higher prices for corn, wheat and oil have pushed 44 million people into extreme poverty since last June.

Americans spend a much smaller portion of their budgets on food — about 14 percent — compared with 40 percent to 50 percent in developing countries. Labor makes up a bigger portion of food prices in the U.S., while in developing countries people are more likely to buy items like wheat to make their own bread, making them more susceptible to swings in commodity prices.

RIM SAYS TURN OFF JAVASCRIPT US millionaires say $7 ON YOUR BLACKBERRY million not enough to be rich Research In Motion is urging BlackBerry users to disable JavaScript on their devices following the public reveal of an exploit during last week’s Pwn2Own contest at the annual CanSecWest security conference.

The hack springs from a vulnerability in the WebKit browser rendering engine used in BlackBerry Device Software version 6.0 and later.

Any data stored the device’s media card and builtin media storage is in danger of being accessed, though e-mail, calendar and contacts data are safe, according to a RIM security advisory. Application data on a BlackBerry is stored separately, alongside the app itself, and the exploit is apparently unable to access anything saved on that level.

RIM notes in its advisory that “the exploitation of the vulnerability was performed at the Pwn2Own 2011 contest and is publicly known.” Though the security hole was demonstrated at the event, there have been no reports to the BlackBerry Security Incident Response Team that the hack has been successfully exploited outside the closed Pwn2Own setting.

That said, the vulnerability exists and caution is advised. At the most basic level, RIM recommends that all BlackBerry users be cautious about which websites they browse to until the issue has been addressed. The company also recommends disabling JavaScript on your BlackBerry’s web browser, noting that “the issue is not in JavaScript but the use of JavaScript is necessary to exploit the vulnerability.” The method for turning off the service may vary by phone, but the basic idea is simple: open your browser, select “Web Content” in the options menu and uncheck the “Enable JavaScript” box

A million dollars ain't what it used to be.

More than four out of ten American millionaires say they do not feel rich. Indeed many would need to have at least $7.5 million in order to feel they were truly rich, according to a Fidelity Investments survey.

Some 42 percent of the more than 1,000 millionaires surveyed by Fidelity said they did not feel wealthy. Respondents had at least $1 million in investable assets, excluding any real estate or retirement accounts.

"Every person in the survey is wealthy," said Sanjiv Mirchandani, president of National Financial, a unit of Fidelity. "But they are still worried about outliving their assets."

The average age of respondents was 56 years old with a mean of $3.5 million of investable assets. The threshold for "rich" rose with age.

"They compare themselves to their peer group ... and they are also thinking about the long period they will have in retirement and want more assets" to fund their lifestyle, said Michael Durbin, president of Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services.

Still, millionaires are slightly more optimistic now than they were in 2009, when 46 percent did not feel wealthy.

Respondents were also more optimistic about the U.S. economy.

While they thought the current U.S. economy remained very weak, they think it will improve by the end of this year.

Fidelity noted the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans hold more than 55 percent of the nation's wealth.

Page 41

Economic hit from Japan quake seen up to $200 billion MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

TOKYO - Japan's devastating earthquake and deepening nuclear crisis could result in losses of up to $200 billion (124 billion pounds) for the world's third largest economy but the global impact remains hard to gauge five days after a massive tsunami battered the northeast coast.

As Japanese officials scrambled to avert a catastrophic meltdown at a nuclear plant 240 km (150 miles) north of the capital Tokyo, economists took stock of the damage to buildings, production and consumer activity.

The disaster is expected to hit Japanese output sharply over the coming months, but economists warned it could result in a deeper slowdown if power shortages prove significant and prolonged, delaying or even scotching the "v-shaped" recovery that followed the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

Most believe the direct economic hit will total between 10-16 trillion yen (77-124 billion pounds), resulting in a contraction in second quarter gross domestic product (GDP) but a sharp rebound in the latter half of 2011 as reconstruction investment boosts growth.

"The economic cost of the disaster will be large," economists at JP Morgan said. "There has been substantial loss to economic resources, and economic activity will be impeded by infrastructure damages (like power outages) in the weeks or months ahead."

Japanese stocks suffered their worst two-day rout since the 1987 crash last Monday and Tuesday, losing a whopping $626 billion in value, before rebounding 5.7 percent on Wednesday as hedge funds rushed to cover short positions.

But traders remained skittish, swayed by each new development at the stricken Fukushima power plant and alert to signs Japanese companies and insurers could sell sizeable foreign assets and repatriate funds to cover the costs of the nuclear crisis, quake and tsunami.

High-yield bonds and U.S. Treasuries top the list of vulnerable assets should the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear breakdown prompt Japanese investors to bring overseas funds back home, analysts say.

Although the damage to infrastructure has been severe, some of

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

The 4,724-tonne freighter ‘M.V. Asia Symphony’ lies on a pier after being hit by the tsunami, at the port in Kamaishi. Japan’s devastating earthquake and deepening nuclear crisis could result in losses of up to $200 billion for the world’s third largest economy.

the biggest risks to the economy may come from indirect market consequences of the disaster, such as a rise in the Japanese yen.

The yen surged to an all-time high against the dollar after the Kobe earthquake in 1995 as Japanese firms pulled funds home. The dollar has fallen 3 percent against the yen since the disaster and is now close to the low hit after Kobe.

The direction of the yen could have a big impact on Japanese carmakers like Toyota Motor Co, Nissan Motor and Honda Motor, which build between 22 and 38 percent of their cars at home.

HSBC Chief Economist Stephen King said it was still too early to put a figure on the economic costs as the scale of the disaster was not yet clear.

The area of Japan affected by the tsunami produces around 4.1 percent of the country's GDP, suggesting firstround economic effects could be limited, he said. But with the fate of the Fukushima nuclear reactors still unclear, Japan may not have felt the full force of the disaster yet.

"At this stage, it's too early to come up with meaningful estimates of the overall impact of the terrible events in Japan," King wrote in a research note.

"Knee-jerk economic and financial reactions to shocks and disasters often fall wide of the mark," he noted, pointing to erroneous predictions of a U.S. recession following the September 11, 2001 attacks and of a major hit from

TWITTER GETS EXTRA SECURITY Twitter users are being given the option of logging on to the site through a secure connection.The "always use HTTPS" setting has been introduced to help stop hackers who target people as they connect over public wi-fi.

The same type of technology is used to protect online bank accounts and electronic purchases. HTTPS, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, creates a secure channel within an internet connection by checking a website's authenticity with certain approved certificate authorities. Unsecured wireless connections are susceptible to certain types of hacking, such as "man-in-the-middle" attacks, where criminals intercept the data stream and monitor whatever passes through.

Although relatively little personal information is exchanged over Twitter, compared to services such as internet banking, hacked accounts can be problematic, according to Graham Cluley from security firm Sophos.

"It is not so much about snooping on what someone says," said Mr Cluley.

"What has happened in the past is that high profile people have had their account snatched.

"When that person is someone like Ashton Kutcher who has six million followers, then someone can send a message from them that might be spam or phishing or malware," he said.

While HTTPS offers greater protection, using the system can slow down access to a service because of the multiple round-trips required to authenticate data. Facebook announced in January that it was to begin offering HTTPS security. However the service has not yet been fully implemented, with many Facebook apps still operating over unsecured connections.

the 2004 Asian tsunami.

The disaster is already disrupting the global manufacturing chain, hitting technology companies particularly hard as Japan accounts for one-fifth of the world's semiconductor output.

However, reflecting the high degree of uncertainty about the global economic impact of the disaster, the U.S. Federal Reserve made no mention of Japan in a statement issued after its policy meeting on Tuesday.

The European Central Bank, which warned earlier this month that it could hike rates in April, also appears to be in wait-and-see mode even as money markets scale back their expectations for monetary tightening this year.

Fitch Ratings said it did not currently

view the economic impact as sufficiently severe to warrant negative rating action, pointing to Japan's welldiversified economy and sovereign financing flexibility.

Japan's public debt is twice the size of its $5.3 trillion economy, the highest ratio of any large developed country in the world. But unlike other high debt countries like Greece, only five percent of Japan's debt is held by foreign investors so the risks of a funding crisis are limited.

Still, in a sign European leaders may be nervous about their debt crisis spreading to Japan following the disaster, France said it had called a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bankers to respond to the crisis, mentioning possible purchases of Japanese debt.

Ratings agency Moody's warned earlier this week that the quake, tsunami and resulting nuclear crisis increased the chance of investors losing confidence in Japan's finances and eventually demanding higher rates on government bonds.

For now the government is using 200 billion yen in emergency reserves to pay for anti-crisis efforts. The rapidly evolving disaster has prevented government officials from working on an emergency budget which could be in the range of 5-10 trillion yen.

Some ruling party lawmakers have proposed a special tax to pay for disaster relief, but Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda has told allies he is not considering tax increases.

InterIsland Aviation Services Group IS SEEKING:

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• Must be able to read and write English well. Salary $6.00 per hour TWO AIRPORT HOSTS: 3-5 Years experience as an Airport Host servicing International Flights. Salary commensurate with experience.

Heavy Duty Truck Driver: 5 years or more experience in this position. Willing to work long hours, weekends and holidays. Valid TCI drivers licence. Any experience in aviation would be an asset.

Salary commensurate with experience.

TWO NIGHT AUDITORS: 5 years experience in airline accounting systems Competent in quick books and three major computer accounting software C.P.A Accreditation Salary based on knowledge and experience.

All positions require the following: •Excellent command of the English language – reading, writing and speaking.

•Good communication skills and team player •Detail oriented & organized individual •Ability to work shifts, early mornings, late nights, weekends and Holidays.

•Clean police record •Able to work under pressure

BELONGERS NEED ONLY APPLY.

Interested person should apply to Interested applicants should apply to HR@flyairtc.com or via fax to HR Department 649-946-4040.

No phone calls please. Qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Page 42

AMBERGRIS CAY SERVICES LTD POSITION AVAILABLE

Ambergris Cay Services Ltd (in Receivership) is seeking a suitable applicant to fill an available post on Ambergris Cay. The available post is for an:

ELECTRICIAN

Job Summary: • Responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of machinery, lodging, phone lines system, in accordance with international standards; • Checking all installation for fire Alarm system and Detection • High voltage maintenance and inspection • Power plant switchgear maintenance • Electrical maintenance of all kitchen and laundry equipments • Electrical maintenance of all pumps and motors • Report all security problems to the Facilities Manager; • Ensuring spare parts for equipment are on hand for consistent functioning without discontinuity.

Requirements - Applicants must be and or have: • at least three (3) years of experience in electrical maintenance • a high school diploma or equivalent • attentive to details and self-motivated • able to understand and speak English fluently • willing to reside on Ambergris Cay • able to work with little or no supervision • physically fit, dependable and hard working • in possession of clean police record and valid TCI Driver’s License • Able to understand and follow policies and procedures of the department Salary Scale: $31, 000 to $33,000 per annum Closing Date for Applications is Wednesday March 23rd, 2011 Applications must be addressed to: Ambergris Cay Services Ltd Unit 51, Salt Mills Plaza, Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands E-mail: heather.allen@ambergristci.com Tel: (649)-941-3777 Fax: (649)-941-3778

Come and join our winning team!!!

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

AMBERGRIS CAY SERVICES LTD POSITION AVAILABLE

Ambergris Cay Services Ltd (in Receivership) is seeking a suitable applicant to fill a post on Ambergris Cay. The available post is for a:

LABOURER

Daily tasks will include, but are not limited to the following:

• Performing preventive maintenance according to assigned schedules or when directed; • Being knowledgeable of plant material and cultural equipments needed to restore plant growth; • Performing various general grounds maintenance tasks, as needed; • Keeping an inventory and coordinating all materials necessary for maintenance; • Reporting any and all security problems to the Facilities Manager; • Operating various handheld manuals, such as lawnmowers; • Assist with maintenance of irrigation and report deficiency of irrigation system.

• All masonry related task • Assist during Incinerator operation • General cleaning around any occupied building • Beach cleaning • Any other duties as may be assigned in regard to general labour conditions.

COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant must be: • able to understand and speak English fluently • able to work with little or no supervision • physically fit, dependable and hard working • in possession of a clean police record, and a TCI Drivers License Salary: $10.00 per hour.

Closing Date for Applications is Wednesday March 23rd, 2011 Applications must be in writing addressed to: Ambergris Cay Services Ltd Unit 51, Salt Mills Plaza, Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands E-mail: heather.allen@ambergristci.com Tel: (649)-941-3777 Fax: (649)-941-3778

AMBERGRIS CAY SERVICES LTD

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages and Spa, the only 6 Diamond all inclusive property in the Caribbean and its authorized Recruitment Agencies are inviting applications from suitably qualified Turks and Caicos Islanders for the following vacant positions.

Applicants must have a clean police record and a good command of the English language both written and spoken. In addition candidates must be able to work nights, public holidays and week-ends.

The Resort thanks everyone for their interest in advance and advises that only short listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Housekeeping Department: HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR: Duties include but not limited to: o Train new housekeepers and housemen o Conduct room inspections. o Maintaining inventory o Cleaning responsibilities.

The rate for the position listed above is $6.50 to $9.00 an hour.

properly The rate for the positions listed above is $5.00 to $6.00 an hour.

ROOM ATTENDANT: Duties include but not limited to: o Make up beds and service bathroom o Replace soiled linen and towels; restock soap, tissues, and drinking glasses; disinfect bathroom surfaces; dust and polish the furniture; remove all trash; vacuum the carpet; and mop any uncarpeted floors. o Report any items that is not working properly HOUSEMAN: Duties include but not limited to: o Cleaning lobbies, halls, guestrooms and bathrooms. o Stocking guest rooms with towels and linens, furnishings and any other supplies o Report any items that is not working

Stewarding Department: STEWARD: Duties include but not limited to: o Cleaning restaurant equipment o Sweep and scrub floors o Remove garbage, and separate trash. o Operate the dishwasher, pot washer silverware washer, garbage compactor

Housekeeping Department: PUBLIC AREA ATTENDANT: Duties include but not limited to: o Ability to work with a variety of cleaning equipment and chemicals (i.e. cleaners, disinfectants) and prolonged exposure to water. o Ability to lift and move approximately 75 pounds. o Ability to operate, control and maintain industrial maintenance equipment (i.e. buffers, vacuums, blowers, pressure washers, carpet cleaners/machines).

The rate for the positions listed above is $5.00 to $6.00 an hour.

Applications giving full details of qualifications and experience should be sent to: mmvaughn@grp.sandals.com or Fax to: 941-4870 Attn: M McClean-Vaughn The Human Resources Department Beaches Turks and Caicos P.O. Box 186 Lower Bight Road

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

and

The Labour Commissioner Labour Department Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

and should reach not later than March 31st 2011.

POSITION AVAILABLE

Ambergris Cay Services Ltd (in Receivership) is seeking a suitable applicant to fill a post on Ambergris Cay. The available post is for a:

GENERATOR TECHNICIAN MECHANIC

Daily tasks will include, but are not limited to:

• Overseeing all electrical maintenance operations of Prime Power Generators on Ambergris Cay. • Providing full maintenance services as a certified Level three (3) Power Generator Technician and an authorized supplier and dealer of Cummins Power Generation.

• Cooperating and coordinating closely with the Employer and Cummins Power Generation so as to ensure the efficient functioning of all generators.

• Any other related duties as may be required to ensure the smooth operation of the Prime Power Generators.

Requirements: Successful applicant must:

• Highly technical - possessing a Level three (3) Power Generation certification authorized by Cummins Power Generation • have at least five (5) full years of direct experience in servicing Prime Power Generators manufactured by Cummins Power Generation.

• be reliable, hard working and enthusiastic • be attentive to details • be able to work under little or no supervision • produce a clean Police Record Salary: $25,000 to $30,000 per annum.

Closing Date for Applications is March 25th, 2011

Applications must be in writing addressed to: Ambergris Cay Services Ltd Unit 51, Salt Mills Plaza, Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands E-mail: heather.allen@ambergristci.com Tel: (649)-941-3777 Fax: (649)-941-3778

West Indies lose to England by 18 runs in World Cup

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

Chennai: James Tredwell and Luke Wright kept England alive at the World Cup after another dramatic finish, helping their team to an 18-run win after the West Indies lost their last four wickets for four runs in Thursday's Group B match.

Playing for survival, England bowled West Indies out for 225 after making 243 all out. England had to win its final group game to avoid an early exit.

Tredwell took 4-48 on World Cup debut, including a key late strike, after Wright had hit a priceless 44 in his first game at the tournament.

The West Indies tail folded at the end after Andre Russell's 49 from 46 balls had dragged the Caribbean squad to the brink of a quarterfinal-clinching win. It could have all been over sooner, but Russell was awarded six runs when he got the benefit of the doubt as Jonathan Trott slid toward the boundary to hold a catch late in the innings.

Trott got the final say, though, when he ran out Sulieman Benn attempting a foolish second run to culminate the match as England escaped to keep its own quarterfinal

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

hopes alive.

Group B's remaining three quarterfinalists — and England's fate — will now be decided with the final round of games where West Indies plays India and Bangladesh faces already-qualified South Africa.

"We've been through a lot together," skipper Andrew Strauss said. "It was a great credit to James Tredwell coming in today. Luke Wright batted well.

"We're delighted to have won this game. It's a big plus — but there's no doubt we've got to improve."

Russell had earlier taken a careerbest 4-49 in a stunning allround performance for West Indies in just his second ODI as England slipped to 1516 batting first.

But Wright stemmed a middleorder collapse and helped post a defendable total for England, hitting five fours coming in at No. 7.

Tredwell then led England's bowling comeback with the first three wickets after Chris Gayle had opened with an onslaught of big hits against a threadbare seam attack.

He also removed Russell for a crucial late breakthrough to end what

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had appeared to be a match-winning innings by the West Indies allrounder.

England clinched another topsyturvy match when Kemar Roach fell to offspinner Graeme Swann (3-36) and Trott produced the dramatic run out with a hard, flat throw from near the third man boundary. West Indies went from 222-6 to 225 all out.

"At the end of the day we lost," West Indies captain Darren Sammy said. "We lacked the killer instinct. We should have chased down the total.

That's cricket ... all in all, 243, we should have got that."

Gayle smashed Bresnan for four boundaries in the third over, and Chris Tremlett was launched for three fours and a six off consecutive deliveries on his introduction. West Indies went racing to 50 off just 4.5 overs, with Gayle responsible for 39 of the runs.

England's spin attack slowed the big left-hander on a helpful Chennai pitch, however, with Swann tying him down before Tredwell delivered a priceless wicket — his first in one-day cricket — when Gayle was out lbw for 43 off 21 balls.

The offspinner then had Devon Smith stumped and Darren Bravo

caught by Strauss at slip.

Sammy played a pinch-hitting role with two fours and three sixes, but his team was in trouble when he chopped a wide delivery from Ravi Bopara onto his stumps. Devon Thomas fell in almost identical fashion two overs later.

Dangerman Kieron Pollard got going with a six over midwicket off Swann and was then dropped by Bopara two balls later.

Another six down the ground followed but Swann did claim his crucial wicket lbw for 24.

With Pollard's big-hitting threat averted, Russell led the West Indies' fightback in a 72-run stand when West Indies had been down and out at 160-5.

But Tredwell, Swann and then Trott produced another final twist in England's rollercoaster ride so far at the World Cup. Under pressure, England had made three changes to its lineup, with allrounder Wright, Tredwell and paceman Tremlett coming in. Paul Collingwood and James Anderson were dropped and Ajmal Shahzad was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.

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London Olympics ticket sales going very well

Page 44

The first day of ticket sales for the 2012 London Olympics was going "very well", Games organisers have said.

People have until 26 April to apply for some of the 6.6 million tickets which went on sale 500 days before the event.

But London 2012 chairman Lord Coe has admitted only half of tickets for the opening ceremony and some major events would be available to the public.

Earlier there were red faces when the Olympic countdown clock in Trafalgar Square in central London stopped.

The 6.5m (21ft) high digital timepiece became stuck on 500 days and 7:06:56, less than 24 hours after being unveiled.

A spokesman for watchmaker the Swatch Group said: "We are obviously very disappointed that the clock has suffered this technical issue.

"The Omega London 2012 countdown clock was developed by our experts and fully tested ahead of the launch in Trafalgar Square.

"We are currently looking into why this happened and expect to have the clock functioning as normal as soon as possible."

On ticket sales, London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: "The reports are good. We went online early hours of the morning, ticket sales have been steady - which is what we wanted - and no reports of anything untoward.

"So, good, so far - let's keep our fingers crossed."

But when asked what proportion of the tickets would be available to the public for high-profile events he told BBC London: "We're still working through it but... it is probably more likely to be 50% for the 100m final or the opening ceremony."

Corporate clients and VIPs have often had special access to big nights in the Games.

Ticket prices for the public range from £20 to £2,012 and oversubscribed events will be decided by a ballot.

Several events will be free, such as the marathon, and 2.5 million tickets will be available for £20 and under.

Others start at between £30 and £50.

Half a billion pounds is forecast to be raised from ticket sales.

Organisers said they were confident they had done everything they could to avoid the website crashing as people logged on for the first time to buy tickets.

The main factor is the establishment of a 42-day sales process which means each application until 26 April will be treated in exactly the same way.

People can also apply using a paper form, obtainable from branches of Lloyds TSB, Bank of Scotland in Scotland and libraries in Northern Ireland, until 25 April.

Children under 17 will be able to "pay-your-age" to see some of the early heats, while the over-60s can watch for £16 at the same events.

Some 75% - or 6.6 million - of the 8.8 million Games tickets are available to the general public via the application process.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the 2012 organising committee

Of the remaining 2.2 million tickets, roughly half will be issued to National Olympic Committees (NOC) of each country, and half will be split between sponsors, the IOC, guests and hospitality partners.

People from some European countries can apply through the London 2012 website but residents of other countries can apply through their National Olympic Committee or appointed authorised ticket reseller.

A further two million tickets for the Paralympic Games go on sale on 9 September.

The London Organising Committee (Locog) has faced calls from the London Assembly for a record of all tickets reserved for officials, politicians and VIPs to be published.

Organisers still cannot say exactly how many seats will be available to the public for the big events in the Olympic stadium such as the opening ceremony and the 100 metres final, other than the figure will be more than 50% of the tickets available.

Lord Coe said he was confident the Games would be a sellout.

When the website did open, people applying for tickets found the site could not process their order if their Visa card expires before August.

Visa said in a statement: "Visa cards with an expiry date before August 2011 are not currently being accepted on the London 2012 ticketing website.

"We are working with all relevant parties to resolve this as soon as possible and will make a further announcement shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

"Tickets are not issued on a firstcome, first-served basis, and any ticket registration taking place by 26 April 2011 will have an equal chance of success in the ballot."

Card payments Ten councils in London have decided not to accept an offer to buy up to 100 Olympics tickets, mainly because they do not think it is the right use of public money.

They are Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bromley, Camden, Kingston, Croydon, Harrow, Havering, Redbridge and Westminster.

London 2012 said any tickets not taken up would be offered to the public.

There has been some criticism of

the ticket-buying process as all online tickets can be paid for only with a Visa card.

Organisers said this was in

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

recognition of Visa's sponsorship of the Games, but critics say it is unfair.

Visa Europe has said people who do not have a Visa debit or credit card and do not wish to get one can obtain a Visa prepaid card to purchase Olympic tickets.

Concerns have also been raised about payments made on Visa debit cards.

Locog said payment would be taken between 10 May and 10 June and people would be told by 24 June which events they had tickets for.

This could mean money going out of bank accounts before the buyer knows which tickets they are getting.

Efforts are being stepped up to curb ticket touting, with the government planning to raise the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000.

Tiger Woods moving to new home with new practice area

ORLANDO, Florida – Former world number one Tiger Woods is moving into a new home in Jupiter, Florida, that features a custom-built practice facility, the 14-time major champion said Monday on his website.

In the first blog posting on his website since just before the one-year anniversary of a sex scandal that led to divorce and the loss of millions of dollars in endorsement deals, Woods revealed his upcoming move from Orlando.

"Pretty soon, I'll be moving into my new home in Jupiter, Fla," Woods wrote. "I'm excited about that and even more excited about my new practice facility. It's phenomenal."

Woods lived in Isleworth, a private community in suburban Orlando, when he crashed a vehicle in the early morning hours after the US Thanksgiving holiday in 2009, setting off the chain of events that led to revelations of multiple mistresses.

Woods purchased property in Jupiter in 2006 and 2007 and ahead of his upcoming move has designed and overseen construction of a short-game practice facility to work on his golf game.

"It features four greens, six bunkers with different depths and kinds of sand, a video center and a putting studio," Woods said. "If no wind is blowing, the longest club I can hit is a 7-iron. It's also set up so I can hit shots out of my second-story studio."

Woods needs all the help he can get with his game. He has not won a title since returning to golf after a five-month hiatus at last year's Masters, working with coach Sean Foley on changes in his swing motion.

"My swing is still a work in progress and it takes time to get comfortable with everything," Woods said. "It's hard to implement all these changes. I just have to keep moving forward.

"I'm light years ahead of where I was at the end of last summer. The biggest thing is understanding what shot to hit and how to adjust my ball flight. Thanks to Sean Foley, I have a much deeper understanding of how to do this than ever before."

Serena Williams still has blood clots in lung

MARCH 18TH - MARCH 25TH, 2011

NEW YORK — Serena Williams still has blood clots in her lung but hopes to return to tennis this summer after recovering from a pulmonary embolism, which she called the "scariest moment in my life." The 13time Grand Slam champion spoke on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday from Los Angeles, saying she hasn't left her house much since going to the hospital nearly three weeks ago.

"I had a lot of swelling in my leg, which really is a telltale sign of an embolism, and I could not breathe," Williams said.

She said doctors couldn't find anything in her leg and then ordered a CAT scan of her lungs.

"That's when they found several blood clots," Williams said. "They told me that they had to check me in immediately or else ... it wasn't going to be a good result."

Treating the blood clots required Williams to inject herself with a blood thinner, she said. Feeling a need to get out, she didn't let her condition deter her

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Serena Williams

from attending several Oscar parties.

"I had been through so much in the past eight months," she said. "Just really

Page 45

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS

kind of low on energy, but I was like 'I've got to do something, kind of just to get my spirits up.'"

Then she wound up back in the hospital on Feb. 28 because of a large hematoma on her stomach. The gathering of blood under the skin grew from a "golf ball" to the size of "a grapefruit."

"I apparently must of hit something," said Williams, who was injecting herself twice a day. (The doctors said) 'We can't drain this, we have to surgically remove it.'"

Her absence from tennis could stretch to almost a year since she won the Wimbledon title last July. Williams has had two surgeries on her right foot since cutting it on glass at a restaurant shortly after Wimbledon.

Her comeback has been delayed repeatedly by complications from the injury. The second surgery was in late October, and she said she spent 10 weeks in a cast and 10 weeks in a walking boot.

On Wednesday night, Williams

took to Twitter to reassure her fans: "Hey guys! I am better each day. I'm so in love with my fans and friends! My family too! I'm beyond blessed to have so much love around me! S" Surgery is among the risk factors for blood clots, as are prolonged periods of inactivity and long airline flights.

Williams said she wasn't "moving and not doing as much as I normally do.

I started flying a lot ... thinking I was OK. And obviously, I wasn't."

The 29-year-old Williams realizes it was a dangerous situation.

"Mine went from my leg to my lung and it traveled fast," Williams said.

"I still have several clots in my lung.

They're just there, and they have to eventually dissolve. So I'm just taking it one day at a time. Just on the road to recovery.

"I said I wanted to return this summer, and I was hoping to return way sooner than that. Being so close to ... the scariest moment in my life, I really just want to come back and be able to do well."

NFL says suspensions more likely for illegal hits

The NFL will be more aggressive in suspending players next season for illegal hits, and also could make changes to instant replay and kickoffs. Ray Anderson, the league's chief disciplinarian, said Wednesday that repeat offenders or players committing flagrant illegal hits will have a much greater chance of being suspended during the 2011 season.

No suspensions were handed down in 2010 even after the NFL's crackdown on such hits, in part because "we were operating under the principle unless you have given sufficient advance notice of what the results could be, you need to be more lenient," Anderson said.

"Frankly, now that the notice has been given, players and coaches and clubs are very aware of what the emphasis is and we won't have that hesitation," Anderson said. "Everyone will be very clearly on notice now that a suspension is very viable for us and we will exercise it ... when it comes to illegal hits to the head and neck area and to defenseless players."

The NFL increased the amount on its fines for such hits last year after a series of fouls on one October weekend. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $75,000 for one such tackle, while Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson and New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather were docked $50,000 for hits to defenseless opponents that weekend.

Many more fines were implemented throughout the remainder of last season but no player was suspended, even though suspensions were considered, Anderson said.

"We want to be much more clear on what can be a suspendable incident," Anderson said. "The emphasis is on head and neck hits and what a defenseless player is. And we will work hard that people understand what is a repeat offender and what is a flagrant foul."

The league looks at two years worth of plays to determined repeat offenders.

Rules defining a defenseless player will be expanded and now will include eight categories: —A quarterback in the act of throwing; —A receiver trying to catch a pass; —A runner already in the grasp of tacklers and having his forward progress stopped; —A player fielding a punt or a kickoff; —A kicker or punter during the kick; —A quarterback at any time after change of possession; —A receiver who receives a blind-side block; —A player already on the ground.

At next week's owners meetings in New Orleans, the competition committee will propose moving the kickoff up to the 35 yard-line, and bringing a touchback

out to the 25. There would be no changes for touchbacks on any other plays, with the ball coming out to the 20.

No player other than the kicker would be allowed to line up more than 5 yards behind the ball, and the committee will suggest outlawing the wedge on kickoffs; all blocking wedges were reduced to two players in 2009.

"The injury rate on kickoffs remains a real concern for us and the players and the coaches' subcommittee," said Falcons president Rich McKay, the chairman of the competition committee. "This is a pretty major change."

So would be making all scoring plays reviewable, another proposal the committee will bring to the owners on Monday. This change would empower the replay official to order replays on any touchdowns, field goals, safeties and extra points without the coaches needing to challenge. It would be similar to the current system for the final two minutes of each half and for overtime. It also would mirror what colleges do on scoring plays for entire games.

Eliminating a third coach's challenge if he is successful on the first two also will be proposed; McKay said the third challenge rarely was used.

There will be no "Calvin Johnson rule" proposal on what is a catch. Johnson seemingly made a touchdown reception late in the Lions' season opener last September, but had it ruled incomplete because, with the ball still in his hand, it touched the ground as he raced off to celebrate. McKay's committee is only recommending a further clarification of the rules on such receptions.

"We confirmed a rule that has been there for more than 70 years which basically says there are three elements to a catch," McKay said. "Secure the ball in your hands; maintain control when have you two feet down or any body part other than the hands (are down); and we will write it into the rules that you must control the ball long enough after 'A' and 'B' (to) enable you to perform any act common to the game. That doesn't mean you have to perform the act, but must have the ability to.

"Would Calvin Johnson's be a catch under 2011 rules? Our answer would be no."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league plans to release the regular-season schedule in mid-April, despite the current work stoppage.

"A specific date is not set," Aiello said. "We plan to do what we normally do."

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will retire from international cricket after the World Cup. The 35-year-old, nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express", made the announcement at a news conference in Colombo on Thursday.

Shoaib made his international debut in 1997 in a Test match against the West Indies and is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers ever to play the game.

"With this announcement it feels like it's my first death," he said.

"I have taken this decision after much thought.

"Pakistan's last match in this World Cup will also be my last. I hope that will be the final on 2 April.

"I would have loved to continue, perhaps forever, but I must make way for them youngsters to take over."

Akhtar's decision comes after Pakistan, who have already qualified for the quarter-finals, suffered a 110run defeat against New Zealand, in which he went for 70 runs from his nine overs.

He was rested for the match against Zimbabwe

on Monday and is thought to be an unlikely starter for Saturday's last Group A match against Australia.

Akhtar, who made his international debut in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the last of which was against India at Bangalore in 2007.

He is three wickets short of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and has taken 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.

His career will be remembered for a series of fitness problems, discipline violations as well as a doping offence that prevented him achieving his potential.

Akhtar and the now banned Mohammad Asif failed drugs tests in 2006 and were suspended for two years and one year respectively, both of which were lifted on appeal.

Fitness problems forced him to miss the 2007 World Cup while he was fined heavily and banned for 13 one-dayers, after he hit Asif with a bat, two days before the 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Shoaib Akhtar to retire after World Cup

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