| Gov. Wetherell reports: "We are making progress" | | Print | |
| Friday, 04 June 2010 13:40 | |||
 His Excellency the Gov. Gordon Wetherell issued his third quarterly report on the interim government, recapping government finances, land stamp duty, import tariffs and Crown land policy. “I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the Advisory Council and the Consultative Forum for their tireless efforts and valuable contributions,” the governor said. “We still have a long way to go, but after nine months I think that together we are making clear progress across and number of fronts. These will stand us in good stead as we continue to move forward to put the TCI back on sure footing for a sustainable future.” Topping his report was government finances that have required cutting expenses — including a 10-percent pay cut for public servants — and improving revenue collections. The new $211,710,047 budget predicts a $26.6 million deficit, the lowest shortfall in the last four years. To help combat crime, the new budget gives police $18 million — a $4 million increase — for additional staff and training. Four new police officers recruited from the U.K. are expected to take up posts this month, including a detective sergeant, community policing sergeant, fingerprint/crime scene officer and a crime analyst, he said. A new reduced, tiered stamp duty on property sales is aimed at making it cheaper for local residents to buy homes and to encourage investment, improving a major source of revenue, the governor said. And a new import tariff schedule nearing completion should improve collections while making things more affordable for residents and protecting local businesses. “New reduced tariffs are proposed on goods commonly used by households and the community, as well as goods needed to help support agriculture and investment in other key sectors of the economy,” Wetherell said. “Higher rates are proposed for luxury items and other imported goods that compete with those produced locally.” Airport construction gets underway this month, which should create many jobs and pump money into the economy, he said. Airport contractor Dexter Construction is establishing a scholarship program for Belongers to study at its training facilities in Canada. The governor also mentioned the two new hospitals which have opened on Providenciales and Grand Turk, “but as with all major projects, there are some teething problems, which InterHealth Canada and the Ministry of Health, in concert with the National Health Insurance Plan, are working diligently to iron out.” With nationwide consultation already underway on constitutional and electoral reforms, a similar exercise will begin soon on reforms to Crown land policy, he said. With funding from the U.K., the Crown Land Unit has completed an inventory of Crown land on all islands, and a series of maps is being created to show what is left. “We will soon be publishing a Crown land allocation register, which will include the details of current owners of land in the country who obtained allocations of Crown land. This key transparency measure was included in the former Crown land policy but never acted upon by previous governments. “Any future allocations of Crown land will be added to the register and electronic copies will be available, free of charge, from the Crown Land Unit,” the governor said. The governor also cited the formation of the Integrity Commission, which will investigate public corruption; a new nationwide solid waste contract, which will clean up and modernize the country’s landfills and introduce recycling; and deposit insurance, which is aimed at protecting deposits in the country’s financial institutions. Click HERE to read the governor’s full report.
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