Turks and Caicos SUN Newspaper

Turks and Caicos SUN Newspaper The leading newspaper in Turks and Caicos Islands

07/12/2025

PREMIER WASHINGTON MISICK’ S DECISION TO REDRAFT THE BUSINESS LICENCE AMENDMENT BILL IS THE MARK OF A STRONG LEADER

By Hayden Boyce – SUN Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

On the eve of the February 2025 general election, The SUN newspaper endorsed Charles Washington Misick to be premier of Turks and Caicos Islands for a second term, on the grounds that the moment required a “safe pair of hands, robust leadership and management skills and real solutions to the existing challenges and problems”.

We argued that he was thoughtful, analytical, fiscally measured, and possessed of quiet steel beneath his calm exterior.

We said this: “These are particularly serious times in TCI which require strong, serious leadership. We firmly believe that Washington Misick, given his proven, strong, steady and decisive leadership, is well placed and suited to be just the right leader for such times as these.”

Premier Misick’s handling of the highly controversial Business License Amendment Bill 2025, has done nothing whatsoever to weaken our endorsement. If anything, it strengthens it.

There are critics, including from within his own Progressive National Party (PNP) who have been saying the premier punked out, chickened out, back peddled and buckled to pressure from the business community, simply because he decided to redraft the Business License Amendment Bill and hold an online consultation on it. We beg to differ.

To be sure, neither the PNP nor the people of Turks and Caicos Islands elected a weakling in two successive elections by landslide majorities. They elected a level-headed statesman.

The most effective leaders are those who are bold, flexible and sensible enough to revise policies when evidence, economics and reality demand it.

Legendary statesman and former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was famously quoted as saying, "Those who never change their minds, never change anything."

This profound quote captures the essence of Premier Misick’s approach. For even as he faces some backlash, he is managing the controversy with mature deliberation. We expected nothing less.

The premier was mature enough to admit that while a blanket 100% ownership requirement may appear "attractive in principle, it is impractical in application" particularly for sectors requiring significant start-up or working capital.

He conceded too, that Turks and Caicos Islanders often face structural financing challenges such as limited access to credit, and that rigid requirements could unintentionally impede the growth of local enterprises, thus undermining the intended objective of empowerment. We agree.

Empowerment of Turks and Caicos Islanders is an aspiration which none of us in our right mind would dispute. Of course, the word “empowerment” resonates easily among the masses. But it is also equally easy to be abused by political opportunists and bandwagonists.

Be that as it may, we believe there will be no losers as Premier Misick recalibrates his approach to the Business Licensing Amendment Bill.

We therefore fully support the premier’s proposed 60/40 framework, in which there will be a minimum 60% local equity requirement, with non-Turks and Caicos Islander participation capped at 40%. This, as he said, ensures Turks and Caicos Islanders retain meaningful majority ownership and control while permitting access to external capital, expertise and strategic partnerships essential to business growth.

But we go further. If Premier Misick and his government are really serious about translating empowerment from rhetoric into reality, there are some other reforms, other than the Business Licensing Amendment Bill, which demand urgency. They need to expedite the establishment of a national credit union, accelerate the creation of the mortgage fund and devise a more flexible Crown land policy.

Turks and Caicos Islanders continue to experience securing financing to start their business. There’s a school of thought that commercial banks are dream-killers. Other nationalities living here have found ways to pool their resources and support each other in securing real estate and starting business ventures, whether it be through an asue, or borrowing money from law firms and private lending agencies. This, of course, is not to say that Turks and Caicos Islanders have not benefited from such sources of funds. They do.

Across the Caribbean, credit unions, because their lending policies are more flexible than commercial banks, have been the real engines of wealth creation for the lower and middle class and small businesses. A national credit union in TCI would eventually better facilitate government’s desired intention to have 100 percent local ownership in many more business categories.

The creation of the mortgage fund, which is also long overdue, will make homeownership more of a reality and less of a distant aspiration for many young people.

And finally, a more relaxed Crown land policy would make it possible for more Turks and Caicos Islanders to “own a piece of the rock” and truly take their rightful place in their own country.

The redrafting of the Business Licence Amendment Bill, when taken within this wider economic framework, should therefore not be regarded as failure or retreat, but as a necessary, sensible corrective step in the right direction towards the empowerment of Turks and Caicos Islanders.

History tends to be kinder to brave leaders who listen, consult, pivot when necessary and choose sensible, responsible and practical reforms that are in the national interest, over allegiance to a narrow, vocal political party base and/or short-term popularity.

We remain confident that when taken and viewed within this broader context, combined with his stated goal of empowering Turks and Caicos Islanders, Premier Charles Washington Misick will be vindicated by his revised approach.

As Martin Luther King Jr., stated: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

06/12/2025

$100K IN CONFISACTED MONEY MISSING FROM
BORDER FORCE SAFE AIRPORT

By Hayden Boyce – SUN Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

An undisclosed amount of money, believed to be around $100,000, which was being stored in a security safe at the Howard Hamilton International Airport, cannot be accounted for.

The SUN can confirm that at least four persons from Border Services will shortly be sent on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. The names are being withheld at this time to protect the integrity of the process.

Reliable sources told The SUN that the money, which falls under the control of the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, is from accumulated funds confiscated from persons travelling through the Providenciales International Airport with excess amounts of money, and other illegal activities there.

It is understood that October 2024 was the last time any money was collected. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the money may have been taken over a 12-month period.

These funds, according to sources, were supposed to be placed in secure envelopes, taken to the treasury, then deposited into a special fund. Some of the funds are also supposed to be turned over to the police as evidence in court cases.

The funds were discovered “missing” over the past few days, after someone went to search for the money as part of a court case.

The SUN understands that an official internal investigation is about to be launched into the matter, but officials are being guided by the Public Financial Management Ordinance in terms of how they proceed.

The matter is being taken very seriously, and although the Financial Crimes Unit of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is not yet involved, Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey was officially notified on Thursday.

When contacted, Director General of the Border Services Emilio Seymour offered no comment.

02/12/2025

PREMIER SAYS GOVERNMENT WILL REDRAFT BUSINESS LICENCE AMENDMENT BILL

By Hayden Boyce - SUN Publisher

Premier and Minister of Finance Washington Misick says Government will redraft the controversial Business License Amendment Bill so that ownership rules and transactional protections, and anti-fronting measures reflect Cabinet’s original intent.

In a statement, the premier said: “Cabinet did not “retreat.” It corrected an error; It restored policy integrity, and strengthened the empowerment and investment framework in a way that withstands constitutional, economic, and political scrutiny.”

Here is the full statement:
The Business Licensing (Amendment) Bill arose from the Government's comprehensive review of the national business licensing regime, launched in 2023 to modernize the framework, expand opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders, and address issues such as fronting, regulatory loopholes, and unequal access to economic participation.

Although the consultation generated substantial feedback: particularly regarding the scope of reserved categories and appropriate thresholds for local ownership stakeholder participation was limited at the outset and increased primarily during later stages once potential impacts became more widely appreciated.

As the draft Bill evolved, it became clear that the existing 51% ownership requirement and outdated reserved-business provisions no longer aligned with national development goals; however, incorrect drafting instructions resulted in the unintended inclusion of a blanket 100% ownership provision, which was identified during parliamentary scrutiny The Bill was therefore held in Committee to enable correction, allow full consideration of outstanding issues, and support a balanced and consultative refinement process before finalising the amendment.

Cabinet, following further review of the Business Licensing Framework, proposes amendments that reflect a balanced approach to national policy objectives and economic realities. While a blanket 100% ownership requirement may appear attractive in principle, it is impractical in application particularly for sectors requiring significant start-up or working capital.

Turks and Caicos Islanders often face structural financing challenges such as limited access to credit, high collateral requirements, and high interest rates. A rigid requirement could unintentionally increase business vulnerability and impede the growth of local enterprises, undermining the intended objective of empowerment.

Balanced 60/40 Framework

A minimum 60% local equity requirement, with non-Islander participation capped at 40%, ensures Turks and Caicos Islanders retain meaningful majority ownership and control while permitting access to external capital, expertise and strategic partnerships essential to business growth.

This approach is consistent with models successfully utilized in other small-island economies such as Jamaica, Barbados and Mauritius, where structured equity arrangements support domestic empowerment while safeguarding economic stability Such models have been shown to protect national interests advancing sustainable economic development, enhancing competitiveness and promoting technology transfer.

Safeguards Against Fronting

A numerical ownership threshold on its own is insufficient to prevent “fronting arrangements,” where local shareholding is nominal but effective control rests with non-Islanders. To give real effect to the 60% rule, complementary safeguards are required such as:
• Ensuring board control and voting rights remain with local shareholders;
• Granting locals, a right of first refusal on any proposed share transfers;
• Establishing mandatory rules for dividend and profit distribution; and
• Strengthening oversight and monitoring through the Inland Revenue Department.

Why the 60/40 Framework

• aligns with the PNP Manifesto to foster business alliance;
• Meaningful Islander control;
• Partnership-based equity;
• Access to capital and expertise;
• Avoidance of excessive debt burdens for local entrepreneurs.
• Eliminates the impractical 100% proposed requirement.
• Avoids harsh outcomes in succession, estate transfers, and share reallocations.
• Preserves flexibility for genuine commercial partnerships.
Immediate Action
Redraft the Bill so that ownership rules, transitional protections, and anti-fronting measures reflect Cabinet’s original intent.

Key Message

Cabinet did not “retreat.” It corrected an error; It restored policy integrity, and strengthened the empowerment and investment framework in a way that withstands constitutional, economic, and political scrutiny.

30/11/2025

WIDESPREAD UNEMPLOYMENT, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG WORKERS’ CAN BE CAUSED BY PROPOSED BUSINESS LICENCE AMENDMENT, AN INDEPENDENT REPORT SAYS

By Hayden Boyce – SUN Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

The proposed Business Licence Amendment Bill, which is scheduled to be passed by Turks and Caicos Islands Parliament at the next sitting of Parliament in December, could lead to a decline in foreign investment and could trigger widespread unemployment, especially among semi-skilled and young workers.

This was the finding of a scientific report, entitled Macroeconomic Assessment and Foreign Direct Investment Risk Analysis in the Context of the Business Licensing Amendment Bill 2025, which was done by the International Accounting firm of Grant Thornton earlier in November 2025.

The report, which was sent to Premier Charles Washington Misick, Governor Dileeni Daniel Selvaratnam, Attorney General Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles, Deputy Premier Jamell Robinson and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK, also stated that it is highly likely that there will be reduced capital inflows which would undermine the expansion of key sectors like tourism, construction, and real estate, leading to lower GDP growth than forecast, and quite possibly a significant reduction in GDP leading to a recession.

The 34-page report says that if the Business Licence Amendment Bill is passed in its present form, such a policy is likely to lead to a reduction in the value of all businesses as a result of restricting the number of possible buyers.

In addition, it is not clear how local people would be able to obtain enough capital to be able to buy shares in the businesses, even at reduced valuations, to achieve the stated aim of 100% ownership of all businesses by TCI Belongers.

The Grant Thornton report said the new law could lead to lower business activity in Turks and Caicos Islands, which would shrink the government’s primary revenue sources, accommodation tax, import duties, and land transfers. This, the report said, would compromise Government’s ability to fund public services such as healthcare, police, education, and make capital investments for the future of the country.

As it now stands, the Business Licensing Act provides that certain businesses are reserved for Turks and Caicos Islanders, who must own a majority of the business, at least 51%.

The proposed new Bill seeks to move the 51% majority figure to 100% absolute ownership. It also dictates that when a change of ownership next occurs, an existing foreign owner will no longer be able to own any shares or interest in that reserved business.

The SUN understands that a prominent attorney wrote to TCI government officials, warning them that the proposed new bill is “unlawful” and “unconstitutional”, because it takes away the rights of existing business owners, shareholders and partners, by making their businesses non-transferrable, other than to a limited class of persons in the case of restricted businesses.

The top lawyer from a leading law firm also expressed concern that there are no ‘grandfathering’ arrangements for exempting existing businesses and owners.

This, the attorney said, is contrary to prior ‘grandfathering’ arrangements expressly introduced by amendment to the Act in 2014, when 57 new reserved categories of businesses were added to the then existing 20 categories.

According to the attorney, the proposed new Business Licence Amendment Bill, would require the forced closure of businesses in the event of any transfer of an ownership interest by a shareholder/partner, even if due to the death of such a person.

That would lead to the immediate and automatic termination of the operations of the business, since the existing business licence would cease to be valid. Existing contracts of the business would then be frustrated mid-way through performance, and employees would likely have to be terminated by operation of law, as the business could no longer lawfully operate, the lawyer stated.

It was also noted that the Bill, if enacted, will create an unconstitutional taking, or forced loss, of property and rights, for which no compensation is provided for in the Bill.

Furthermore, due to the wide-ranging impact of the Bill, the measure of damages and compensation claimed by affected persons would become so large, that it might effectively bankrupt TCIG in terms of the quantum of those claims, the attorney stated.

He added that it would also overwhelm the courts’ administration by the volume of claims. In turn, this would lead to a major contingent liability for the United Kingdom Government. The business owners negatively affected include even Islander owners and investors, whose businesses could no longer be purchased by foreign investors.

More importantly, it was stated, for liability purposes and international relations, existing foreign investors from countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, will be very substantially affected to their detriment. Those nationals are from countries where bi-lateral investment treaties are then likely to be invoked.

Arbitrations would commence on a large scale, with a negative impact on TCI’s reputation and its international relations (and thereby those of the United Kingdom), as well as creating significant contingent liabilities for TCIG.

The report added that this sudden reversal in the long-standing pro-investment stance could damage TCI’s international reputation, signaling unpredictability and undermining investor confidence.

It also noted that domestic small and medium businesses may lose access to contracts, training, and partnerships with multinational firms, slowing their growth and detaching them from global value chains.

According to the report, limiting the pool of potential buyers would depress the market value of businesses, including those owned by islanders, while the lack of sufficient local capital raises doubts about the feasibility of achieving full belonger ownership as intended.

30/11/2025

WORK PERMIT CORRUPTION SCANDAL IN TCI

By Hayden Boyce – Publisher & Editor-in-Chief



A corruption scandal involving work permits in Turks and Caicos Islands, has been uncovered by The SUN.

Investigations reveal that delays and denials surrounding the issuance of work permits have been linked to what is regarded as a pay-to-play racket within the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services, in which employment agencies, businesses and individuals have to “pay under the table” to get their work permits.

Businesses and individuals have reported to The SUN that the Immigration Department has been delaying or rejecting labour clearances, mostly for low-entry and unskilled positions on the grounds that employers should hire Turks and Caicos Islanders instead. Employers complain that many of the jobs in question are traditionally hard to fill locally, and they say the delays and refusals have caused operational strain on their businesses.

Delays in issuing work permits have also been experienced in the tourism sector and other private sector businesses, where applicants are forced to wait for several weeks or months for approvals and work permit cards.

The SUN understands that Deputy Premier and Minister of Immigration and Border Services Jamell Robinson has intervened in several cases to overturn refusals, yet even after the minister over-rules the denial, the work permits take an inordinate length of time to be issued.

In an email response to questions from The SUN, Robinson said his ministry “takes the allegations very seriously”.

He stated: “Regarding the serious allegations of corruption, there are several avenues for it to be addressed. Firstly, reports can be made with specific information or evidence to Senior Members of the Department or Ministry. Additionally, reports can be filed with the Integrity Commission, which has jurisdiction over the Public Service. Lastly, if all else fails, a report can be made to the RTCIPF for investigation. Though we have zero tolerance for corruption, without proof or evidence being filed with the appropriate authorities, they are just anecdotal, and persons can’t be held to account on anecdotal evidence.”



Robinson said the Employment Services Department (ESD), also known as the Labour Department, has sole responsibility for the issuance of labour clearances and subsequently work permits.

“I fully accept responsibility for the continued delays in the processing and determining decisions of work permit applications, noting that since 2019 pre-pandemic that applications have more than doubled to present day, although the staff complement has been of similar size,” Robinson said. “In response to this reality, we’ve developed and will be launching to the public the Application Processing System (APS) which we envision will significantly reduce the time for decisions to be made while ensuring first in first out services. This is a stop gap until we introduce a more comprehensive system.”

In relation to refusals, appeals and further delays, Robinson said that in the first instance, the ESD has to determine if there is a genuine need for an employee that can’t be filled locally or if there is sufficient work for that person to be able to sustain themselves in the country.

“Once a determination is made, a labour clearance is either issued or refused. If refused, an applicant has the right to appeal to the minister or the appeals Tribunal respectively. If a decision to overturn is issued, the application is returned to the same queue as all others for the issuance of a 90% receipt,” he added. “Ultimately, we are striving for a fairer, faster, and more transparent system where we can deliver services to the public in a more efficient way. This is why in the near future, we are looking to introduce service level agreements with the public for all our products within the ministry of immigration and border services.”

The SUN’s probe revealed that this practice has been an “open secret” for many years, but people are not willing to be named or formally complain, for fear of retaliation or victimisation, which are hallmarks of environments where corruption is suspected but not yet proven.

Based on our investigations, there appears to be serious accountability, management and systemic issues surrounding issuing work permits which need to be urgently addressed. There is no suggestion that the entire department is corrupt, but based on what has been reported to, and known by, The SUN, the entire work permit system is ideal for corruption to flourish.

28/11/2025

THE BUSINESS LICENCE AMENDMENT BILL 2025 IS A DIRECT ASSAULT ON ECONOMIC SENSE AND THE WRONG KIND OF ‘EMPOWERMENT’

By Hayden Boyce – SUN Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Most persons who understand and follow politics will agree that not all legislation is born equal, and that quite a few laws weren’t born with sense.

In Turks and Caicos Islands and elsewhere, some laws which are misunderstood at the time of their passage, eventually prove to be the foundation of national progress and development. Others reveal their damage almost immediately.

The proposed Business Licence Amendment Bill 2025, which is expected to come before Parliament in December to be passed, falls squarely into the second category. Not only is it regressive, counterproductive and economically illiterate, it threatens to do serious harm to the very Turks and Caicos Islands people it claims to protect.

The bill is being sold as an instrument of “empowerment” for Turks and Caicos Islanders. It creates 190 reserved categories of businesses which must be 100 percent owned by Turks and Caicos Islanders and raises ownership thresholds for other categories. It also prevents locals from selling their businesses to foreigners in the future.

To be sure, it is not sensible economic reform. Neither is it strategic empowerment, as some Cabinet ministers and certain ardent supporters of the Progressive National Party (PNP) would want you to believe. In reality, it is a populist bill which is being promoted with the use of catchy, simplistic slogans over serious substance. We go further. This Business Licence Amendment Bill 2025 is political craziness.

Make no mistake about it, by restricting the ability of foreign investors to participate meaningfully in local businesses, it is highly likely that the Business Licence Amendment Bill 2025 will choke off capital, stifle growth, and freeze opportunities for small entrepreneurs, many of whom depend on foreign partners and financing to start and expand their business ventures. It’s as simple as that.

No serious, right-thinking investor will put money into a business where legal recognition is denied, influence is forbidden and the risks are unlimited. It doesn’t make sense. Someone should tell this to the PNP politicians who are pushing this bill. While they’re at it, please remind them that countries and economies which outlaw meaningful foreign participation do not flourish. Instead, they stagnate. Does Turks and Caicos Islands really want to join the ranks of countries like North Korea, Cuba and Vietnam who suffocate foreign investment?

The deeper problem, however, is that the bill reflects a troubling trend in which “the Grace Bay Boys”, expatriate investors and foreigners are presented as villains. It is quite easy, while promising locals “protection” and “empowerment”, to manufacture division and feed the unpretty fiction that foreigners are the obstacle to the success of Turks and Caicos Islanders. This narrative yields short-term popularity, but it is particularly dangerous.

Let’s be honest. The modern Turks and Caicos Islands economy is the product of local initiatives powered by foreign capital, directly or indirectly. Hotels, construction, water sports, real estate and many, if not all of the same business categories which government now wants to make 100 percent locally-owned, could not exist in their current form without some form of external investment partnering with local labour and entrepreneurship. To pretend otherwise is not patriotic. It is totally dishonest.

If many local business owners, especially those in the water sports industry, are truthful and candid, they will admit the above. Policymakers know it too, but some of them now conveniently refuse to say it openly. In fact, many of today’s loudest supporters of this bill, owe their own success to the very investment model they are now seeking to dismantle. How duplicitous!

Of course, there are legitimate debates to be had about levelling the playing field, transparency, fair access, regulatory enforcement and ensuring that Turks and Caicos Islanders retain meaningful participation in key sectors. Turks and Caicos Islands should always place its people first. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But putting citizens first does not mean rejecting partnership, demonising and discouraging foreign investors or sabotaging confidence in the economy. This can be achieved through sensible, clearly thought-out initiatives, instead of populist policies which will make it difficult for existing and new local business persons to climb the ladder of economic opportunity.

Even worse still, by seeking to interfere with established business structures and ownership arrangements, the government could very well find itself facing significant legal action because of this proposed new law.

The fact that this bill has attracted strong public support, including from former Premier Michael Misick, whose tenure was defined by large-scale foreign investment and economic expansion (perhaps the most significant Turks and Caicos Islands has ever seen), should give observers and analysts pause. Whatever one’s view of Misick’s legacy, the robust economic evidence and tremendous benefits of that era remain undeniable and are still visible today. The contrast with the positions taken by Misick and others in 2025 could not be more stark.

Dressing up protectionism as empowerment is like putting lipstick on a pig. It rewards political posturing in the short term, but punishes the economy in the long term.

This Business Licence Amendment Bill 2025 bill is not visionary. Not only is it nonsense legislation, but it is also economically illiterate. If Parliament is crazy enough to pass it, instead of Turks and Caicos Islands emerging stronger, it will emerge smaller, poorer and more divided. It is anticipated that some PNPs will seek to use parliamentary protection and privilege to attack this newspaper’s position, but we are battle-ready.

It is also predicted that in the final analysis, history will not be kind to those who are promoting this Business Licence Amendment Bill 2025 and sadly mistaking social media applause and popularity for progress.

If the ruling Progressive National Party (PNP) truly cares about the people of Turks and Caicos Islands and their future, it should defer this bill, give it some more thought, conduct a sensible economic study and be guided by economic prudence.

A word to the wise is enough.

27/11/2025

MISS TCI UNIVERSE BERENIECE DICKENSON RETURNING TO TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH

Miss TCI/Universe Bereniece Dickenson will return to Turks and Caicos Islands this Saturday, November 29th, 2025. Experience Turks and Caicos and the Ministry of Tourism are excited to welcome her home with pomp and ceremony.

She is expected to arrive at the Howard Hamilton airport at 2:35 p.m. via InterCaribbean where she will be greeted by Minister Jolly and Acting Premier EJ Saunders as well as the We Funk Junkanoo band.

From the airport, there will be a motorcade from the Government Office Complex on Airport Road to Business Solutions (They were major sponsors). There will be a public welcome in the carpark of Business Solutions from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the opportunity for the public to take photos of Miss TCI.

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