Opposition Leader Demands Immediate Delivery of Promised Stimulus

Opposition Leader Hon. Edwin A. Astwood has reiterated a firm call for the government to immediately bring forward a supplementary Bill to deliver long-promised stimulus payments to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands before the end of the year.

Astwood: “Relief Must Come Now. Not as Election Theatre”

Astwood stressed that residents are currently facing real and mounting financial pressures, from rising living costs to persistent inflation, and can no longer wait on political timing or pre-election promises.

“The time to act is now,” Astwood declared. “Not weeks before an election, today. Our people are in genuine need.”

Astwood expressed full support for the swift passage of a supplementary stimulus Bill, saying he would stand with the government to approve it through all three readings in a single sitting if necessary.

He underscored that the matter should transcend party lines.

“This stimulus is not about politics or timing; it is about practical relief for households struggling with essential expenses. I am prepared to support the Bill immediately, transparently, and without delay.”

The Opposition Leader reminded the House that both major political parties, the governing PNP and the opposition PDM,  promised a stimulus as part of their 2025 General Elections campaigns. He reiterated that his own proposal promised quarterly stimulus payments of $500, funded through revenues directed into a national Wealth Fund for the people.

Drawing on his five years of detailed review on the Appropriations Committee, Astwood noted that such a quarterly stimulus would have been financially workable in the absence of major disruptions.

Astwood was critical of the government’s decision last year to issue stimulus relief only weeks before the General Election, arguing that the timing appeared politically motivated.

He added that while last year’s payment was justified as a cost-of-living adjustment, the cost of living has continued to rise sharply since the election, and many families are now in urgent need of support.

“The cost of living in the Turks & Caicos has risen since the elections,” he said. “Many of our people require immediate relief to cope with rising costs.”

Astwood outlined two direct expectations for the government:

• Immediate announcement of a concrete plan for a stimulus-related supplementary Bill

• A scheduled debate and expedited passage, with a readiness for cross-party cooperation

  
  

 Astwood emphasized that his appeal is grounded in the welfare of the people rather than political posturing.

“This is about people first. It is about action over rhetoric,” he said. “And it is about delivering what our citizens deserve: timely, meaningful relief now.”