Dear Mr. Editor,
Once again, our people are being hung out to dry and have no idea whether or not their livelihood will be taken away from them nor how they will survive. The current temperature is scorching and our local water sports businesses are at the place of suffering a heat stroke, about to die, and our government refuse to aid them.
Mr. Editor, this matter has been ongoing for a number of years when this same Premier who took the water sports out of the category reserved for TCIslanders only. Our people must remember this! Our people have been crying for years now and their cries have been falling on deaf ears.
Our elected representatives from this 14-1 PNP uncaring government have no time for the people of his country, but soon they will be banging on the doors of the voters asking to return them to office. For three and a half (3½ ) years we heard nothing from this 14-1 PNP government and their bandwagon cheerleaders about the disenfranchisement, victimization, undermining and marginalization of our water sports operators.
Mr. Editor, back in April of this year, I wrote an article and recorded a video capturing the challenges our water sports operators face, what has been happening and what was likely to happen to them, now the chickens have come home to roost. Houston we have a very, very serious problem.
It’s a shame and disgrace when you have persons jumping on political bandwagons who try to obscure the truth and that which is the obvious at the detriment of our people through deceptive tactics and measures. Not only is this reckless and dangerous, but it speaks to the character and integrity of those persons who engage in such behavior. One must wonder, can these individuals really be trusted, because the truth is now EXPOSED for all to see!!! Mr. Editor it’s all unfolding right before our eyes. The truth had to eventually come out, but I did not expect it would have been so quickly.
Mr. Editor in April of this year the water sports operators were levied with a barrage of fees which added to their monthly overhead and the Jet Ski owners were told that they cannot operate in the National Parks to conserve the environment, according to DECR which falls under the Minister of Tourism.
I can appreciate that we want to do such, but why does that rule not apply to the other boats, Jet Skis and other vessels from other foreign businesses that are in the same National Parks all day and every day? Our Jet Ski owners were also told they cannot go to Split Rock, Noah’s Ark, Reck off Shore Club and Iguana’s Cay, they can only go to Fort George Cay. DECR struck again limiting and hindering our operators’ tours and by extension stifling their businesses, who stood to benefit? Who was and is the Policy writer?
The Minister writes policy and hands it down to be executed. RED Water Sports Company can spread their wings the way they are because policy written by the Minister opens a door for Red with full autonomy and will present a closed door to other local water sports operators, hence unlevelling the playing field.
The Hon. Premier, the Minister of Tourism and every other elected member from this 14-1 PNP government remains tight-lipped and silent while the livelihood of our local TCIslanders are being ripped from their hands. Many families stand to suffer at the peril of this 14-1 PNP government’s doing.
The question is, other than the individual who’s joined at the hip with the Minister of Tourism to RIP our local TCI Water Sports Operators businesses from them, who else is involved, and are part and parcel to this under the table dirty deal from this 14-1 PNP government? Something stinks badly in Denmark and it isn’t cheese. My brothers and sisters in the Turks and Caicos God is allowing us to see this NOW to OPEN our eyes.
Imagine what this same 14-1 PNP government will do should we return them to office??? Turks and Caicos Islanders if we only know what this 14-1 PNP government has in store for us in this country should we return them to office, we would run for our lives, because it isn’t good!!!
This is only the cart, but the load is coming!!! Our Ministers sit in Cabinet and in their airconditioned offices daily, making backroom dirty deals and not caring whether we die because it is their intention to buy us in this election. Just how they intend to buy us, they will sell us to the highest bidder. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Mr. Editor I must reiterate, who else is complicit or tied up in this company RED? Is it one from this 14-1 PNP government waiting to get their weekly/monthly envelopes? They are all very, very quiet!!! Mr. Editor this is wrong on all levels. Our local Water Sports Operators are on the grind every day, all day making an honest dollar to take care and support their families, keeping many young men off the streets.
While their livelihoods are being unfairly taken away from them, this 14-1 PNP government is very, very quiet. It’s a dog-eat-dog world we’re living in here in TCI. After RED Company and this 14-1 PNP government is finished with US we wouldn’t even have crumbs to eat. I believe in free enterprise, but not at the peril of our people.
Remember business licenses fall under the Minister of Finance which is the Premier’s Ministry so he can stop and prevent any business that threatens the interests of TCIslanders, especially a business that should be reserved for TCIslanders only. Don’t allow them to fool you TCIslanders, now that they have been caught with their hands deep in the cookie jar, they’re going tell us every lie from Judas’ best seller novel so we can feel appeased for the moment, deceiving you and I to give them another (5) years.
Mr. Editor do you think we can take another term with this 14-1 PNP government? Apart from killing their local businesses, this 14-1 PNP government is intending to make CRIMINALS out of our young men. This is a frightening ordeal we’re facing, which we cannot effort to happen. Don’t be surprised if RED or this 14-1 PNP government come up with a comforting solution, please don’t be fooled by that because that’s only to hold you and I off to take the heat off them for the moment until election is over. TCIslanders, they have shown their hand, they thought they had a Royal Flush, but we now know what to expect and what their intentions are.
Mr. Editor after this same Premier took Water Sports out of the restricted category, it was and is very, very difficult for our local water sports operators to survive because of the influx of competitors with much more capital. RED was the last nail in the coffin to seal the deal. We cannot take this “More in 2024”. We have nothing that we can call our own and say this is for us as TCIslanders. This must stop!!!
TCIslanders we must come together, stand up together and fight for each other together so we can win together. TCIslanders, We are better together!!! TCIslanders, We Are Stronger Together!!! Mr. Editor may God bless you and may God continue to bless our beautiful by Nature Turks and Caicos Islands.
Hon. Dwayne Taylor,
Former Speaker of the House
Comments