Coming out of the 44th Regular  Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Nassau, and a meeting with the Turks and Caicos diaspora on New Providence, Charles Washington Misick, premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), met with TCI residents and their descendants on Grand Bahama on Saturday evening in the ballroom of the Grand Lucayan hotel. 

Misick said his goal was to "enlarge the franchise, because we are being outnumbered in the islands".

"What is happening at home at the moment is that we are accommodating large numbers of expatriate workers from the Caribbean and North America. One of the issues that we face today is that we are already outnumbered and that is not going to get any better.

"I believe we have great people among our diaspora who serve globally. We want you to benefit from what we have to offer."

Misick was accompanied by his wife, Delthia, and several senior members of the TCI government, including Deputy Governor and Head of Public Service Anya Williams; Minister of Immigration and Border Services Arlington Musgrove; Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Premier Miguel Swann; and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services Althea Malcolm-Been.

In the coming weeks, the TCI government will establish working offices on New Providence and Grand Bahama to get its plans in motion.

Liaisons have already been appointed to head those posts. Andrea Mills, a veteran educator, has been assigned to New Providence. Canon Fr. Curtis Robinson, former educator and Anglican priest, has been assigned to Grand Bahama.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian