Times of the Islands Spring 2017

PROVIDENT LIMITED
Developing commercial and residential
properties since 1966
Most experienced,
most knowledgeable, and
with the largest inventory
of LAND AVAILABLE
for sale on
Providenciales
Properties available in:
Turtle Cove • Turtle Tail
Grace Bay • Long Bay
Ocean/Beach Front
Ocean View • Canal
Call Bengt Soderqvist
Ph: 649 946-4303 Fax: 649 946-4326 Email: provident@tciway.tc
P.O. Box 594, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
15150 Golden Point Lane, Wellington, FL USA 33414
ALSO:
Commercial Areas
Marinas
Hotels • Condos
Private Homes
Islands realized that the balance of power resided in the
Caicos Islands. They felt that to avoid further defeats,
a seat had to be taken away. The seats in Bottle Creek,
North Caicos were reduced from two to one. This seat
was placed in Grand Turk, giving the Turks Islands the
majority of seats.
Post-Jamaica years
Hon. Paul Higgs was a part of TCI’s pre-ministerial era.
He realized that the single member constituency that
currently existed could not reap the necessary rewards
for the TCI. Hence, he encouraged voters to support the
then-Labour Party which was spearheaded by Clarence
Jolly and others who had just returned home from the
Bahamas with experience in political organizations. Hon.
Higgs spoke out openly in favour of the Labour Party as
he felt that collectively, local representatives would be a
greater force to reckon with. He noted that every developed
country had a labour system of government. In his
view, the same should apply for the TCI.
He drew reference in his many political speeches to
countries such as Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and to
their respective Labour leaders—Errol Barrow, Alexander
Bustamante and Dr. Eric Williams. He was self-educated
and kept abreast of what was happening politically in
the Caribbean region and the role that Caribbean leaders
were playing in the lives of their people. Hon. Paul Higgs
admonished the TCI to follow the example around them.
He argued that the world was changing and that the TCI
should also change in order to remain competitive.
Hon. Paul Higgs was passionate about his people. He
argued that the TCI should make a serious effort to attract
foreign investment. He believed that this would be one of
the ways to reduce unemployment and raise the standard
of living of the people of the TCI. This, he believed, would
make the TCI a better place. This was his dream.
Hon. Paul Higgs saw the need for self-improvement
and cooperation to prevail in the TCI. This is what he
promoted over the years, particularly at the opening of
the House of Assembly. He believed that Turks & Caicos
Islanders should be the architects of their growth and
development. To this end, he pushed continuously for
Islanders to undertake advanced training, and advocated
for TCI people to go abroad and earn degrees in areas
such as Medicine, Agriculture and Education. These persons,
he opined, would be instrumental in charting a new
course for the TCI. He first coined the phrase “Turks &
Caicos Islanders First.”
Times of the Islands Spring 2017 17