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OT 285: Email to the Chairman from Carrie Trudell: Failed government, no government?
This is exactly what we are getting - another failed email, bad email address. It is highly disturbing that TCI government offices have no reliable web sites, no reliable email, and even so - no one there to provide intelligent responses. It's incredulous that such gross incompetence exists in such places - where one thought they are capable of "governance"!!
25 August 2008
Further email from Carrie Trudell
I work with US landowners, some of whom own land in the Turks and Caicos. I was pleased to learn Governor Wetherell has announced a new Commission of Inquiry into allegations of corruption in the Territory following an inquiry into the Overseas Territories by the Foreign Affairs Committee. I am sending you my email (below) to Governor Wetherell. I understand the delicate nature of local politics in these islands, but I must express our great astonishment that we have never received replies or responses from various government offices about basic questions regarding local TCI regulations and procedures for "real estate transactions", land owner "records", and so forth. For over three years - we have requested assistance by phone, letter, and email - and nothing. It's simply an abomination that critical public governance of "real estate" is not accessible by local landowners in the Turks and Caicos. I urge you to encourage the new Governor to adopt basic web sites, and email, to ensure landowners and local citizens can gather basic information from government offices - without being ignored for three years. Nothing so scares off investors as such blatant control and absence of information.
Thank you for your consideration.
25 August 2008
Dear Governor Gordon Wetherell:
I am a landowner in North and South Caicos. For over three years, I have been trying desperately to get the Land Registry and other government offices to respond to my letters, phone calls, and emails. I have basic questions about land conservation, land owner registrations, protecting natural resources, and other real estate and land questions. And yet for three years - nothing, not email, not phone call, not one letter. Everything I have requested has been ignored.
I am outraged that government offices are so astonishingly incompetent and non responsive. It is inexcusable that these offices do not, or refuse to, offer BASIC information to landowners who seek to protect and preserve their property, and to learn about protections to land buyers, etc.
What do we have to do - to get information about local regulations or rules to buy land; protections for land buyers; rules for prospectus offerings by developers; land development oversight offices which require compliance by land developers; contact information for land parcel owners, etc. ???
I ask that you please request someone to contact me so I may learn what person in your government can assist me to get some very basic information about local regulations and land rules. We cannot get anyone in the Land Registry, or any government office, to reply to our email requests. What is the problem?
Thank you kindly for your prompt reply, and I do appreciate anything you can do to help.
Carrie Trudell |