21/05/2026
STOP PENALIZING THE SMALL MAN: THE REALITY OF DOING BUSINESS IN TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
by Maria Rolle
Running a small business in Turks and Caicos Islands should not feel like punishment.
Every day, local entrepreneurs are encouraged to “support local,” “invest in yourself,” and “build businesses,” yet many of the very systems we depend on make operating a business unnecessarily difficult, stressful, and discouraging.
As a small business owner, I import products almost weekly because living on an island means that nearly everything required to operate a business has to come from overseas. In my industry, that includes party supplies, balloons, linens, florals, equipment, décor items, and countless materials people never think about when they see the finished product online.
First, we pay extremely high costs just to purchase goods abroad. Then we pay expensive freight charges to ship them to Turks and Caicos Islands, especially those of us forced to rely heavily on air freight because our businesses are time-sensitive. Then come customs duties, clearance fees and processing charges.
And after all of that, many local business owners are still met with excessive scrutiny, delays, interrogations, and unnecessary complications over items sometimes costing less than $100.
Imagine paying hundreds or thousands in shipping and duties every month, only for your packages to arrive and be treated as though you are importing illegal substances instead of legitimate business inventory.
Imagine being questioned repeatedly when officers already know who you are, what business you operate, and what you import every single week. Imagine every invoice being dissected, every item scrutinized, every shipment delayed over minor issues that could easily be resolved professionally and efficiently.
Now imagine dealing with that almost every week while trying to maintain clients, deadlines, events, and a reputation.
Meanwhile, this country has far bigger problems demanding attention:
• Illegal guns entering the country�
• Drug trafficking�
• Human smuggling and illegal immigration
• Large-scale duty evasion - Millions of dollars in undeclared imports coming through larger channels/corporations
• Corruption concerns that the public constantly discusses privately but rarely sees addressed publicly
Yet somehow, small local entrepreneurs importing party supplies, clothing, beauty products, equipment, or inventory are often made to feel like the biggest threat at the border.
The average small business owner in Turks and Caicos Islands is not importing containers worth millions. Most of us are simply trying to survive, provide for our families, create jobs, and contribute honestly to the economy….in an economy where the cost of living is already overwhelmingly high for the average person.
The same struggle exists with banking institutions. Many local entrepreneurs spend years trying to open proper business accounts, access financing, or receive basic support from banks despite having registered businesses, active operations, customers, invoices, and proof of income. How are local businesses expected to grow when access to basic financial infrastructure feels almost impossible?
Small business owners are constantly told we are “the backbone of the economy,” yet many of us feel unsupported, over-penalized, and over-scrutinized by the very institutions meant to facilitate business and economic growth.
At some point, the conversation needs to shift.
The focus should be on improving efficiency, accountability, and addressing the major issues affecting the country, not creating additional hardship for ordinary people trying to make an honest living.
Because right now, for many local entrepreneurs, it feels like we spend more time fighting systems than building businesses.
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