Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo is supporting his colleague Anthony Eden, following further controversial comments made in the Legislative Assembly on same-sex marriage.

Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo is once again supporting his fellow district representative Anthony Eden in the wake of controversial comments Mr Eden has made in the Legislative Assembly on homosexuals and religion.

On Wednesday 18 November Mr Eden fired back in the LA against critics of remarks he made back in August. The comments were made during debate of his private member’s motion to preserve the definition of marriage in the Cayman Islands as between a man and a woman.

At the time, Mr Eden’s harsh criticism of homosexuals led to Human Rights Commission (HRC) chairman James Austin-Smith calling for Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin to formally censure Mr Eden for his remarks.

Mr Eden responded to Mr Austin-Smith last week by saying he should be removed from his post.

“I strongly suggest that the Government appoint a person who is the chairman of the HRC who is not an atheist [Mr Austin-Smith has reportedly declared that he is an atheist], but an individual who can consider objectively the lifestyle and benefits of the vast majority of Caymanians who have lived by it for over 500 years,” Mr Eden said.

Mr Eden also reiterated his position that gay marriages have no place in Cayman. He tabled a religious tract entitled “The Gay Agenda Blueprint: A Plan to Transform America” in the LA and urged members to read it. Mr Eden also declared that Cayman should not bend to the will of the European nations and instead stick to the Christian beliefs that he said are held by the majority of Caymanians.

Mr Suckoo, who seconded Mr Eden’s motion in August, offered his public support of his colleague the following morning via a post on his Facebook page.

He posted, “I continue to support my colleague Hon Anthony Eden in his stand to preserve the definition of marriage. I am not advocating discrimination of any kind, but our local customs and values are under attack and there are those with a hidden agenda, sometimes you have to simply put your foot down and stand for what is right. Yes I will be attacked for my position but that’s why I was given this job, to do what I know is best for our people and to represent the views and wishes of the people who gave me my job. To say that the Bible is irrelevant is a clear demonstration of the blatant disregard for our culture these people encourage and harbour.”

Speaking in a brief interview with The Cayman Reporter last Thursday, Mr Suckoo said, “I continue to support him in his stance to preserve the definition of traditional marriage. I haven’t backed down from that.”

Critics, including Mr Austin-Smith, have branded Mr Eden’s comments as hate speech.

Mr Suckoo said, “I’m not advocating discrimination against the gay and lesbian community. All I’m saying is that our constitution has Christianity enshrined in it – we are a Christian community…”

The freshman Bodden Town MLA said he believes most Caymanians are against same-sex marriage.

“And I think the majority of Caymanians do not agree that we should change the definition of marriage to be anything other than marriage between man and woman,” Mr Suckoo said.

He said that the controversial matter should go to referendum if a change is to be considered.

“If they want to make that change I think that’s something that has to go to referendum and the people have to decide that,” Mr Suckoo said.

He continued, “So I’m going to continue to support the belief that people want. And it’s unfortunate that this has been turned into an argument against Christianity.”

Mr Suckoo said, “I think we are a Christian community and those are the values we try to promote in our schools, in our government, in our day-to-day life. I will continue to take this position.”

“I support Mr Eden as well…,” Mr Suckoo reiterated.

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Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin said district councils are not a current priority for the government.

Amendments to the District Councils law are not among the Progressives-led government’s priorities at this time, especially as Cayman moves to implement the One Man One Vote and Single Member Constituencies system for the 2017 general election.

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin made this declaration on Friday as he replied to a motion brought to the Legislative Assembly by North Side MLA Ezzard Miller.

Mr McLaughlin said that while he recognises the importance of district councils and their function at this time the government does not have the time to revise the provisions of the District Council law.

He said resources are currently focused on the OMOV and SMCs.

“We are grappling with that now and getting the necessary resources in place in time,” he explained.

The Premier said there is a lot work that has to be done for the “administration of the next election and the education of the electorate” as well as the education of the MLAs on the new system.

He said the House is 16 months away from dissolution and there is a new electoral system in place that requires a significant amount of work.

“I do see there being an important role for district councils. I do not see the urgency to fix that and establish district council for what will probably be the last year for this term,” the Premier declared in his contribution.

Mr Miller, through his private members motion, sought to have government consider revising the District Council Law to provide a more democratic process for the establishment of district councils and the election of officers.

At this time district councils are appointed and not elected. There is only one functioning district council in West Bay which has advisory powers only.

The government accepted the motion and it was passed. Opposition Leader Hon McKeeva Bush and his two West Bay colleagues, Bernie Bush and Captain Eugene Ebanks voted against the motion. Four MLAs were absent for the taking of the vote.

The Premier gave the undertaking that should the Progressives be returned “it will certainly be one of the first items on my agenda to make this councils work with the new single member constituencies.”

However Mr Miller was not satisfied with the Premier’s position as he stressed the need for the review of the law.

He said that he believed that properly elected advisory council can provide for better representation.

“I still hope that it is something that we can get done in this year,” Mr Miller added.

The Opposition Leader, in his contribution, said he could not support the motion.

“To elect a council that is only advisory, well I cannot agree with it because it will cause more problems and it will dilute and cause more trouble upon trouble,” Mr Bush said.

The Opposition Leader added that such changes to the District Council Law require constitutional changes since it is essentially paving the way for the creation of local government bodies.

In fact Mr Bush pointed out that if “anyone wanted it to be an elected body that would have been the place to have done. The elected government of the day would have and should have put it in London in that constitution and then we would not have been here talking about it.”

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North Side MLA Ezzard Miller says work permit holders are job hopping and that has to stop since it is illegal and denies Caymanians of employment opportunities.

Deputy Governor Hon Franz Manderson assures government will review the Immigration law to address the issue of job hopping, as well as, failure by employers to report work permit changes.

Enforcement continues to be an area of weakness at the Immigration Department and has given rise to a mushrooming problem of job hopping by work permit holders who come for specific jobs, but during the currency of their permits change occupations completely.

This practice, North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, says has become growing problem in Cayman and it is up to government step in and get the Immigration Work Permit Board to enforce the law.

Mr Miller, speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Friday on his motion on Immigration, said that he has received numerous complaints from businessmen whose employees have left their jobs and hopped to another unrelated position.

In fact, he contended that several employers have reported to him that the Immigration Board is largely “ignoring Section 50 of the Immigration Law.”

The section states; “During the currency of a work permit, the holder of that permit may not change his employer unless the Board, including the Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Immigration Board, or the Chief Immigration Officer believes there are special circumstances; or (b) the circumstances of his employment are within a description or class of descriptions specified in a direction made by the Cabinet.”

Mr Miller, in his motion, said the process of job hopping affects Caymanians’ ability to get a job, particularly Caymanians who are qualified and should be adequately addressed through legislative amendments.

The North Side MLA’s motion, which was passed Friday evening, called on government to consider reviewing provisions related to the definition of aggrieved party to challenge decisions of the Immigration Work Permit Board, the Business Staffing Plan Board, and the Residency and Cayman Status Board and make the necessary amendments to ensure these provisions are more robust and offer better protection for Caymanians in the workplace.

Mr Miller expressed concern over the apparent “willingness” by the Immigration Work Permit Board to grant permits without proper follow-up or assessments of business plans.

East End MLA Arden McLean, who seconded the motion, shared Mr Miller’s concern adding that “it would set an unhealthy precedent that work permits were continuing to hop and jump all over the place.”

“It is just not fair to Caymanians to see people moving from job to job and they cannot get one. Maybe government needs to explain that to them. I want the government to do what is necessary to correct this,” Mr McLean declared.

Deputy Governor Hon Franz Manderson, responding to the motion on Friday, assured that government is equally concerned about the issue of job hopping as he reminded the House of an incident in the past where an employee was hired as a pump attendant and granted a permit and after landing on island Immigration received a work permit for him as an accountant.

Mr Manderson said one week ago the Chief Officer wrote to the Attorney General to ask him to review the section and provide an opinion on how the section should operate.

“We agree that this needs to be looked at. The Attorney General will give us a definitive opinion and if it cannot work as intended we will look at it and make necessary adjustments. It needs to be properly reviewed and we give the undertaking that it will be reviewed,” Mr Manderson declared.

Mr Miller emphasised the importance of having the issue addressed especially since it directly impacts on employment opportunities for the people he represents.

“I just want to impress on the Deputy Governor the urgency of this situation because right now Caymanians are feeling that the government is letting them down,” Mr Miller added.

He even suggested that Cabinet could correct the situation by using a directive rather than an amendment to the law instead.

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Penny Phillips and Consuelo Ebanks as characters ‘Katie’ and ‘Lettie’ respectively, in the original 1991 production of The Fallen Angel & the Devil Concubine.

Rita Estevanovich and Lesley-ann Bernard will reprise the roles of Katie and Lettie in the new interpretation of The Fallen Angel and the Devil Concubine marking the Harquail Theatre’s 30th anniversary.

In 1991, local actresses Penny Phillips and Consuelo Ebanks captivated audiences with their portrayals of colourful characters ‘Katie’ and ‘Lettie’ respectively, in the Cayman premiere of The Fallen Angel & the Devil Concubine.

The play was created through collective improvisation by Groundwork Theatre Company in May 1987 at the Jamaica School of Drama. The team was led by Senior Directing Tutor, Eugene Williams and included Acting Tutors, Honor Ford-Smith and Hertencer Lindsay and Actress, Carol Lawes. Upon completion of the improvisation process, a Playwright, Pat Cumper, was asked to script the play.

Now, nearly 30 years later, in celebration of the Harquail Theatre’s 30th birthday, the play will get a new life when CNCF’s Artistic Director, Henry Muttoo, local actresses Rita Estevanovich and Lesley-ann Bernard will combine to talents to bring their interpretation of the play to Cayman audiences.

“Filling the shoes of Consuelo Ebanks and Penny Phillips will not be easy but Rita and Lesley both have the talent to create memorable roles. I look forward to helping them dig deep into their creative selves, discover and reveal, through their performances, the real ‘Katie’ and ‘Lettie’,” says Henry Muttoo.

The play is set in a derelict house occupied by two equally derelict, old women – Katie and Lettie. Both women lay claim to ownership of the house using as evidence several half-truths and fantasies concocted to help them heal the scars created by traumatic events in their lives. As they reveal each other by peeling away the layers of make-believe and secrecy the truth of their situation is revealed bringing them to the realization that they have only each other, in an unforgiving world.

The Fallen Angel & the Devil Concubine, a dramatic comedy, will take place on December 4th and 5th at 8pm and December 6th at 6pm in Harquail Studio Theatre.

Tickets are for $25 (adults) and $20 (seniors) and are available now from Foster’s Food Fair (Strand), Funky Tang’s, Health Care Pharmacy (Grand Harbour) and the Cultural Foundation offices.

Reservations can be made by calling 949-5477 or by emailing marketcncf@candw.ky.

For a full calendar of Harquail Theatre’s 30th Anniversary events, visit www.artscayman.org/calendar.

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The obverse side of the commemorative coin marking the 25th anniversary of the Cayman Islands National Museum.

The reverse side of the museum anniversary coin.

A limited-edition commemorative coin marking the 25th Anniversary of the Cayman Islands National Museum was launched by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) on Friday 20 November.

The official launch took place at the National Museum during a preview session for its anniversary exhibition, which opens on Saturday 28 November.

The commemorative coin has a face value of C.I. $5 and a fineness of .925 sterling silver. The mintage of this masterfully crafted coin has been limited to 250 coins and was minted by The Royal Mint in the United Kingdom.

The coin features the Museum’s 25th Anniversary logo in full colour which depicts the Cayman Islands National Museum building on the reverse side and the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms and the words “Cayman Islands Five Dollars” on the obverse.

The Cayman Islands National Museum building is about 180 years old, and is the oldest public building in the Cayman Islands. The building itself is historically significant, having previously served as the location for the courthouse and jailhouse, the first post office, the earliest Commissioner’s offices, the public library, a savings bank, a schoolroom, a church hall, a dancehall, and the Lands and Survey Department.

These coins went on sale on Monday, 23 November, and are available at the CIMA Currency Division window, located on the first floor of the Cayman Islands Government Administration Building.

The Museum will also be selling a limited number of the anniversary coins in their gift shop. The coins are priced at C.I. $73.34 or U.S. $90.00 per coin.

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority provides the public with beautiful collector coins through its creative numismatic programmes. The Authority offers these uncirculated proof coins designed to commemorate significant local and international events.

CIMA Managing Director Cindy Scotland said, “The Cayman Islands National Museum’s mission to celebrate the unique natural and cultural heritage of our three Islands is of national importance. I am pleased that CIMA and the National Museum were able to collaborate on the release of the Museum’s 25th Anniversary coin.”

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There have been 844 domestic-related reports made to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) so far this year.

Part one

Lavonida Edwards

In an ongoing series on domestic abuse in the Cayman Islands, The Cayman Reporter will tell the stories of abuse survivors. In order to protect their privacy, the victims’ names will not be revealed. Instead we will use the pseudonym Jane Doe to refer to them as they share their stories with us, in their own words.

According to the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre (CICC) they have received 316 crisis line calls during 2015 and 105 clients seeking shelter. The Royal Cayman Islands Police has had 844 domestic-related incident reports come to them.

As noted by the professionals at the CICC, there is more to domestic abuse than the physical. There is also emotional abuse and verbal abuse, both of which can have the same long-term damage to the psyche, as if someone threw you against a wall, or smacked you in public.

There is a commonly held perception that domestic abuse only happens to people the lower end of the pay scale. However, as Jane Doe 1 tells us, victims and abusers can be found at all socio economic levels.

Jane Doe 1 holds an executive position and makes approximately CI$60,000 annually, combined with her spouse the household income was over $120,000 per year.

The story of Jane Doe 1

“The emotional, verbal and physical abuse started within three to four years of the marriage. I was told that I was good for nothing, that I was of no use, and was a stumbling block in his way.”

“We were having a disagreement one day and he became violent, he dragged me by my blouse from the car, in front of his friend and punched me in my mouth. His friend stood aside and shouted at him to stop. I went to the police station but failed to press charges as the law had just been put in place that you could receive up to 10 years for assault, I was afraid that he would be made an example of.”

“Over the years the verbal abuse became increasingly worse, he would say things like, ‘Why are you like that? You know that’s why your family don’t want nothing to do with you, that’s why they stay away from you, you too sickening.’ And, ‘Why you don’t try do something about that belly?’”

“He embarrassed me in public, shouting after me, and even in front of our employees. The employees would tell me not to pay him any mind, and they would be upset, but afraid to speak.”

“One day we were in the hardware and he was ogling a young lady, I whispered to him that I’d had enough of that, and he punched me straight in my mouth. A young man who was helping someone else shouted “No, you can’t do that!’”

“Over the years the continued degradation was so hurtful, telling me I was good for nothing, of no use, if I didn’t do exactly as he wanted.”

“During the Christmas holidays of 2014 he looked at me and said, ‘Sometimes I feel like I could take a piece of board and beat you to death.’ I was so shocked because in all the years, yes he hit me, couple of times, but for him to be thinking that way, knowing that now we were baptized children of God, I was stunned. I looked at him and said, ‘And you say that I’m a demon, but you need to have a serious conversation with God.’”

“All the telltale signs of cheating were there and I refused to really believe that after all the years, and all that we had been through, and we are baptized, children of God, and all the help that I had been, this was what he would choose to do now.”

“He told me on two other occasions that he felt like he could beat me to death. I said to my self that its time to leave as he might just one day in anger do it. He was also unable to account for CI$5000, and had many excuses as to why it was missing, none of which added up, even with allotting for $500 per week for lunch money.”

“As I suspected he was cheating, I found a secret phone in his vehicle that he got or purchased and was using it to talk to two women. The first time I glimpsed the phone he said his friend had left it in his vehicle.”

“I told him that I knew it was not his friend’s phone. I asked him the following day if he had given back the phone to his friend and he said yes. However a month later I found the phone and confronted him with it, his excuse was that he had stopped using the phone by the time I found it and that he didn’t sleep with them.”

“How could I believe this when the text messages suggested otherwise, as in calls to her at 1am in the morning of Valentine’s Day, with professions of Valentine greetings, she asking him for more of them and so on. Him coming home after 1am, 2am or minutes to 3 in the morning. I wanted to talk about this but he wanted to sweep it under the carpet and continue with our life as if nothing had went wrong.”

“One night we both came in from work at the same time and I wanted to talk. This was far from his mind.”

“I told him that this was not going away and we had to talk about it. He made two strides and started to choke me. I just stood there and he squeezed harder. I was in disbelief. He was wrong, he says he is a Christian, he talks to people all the time about God, yet he was willing to kill me rather than talk about what happened.”

“There was a calmness about me that, I just stood there and said ‘Why are you using physical violence against me?’ He let me go and said ‘Just leave me alone, if you know what’s good for you.’ I replied, ‘Choking me will not change what you did, and this will not go away.’”

“As the weeks went on, the verbal assaults continued to escalate. He would say things like, ‘You sick my stomach, move from in front me. Why are you call, calling me, you need to get a life.’ I retorted, ‘My life is supposed to be with my husband.’”

“On one occasion when I asked what happened, why he hated me and what happened over the years to the marriage and the romance, his response was ‘Go find a man to romance you.’”

“It was so hard, I just wanted it to stop. One day he was calling me a piece of [expletive] and telling me I sick his stomach, and it was now the third occasion that he told me that he felt like taking a piece of board and beating me to death. I got on my knees and bowed down before him, held on to his ankles and begged him to please stop. With a sneer on his face he looked down at me and said ‘Get up.’”

“In all of this, I kept telling him to please if you have found someone else and don’t want me anymore, please feel free to leave, as you’re just terrorizing me.”

“Two pastors that I approached were no help. One told me that my husband was not a member of his church so there was nothing he could do. The other told me it was the enemy to keep praying. He finally did try counseling, however that did not work, as once we left there and got home he would quarrel with me for taking him to the pastor, so I gave up.”

“I felt so hopeless, I felt trapped in a situation that I couldn’t come out, how would it look as children of God, how would my family and my church family think if I leave, how could I start over, who would want me. I felt so ugly and hated my life and myself.”

“It got to the point when I felt like the only way out, was committing suicide, as I kept praying for help and it seemed like there was nothing happening. I went to counseling for myself, but he wouldn’t go so nothing had changed.”

“He did not know as I had not told him yet that I was pregnant, and after church one Sunday of 2015 we went to eat, and on the way home he had an attitude when I asked for us to go walk on the beach, and he started to berate me. I just started to cry, feeling like I could just run the car off the road and kill both of us.”

“When I said that I felt imprisoned and like I could commit suicide, it only made him shout more. He said ‘You’re a loser, you a big loser, its only losers think like that.’”

“Being so distraught I went home, and when he got out of the vehicle I drove off. I didn’t know where I was going or what to do so I just drove. A church sister called and when I answered I just told her I couldn’t take it anymore, and started screaming. I couldn’t stop. She was crying and shouting and asking where I was. I finally stopped at Spotts dock and was there for a while, until I calmed down.”

“Later that afternoon I started with cramping, and when I got up off the bed, it was soaked. I had a miscarriage! I knew that if I was going to survive I would have to leave. I mustered the strength and started looking for an apartment, and I moved out in the summer.”

“There is so much more to this story but you wouldn’t have the time and the space, for it all. I never pretend to be perfect, and have my faults, but I always put him first through the years, loved him more than myself, and at times even put him before God. I hid it well. Its only my family, three friends and the pastors that I went to who know some of the full story.”

“What I can say to those going through this is, ‘I survived, so can you. You are beautiful, you are worthy and the reason they abuse you is because they feel inferior within themselves, and it’s the only way they can control you.’”

“You are a survivor, you have made it this far. You can make it all the way, you will get out, just hold strong. I know it seems hopeless now, but you can make it, and you will make it. Do not keep silent though, you have to tell someone. To those whose husband finds someone else, it’s not the end of the world, it’s just your new beginning. You can make it.”

Anyone dealing with abuse can contact the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre for help at 949-0366  or on the 24-hour Crisis Line at 943-CICC (2422)

The post Domestic abuse: The hidden crime appeared first on The Cayman Reporter.

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin said, “This is one of the most significant Constitutional and electoral changes this country has ever made.”

Government on Wednesday (25 November) ordered the extraordinary Gazette (No. 92) of the 19 Single Member Electoral Districts Boundaries Order, 2015.

The gazetting of the 19 districts marks the conclusion of the Electoral Boundaries Commission’s exercise and its remit to report its findings to Cabinet.

The independent exercise,which was commissioned by Government late last year, was done in line with the Constitution.

The recommendations of the Commission findings resulted in lawmakers accepting them in the October 2015 sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

Further legislation is being sought to allow the Elections Office to be brought in line with the Commission’s report. These new regulations are set to be in place before the 2017 elections in order for the Office to carry out elections on 19 single member constituencies which will each return one member.

“This is one of the most significant Constitutional and electoral changes this country has ever made,” said Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin.

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During Monday night’s debate at the Legislative Assembly the Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin appeared to have let the cat out of the bag on the fragile state of the financial services industry.

The debate that occurred was around a private members motion brought to the House by backbencher MLA Winston Connolly, pertaining to removing exemptions from the Trade and Business Law and the Local Companies (Control) Law to remove restrictions to employment, training, development and ownership opportunities for Caymanians.

At a late hour, Premier McLaughlin rose to contribute to the debate, “I could not sit quietly and have people listening to this debate and who may read what is reported believe that this is what I as Premier subscribe to, that anti-expat, anti-business sentiment that I have heard from some speakers in this house because I do not and I will not have the government, that I have the honour and privilege to lead, to be branded with that because that is not what we stand for,” he declared.

The Premier continued, “Do we all understand where the world is? Where this economic recovery is, where the economic survival is still very fragile? Do we understand the challenges, particular the financial services are facing? Do we understand how vulnerable a place like Cayman is? The last thing that we want as members of this house is to send the signal that foreign business and foreigners and anyone who was not born in this place and of Caymanian parents are unwelcome and that is the clear message that I got from a number of speakers in here throughout the day,” the Premier lamented.

These comments coming from the Premier are very profound and troubling as the financial services industry accounts for near 60 per cent of the Cayman Islands gross domestic product. While we understand quite well that the country has its challenges going forward, the government has always expressed that the economy is in a “sweet spot”. Why now has the Premier chastened fellow MLAs for appearing to be anti-expat and anti-business when they are standing up for their constituents?

This prior stance was a bit contrary to the Premier’s Strategic Policy Statement delivered on Wednesday, 25 November 2015 whereby the Premier states, “As I said recently at the Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative luncheon, if you stop to consider how different a place, indeed how much better a place, Cayman is today then you will begin to appreciate the importance of this stability to each and every Caymanian and to each and every business in Cayman. You will also appreciate how hard we have worked to restore confidence in Government, and in the future of Cayman. This renewed stability and confidence can be measured in our better relationship with the UK and the improved partnership between Government and business.”

If this is the case, why did the Premier make the comments he did two nights before in the LA?

These comments about the financial services industry also point to what we have been questioning about: the fate of the Cayman Islands as it relates to a public registry of beneficial ownership of registered companies – the true 800 pound gorilla in the room. The Cayman Islands as an offshore financial centre has thrived due to its banking privacy laws. However international pressure to implement a public registry identifying the true beneficiaries of all legal entities is becoming a reality for offshore banking jurisdictions.

In 2014, the Cayman Islands rejected the idea of implementing a central public registry through a public consultation.

Former CIMA Board Chair, Mr Timothy Ridley, expressed in 2013 that a public registry of beneficial ownership would remove the Cayman Islands competitive advantage as a financial jurisdiction.

In an interview with The Cayman Reporter in November 2015 Premier McLaughlin said, “Our position is the same. We will not agree to a centralised public registry of beneficial ownership of legal entities”.

These comments from the Premier come on the heels of statements made by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on his trip to Jamaica in September 2015. The prime minister stated, “Some of the British crown dependences and overseas territories are making progress in this direction. Others, frankly, are not moving anywhere near fast enough.”

It appears that our Premier, along with other leaders from overseas territories, is at odds with the UK Prime Minister when it comes to a public register for beneficial ownership.

The Premier is off next week to the fourth Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council 2015. It is anticipated that the public registry of beneficial ownership will be one of the topics to be discussed at the meeting.

As far as we see it, the Premier has revealed that our financial services industry is in a tenuous position making the Cayman Islands economy fragile. And our hunch is that the public register of beneficial ownership issue is at the heart of it. Apparently, elected MLAs fighting for Caymanians to have more of an equity stake and more opportunities in their own country only compounds the already fragile state of affairs.

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An aerial view of the current George Town Port. Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin says government will respond to a letter threatening legal action against the development of cruise berthing facilities in due course; right now the matter is with the Attorney General.

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin said he currently has no response to a letter threatening to take legal action against the government for its decision to forge ahead with plans for a cruise berthing facility.

Mr McLaughlin said the Attorney General is presently dealing with the matter.

The Premier and Minister of Tourism Hon Moses Kirkconnell were served with a letter from Cayman Law on behalf of its clients – a group who call themselves “Concerned Caymanians”.

The letter is in relation to the announcement made by both officials last month that Cabinet has decided to go forward with the controversial cruise port project.

“Our client is asking for the government to reverse its decision to proceed with the cruise pier development and to consider other ways that are less damaging to the environment to develop the cruise ship industry in these islands. In the meantime, our client requests that you confirm that no further steps be taken by the government in progressing with the cruise pier development,” the letter states.

The group puts forward the argument that the consultation process leading up to the Cabinet decision was not open and fair. The group also contends that the government had pre-determined that the port be built regardless of the evidence; and the decision to build the port was not in the public interest nor a rational or proportionate decision.

When asked if he had any response to the formal notice Premier McLaughlin answered, “Not at this point and the reason for that is the matter is with the Attorney General and I really don’t want to prejudice any position that he advises us to take by making any remarks. But we will respond in due course.”

However, several others mentioned as interested parties in the letter were not shy with their responses to the letter and their stance on the port.

Keith Sahm of Save Cayman, a group that is against the current port proposal, said that from what he has read in the copy of the letter, he “most definitely” is in support of it. Though Save Cayman was mentioned but not involved in the drafting of the letter, Mr Sahm said, “I firmly believe our group would be interested to see where this goes.”

Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce CEO Wil Pineau said that though the Chamber was listed in the letter it was never consulted about this listing nor had any role in drafting the letter. He added that the Chamber Council’s position on the cruise pier proposal remains unchanged from the position released in July 2015.

The July Chamber release said, “The cruise ship industry and the cargo port are important economic drivers and contribute positively and substantially to economic development, attract millions of dollars in foreign exchange and provide necessary government revenue, jobs and private sector investment.”

It further read, “We believe that before deciding to invest millions of dollars in cruise berthing facilities and cargo dock improvements, the Government must be satisfied that the environmental risks are clearly understood and all efforts taken to mitigate the damages.”

The National Trust of the Cayman Islands was also among the groups mentioned as interested parties. Christina McTaggart Pineda of The National Trust said the department was emailed the letter but had “absolutely no involvement” in its drafting.

“In fact, the first time we learned of it was when we received a letter by email last week. Unfortunately, at no time did the author or anyone instructing the author approach us for our consent to be included in the letter,” she clarified.

The Cayman Reporter has reached out to the Cayman Islands Tourism Association and the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, which were additional organisations mentioned in the letter, but has not received any response from either at press time.

Referring to those the letter listed as interested parties Mr Sahm said, “I think everyone that was mentioned in the paper has shown concerns for the movement forward of the cruise berthing facility, the destruction of the reefs and the impact on the carrying capacity and sustainable tourism product here in the Cayman Islands.”

“The way the groups are mentioned is only a suggestion that they may be indeed interested parties… Not necessarily attached to the letter,” he noted.

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Miss Cayman Islands Tonie Chisholm leaves for Miss Universe today (Friday 27 November) and will be our Islands’ ambassador at the international beauty pageant. The Miss Universe competition takes place on 20 December at the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino. In August, Ms Chisholm travelled to Panama for pageant training in preparation for representing Cayman at the world’s largest beauty event.

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Anthony Eden, First elected member for Bodden Town has refused calls for him to step down after his anti-gay marriage comments in the Legislative Assembly.

With 23 years of service under his belt veteran MLA Anthony Eden says he has no intention of resigning from the Legislative Assembly as he rejected calls for him to step down over his statements on gay marriages.

On Wednesday (25 November) Mr Eden, addressing the LA, reiterated his stance on gay marriages as he responded to an editorial in a local newspaper calling for him to step down after he aired and defended his staunch Christian views on the issue of homosexuality.

However Mr Eden was in no mood to accede to any pressure to have him exit the LA.

In fact he made it clear that only the people who elected him have the power to remove him from his seat in the LA.

“I was elected by the people of Bodden Town for six consecutive terms and I speak on behalf of the country and the people that elected me. I will not resign from my position at the urging of the editor of a paper that just few months ago said we were all corrupt,” Mr Eden said which was seconded by loud desk thumping from the MLAs present.

He went on to add that only “the people I serve can direct me to resign.”

Mr Eden came under fire following his statements in the LA in August during his presentation of a private member’s motion on traditional marriages. His strong comments were labeled as a “hate speech” and were strongly objected to by law professor Dr Leonardo Raznovich and Human Rights Commission (HRC) chairman James Austin-Smith.

In that motion, which was passed unanimously, Mr Eden admonished homosexual behaviour in general and warned people against “satanic confusion.”

This week the issue once again came into public focus when Mr Austin-Smith made public correspondence between himself and Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin on the issue of gay marriage and Mr Eden’s statements.

Premier McLaughlin stood firmly on the side of Mr Eden and the maintenance of existing legal arrangements for traditional marriages while the HRC holds a different view.

On Wednesday Mr Eden openly declared that he “will not apologise for my stand on marriage, atheism and the Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Gay and Transsexual (LBGT) as they call themselves.”

Mr Eden, speaking in the LA last Friday called for Mr Austin-Smith’s removal as HRC chairman since he was an atheist and attacked a sitting member of the LA.

On Wednesday he once again defended his Christian values.

He said that in his 23 years of public service he never had to make personal statements to defend himself and he had to do that twice in recent weeks.

However the veteran politician said he will not let his beliefs and the foundation of the Caymanian community be challenged.

He said his detractors have drawn in the bill of rights into their arguments against him, but he questioned ‘what about my rights?’

“The fact that I am an elected member [means] that I do not have the same right and that we have to shed our rights when we walk through those doors in this chamber?” Mr Eden questioned.

The MLA thanked the Premier for his support and registered his “deep concern” for the tone of the letter that Mr Austin-Smith sent to Mr McLaughlin.

Other MLAs, including Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo who seconded Mr Eden’s motion, George Town MLA Winston Connolly, and Finance Minister Hon Marco Archer have made public statements on the issue, all disagreeing with gay marriage but condemning discrimination against LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) individuals.

Mr Archer said some form of legal recognition of same sex partnerships could potentially be ordered.  Minister and Bodden Town MLA Hon Wayne Panton expressed dismay over Mr Eden’s comments and publicly offered support to the local LGBT community.

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Finance Minister Hon Marco Archer says Cayman will continue to enjoy economic growth and stability as he delivered his statement on Government’s 2016/17 Strategic Policy Statement (SPS) on Wednesday (25 November) in the Legislative Assembly.

Government plans to increase its operating expenditure by $14.4m in 2016/17 as it moves to put systems in place for the 2017 general elections and add resources to Cayman’s key social services programmes.

This as Finance Minister Hon Marco Archer says Cayman is on track to experience 1.7 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the coming fiscal period and continued economic stability.

On Wednesday (25 November) Mr Archer, who tabled the PPM-led government’s Strategic Policy Statement in the Legislative Assembly, announced that for the incoming fiscal period operating expenses are forecast to stand at $851.5m for 2016/17.

The detailed SPS was delivered by Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin in the afternoon session of Wednesday’s sitting.

Minister Archer, in his statement on the SPS, said the increase in operating expenditure was a “modest 2.4 per cent annualised increase over the current 2015/16 budget” which was necessary to fund various initiatives, chief among which is the general election.

However he contended that if the $14.4m is removed from the figures “the actual growth in expenditure for the 18-month period is less than one per cent (0.68%) and below the forecast 1.7 per cent GDP growth.”

“In other words the increases in expenditure are targeted at those areas in which we have identified the greatest need and where we hope to have the greatest impact,” Mr Archer said,

The Finance Minister said that government’s goal was to ensure that growth in expenditure was not more than the expected economic growth rate for the year.

“We have had to adjust our targets to take account of specific one-off items such as the conduct of the 2017 general election, as well as, specific policy priorities of the government,” Mr Archer said.

He said that the expenditure will also be used for additional resources for the Needs Assessment Unit and the Department of Children and Family Services and the implementation of a conditional release programme to better enable prisoners to successfully reintegrate into society.

He told the House that the increased expenditure will also be used for enhancements to public education services through the implementation of recommendations from the review of the CI public education system, improvement to CIMA’s regulatory services, implementation of Project Future initiatives and the creation of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Mr Archer said that the increased expenditure will also be used for a review of civil service remuneration to address pay stagnation and competitiveness for certain employees, especially teachers and those in uniform and law enforcement branches.

The minister assured that for the fiscal periods after 2016/17 the government’s operating expenses will reduce.

In fact he forecasted that in 2018 some $572.7m and in 2019 $569m will be spent on operating expenses.

The minister revealed that the Economics and Statistics Office is forecasting that Cayman’s economy “will grow steadily in-line with forecasts for the world’s economies, or source markets for our major economic pillars.”

He said economic growth “is expected to grow steadily by 1.7 per cent during 2016, 1.8 per cent in 2017, 2.2 per cent in 2018 and 2.5 per cent in 2019.”

“These forecasts are underpinned by the assumption that the three key sectors of the Cayman Islands economy: Financial Services, Tourism; and Business Services will all continue to evolve and maintain their global competitiveness,” Mr Archer said.

He also indicated that this economic growth will be directly influenced by several large construction projects from the private and the public sectors.

Among those projects is the George Town Cargo and Cruise Berthing port, the construction and opening of the Kimpton Seafire Hotel and Condominiums, the expansion of the Owen Roberts International Airport as well as the upgrades to road infrastructure as part of the revitalisation of George Town.

The minister also said that coupled with the economic growth will be additional jobs which will see a steady reduction in the unemployment rate “to 5.1 per cent in 2016, 5 per cent in 2017, 4.7 per cent in 2018 and a further 4.8 per cent in 2019.”

While the minister discussed the positive projections he also admitted that inflation and Cayman’s high cost of living continue to be a source of concern.

He said economic growth with increased levels of employment and increased consumption of goods and services will put upward pressure on the inflation rate.

The minister forecasted that the inflation rate is going to increase by 1.5 per cent in 2016, 1.7 per cent in 2017, 2.2 per cent in 2018 and 2.4 per cent in 2019.

He also indicated that the SPS forecasts that government’s revenues will be “approximately $896.4m in 2016/17, $683.5m in 2018 and $688.1m in 2019.”

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Residents from West Bay to East End were plunged into heat and darkness on Thursday night (26 November) when an island-wide blackout affected Grand Cayman.

The outage lasted for over six hours. Power shut off abruptly at 10:54pm.

Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) advised that the outage was the result of a fault on its Transmission and Distribution (T&D) system.

Different areas of the island saw power restored at varying times, and all power was restored by 5:17 am.

“CUC’s crews have been working as quickly as possible to restore power to all customers in a safe manner,” said a press release from the electrical utility company.

CUC apologised for the inconvenience caused to customers affected by the outage.

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Hope Academy Grade 12 students learned about careers in the water utilities industry on their recent visit to the Water Authority’s facilities in Lower Valley. Photo submitted.

To learn more about water production and groundwater resources in the Cayman Islands, Grade 11 and 12 students from Hope Academy recently toured Water Authority – Cayman’s facilities in Lower Valley. Rick Caley, the students’ teacher, explained that the field trip was designed to complement the curriculum.“The visit was planned to bring to life their Environmental Science course where the study of natural resources and their conservation constitutes an important part of their studies,” Mr. Caley said. “It also gave them a better understanding of the process of reverse osmosis in producing fresh, salt-free water, a process that it is difficult to model in the classroom.” The tour was hosted by Ahmed Elsheshtawy, Graduate Engineer with the Authority, who gave an educational presentation before leading the students on a tour of the Lower Valley Water Works facility.

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As Michael Myles, Co-chair of the Youth Anti Crime Trust (Youth ACT) has pointed out, Cayman is rich in data on the causes of crime and poor in action to address them.

We read with dismay last week in the pages of The Cayman Reporter that Mr Myles, long a tireless worker assisting at-risk youth, has become discouraged by the lack of focus given to intervention and crime prevention programmes for Caymanian children and youth.

We cannot blame him for feeling that way.  We are feeling pretty discouraged about it all too.

The frustrated community worker said, “We are a data rich country. We have loads of data. My frustration with the system is that we don’t use that data to drive policy. We don’t use the data to drive laws. We are consistently bringing in a consultant to tell us what we are doing…The reports are saying the same thing over and over. We know what the problem is.”

“What we need is resources. We need boots on the ground!” he said.

“I don’t need another consultant to come tell me what’s wrong in my country, I know what’s wrong. I live in it every day,” Mr Myles added.

Government’s vaunted “reinvention” exercise – Project Future – relegates youth intervention programmes aimed at crime reduction to its fifth phase. Apparently, putting a focus on our children and young people will be too complex and time consuming to do right away.

Mr Myles said, “The report states that, ‘Phase Five consists of seven projects that will be taken forward as resources allow. Typically these projects have fewer benefits or are complex and time consuming to deliver.’”

Mr Myles said it is statements like this that discourage him and confirm his belief that the country has no urgency when it comes to effectively diverting vulnerable youth from a life of crime.

And we have to agree.

In the same issue of this newspaper in which Mr Myles expressed his frustration, we published a press release from the Ministry of Community Affairs on the attendance of Minister Hon Osbourne Bodden at a CARICOM meeting in Jamaica, aimed at addressing the root causes of crime.

Out of this meeting, Mr Bodden noted that many of the root causes of crime across the region are very similar. Challenges with the family structure were a common critical problem raised at the meeting, but other contributing factors included drugs and unemployment.

But, as Mr Michael Myles said, we know all of this already! We have the extensive and expensive Yolande C Forde report on the causes of criminality in the Cayman Islands. We have it. We paid for it. It contains data and research on the local root causes of crime, and also recommendations to address them. And what has been done? What has been implemented? Nothing.

Yet, we continue to attend meetings and symposiums and discussions. While very little is being done to support community activists like Mr Myles who are growing hoarse from shouting for attention.

Many recommendations have been repeated from report to report throughout the years with no evidence of them being put into effect or being provided with stable governmental support, Mr Myles noted.

The myriad recommendations include a need for early intervention and prevention strategies such as the establishment of diversion programmes. They also include a need for mandating parental support for at-risk youth, especially those that have already committed criminal offences.

Mr Myles revealed that despite his efforts to create a diversion programme for youth, which he has sent to every agency within government, he has received little to no response.

We note that in the Strategic Policy Statement (SPS) delivered last week that the current administration congratulated itself on passing the Conditional Release Law, which is aimed at impacting re-offending rates and reducing costs of incarceration.

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin also pledged to “continue to ensure police powers and resources are proportionate and effective to detect and reduce crime.”

He also reported that Government recently hired seven new prison officers, and will provide the Department of Community Rehabilitation “capacity to increase staffing levels and resources to aid in the delivery of community corrections services.”

But we contend that while needed, this is investing money at the wrong end of the line. We need to give intervention programmes, like Youth ACT, funding at the start of the criminal cycle – not just at the end! We need to catch our at-risk young people before they begin a life of crime. And we all know this. So why is nothing done?

We know full well the high recidivism rate in these Islands. We know how hard it is for ex convicts to get a job and to reintegrate into society. And we know how expensive it is to prosecute and imprison our citizens. It is expensive in both dollar terms and the loss to society, the loss of productive workers, of present fathers.

Remember that old saying “prevention is better than cure?” Our elders were on to something there.

So why don’t we do something about it? Youth ACT spends $5K a year to put on an important and effective deterrence programme. And they have to fight and beg for that paltry sum. How much did Minister Bodden and company’s flights and accommodation cost at the CARICOM meeting? We’re willing to bet it was close to the amount Youth ACT needs to run their programmes.

This is not to say that our government officials should not attend these events and that communication shared at these forums is not important. However, we should be putting the information gleaned and the examples seen in other locations to good use by implementing solutions here.

How does the cost of running an intervention programme compare to the $64K a year it costs to lock someone up? Multiply that $64K per year by the few hundred prisoners we have incarcerated in Cayman and those dollars really add up. And who benefits? Perhaps only the prison staff  – who are largely brought in from other countries.

It seems that with the issue of crime, like many others, we are continually putting the cart before the horse and wondering why we don’t get anywhere. We put millions of dollars into the prosecution and incarceration of prisoners yet can’t spare a few thousand to prevent our children from becoming criminals in the first place.

Why can’t government, and we are not picking on this administration but instead we are talking about successive governments, listen to the consultants they hire and pay good public money to? Please. We are really asking. Give us one good reason why the recommendations of the Forde report have not been implemented? Seriously, please tell us.

Because on this topic, as with so many others impacting our people and involving expenditure of public funds, there is very little transparency or communication going on and very little apparent sense being made.

The post Data rich, action poor appeared first on The Cayman Reporter.

An aerial view of the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort

In a merger that will see three major Cayman Islands hotels – the Marriott Beach Resort, The Ritz-Carlton and The Westin – under the same ownership, Marriott International has agreed to buy out rival Starwood Hotels, which owns the Westin brand, in a $12.2 billion deal expected to close in mid-2016.

Marriott currently owns 16 brands, including luxury JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton and the business-traveler-friendly Fairfield Inn, Courtyard and Springhill Suites.

When asked to comment on the impact this will have on the market in the Cayman Islands, Laura Botelho, public relations director of Caribbean & Latin America, Marriott International, told The Cayman Reporter, “At this time we feel it’s too soon to talk impact on specific markets.”

Arne Sorenson will remain president and chief executive officer of Marriott International following the merger.

However she added that the results of the merger will mean a better experience for the company’s guests and greater financial benefits for the company and its owners and franchisees across the globe.

“I can say that this planned merger will fuel growth:  growth of brand choices, growth of geographic reach, growth of loyal guests, growth of the owner and franchisee community, growth of shareholder value, and growth of investment in our people,” she said.

For now, Starwood and Marriott will continue to operate as two separate companies. Even after completing the merger, changes, such as those to website or reservation sites, are expected to be phased in.

Marriott currently has a worldwide portfolio of about 4,300 hotels, while Starwood has 1,200. Once combined with Starwood, Marriott will have over 5,500 hotels in over 100 countries and will be the only hotel company to have more than 1 million rooms. This will make it the biggest hotel chain in the world, with Hilton being its closest competitor.

Starwood, whose 11 brands are leading in the category of lifestyle, put itself up for sale in late April. Some of its brands include St Regis, W Hotels, Westin and Sheraton.

Marriott sought to appeal to a younger demographic by combining Starwood’s leading lifestyle brands and global footprint with its own strong presence in the luxury and select-service tiers, as well as the convention and resort segment, to create a more comprehensive portfolio.

Arne Sorenson, who will remain president and chief executive officer of Marriott International following the merger, said, “Today, size matters.”

He added “to be successful in today’s lodging space, a wide distribution of brands and hotels across price points is critical.”

A release from the company stated, “Under the terms of the agreement, at closing, Starwood shareholders will receive 0.92 shares of Marriott International, Inc. Class A common stock and $2 in cash for each share of Starwood common stock.

“On a pro forma basis, Starwood shareholders would own approximately 37 percent of the combined company’s common stock after completion of the merger using fully diluted share counts as of September 30, 2015,” it continued.

Marriott plans to seek further economies of scale by reducing its annual costs by at least $200 million. It expects to fulfill this by 2018.

However, according to several international reports people are questioning if any of the savings will be passed along to travelers.

The Huffington Post Travel stated that, “Recent trends in the airline industry suggest that mergers don’t necessarily benefit travelers. Passengers are suffering from lack of choice, pricing increases and lack of innovation.”

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An aerial view of the George Town harbour. Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin says he will not be “intimidated” by any special interest groups on the multi-million dollar port project.

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin says he will not be “intimidated” by any special interest groups on the multi-million dollar port project.

This after a group who call themselves “Concerned Caymanians” served the Premier and Tourism Minister Hon Moses Kirkconnell with a pre-action protocol letter advising them of legal action if they do not reverse Cabinet’s decision to proceed with the cruise berthing and port facility project.

On Wednesday (25 November) the Premier, speaking with reporters following a media conference to announce the return of Western Union, said the Attorney General was dealing with the letter and he had no response on the matter.

However Mr McLaughlin, speaking in the Legislative Assembly later the same day on the Strategic Policy Statement, sent a clear message to all that government will do what is best for Cayman.

While he reiterated that Cabinet has not made a final decision on the “all-important project” the Premier declared that “we will not be intimidated by special interest groups or individuals at the expense of the greater national good. It is said that the finest steel must go through the hottest fire and we pledge to make a responsible decision that takes into account all of the factors.”

He said there are hundreds of local jobs that cater to and depend upon cruise tourism and “it is our duty to ensure those jobs are kept intact, maintained and expanded on into the future.”

Continuing in the vein of employment the Premier, in his SPS statement, announced that the Ministry of Education is exploring and collaborating with the private sector to develop and deliver community-based apprenticeships and work-experience internships.

“The Ministry also plans apprenticeships within the Public Works Department,” he added.

The Premier also addressed the issue of mental illness and the number of individuals suffered from mental illness currently incarcerated in HMP Northward.

He said that a Strategic Outline Case has been developed for a new long-term

residential mental health facility.

“It is time we took care of those among us who are most vulnerable. Mental illness is not a crime, but more often than not those with mental illness find themselves housed in our prisons because we just don’t have enough bed space at the hospital,” Mr McLaughlin said.

In terms of tourism the Premier announced that starting on 28 November, Cayman Airways will fly from Cayman Brac directly to Holguin in eastern Cuba.

“Because of the improvements made to the airport under our watch, Cayman Brac has seen a 20 per cent increase in arrivals from a year ago. That means an increase in visitors, which is helping to bolster the economy on the Sister Islands. An increase that has spurred the Brac Reef Hotel to invest in upgrades to the property to cater to the increasing visitor interest in Cayman Brac,” he added,

The Premier declared that government’s strong revenue stream coupled with firm control over expenditure, has delivered, and will continue to deliver solid surpluses.

He said cash reserves are projected to rise from about $173.9 million at year end 2014 to an expected $340 million at the end of this financial year, while core government debt has been reduced from about $548.5 million to $503.3 million over this same period.

“We are expected to be in a position to repay the US$312 million bullet bond when it comes due in November 2019. This will mean that by the end of the financial year 2019 core Government debt will be reduced to $193.6 million,” he added.

With more projects coming on stream the Premier also revealed that government plans to implement the Procurement Law, which will lay the foundation for all future public sector procurement in the Cayman Islands.

“The Law will strengthen the procurement process with increased transparency and a greater focus on value for money while providing improved opportunities for Caymanian suppliers to be successful,” he said.

The Premier also announced that government will move towards addressing pay stagnation and the disparity the salaries in the Civil Service.

He also announced that “teachers whose pay has not increased for three or more years and who have received favourable performance evaluations, will receive between one to three increments based upon how long their salaries have been frozen.”

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(L-R): Sloane Muldoon, Scotiabank (Cayman) Managing Director; Michelle Allen, CEO of GKMS; Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin; Hon Wayne Panton, Minister of Financial Services; and André Largie, Western Union (Caribbean) Senior Regional Manager at a press conference on 25 November.

Residents of the Cayman Islands received an early Christmas gift when government announced that Western Union has re-opened its counters and will resume trading in local currency.

They will now be able to send money to their families overseas without the hassle of trying to obtain US currency – which is still a requirement for many of the other money services businesses (MSBs).

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin mentioned at a press conference on Wednesday, 25 November, that the loss of correspondent banking created disruption in services and the inability of money services to accept Cayman Islands dollars resulted in inconvenience. He stated that it was a major problem for the Islands and one that the government took seriously.

“This was not an issue of nationality; rather, it was a national issue. It affected everyone,” said Hon Wayne Panton, Minister for Financial Services.

In a deal unforeseen by the public, this problem was solved when GraceKennedy Money Services (GKMS), a subsidiary of GraceKennedy Limited and authorised agent of Western Union, expanded operations to Cayman.

The Premier revealed that government intentionally kept tight-lipped about the partnership, saying that it was important to maintain confidentiality in regard to such commercial negotiations, which involved “a high degree of sensitivity”.

With the addition of Cayman, GKMS now represents Western Union in ten countries across the Caribbean.

This expansion was fueled by the provision of accounts for the MSBs through Scotiabank, which has a long-standing relationship with GKMS – a relevant factor in the bank’s decision to divert from the path other local banks took, and support MSBs.

Western Union has operated in Cayman since 1992 and last year moved more than $60 million in and out of the Cayman Islands. In 2014, it facilitated money transfer to more than 120 countries, and remitted money from more than 70 countries into the country.

“By the sheer number of global workers in Cayman, we understand Western Union performs an important role in the everyday lives of those who are working away from home, as they provide their families and communities in their home countries with a better economic future,” said Sean Mason, Vice President for Western Union in the Caribbean.

With over two decades of experience in the remittance services industry GKMS is “excited” about the potential of this new venture and to provide this service to the Cayman Islands, stated Michelle Allen, CEO of GKMS.

GKMS will initially have a total of four locations in Grand Cayman and one in Cayman Brac, all open Monday to Saturday.

“Once our new locations are up and running, the next order of business will be the introduction of our other complimentary money services,” she added.

Minister Panton confirmed that the return to KYD transactions will have a substantial impact on the US cash shortage that hit the island over the past three months.

The shortage began soon after local banks Fidelity and Cayman National closed accounts with all money services in the Islands in July and August, respectively, leaving other local MSBs to resort to conducting transactions with US dollars.

Minister Panton thanked the other money transfer businesses in Cayman for quickly adapting their business models to US dollar cash transactions in the initial period of the problem.

“Without their efforts, the situation would have been much more difficult. While there were increased costs and inconvenience to bear, this certainly was better than having no options available at all,” he added.

He further confirmed that the government remains at work seeking solutions for these other MSBs that have to continue demand for USD.

However, Premier McLaughlin advised, “The tools of government, namely policy and legislation, certainly work to support commerce. But it is also important to observe, the tools to actually negotiate and enter into the commercial arrangements are firmly in the hands of the private sector.”

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Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin has vowed to stand firm against any attempt by the UK to force Cayman to create a public registry of beneficial ownership.

In a rare display of unity both the Opposition and Independent benches have vowed to stand with Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin and his government to resist any undue pressure from the UK for the creation of a public registry of beneficial ownership in the Cayman Islands.

This as the Premier vowed, on Thursday (26 November)  in the Legislative Assembly, to stand firm against any attempt by the UK to force Cayman to create a public registry when he attends the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) meeting in London this week.

“The line has been drawn in the sand,” Mr McLaughlin said as he declared that the UK is in for a “major fight,” if they choose to insist or deploy any action that would seek to force Cayman to agree to the public register.

Such a registry, he said, will put this country’s financial services industry at a competitive disadvantage with other countries that “do not permit unfettered access to beneficial ownership.”

Opposition Leader Hon McKeeva Bush questioned the Premier if government had a plan should the UK press Cayman on the issue.

“We are not going to take it lying down,” the Premier declared.

Both the Opposition Leader and Independent East End MLA Arden McLean have pledged to support the Premier should the UK exert any further pressure on Cayman to implement a public registry.

McLean, one of the Premier’s toughest critics, said that government can depend on his support to “any resistance that the government puts up” to the UK.

He declared, “I am not going to roll over and play dead.”

Mr Bush said the Premier has his “full support,” however he maintained that he would like to be informed of the government’s plan especially since the Governor has control of the Civil Service, the Police Service and the Attorney General’s office.

Premier McLaughlin, who delivered a statement on the issue ahead of his departure on Friday (27 November) for London, said that his government’s position remains unchanged on the issue and he has communicated that to UK Overseas Territories Minister James Duddridge in telephone conversations this week.

He said the UK’s position on the issue keeps “evolving” and has now evolved to the point where it is now seeking direct access by its law enforcement agencies to beneficial ownership information in Cayman and other overseas territories such as the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda.

However the Premier said, “I have advised him that this is not something which the Cayman Islands can agree.”

The Premier said the information that the UK is seeking does not belong to the government, “it is the property of the owners of the respective legal entities.”

He pointed out that there is no country in the world that allows “unrestricted access to beneficial ownership information by law enforcement agencies of another country.”

Cayman, he said, has established mechanisms in place that allow requests for information to be made to the relevant authorities in Cayman by overseas law enforcement agencies, tax and regulatory agencies.

Those mechanisms, he said, were approved by the UK and have been assessed to be in accordance with globally accepted standards.

“They are working well and our position is that they should continue to be the means by which the UK and other countries obtain information on beneficial ownership of legal entities in the Cayman Islands,” the Premier said.

He said Cayman has complied with international standards and adopted the convention on Mutual Tax Assistance.

“However, what we are not prepared to do is adopt a scheme which our competitors, some of whom are G20 states, do not subscribe to [and] put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage and thereby cause our business to migrate to our competitor jurisdictions,” he said.

Mr McLaughlin pointed out that places like Delaware in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Bahamas do not subscribe to such a registry.

He added that until a public registry is made a global standard and Cayman’s competitors agree to it then this country will continue to maintain the current mechanisms that have been working.

Mr McLaughlin added that in this scenario the UK is another country and government cannot allow another country unfettered access to information.

He assured that should the UK make any moves to force Cayman, the local government has a plan. However, the Premier declined to share the details of that plan.

He said it would be premature at this stage to speak about it.

Mr McLaughlin assured the House that upon his return from the UK next week he will inform them about the discussions.

The post Opposition, Independents with Gov’t on beneficial ownership appeared first on The Cayman Reporter.

Unemployed Caymanians have the opportunity to work for three weeks, starting at the end of the year, thanks to the National Community Enhancement Project. The initiative was announced by Minister of Community Affairs Hon Osbourne Bodden in the Legislative Assembly in late October and provides opportunities to work for two weeks in December before Christmas and for one week in January.

Registration for the three-week initiative will be at the Lions Centre, Grand Cayman from Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 3 December.

A government press release said that not only will the project benefit unemployed Caymanians, but it will also benefit the greater community by enhancing the physical environment.

Similar projects have taken place in recent years and a similar project has already commenced on the Sister Islands under the supervision of District Administration.

The Office of the Deputy Governor is providing administrative coordination for the National Community Enhancement Project, but other agencies involved include the National Roads Authority, the Department of Environmental Health, and the Public Works Department – in particular its Recreation, Parks and Cemeteries Section.

The Operational Project Manager is Mark Bothwell, who is also Manager of PWD’s Recreation, Parks and Cemeteries Section.

Interested individuals may sign up and complete registration forms at the following places and times: National Workforce Development Agency (upstairs, Midtown Plaza)—1 & 2 December from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 3 December from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; George Town, Bodden Town and East End Public Libraries—1 & 2 December from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m. and 3 December from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; West Bay—1&2 December from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m. and 3 December from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.; North Side Public Library— 1 December ONLY, from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m.

This year’s project will include repairs and maintenance, gardening, cleaning parks, beaches and roadside verges.The three-week project will run from 7-18 December and then continue 11-15 January, 2016. Participants in the project will be expected to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Work will only be offered to unemployed Caymanians ages 18 and older, unemployed spouses of Caymanians, and unemployed permanent residents who have the right to work. Supporting documentation to prove immigration status is required at the time of registration.

All persons must attend a mandatory orientation day at 9 a.m. on 7 December at Lions Centre, when contracts will be signed by those who meet the criteria and are accepted.

For further information, please call 917-0153, or email NCEP@gov.ky.

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