Quick response from Port Authority

| 17/05/2010

(CNS): While government entities have 30 calendar days to respond to FOI requests, the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands responded to a request about the salary of the Port Director, (not the Chair of the PA Board Stefan Baraud who is a volunteer)  in just five days. The director earns between $15,000 and $17,000 per month (or $180,000 to $204,000 per year), according to the response. However, the information officer declined to specify the exact amount or details of the contract under the exemption in the FOI Law: ‘Records likely to endanger health and safety’, explaining that threats had been made to the port director’s life and that releasing this information might further provoke harassment.

FOI response
 

 
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  1. Say it Aint So says:

    why is the Chairman not getting paid? Talk about a thankless job!

  2. Say it Aint So says:

    The Port Director is Paul Hurlston.

    • Anonymous says:

      No wonder the Ministers pulled back on their offer to take a significant pay cut.  These public service salaries are outrageous.

  3. You must be kidding me says:

    Oh the wonders of the Internet, this year, the Port of Miami paid its director a base salary of $205,435 US.

    Let’s do the math  The salary paid to the Director of the CI Port Authority is $180,000 CI  ($216,000 US) or possibly $204,000 CI  ($244,800 US).  Why the difference does it depend on whether they’re there or not?

    Anyway last time I was in Miami near the port it looked to be quite a bit busier than Cayman.  Or it was just a busy day.  But pate de fois and Cristal is much more expensive here.

    This is absolute rubbish these people have their heads stuck so far into the trough…….it’s pathetic.

    • Anon says:

      Every time we talk of a Cayman salary, that is the take home salary; whereas if you are comparing a Cayman salary against say, America or the UK, you would have to factor in taxes and other statutory deductions in order to ascertain the individual’s take-home pay.  Once we’ve factored these things in, then we get the real picture.

    • concerned about nonscense says:

      Readers/Bloggers Let’s be realistic, Politicians receives travel benefits, work three months of the year, free insurance, Pension after one year, and US$120k per annum. While the Port Director hold the most important position in the public service (i.e. the port is where 99% of the imported stuff come through) and is paid a salary that is compatible with the Deputy Premier.

      Now, You can’t compare Cayman Port with any other country. Why? Cayman only has one Port and the majority of Ports have more than one Port!!!!! Bet you didn’t realize that!!! Secondly, did your blogger know that the Port Directors of the US Ports also receive a Bonus of approximately the same as their salary!

      So before anyone speaks get your facts RIGHT.

      • Anonymous says:

        To Mr or Mrs get your facts RIGHT – you must know something we dont!!!!!!

        The deputy premiers salary is public information.  XXXXX

        By the way 50 years ago, the same 99% of imports came thru the port and they didnt even have containerization which makes things simple.  The port is only utilized to about 30% capacity.

        For sure we need a port director and he should be fairly compensated.  If  there was nothing "funny" about the situation, then he should release the details to his real EMPLOYER – the public.

      • Dirk says:

        Actually, the Deputy Premier makes $13,425 per month. The Port Director makes minimum $15,000 per month. I think you meant those salaries comparable, not compatible, but you’re still wrong. Further, as a Cabinet Minister she definitely works more than three months of the year. Cabinet meets once per week and she is not just responsible for representing her constituency but also running a Ministry responsible for District Administration, Works and Gender Affairs (in addition to the core Ministry functions there are over a dozen separate departments and units under that Ministry). As with all MLAs she receives pension after a certain number of four-years terms in the LA, not after one year.

        I shan’t argue with your opinion that the Port Director holds the most important position in the public service, though I disagree with it, but you have provided no evidence that equivalent positions in the US receive a bonus equal to their salary.

        I do not like the UDP and Juliana sickens me on a regular basis, but I assure you MY comments are always based on fact, and I would suggest you do the same. You make blatantly untrue statements and then end your post with "before anyone speaks get your facts RIGHT." Now you just look like a fool.

        • Anonymous says:

          Its a pity we can’t see the names of bloggers. You call the originator of the messenger a "fool" but you missed the message. The point the blogger was making was that no one should compare the CI Port Director’s salary to any other Port as the total benefits are not normally disclosed publically. To that blogger’s defence in the USA the salary of public servants are all public knowledge but like private businesses bonuses cannot. Therefore, some Port Directors can take home upward of $350k per annum. As to comparing the Port Directors benefits to the Deputy Premier’s the blogger was only saying that a MLA working 3 months per year for a 4 year term their retirement benefit was based on working one year (4×3=12). 

           

          • Dirk says:

            The original poster first compared the Port Director’s salary with the Deputy Premier’s, which is what I addressed in my post. You may notice that I said "I shan’t argue with your opinion that the Port Director holds the most important position in the public service" and merely noted that the original poster provided no evidence that US Port Directors earn obscenely higher salaries.

            It is unfortunately very common for people to spew "facts" on this site that are not backed up and often blatantly false. Opinions are a different matter and I am all for everyone’s voice being heard in that regard. And this site also does allow other posters to correct false information. Which is what I was attempting to do.

            You defend the poster by saying it’s hard to know how much private positions make, but then claim they "can take home upward of $350k per annum." Again, I do not know how much Port Directors in the US make, so I won’t argue with you. But you have still not provided any evidence for this assertion.

            My original reply was almost entirely meant to address the comparison between the Port Director and Deputy Premier. And I still think it is absurd to say the Deputy Premier works three months per year, and to further extend that fallacy to say a full term would equal one year’s work. I’ve already explained why I think it’s unfair to say the DP works so little (backbench MLAs – both Government and Opposition – on the other hand…) but you are both entitled to that opinion.

            Finally, we are making comments on a news site, we are posters, not bloggers. Please see http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/viewpoint/2010/05/21/dog-me-flog-me-please-don%E2%80%99t-blog-me.

  4. Shock and Awe says:

    $15,000 – $17,000  A MONTH?????  CI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Yeah we’re broke alright, and Government pays their pension and health insurance too.

    Unbelievable.

    Well, as our ship sails into the sunset the Port Director’s ship obviously came in. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Remember that is basic salary only. The details of other benefits are being withheld.  It will up to the Information Commissioner to deal with the appeal and determine whether the public have a right to know what they (the public) are paying the port director.

      Should we really have to ask (no beg) what WE are paying on own so called public servants.

      Imagine an owner of company having to ask an employee what his salary is. And then being told to basically go fly a kite by the employee.

      This is absolutely insane.

  5. Say it Aint So says:

    Its the boards that do all the work at Cayman Airways, Port Authority, Water Authority, etc. So why are they not getting paid instead?

  6. Amazing says:

    Why do so many positions here in the Cayman Islands command such disproportionately high wages for a tax free country?  Anyone would think they were living in the Inner City with a huge direct tax burden or something.  Some of the guys in London and New York would kill to be on a salary equivalent to this, even though they would lose more than 40% of it in direct tax… and that’s before other statutory reductions and indirect taxes too.  Many of you have no idea how fortunate you are.

    • Anonymous says:

      Is that salary in US$ or CI$. No wonder we are in problems. I wonder why the details of the copntract are being withheld.  If you have nothing to hide and you are being paid from public funds (the peoples money) you have no grounds to refuse.

  7. Rabble Rouser says:

    Don’t be so easily fooled in to thinking these people in Government Board positions are all "volunteers". While there may be no direct payment made, you can bet your last dollar that they are all in it for personal gain one way or another.

    • Anonymous says:

      Although some of these "volunteers" do not receive salary, they are given generous "Honorariums".

  8. Anonymous says:

    Now we know why the Port charges went up. No wonder goods are so over priced in Cayman. Anyone know what the port director of the Port of Rotterdam receives after taxes?

  9. My2cents says:

    Good god that is a HUGE salary for such a tiny port.

    Can CNS compare this salary to similar port authorities in other jurisdictions so can better compare like with like?

    I certainly hope we are getting value for money out of the Port Director…makes you wonder what he does for all that money. What are his typical duties?

    Also who agreed to pay him this salary? What body governs salaries at this level?

     

    • Tony Montana says:

      So if its not Stefan Baraud, who is it?  How can this person get so much yet the chairman of the PA,  who has the highest position on the board of directors gets nothing?  Makes you wonder what other persons are getting paid in government!  This person is making more that the leader of government business!!  Am I the only sane person in this country?? Why do we pay civil servants so much???? OMG!!!!  Its a good thing Cayman is so rich!

      CNS: All government board positions are voluntary. They are not "jobs". For comparison, here is a link to the job FAQs page on the website of the Portfolio of the Civil Service. If you scroll down a bit there’s a linkto download Annual Salary Scale for Salaried Staff.

      • Scrooge McDuck says:

        I went to the link… but it’s pretty esoteric I mean what does a HP2-3AAB classification of worker do????  To make more than a ZL4-B21 worker??  

        What we need to know is which one puts citizens on hold… while the other  is out of the office?  Which one sits in the truck and which one leans on the shovel?  Which classification reads the paper? Which one plays on a BlackBerry and refers you to someone else??

    • anonymous says:

      salaries were never meant to be high in the civil/public service.  it was always understood that people in these positions were to "serve" the country and to stay polically neutral. In exhange for this there was a level of job security if you worked hard as there would always be a government.

      unfortuneately these principles have been gradually eroded.