Gov’t says ‘no’ to WP fee cuts
(CNS): The government offered no response to a private member’s motion asking it to reduce the work permit fee increases imposed in the last budget and voted the motion down. Opposition member for George Town, Alden McLaughlin, brought the motion, which was seconded by the member for North Side, on Thursday. Suggesting that as the fee increases were having the reverse effect intended by government, McLaughlin asked for a cut to help small businesses. Although the premier has spoken on a number of occasions recently about possibly reducing the work permit fees for small business with five employees or less, no one from the government benches spoke on the subject and all of them voted ‘no’ to the suggestion. (Photo Dennie WarrenJr)
The motion asked for the fees on all work-permits to be cut back to the levels before the increases were imposed, and although it was unlikely that government was ever going to accept it in its entirety, the motion presented an opportunity for government to reveal what plans, if any, it had for cutting fees over and above the key employee fee. However, neither the premier nor any of his ministers present or even the backbenchers chose to speak on the issue.
The chair of Cayman Finance, Anthony Travers, said at the recent Generation Now forum on taxation that his organisation was recommending that government cut the work permit costs as soon as possible as they were only ever intended to be temporary until government managed to cut operating expenses. However, all of the members present in the Legislative Assembly on the government benches remained silent when the debate opened and said nothing at all on the subject.
Despite pleas made by McLaughlin, who pointed out that some fees had tripled and were crippling local businesses, the government remained silent.
The George Town member also pointed to the contradiction of the high fees with government’s much heralded position of welcoming overseas investors or rolling out the “green carpet”, as the premier often referred to it, but to no avail. “On the one hand government speaks passionately about stopping the haemorrhaging of businesses but on the other this policy significantly increases the cost of doing business,” McLaughlin said.
With work permit numbers down from a high of over 26,500 in December 2008 to less than 21,000 last month, McLaughlin said the increase in fees had not improved government revenue as people were simply not taking out permits. He acknowledged that the fees were not the only cause of the significant fall in numbers and like most of Cayman’s economic decline it was due to the worst global recession in 70 years, but by increasing the cost of a key element of doing business government had not helped, the PPM member observed.
He said that with the reduction in key employee fees and the news that operating costs were down and the deficit less than anticipated, government had room to reduce the fees. If government were to reduce the fees, the revenue intake might grow as it would stimulate the local economy again because the fees were simply too high at present to encourage business to take on staff, the member implied.
“With so many businesses just struggling to keep going never mind turn a profit,” the former Cabinet minister said, government had to look at the issue. He said that the opposition had warned when the fees were implemented that they were likely to have the reverse effect, which is what had happened.
With the exception of an objection from Premier McKeeva Bush, who accused the opposition member of straying from the subject of his motion when he spoke about the budget, the government benches stayed silent on the issue until the motion was put to the vote, when it was emphatically rejected.
The Legislative Assembly will resume on Friday morning with parliamentary questions followed by a private member’s motion from the North Side representative asking government to require developers receiving duty concessions to buy local.
Category: Headline News
small businesses is what runs the economy of a country. Why is this Government running all the small businesses through the mud. Do you think big business cares about the people? No, they don;t, probably only Wal-Mart. McKeeva and the rest of you UDP people, stop and think about the small businesses and set a certain fee level for them and not the same level as the big business. When you set the small business fees, set it with stipulations that they must hire Caymanians, they must pay their pensions and they must pay decent wages. When you set these stipulations, ensure that they are all registered and are regulated, accordingly. They are to go through the annual inspections, they must have their books audited, they must conduct their businesses in a respectful manner and within the rules of regulations. McKeeva you must protect the small businesses, as a country strive on them. America is now fighting to maintain their small businesses, that is why the Republicans won the recent elections in the House and pick up a lot of seats in the Senate, because of the demise of the small businesses.
Poor Alden, a spent force if ever there was one, and as inept as ever. Is this his very best idea?
If grumbling and complaining constitute an effective Opposition, then of course he and his cardboard-cut-out colleagues are surely doing a sterling job, with Alden being in his element for sure. It’s no wonder no one in government bothered to comment. There’s no need. An absence of credibility is the problem, and the government is aware of this. After a disasterous "go" at running the country (almost into the ground as it turned out) is the public supposed to think Alden and Co. actually have something useful to suggest?
If ever the Caymanian public needed better representation in Opposition it is now. And I am not a party supporter, by the way. I’d vote PPM any day if I thought they were any good. Aren’t there any other folks in the PPM who could replace the present lot (with the exception of Arden)? Step forward, please.
"If ever the Caymanian public needed better representation in Opposition it is now. And I am not a party supporter, by the way".
If indeed you were not a UDP supporter this would have read: "If ever the Caymanian public needed better representation in GOVERNMENT it is now". It is Govt. that is making the bad decisions and instead you are directing criticism at the Opposition who are making some sensible points. Obviously you are trying to deflect attention from the Govt. by reminding the public of the shortcomings of the previous Govt. That is not the thinking of an independent person but instead has "UDP partisan" written all over it.
wow… did you just admit that ppm had "shortcomings," but anyhow you would support them because they are your party? wow… you are really blinded by party politics! when are we going to look at the issues beyond parties and who has power? if udp has paid off a chunk of the countries debt, SO WHAT??? the debt is paid off and that is good! your party gibberish is of no sense
Aha! I know the stone struck because the pig squealed. Your response has only confirmed that you are a UDP supporter.
I am not a supporter of either party so I can easily identify a fraud like yourself pretending to be non-partisan. As such I have no trouble at all saying that the PPM had obvious shortcomings. Unlike you, I also have no trouble looking objectively at what this govt. is doing.
"if udp has paid off a chunk of the countries debt, SO WHAT??? the debt is paid off and that is good!".
Such is the low level of understanding of the average UDP supporter. The UDP has not paid off ANY of the country’s debt. In fact they are about to increase the debt by US$185m. Please understand that there is a difference between "deficit" and "debt", and the deficit of CI$15m is merely an estimate based on unaudited figures. We have seen previous estimates to be wildly inaccurate and we have not been given a full account of how it was achieved and it is therefore suspect.
Have Caymanians not yet learned that such concessions as reduced fees are now reserved solely for wealthy foreign investors like the Port developers, Dr. Shetty, etc? To command respect in this country or gain the favour of the powers that be, one must be an expat investor with some $$$. Why should government allow respite for so unworthy a group as the long-suffering local businessman who is struggling to survive?
Here is the deal: Caymanians… go to the back of the line! This is now your rightful place is in this country. The rich foreign investor is De Man in the new order of things!
Caymanians, as how to conduct yourselves from now on: Hold your tattered hats in your hands, show some humility and give respect to De Man. Now beg a bit and maybe you will get one of the few menial jobs out of the sweet deals made between De Man and Big Mac; deals that you had no say in making. If you already have invested in a business and you are struggling, well too damn bad for you. Your whining and begging will do you no good and falls on deaf ears. Face reality that you are not a significant part of the new order. Just close you doors and leave the way open for a wealthy non-Caymanian to get some concessions and take over and reap the good.
Lest I am accused of expat bashing: De Man did not become so by his own design. Actually God, in His infinite wisdom brought this to pass. "He hath founded it upon the seas" so this must assuredly be the way God planned it. Caymanians, take heart and do not be distressed in your hardship. In giving away more and more to De Man, and by accepting your place as second class in the eyes of Government, you are merelydoing God’s will. In sacrificing your own well-being to the one whom He chose to enjoy the bounty of this country you are being used of God in a mighty way.
For the spiritually-inclined (you know, those who so love to cite references out of context) here is the applicable passage, in its full context:
1 Herein shall the land of promise be given to the stranger and herein shall the Land of Cayman be overtaken by the sojourner:
2 And the Lord said to the stranger in the land and he made promise to the sojourner, "Go forth and be fruitful and subdue the Land of Cayman and the people thereof: Let the land bring forth abundantly for you and thy children and their children after them."
3 "I have decreed it and it shall come to pass that the people of the land shall defer to the stranger among them and the people of the Land of Cayman shall esteem you as their masters."
4 "And it shall be that the people of the land shall bestow upon thee abundant honour. For the sake of lucre and by reason of their lack of wisdom and for their folly the people shall concede their treasure and their land to you and thou shalt possess the Land of Cayman and thou shalt have rule over it.
5 "In the Land Of Cayman land thou shalt become mighty and all the people shall come to call you De Man";
6 "I shall rise up a leader to their sorrow and this man shall assure that thy place shall be established even as the people of the land diminish and perish by reason of their foolishness; but in the time of their distress I shall sneer at their calamity and I shall laugh at their woe, for the path of ruin have they freely chosen and in folly they cast their vote."
7 And after these words were spoken, a certain man of the West, one known as the Great Mac, lifted his hands toward heaven and cried out ‘Amen, Lord, so be it. May I thy not-so-humble servant be the one to oversee the people of the Land of Cayman in the time of blight. The people shall follow me and make me their lord; of a certainty then shall Thy words come to pass’.
8 In due season the Lord enlarged the Great Mac (these being the days before the time of Diet Coke) and the Great Mac increased to exceedingly great stature among the people of the Land of Cayman.
9 And it came to pass that the words of prophesy were fulfilled: in the Land of Cayman the people of the West came to worship the Great Mac mightily and he ever increased in stature among them;
10 After many days the Lord sent strong delusion upon the people of the Land of Cayman that they should believe every form of lie and should follow after false promises that came forth from the mouth of the Great Mac.
11 And it came to pass that all the people of the Land of Cayman followed the folly of people of the West and all the people of the Land Of Cayman clamoured to make the Great Mac their lord, and the lust of the people to have the Great Mac rule over the Land of Cayman was fulfilled,
12 And the Great Mac became the lord of the land,
13 And he grew in power and all the people were made to bow to him and his word was like unto the word of a god in the land so mighty had he become;
14 And after a season it came to pass that the Great Mac made pacts with the strangers and sojourners and he issued certain proclamations that no longer shall the people of the Land of Cayman be the chosen ones and live in ease in their land and enjoy the fat and the firstfruits thereof:
15 It was proclaimed that the firstfruits and the fat of the land was to be given over to the strangers who came with great stores of gold and to the sojourners with their heavy bags of silver, and thereafter that which remained was left for the people of the land and their children.
16 And from that day forth the stranger and the sojourner waxed mighty in the Land of Cayman and they became rich and increased with goods,
17 But great hardship fell upon the people of the land and they grew accustomed to being misers and beggars, like unto dogs living off the meager scraps left to them.
18 And it came to pass that under the rule of the Great Mac the land was overtaken by the stranger and the sojourner and they along with the Great Mac feasted on the fat of the land and partook of the firstfruits and lived in splendor, while the people of the land were made to glean the fields and catch the crumbs left for them as had been proclaimed by the Great Mac.
19 And it came to pass that under the Great Mac much sorrow and woe came upon the people of the Land of Cayman and a grievous famine fell on the land;
20 By the sweat of their brow no longer could the people of the Land of Cayman sustain themselves and they cried out but none heard them;
21 It came to pass that sorrow increased and brother rose up and smote brother; robbers waxed bold, in the very daylight pillaging and going their way with their spoils;
22 Throughout the land there was heard fearful wailing and gnashing of teeth and the people cried out unto the Great Mac but he became to them as one who is deaf and he heard them not and his heart was hardened toward the people;
23 Tho the wailing of the people waxed fierce, they lifted not a finger to help themselves;
24 And as was foretold, still they followed the path of folly and foolishness and ever more worshiped the Great Mac even as their plight became hopeless;
25 And it came to pass that the people of the Land of Cayman perished and they were no more;
26 It is a proverb to this day "Sow not folly; become not like the people of the Land of Cayman": for it was said that the people of the Land of Cayman had reaped what they had sown.
27 To this day the only sounds of joy in the kingdom of the Great Mac are the sound of the strangers and sojourners counting their coins of gold and the noise of the Great Mac eating and drinking and laughing and making merry in his palace with his princess Julie." Book of Woe 17:1–27
You would do well and be understood to keep religion out of this
All should keep in mind "He hath founded it upon the seas"; a motto embraced by the people of the Land of Cayman. Religion is intrinsic to the Land of Cayman. The very national song speaks of the Creators Glory being manifest in all. Thus we must come to appreciate that if the Creator is manifest in all, then all that comes to pass is of God; lest we forget: it is He who hath founded it and it is He who makes what comes to pass come to pass.
Until such time as we dismantle the motto and rewrite the national song, it would be against all this country stands for to leave religion out of the picture. That is why I included the religious reference and appended the applicable passage. I did it as a reminder that we cannot "kick against the pricks" as did Saul of Tarshish but we must accept our fate as being ordained by a Power much larger than ourselves, namely the Great Mac.
Behold! A new thing in the Land of Cayman will one day come to pass:The Wannabees shall put their lot in with the Big Mac-ites, and behold, a new people are born whose name shall be called the Big Maccabees.
Alden, please come with good money-making solutions! I know you and your PPM buddies gaved us an 81 million deficit with loss of jobs! But for God sake, Ezzard who is Opposition is doing better than you in terms of great ideas! Are you saying we tax??? Should government not increase its revenue, then where should they get it from??
With all due respect Anon 12:21, that is the job of the government, to come with good money-making solutions, & they sure have not done any of that in 18 months. But they sure know how to spend it (travel, travel, travel, FIRST CLASS, 5 star accomodations, special perks etc).
It is the job of the opposition to question & check on the government, & it is the job of the government to run the country ("come with good money-making solutions"). Anyways, as you well know, Mckeeva Bush listens to no one but himself, not even his colleagues, so what is the point of your silly comment?
Cayman Finance was the first to come out and support the new fees. Maybe they had something to gain as for the rest of business especially the small business these fees have really hurt. How disappointing to see fees increase in a recession when gov’t should be trying to stimulate the economy by encouraging spending ‘Economics 101’.
Cayman Finance is run by the law firms, who are the only ones that are happy with the level of work permit fees they pay. And no wonder. How can the government charge the less for a senior associate attorney on $250,000 than a financial controller on $60,000? Besides, the attorneys charge $450 per hour. They can easily pay cover the permit fee.
Cayman Finance doesn’t care about the economy or the little guy. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
Does anyone in their right mind honestly expect Bush & the UDP to support anything brought by the opposition, even it is in the best interests of Cayman? Get real! It will never happen. There are 3 words that describe Bush & the UDP perfectly: 1. SELFISH 2. SELFISH 3. SELFISH. Oh sorry, there is one more word that also describes them: SELFISH!
Amen. Make it as hard as possible for them employers that do not want to hire caymanians for every excuse in the world
Sick of this party politics! We need a new party that will look out for the people of these islands! That will at least cut their salaries and be a moral example! Sick of UDP and PPM!
Bring back the crown and control the spending. The fat children have had enough time in the sandbox. Bring back 1960 -1970 where the local rulers at least were educated. I’m not British, but think Turks and Caicos being under UK govern is a good thing so let’s do it here too and END PARTY POLITICS.
Yup… and with that, end our freedom too, and have a Governor who will rule over us like a dictator. I may not like Mac becoming a dictator, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want an "English Lord" over me!
Remember Macs speech in BT the other nite.We are waiting for the opposition to work with us and to help us make cayman a better place for all..What better time to do that than right now.It would be a breath of fresh air to see the house agree on something that we all feel is good for the country in general as the higher w/p fees have certainly messed my business up re hiring any extra help.Then having said all this the party system has always been a bad decision for this country.We need to stop all this personality bashing and get on with the Damn job of running this country.A bunch of kids could do a better job for at least they would be innocent of any bad goings on that are constantly on display with most of our current crop of whimps.
This must be the CIGs plan; First do all they can to chase away any and all skilled, experianced expat workers. Then raise prices on everything to squeeze what ever non government businesses are still in business. Then any business left will gladly hire the untrainable, unexperianced, and poor performing unemployables and private businesses will be just like the Government civil service and everyone is equally screwed up but happy.
Nothing else makes any sense.
If we lower the work permit fees then I am sure they will all suddenly start making their legally required pension contributions with the savings.
I understand that the UDP thinks, generate more revenue from work permits and lower the defecit & force company’s to higher locally. I see the point, however this is just a short term fix that’s creating a bigger problem.
So think logically, work permits are higher, and even though the Company’s need workers they will NOT take the time to train a work force not ready now to do the work. So what happens to cut costs generated by higher fees they make redundancies and as we’ve seen who goes first, unfortunately the local staff. Then they make the expat who has a work permit held over his head, do the work of 2 or 3. And he will do it because he wants his job.
Or the Company just let people go and expats leave, some people are happy about this but guess what, then the locals suffer once again because they loose the passive income generated by rental property. Let’s face it, local people are not crazy enough to rent an apartment for 2,500 to 3,000 a month. Then the trickle down effect begins, not enough demand, gas prices/food costs etc increase and its already expensive to live here.
In an effort to help in the short term, your are hurting yourself in the long run.
Why is Alden and the whole PPM bandwagon complaining about Work Permit fees being too much. I mean seriously, who do they think they are?!
Both them and the UDP are contributing to this financial mess!
I voted during last election, and I can tell you that PPM brought us into this mess. I am keeping my integrity and not following any politician. The facts and the facts! Now… we have UDP… and still the financial situation seems bleak!
I HAVE A SUGGESTION, ALDEN –
PLEASE SIT DOWN AND KEEP QUIET! SO FAR, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY SOLUTIONS COMING FROM YOU AND KURT! YOUR MOTION IS UNTIMELY and SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED A LONG TIME!
AS FOR EZZARD, HIS MOTION WILL DO US MORE FAVOR IF ACCEPTED BY ALL MLA’s THAN YOURS, ALDEN! AT LEAST HE WASN’T RESPONSIBLE IN BRINGING THE COUNTRY INTO HUGH DEBT!
Here is Ezzard’s Motion compared to your plea to reduce WP fees! Ezzards motion is carrying millions up millions of dollars to boost the economy! Ezzard wants the Government to consider making it mandatory for investors granted duty-free concessions to buy their duty free goods from local suppliers. Like Shetty’s Hospital has concession over 200 million dollars. If made into law that he has to buy his duty free goods from the locals, think of the hundred’s of millions that will benefit Cayman. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE ALDEN… YOU DON’T CARRY THE IDEAS LIKE EZZARD!
I STILL BELIEVE EZZARD MAKES A BETTER OPPOSITION LEADER THAN YOU! NOW… IF EZZARD’S SOLUTION IS NOT A SOLUTION, THEN I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS! AND THIS IS COMING FROM EZZARD, AN INDEPENDANT – NO PARTY AFFILIATION!
PPM… REALLY… I AM NOT IMPRESSED! IN TERMS OF IDEAS and SOLUTIONS, YOU CAN DO BETTER!
"Why is Alden and the whole PPM bandwagon complaining about Work Permit fees being too much. I mean seriously, who do they think they are?!".
Concern that the UDP may finish wrecking the economy because it has driven the costs of doing business in Cayman too high and is leading divisions within businesses being closed down and is a disincentive to any new busines being opened?
Representatives of the People responding to concerns by businesses? (Even Cayman Finance has recommended that the permit fees be reduced notwithstanding that they suggested the increase in the first instance). Because they are elected Opposition who are supposed to hold the Govt. to account? Who do you think they are? Puppets who should "sit down and keep quiet"?
"Here is Ezzard’s Motion compared to your plea to reduce WP fees!"
Did you notice the phrase "which was seconded by the member for North Side"? That means that Ezzard supports the PPM motion.
Incidentally, block capitals and exclamation marks are not a good substitute for sensible comments.
The problem with you sonny boy is youse a PPM, tha wa wrong wid u. Eye-is frum ole bush and eye-is sure u memba sittin on ur porch an tellin me all about them PPMs and the dutty lil secrets them gots on us.
Unna is gunna lern soon doh, Mark my wuds (no nah you Mark, I wazzin callin u, I was tellin dem fools yah who dey mama is, go back sleep bobo – hush hush ma boy, u look jes like uncle mackie onleh lil darkah)
Ha! Ezzard is not compared to Alden! Work Permit fees restored will make us more millions than this mere North Sider’s plan!
should be a two tier system small buisness can not afford what the banks and law firm pays
Why do most small businesses need a drop in WP fees? t
he way to get a bigger drop in WP fees all the way to zero, is for them to hire one of the 2,500 unemployed Caymanians out there.
That would work great IF they could get just one of the 2,500 unemployed Caymanians to actually show up and actually work. Try making a business work in Cayman before you talk like you know how.
You people brought this on yourselves by refusing to do the low end jobs – why am I never served in a restaurant by a Caymanian? Why are there no Caymanian helpers? Why are there no Caymanian cleaners? If there were Caymanians willing to work then people would employ them. You reap what you sow.
Alden its Damn if you do and Damn if you don’t. The ONLY reason they responded with a "NO" is because of who you are and who you represents. You are from the PPM Party and nothing you, Kurt, Ezzard or anyone else brings forward that makes sense, will be approved or agreed with. You guys should just find an excuse not to attend the Assembly right now, because the UDP do not want to listen, work with or put forward any other members motion except the UDP’s. If you listened to Rooster talk show this morning and Ellio was on, all he ever did was look praise for what his party is doing and condemned everything PPM, Alden and Ezzard has ever done, suggested and talked about. The UDP are so angry and hateful against their fellow Legislators it just sickens me. When they talk, they talk with so much hatred and self praise, it makes you wonder if they are there to serve the people or themselves. Its so sad, sad, sad what this Party System has done to these money hungry Politicians. In my books Kurt and Alden are better Statesmen than any other Politicians sitting in the house right now.
UDP is finally lowering the deficit whilst PPM is upset with the high Work Permit fees that are helping it lower it.
Amusing!
Crash for 24, partyanimal. The drugs should be out of your system by then.
The deficit decrease is smoke and mirrors. Where precisely were the cost savings made, especially since this govt. has shown no sign of frugality in its spending? has it returned to cash-based accounting and is simply not paying its bills on time so that it can claim a reduction in the deficit? Remember when the PPM was advised by the FS that we would have a budget surplus which instead turned into a huge deficit? And whenthe UDP (again depending on the FS) that we would have a $5m surplus which turned into a $62m deficit? I remain to be convinced that this is real.
As for the work permit fees lowering the deficit, here is a lesson in basic economics that you might share with your UDP cronies: If demand is relatively elastic and you increase prices your overall return DECREASES rather than increases. That is clearly what has happened in this case. There is absolutely no evidence that govt. increased revenue as a result of high work permit fees. The high work permit fees are killing our economy as they have greatly increased the costs of doing business and choking existing businesses and acting as a disincentive for any potential new business. That is the point that McLaughlin rightly makes.
huh… ok..didn’t quite his OPINION, but…
their silence says it all…… they will not even try to articulate the reasoning behind their stupidity….
Help US! In reference to ligitimate businesses only:
Now let me see, we can half some fees overnight, we can even introduce fishing licence fees overnight. Yet we cannot override a bunch of MLA’s that have NO concept of where this Island is heading and why.
Get a reality check! We need work permits at a sensible level for ALL. Some labour is just NOT available on Island, FULL STOP.
How are we supposed to train locals???? Someone has to teach them, and you cannot be taught a proffesion in 3 months.
If a company has proof of teaching locals a skill with the understanding that they will take over a position from a permit holder then the permit should be free!
It is very frustrating when you spend time and effort teaching someone a skill just to have them open a business next door, and you are left in the s#@* trying to get another permit.
Give a bussiness some insentive to teach people! Or should we even bother.
Stimulus…every country in the world is doing it except for this one.
lol… I think PPM is worried now because UDP is finally reducing the debt they cause. Get out your popcorn, folks! This is going to be a hell of a fight between two parties. Ha ha… where is Ezzard?
;o)
Think Alden, because I know you can THINK! 🙁
If the country has no money coming in, how will civil servants get their next pay??? And if you are saying that we don’t NEED civil servants… please don’t dail 911, please don’t call the Fire Service, and please don’t attend the Hospital for your free treatments!
The UDP has hiked the fees for a REASON! You had no REASON to increase the country’s OPERATIONAL DEBT whilst you were in power!!!
Sir… I am sorry… it is either you want these services to continue for the betterment of the community; or, you want more people out of jobs, more crime, and more pleas for your so-called "charity iniative"
FACE IT, ALDEN…
YOU HELPED BROUGHT US INTO THIS SINKHOLE WHEN YOU HAD 4 YEARS OF PPM POWER, LEAVING US WITHAN 81 MILLION deficit!
so true… has everyone forgotten when PPM was in power?
No, we remember and realise they weren’t so bad after all when compared to this lot.
hello pal… don’t you know Cayman has a serious case of Amnesia! Discovered that just went UDP took office
Only an __________ would complain about the building of schools for the future of this country and its children.
Feel free to fill in the blank.
lol… I guess they blamed it on hurricane Polama and Global Recession why the school material cost so much
What a selfish response by the UDP against the people of the Cayman Islands. A worthless lot they are. I told you so!
So just because it was a PPM member that brought the motion to help Caymanian small businessowners; Out of vindictiveness and a dictatorship mindset the small businesses must now SUFFER AT THE WHIM OF THE UDP MAJORITY!
Alden,
Wake up, the only motion you need to bring at this time THAT MAKES MORE SENSE is a motion to the local courts supported by a signed petition of thousands of voters who can NOT WAIT FOR THE REMOVAL OF MCKEEVA BUSH AND HIS DICTATORSHIP REGIME.
Alden, you, Kurt and all opposition members should be cramming for the removal of this XXXX. Yes brainstorming with your committees exactly HOW AND WHEN YOU WILL REMOVE MCKEEVA BUSH FROM THE OFFICE OF PREMIER. The man is ruining our country and building a country within this country to accommodate X-pats with more status grants making Caymanians Extinct.
The Immigration Board has been doing their job for decades, who is Big Mac to now tell them how to do their jobs? but they have been influenced and dictated by governments like the UDP.
Mr. Bush’s threat of the Immigration board members removal is nothing more than a response to those civil servants who will stand up to this dictatorship regime that seeks to harm the people of the Caymanian Islands with their extreme pro-X-pat sentiments and extreme anti-Sentiments that set the policy for immigration day to day operations.
Alden go ahead and proceed with this man’s removal we cannot stand another moment with him in power. If you don’t, he will be elected again by those dumb conch shell pelting West Bayers who are clueless to what patriotism is all about.
We do not want to hear anything other than when is he going to be removed..
I think Ezzard’s motion, will bring more money into the country than the reduction of WP fees. I watched on News 27 and heard he brought an important motion to the House. He rightfully questions, why we have hugh concessions for Shetty and Dragon Bay developments, and yet exclude locals from being able to supply them with their needs?
It could trigger millions into the local economy – if UDP consider it. I hope Ezzard’s the motion is considered!
Very good motion for the Suppliers, but is Ezzard really looking out for the Caymanian businesses or he only taking care of the 5 or 6 large local suppliers.
What about your small businesses, Ezzard, the builders,why not a motion be moved for small contractors to be players also? these are the businesses that are hurting.
Silence Hurts.
If Government is not listening to facts, recent history, or proffessional opinion than what are they listening to?
If Government is not putting businesses (private), the welfare of Caymans people (non government employees) and Caymans economic future first whos welfare and futures are they only interested in?
Just what is the plan (if any) for the Cayman islands that do not include governments friends, relatives, employees, etc.?
And the Government answers …………………………………………………..silence.
Congradulations to all you non government employed Caymanians! You have just joined the "others" club. No voice, No choice, No hope.
And in your case No where else to go.
I am very dissappointed in Government. In order to make a more competitive, thriving, and free market in the Cayman Islands, FEES and DUTIES ought to be lowered; especially, such fees that is making it hard for a Caymanian to start and/or maintain their own business! You can’t just look out for Dart, Joe, and Mike Ryans! Local companies, little business owners, create jobs and help the economy!
Why suppress them and bog them down with high WP fees?
This does not make sense!
It does to them! The truth comes out! Screw new business.
Except China.
As we see… "the proof is in the pudding".
The dogs continue to guard the manger while the hay rots.