MLA calls for special Finance Committee

| 02/08/2012

ezz in LA press brf.jpg(CNS): The independent member for North Side has called on the premier, who is the chair, to organise a Finance Committee meeting of the Legislative Assembly and invite members of the private sector as well as civil servants. He said the premeir needed to engage all the country's stakeholders in the goal to address the mounting financial crisis. Ezzard Miller said the situation required everyone’s consideration and a touch of "truth serum" on how government could successfully balance the books without resorting to the paradigm shift of direct taxation. The MLA said a credible five year financial plan was needed to rescue the country.

Miller called for the meeting as the opposition to the premier’s proposed expat tax of 10% on the pay of work permit holders earning $36,000 per annum and above mounted this week, as both Caymanians and expats joined forces against the discriminatory policy.

“We need to sit down and engage all the stakeholders as well as the civil service and find a way to solve this without punishing the civil servants by taking away their benefits or the private sector with direct taxation,” he said. “We can't solve the problem in two days, two weeks or two months; we need a long term plan to bring the country back to stability.”

He said the premier should call the Finance Committee meeting as soon as possible and invite private sector leaders alongside public sector bosses to the meeting and have them contribute to solving the problems. Miller said the Finance Committee environment could help everyone understand the real parameters of the situation and the premier had to come clean about the real financial situation facing the country.

“We all need to drink a big glass of truth serum, and to develop this plan the committee needs to transcend government,” Miller added, pointing out that the UK’s economist should be invited back to Cayman in order to attend.

“The premier needs to be honest and open about the real budget. There can be no more fudging for political gain; we need to solve this crisis. The thing the premier must then understand is that that the first thing that has to go is his political patronage as we must address this culture of dependence that he has created.”

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The switch may be independence.

    What’s the switch in the bait and switch strategy? It may be a call for independence. As your story states, the Premier has 3 ongoing police investigations. Who controls the police? Not the Premier but the Governor appointed by the UK. How would the Premier get control of the police? By launching a series of events that — although detrimental to the Cayman Islands — could enable him to gain control of the police and dismiss the 3 ongoing investigations against him.

    How might this play out?

    Step 1: call for a discriminatory tax knowing full well that the UK will reject it — but structure it in such a way that some people would support it.

    Step 2: UK FCO rejects the tax and says that the tax must apply to everyone

    Step 3: Caymanians protest that the UK FCO is “forcing” them to pay tax

    Step 4: The Premier comes in to “save the day” by calling for independence

    Step 5: If the Cayman Islands attain independence, the Premier can control the police, get the 3 police investigations against him dismissed — and most financial services businesses leave the Cayman Islands because they no longer see the presenc of the ultimate legal appeal all the way up to the British legal system (e.g. Privy Council) is present in the Cayman Islands (see what happened to Jamaica and Bahamas after independence).

    • Anonymous says:

      Maybe, just maybe, the Premier's 3 investigations may spark some light (come to an conculsion) by May 2013.  Then the Cayman Islands will be free of the DEMON that has plaugued us for such a long time.

      No one in their right mind would wish for Independence with a Dictator as the Prime Minister.  It is time for us to work together to get this mess cleaned up, but this can only happen if the 15 representatives of the people make that special effort.

      Hoping and praying that there will be a spark of light at the end of the very dark Tunnel. 

  2. bear baiter says:

    "Get 'em all togethyer and listen to everyone's ideas" sounds great on the face of it but since when has Mad Mac listened to ANYONE'S ideas about anything? He'll simply use a meeting like this as a platform for yet another two or three hour rant. Fidel and Hugo must be feeling mighty proud of him just about now – following right in their footsteps! We MUST put a stop to this madness!!!

  3. JTB says:

    I have an idea how McKeeva could help set the country's finances back on the road to sustainability.

     

    Resign.

     

    The man is an incompetent buffoon, a political thug, a petulant, childish, mendacious fool, and he is turning these islands into an international laughing stock while single-handedly decimating the economy, and the financial prosperity of every Caymanian.

     

    The sooner he is hounded from office, the sooner these islands can start to recover.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Where do I get a Team Ezzard T shirt from?

  5. Anon says:

    Consultation from all the industry bodies – Cispa, Law Society, bankers association, chamber of commerce, Cita, Cireba, cayman bar association, fund managers association, directors association, Step, cifsa , Aima etc

  6. Anonymous says:

    "The premier needs to be honest and open about the real budget."

     

    Sorry Ezzard, this is not going to happen.

     

    You need to put your shoulder into the next election to make sure that McKeeva and his stooges are sidelined.

     

    Support the PPM providing that they listen to professionals so that they mend their incompetent ways.

     

  7. Anonymous says:

    mac is not going to do a damn thing you ask him to do Ezzard, he is an ignorant fool and the chances of him organizing any commitee meeting or even turning up is nil. Why would he it does not benefit his pockets.This dog has to be put in a cage and I pray every morning when I read the news that it says he has been arrested and put in a cell pending trial.

    • Anonymous says:

      His hands are clean and his heart is pure.  What more is deserving of a LEADER?  Ooops, I forgot!  Give away Crown Land and consessions, to bosum buddies. 

  8. Knot S Smart says:

    So here we are with the budget two months late and I bet my Granmother's nuts that Mac and the UDP will refuse the opportunity for input from Mr Miller, and the opposition, and the public sector, and the private sector.

    Had they requested and received advice they would not be forcing income taxes on the most productive members of society.

    The UDP clearly has no clue how to run the country!

    So lets try and throw a few ideas into their 'shallow-pool' of financial knowledge…

    • Anonymous says:

      The reason WHY their are over 2000 jobless people, is because of those "most productive people'.  This is the only country in the world where the locals are sidelined for new-commers.  Wake up and smell the roses, we need to stop the marginalizing of the local work force. 

      We need fairness across the board.  It amazes me to see so many Caymanians joining forces against the TAX issue.  Step back and ask yourself a question?   When have you seen expats support the locals in a March. While I am against the lop-sided tax issue, I for one would not take any side.  When it comes to pushing Cayamnians out of a job, ask yourself how many have stuck beside you or with you?

      Let every man fight his own battle.