Archive for November 30th, 2010
Government plans stimulus
(CNS): More than250 suggestions and initiatives have been submitted to the government’s Stimulus Implementation Group by numerous committees and associations with a view to boosting the local economy. The group, which was recently created to examine the most effective way government can help stimulate the economy, is now in the process of prioritising a list of measures for implementation in the remainder of this fiscal year, the premier has revealed. With an eye on the promised 90-day target, McKeeva Bush told the Legislative Assembly last week that he will be unveiling a stimulus programme next month to chart the way through the recession.
“It is important to demonstrate to our private sector partners, both local and international, that we are prepared to identify problems, prescribe solutions and oversee their implementation,” Bush told his legislative colleagues as he delivered government’s strategic policy statement. “We will provide the leadership that sets this country on the right path, and given the evidence the country has seen to date, we are heading in the right direction.”
Bush promised in a television address delivered in September that the economy would be back on track within 90 days and has said he will be unveiling the stimulus plan to meet that target. In that presentation he vowed that Cayman would be back on the path to success by 16 December and he would deliver another public speech revealing which proposals government intended to implement.
Although the premier has not given away specific details of the planned economic boost, he has previously hinted at a reduction in duty for the construction industry, the contraction of the rollover period and a reduction of fees for small businesses. While he noted that it was “imperative to recognize” that an important component of the cost of living is the cost of doing business, Bush also spoke of looking at ways to reduce those costs via improving efficiency in the bureaucracy that businesses are faced with.
“It is … my government’s intention to conduct a complete review of fees applicable to small businesses with a view to making reductions where appropriate. This will include, for example, work permit fees and trade and business licenses. This review will not focus exclusively on reducing fees, but look at overall efficiencies that can be gained from integrating various systems within government to make it easier for businesses to obtain necessary permissions to conduct legitimate activity,” he added.
The premier indicated that it was the micro-businesses that were of particular concern — those that have five or fewer employees – and he wanted to ensure they were not disadvantaged when trying to compete with larger businesses.
“We know for a fact that micro-businesses play a significant role in providing opportunities for individuals in lower income brackets, but are the types of businesses most vulnerable to failure,” Bush said.
With an eye also on new development and the significant jobs created by construction, he said he was continuing to explore the possibility of temporarily reducing the duties on construction materials as well as a reduction in stamp duty over the next 6 to 12 month period.
“This will provide an extra incentive to get new inward investment projects off the ground and in turn create new opportunities for local businesses. This is a forward-looking strategy that will have implications for this fiscal year and certainly the ones to come,” Bush claimed.
Related article: Mac vows 3 months to success
New visitor guide for Cayman
(CNS): Explore a new free visitor guide for Cayman from Acorn was launched on Wednesday 24 November. The new guide will target stay-over visitors and, Acorn says, will be the most widely distributed guide on Grand Cayman with a print run of 80,000 copies per edition. As well as providing some history about the Cayman Islands, Explore makes recommendations about what to do, the best tours, cultural activities, sightseeing, shopping, spas, restaurants and some of the more unique accommodation in Cayman. In addition it details how to get about, and provides useful contact numbers and detailed maps. Governor Duncan Taylor received the first copy and said, “This is the most comprehensive and up to date visitor guide that I have seen in Cayman”.
He continued, “I really believe it will do a fabulous job in both promoting the wide range of activities available when tourists arrive in Cayman as well as encouraging them to come here in the first place.”
Charles Grover the Publishing Director at Acorn Publishing said, “Explore is designed to be a really useful travel guide that contains all the information a visitor needs to get the most out of Cayman. Similar to a travel guide that you would buy in a book shop it highlights the different areas that Cayman visitors can explore, including a detailed section on the Sister Islands.”
Grover continued, “It has been an interesting time launching a new guide in a recession, when everyone has been closely watching their marketing budgets, but the response we have had has been overwhelmingly positive. We initially thought the guide would be about 60 to 80 pages long, but due to greater than expected commitment from advertisers it has ended up being 120 pages long. As with our two other publications, New Resident and Good Taste we offer very cost effective advertising rates that has ensured the continued success of those publications, and the indications are that Explore will be just as successful.”
Joanna Boxall, the owner of Acorn Publishing, said, “We spent 18 months planning this new guide to ensure that it will be the most useful visitor guide in Cayman. We listened to numerous tourism professionals in Cayman and incorporated many of their ideas. For example the concierges at the Ritz-Carlton said it would be great to have a downtown map of George Town, so we designed a detailed 3D downtown map and added walking tours.”
Allice Fallon, a well known concierge at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman said, “There is huge demand among our guests for a guide that is easy to read and is a single go-to source for island attractions. We will definitely include Explore among the resources we make available to our guests.”
On island, the free guide will be available in dedicated racks and can be picked up at the airport, car rental agencies, shopping plazas, hotel concierges, supermarkets and over 350 other distribution points. Off island the guide will be distributed to Cayman’s overseas offices and the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism will be including it as part of their sales training programmes for sales representatives.
For more information please contact Acorn Publishing on (345) 946 3200 or email info@acorn.ky
MRCU dropping mozzie pellets on the Sister Islands
(CNS): People on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman can expect the Mosquito Research and Control Unit spray plane to drop larvicide pellets over some areas of the two islands starting today, weather permitting. While the mosquito population on the Sister Islands is usually controlled from the ground using spray trucks, MRCU Director Dr Bill Petrie said that staff members expect to treat some 400 acres of prime mosquito breeding areas within the proximity of residences and resorts and hotels in Little Cayman and on the south coast of Cayman Brac.“Depending upon the weather, the operation will commence on Tuesday, 30 November with two or three flights from Grand Cayman in the MRCU spray plane," Dr Petrie said.
‘Natular’ pellets dropped from the aircraft will release a mosquito-specific larvicide to kill emerging insects before they can become a biting nuisance,” he added.
Noting that the effects of the treatment will be residual for six weeks or more, he explained that results will be monitored with light traps that capture flying adult mosquitoes inside the treated areas. “We hope that the larvicide pellets will significantly reduce nuisance biting on both islands,” the MRCU Director concluded.
Pellets to control the mosquitoes were also dropped on the Sister Islands following Hurricane Paloma.