Archive for December, 2010
Let’s learn from each other
(CNS): Premier McKeeva Bush is looking forward to learning from a collective pooling of ideas, he said at last week’s first ever Northern Caribbean Conference on Economic Cooperation, and maintained that countries such as the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Bahamas all had a variety of common issues that might be solved from improved relations and co-operation. The premier said that immigration and labour, trade, education, national security and tourism had been identified as the core areas for discussion at the conference. He confirmed that Cayman would particularly benefit from learning how neighbouring countries approached such issues, in light of the current downturn in the economy.
“The picture is not quite as rosy as it used to be. Fallout from the 2008 global recession continues to have a wide-spread effect on the Cayman Island’s economy, so whereas traditionally the pace of our growth was steady and positive, within the last two years the country has undergone a sharpreversal in this growth trajectory,” he told the audience gathered at the Ritz-Carlton.
Bush spoke about how links with Northern Caribbean countries could foster better relations when it came to the training of their people within the tourism industry. While acknowledging the fact that the University of the West Indies had Bachelors and Masters Programme in both tourism and hospitality management available in both the Bahamas and Jamaica, he commented: “Tourism is a strong sector in Cayman, in the Dominican Republic, and in Puerto Rico as well, but how many College of Hotel Management can say they have interned in one of the myriad of hotels in any of our destinations? If a central placement committee was set up to cohesively look into this, I am sure something could be worked out for these students.”
He also called for research assistance for graduate students, as well as the establishment of education exchange programmes in general. In particular Bush highlighted Cuba’s success with the training of their doctors. "Why can’t we learn from them and apply it to other disciplines?” he questioned.
Bush called for Northern Caribbean countries to join forces and to present a united front when it came to external influences, which, he perceived, “threaten the viability and sustainability of our tourism industries.”
Bush was referring to the UK’s recently introduced Air Passenger Duty which places the Caribbean in one of the highest bands, where the duty payable has recently risen from £50 to £75 per person.
“In these difficult economic times, requiring a family of four to pay £300 in taxes just for the privilege of flying to the Caribbean will make the annual family holiday unaffordable for many. It will take great cooperation and a strong regional voice to make our position clear in order to fight such unfair initiatives now and in the future,” he confirmed.
Turning to immigration, Bush said that his newly launched Economic Plan addressed aspects of immigration reform, including enhancements for options to residency. It also incorporated visa requirements designed to create a better business climate for international and regional travellers. Further to this, Bush said he had announced that visa exemptions would be put in place for Jamaican Nationals who hold validated US, UK or Canadian visas, to which he received a round of applause from the audience. The news that he was also introducing a new 1-5 day business visa for business travelers was also well received.
Auditors face prosecution
(WSJ): New York prosecutors are poised to file civil fraud charges against Ernst & Young for its alleged role in the collapse of Lehman Brothers, saying the Big Four accounting firm stood by while the investment bank misled investors about its financial health, people familiar with the matter said. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is close to filing the case, which would mark the first time a major accounting firm was targeted for its role in the financial crisis. The suit stems from transactions Lehman allegedly carried out to make its risk appear lower than it actually was.
Bush confirms visa exemptions for Jamaicans
(CNS): From the New Year Jamaicans travelling to the Cayman Islands who have validated US, UK or Canadian visas will no longer require a separate visa to enter the country. The premier told delegates at the Northern Caribbean Conference on Economic Co-operation on Friday that the changeswould be implemented in January. McKeeva Bush first announced his intention to scrap the requirement, introduced in November 2005, in the Legislative Assembly earlier this year. He said the visa waiver was one of a number of immigration reforms in his economic plan designed to create a better business climate for international and regional travellers. “The new 1-5 day business visa will be introduced for business travellers visiting for legitimate business purposes,” Bush told more than 150 delegates from across the region.
“In these instances, the business visa will replace the need for these persons obtaining temporary work permits for short trips to attend meetings or conferences,” he said.
The conference brought together heads of government and leaders in various fields, from education to tourism, to focus on issues relating to the Bahamas, the Cayman Island, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, and find possible ways to co-operate to improve the common economic situation.
Talking about the purpose of the conference, Bush added, “At this juncture, the Cayman Islands government is open to considering any suggestions that can help us achieve positive economic growth so we can build a strong foundation for existing and future generations.”
During a press conference Bush said that in order for Cayman’s economic fortunes to improve, it needed more people. He said the changes to immigration would attract investors to come and live here. “We are trying to build a stronger country and we need more people,” he said. “In recent years these islands have not been so welcoming and we lost some 6,000 permit holders but double that in people. So we are trying to build back the population.”
Bush stated that this would not happen over night but it would be a gradual process.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding also spoke about the need to ease the migration of skilled individuals and said that by pooling talent the region would compete more effectively on the international stage. “We have spent too much time struggling to compete with each other instead of pooling our energies and determining together how we can compete with the rest of the world,” he said. “We have to make ourselves not just as good as the best but slightly better in order to attract investors.”
The former Jamaican leader, PJ Patterson, said the Caribbean states had adopted some of the worst of the colonial practices. “We have become, or are becoming, draconian in our trade and immigration practices,” he said, adding that it was causing the region to be isolated, and while sporadic attempts have been made to break the isolationist tendency, none had been fully exploited. However, the attempts demonstrated that was an underlying desire to increase interaction and cooperation, he said.
UK extends direct rule over Turks & Caicos
(CNS): According to the UK there are is still a “serious and deteriorating problem” in the Turks and Caicos Islands and as a result the British government has set out a list of milestones the territory must achieve before it will allow democratic elections to take place and before it will lift direct rule. The overseas territories minister Henry Bellingham told the UK parliament that it is clear that the fiscal picture in TCI represents an “unacceptable collapse in the fiscal governance” of the territory and there would be no election in 2011. The UK has extended the Order in Council continuing in force the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2009 beyond 14 August next year.
He said the Department for International Development has provided a Chief Financial Officer to the Turks and Caicos Islands government to meet the urgent task of addressing its structural deficit and putting it on a course towards a sustainable fiscal surplus in the financial year 2012/13.
The minister revealed a list of milestones that the FCO says must be met before it can consider setting a date for elections.
Bellingham said the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, which underpins good governance and sound public financial management must be implemented in a new Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order along with the introduction of a number of new ordinances, including those making provision for the electoral process and regulation of political parties; integrity and accountability in public life and the establishment of robust and transparent public financial management processes to provide a stable economic environment.
The UK also wants to see a strengthening of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government’s capacity to manage its public finances and the implementation of budget measures to put the Turks and Caicos Islands Government on track to achieve a fiscal surplus in the financial year ending March 2013.
The implimentation of a transparent and fair process for acquisition of ‘belongership’ is also a condition as well as the need for progress with the civil and criminal processes recommended by the Commission of Inquiry, and implementation of measures to enable these to continue unimpeded. The milestone list also includes the implementation of a new Crown Land policy and reform of the Public Service.
“Reaching these milestones will require time, care and hard work by the UK and the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, and particularly by the Turks and Caicos Islands Public Sector,” Bellingham said. “There will be public consultation on a number of issues across Turks and Caicos Islands and, we hope, the engagement of the Islands’ political parties. The milestones we have identified do not include everything that will have to be done before elections take place. In general the UK Government will have to be satisfied that the necessary reforms have been put in place to address the issues raised by the Commission of Inquiry, to prevent such maladministration being repeated, and to engender the confidence of the international community.”
The milestones were described as the minimum preconditions before the Turks and Caicos Islands can return to elected government.
“The UK Government has helped protect the Turks and Caicos Islands Government finances from complete collapse and intends to provide continuing financial support,” Bellingham said. “However it is important that the Islands make good use of this period of UK financial support to address the deep crisis in public finance and to achieve a fiscal surplus.”
He added that the UK hoped the milestones will also help any future Turks and Caicos Islands Government to continue “to embed good governance with full respect for the rule of law and human rights, and zero tolerance of corruption.”
Man killed by suspect DUI
(CNS): Updated – Police have confirmed that the 26-year-old man killed in the Seven Mile Beach area on Saturday was Michael Edgington. He was hit by a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol in the early hours of the morning as he tried to cross West Bay Road. The 39-year-old male driver, who did not flee, was detained by police following the fatal road collision but has now been released on police bail, the RCIPS said Monday. Shortly after 1.00am 18 December Edington who was from the UK and had recently come to work in Cayman with an accounting firm was crossing the road, close to the Triple Crown, when he was struck by the van. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
Edgington sustained serious injuries and was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.The 39-year-old driver of the vehicle involved, a white Toyota Town Ace, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving under the influence.
West Bay Road was closed for several hours to allow accident investigations to take place. Traffic officers are now appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward. Information can be passed to the Traffic Department on 946-6254, George Town police station 949-4222, or via the Crime Stoppers tip-line 800-8477(TIPS).
Robbers strike at West Bay mini-mart
(CNS): Updated – Police have now confirmed that a mini-mart/laundry in the Birch Tree Hill area of West Bay was robbed last night, Friday 17 December. In the latest incident in Cayman’s continuing surge of robberies, two masked men, armed with what appeared to be handguns, approached Malcolm’s Mini Mart in Birch Tree Hill Road, West Bay, at around 8pm. The men threatened a man standing outside the store before they entered the premises. They then threatened a female customer and the female cashier, demanding cash. The suspects fled the scene with a sum of money and were last seen heading towards Anderson Drive. No shots were fired and no-one was injured in the incident. (Photo by Dennie WarrenJr)
A search of the area was conducted by uniform staff, armed officers and the Air Operations Unit for the suspects, who are both described as being between 5’9” and 6’ in height. Both men were wearing black or very dark coloured clothing and masks.
Anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident and has any information which could assist the police is asked to contact West Bay CID on 949-3999 or the confidential Crime Stoppers tip-line 800 8477 (TIPS).
2010 Bacardi Laser National Championships
(CISC): Perfect conditions greeted all sailors for the 2010 Bacardi Cayman Islands Laser National Championships, held at the Cayman Island Sailing Club (CISC) in Red Bay over the weekend of 27 and 28 November. For the past few years the class has been steadily growing and this year was no exception, with a record number of entries.Eighteen sailors battled it out for two days and seven races to see who would be the Laser Champion for 2010. For the first time a Laser Radial division raced for a separate title.
This is an exciting prospect for the future of the Laser fleet in the Cayman Islands and a complement to the efforts of the sailing club to establish such a fleet. Both the Laser Standard and Laser Radial are current Olympic classes, and offer all sailors the opportunity to compete in the Cayman Islands or abroad.
The forecast for Saturday was for lighter conditions. Nick Taylor the current champion, Raph Harvey (CISC Head Coach) raced intensely for all three races that day. Taylor finished the day holding a one point advantage over Harvey. Ten points back was the chasing pack of Rob Jackson, Charlie Grover and Chris Delaney. Also in the running was CISC legend, John Bodden who won this regatta back in 1992.
In the Laser Radial division Tomeaka McTaggart dominated the class with three wins from three races and showed her class and speed mixing it with the faster Laser Standards for the majority of the races ( typically finishing 4-6 on line overall).
Sunday was scheduled for four races with a forecast of stronger breezes. The heavy weights were licking their lips at the opportunity of powering over the light weights in the class. In the Laser Standard Taylor won the first race of the day establishing a two point advantage over Harvey, who then went on to win the second and third race of the day, which locked the scores up going into the final and deciding race of the competition. Making the most of the conditions and moving quickly up the fleet was Mike Farrington finishing with a couple of handy thirds. This tied up third place overall going into the final race with Charlie Grover.
In the Laser Radial division Tomeaka McTaggart continued her form from Saturday collecting another three race wins, which gave her an unbeatable and perfect regatta score of six points. Not needing to sail the final seventh race she became the first Cayman Island National Laser Radial Champion. In winning style she also took out the final seventh race in the Radial division.
Race seven, standard fleet. All cards were on the table, first place was up for grabs and so was third. All sailors were tired from the physical four and a half hours of sailing beforehand. It was going to be tight as were all the previous races. The bodies were empty and the minds were close to broke. In another forty minutes the 2010 podium places would be decided. All boats got away to an even start. Harvey led Taylor by half a boat length around the first mark. Harvey had held an advantage all regatta on this leg but Taylor was closing that gap with every race. At the next mark Taylor led Harvey by three boat lengths. Then they battled into the wind which had been Taylor’s strength during the regatta. Taylor opened the distance to six lengths halfway up the leg. Harvey dug deep and pulled back to within three boat lengths by the second to last mark. Downwind Taylor then again opened it up by another three, while being closely covered by Harvey. Both sailors put the pain behind them and blasted their way up the final leg to the finish. Taylor crossed first closely followed by Harvey.
Taylor won the title by one point from Harvey. As Taylor said, “today was really hard work, we were never greater than three lengths apart all day for four races, constantly passing each other all the way round, it was a real battle, Raph put in a superb effort”.
All the sailors would like to thank Peta Adams and her support crew for putting on two days of perfect racing and course management, Bacardi for sponsoring the event and for the great prizes, and the Cayman Islands Sailing Club for managing and organising another successful Laser Nationals.
To learn to sail Lasers or to compete in regular weekly racing please contact Rick Caley at the CISC.
2010 Bacardi Laser National Championships Results:
Laser Standard
1st Nick Taylor (8pts), 2nd Raph Harvey (9pts), 3rd Charlie Grover (27pts), 4th Mike Farrington (29pts), 5th John Bodden (29 pts)
Laser Radial
1st Tomeaka McTaggart (6pts), 2nd Dave Stephenson (12pts), 3rd Ken Holland (17pts), 4th Jo Richards (25pts), 5th Ben Williams (33pts)
Signs of life at Clifton Hunter campus
(CNS): Over a year after the general contractor walked off the school projects there are now finally signs of life on the Clifton Hunter High School site. According to government officials the site will be back to full capacity by February but around 90 tradesmen and supervisors are currently working on the site. Concrete work continues as roofers work on five of the school’s seven buildings and window installation is underway on three. Tom Jones International walked off the job in November 2009 over a $3million payment dispute with government. Since that time only limited work has been undertaken.
“It feels good to finally visualise some of the changes we have had to make, as the Ministry, Department of Education Services and school staff have continued to work on plans and preparations,” the minister Rolstin Anglin said on a recent visit to the site.“They will have a huge impact on teaching and learning. Given the challenges we’ve faced, I’m happy with the progress. It excites me that we’re talking about potentially occupying the site in September 2011.”
It is understood that the new minister has made changes to the original plans and designs of the school which were based on a modern concept of teaching and learning envisioned by the previous minister who had said past exam results demonstrated traditional teaching methods were not working in Cayman and saw the need for change. However, in a move to put his mark on the new high schools Anglin has made changes reverting back to a more traditional school model.
Although the sites have been idle for the most part since the departure of the general contractor the minster said some work had continued including the manufacture of the category-five windows and a large percentage of the mechanical and electrical works.
The suspension of the project saw a considerable number of local people laid off but with work now back on track Anglin said this was having a positive impact on the local construction industry. “It’s great to see and interact withthe number of young Caymanians working on the site. Their employment is crucial to our economy. I’m especially happy for the smaller contractors who’ve won small-works projects,” “Anglin added.
Education Ministry Project Manager David Benoit said a total of 32 contracts have been awarded and another 15 tender packages are active. An additional 12 small contractors are supplying material and equipment to the site.
On completion, the Clifton Hunter High School will provide amenities including an indoor gymnasium, 25-metre pool, a performing arts building and a vocational and technical education building for some 750 students, organised into three academies. The school catchment area will be for students living east of Spotts Newlands Road.
Government sets out future plans for e-business
(CNS): More than two decades after the worldwide web took off as a place to do business, increase efficiency and share information, the Cayman Islands Government has established an advisory board to lay the framework for a an e-government initiative. At present very few government services can be accessed on line but government hopes to come up with a strategic plan for the next decade to realize Information communications technology as a toolfor economic and social development. According to a release from GIS, the board will review government services and recommend which of them can be offered electronically as well as promote the overall concept of e-business in the private sector.
Last week a seminar brought together representatives from public agencies such as Computer Services, the Department of Education Services and the Information Commissioner’s Office, along with some private sector representatives to discuss the plan. The E-Government Advisory Board is chaired by George Town MLA Ellio Solomon.
Commonwealth Secretariat ICT Adviser Tony Ming, a key player in the Commonwealth Internet Governance Forum, told the Cayman officials, “On a global scale, the priority is implementing national information communication technology strategies and e-government.”
Ming said that in a 2006 World Bank ICT survey of 40 countries almost all listed e-government as the major priority. Other top-ranking areas were e-education, e-business and e-health.
He noted that this critical public sector development would serve to build capacity and promote the effectiveness and efficiency of public institutions, while strengthening the capacity of areas critical to good governance and sustainable development.
ICT also ties in to the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Millennium Development Goals 2015, which include the reduction of extreme poverty, universal education, improved environmental sustainability and building global partnerships.
In Cayman the goals are to establish a platform for the development of ICT and update legislation, to manage ICT through a statutory authority, to deliver state-of-the-art telecommunications at competitive prices and improve computer literacy amongst the population, to list a few.
Government also said it wants to encourage the use of on-line technology for businesses in the private sector and to encourage economic diversification by promoting the local and international growth of e-business.
However, one of the main stumbling blocks to the expansion of online trade in Cayman is the banks reluctance to offer accounts that enable people to shop on-line. Despite promises from the other retail banks, so far Butterfield remains the only one offering the merchant account with internet payment facilities.
Officials also hope the public sector can use IT to improve customer service and efficiency and allow easier public access to information, while at the same time protecting personal information and electronic data.
Country music comes to 7MB
(CNS): A local lawyer will be bringing country music to the heart of Grand Cayman’s tourist district after being granted a liquor licence by the board. Following an extraordinary meeting of the Liquor Licensing Board to hear applications as a result of the temporary suspension of the moratorium, Buck Grizzel was given the go ahead for a bar and restaurant with a country music theme in Seven Mile Shops. Grizzel was one of a number of people applying for new licenses during the brief window of opportunity. President of Cayman’s Culinary Society Chef Vidyadhara Shetty was also granted a license for a new fusion restaurant in the new Fidelity Centre on West Bay Road.
William Baldwin was the first applicant to be granted a new license during the lifting of the ban on new liquor licenses, following the board’s regular quarterly meeting on the 9 December, for two tour boats. The other new applications were, however, deferred to a special meeting, which took place on Wednesday afternoon when the board heard four different applications.
Grizzel told the board that he planned to bring the country music theme into the heart of the tourist district, and although there were no plans for bucking bulls, he said there were plans to feature live Caymanian acts as well country DJs and Karaoke against the backdrop of a country music themed bar and restaurant that, he said, would become the place for country music fans on island.
Chef Shetty, who has been in Cayman for more than 17 years, where for the most part he has been the head chef at the Hyatt, revealed his plans for a new Indian-Euro fusion restaurant using fresh local foods. He said that for years people have been asking him to open his open restaurant and the opportunity had now arisen, so he was ready to do it. Promising to train more young Caymanian chefs in his kitchen, Shetty said the restaurant, which would be in the unit at the Fidelity Centre, needed a liquor license.
While Grizzel and Shetty were both given the green light, two other applications for package license were deferred until the New Year.
Eric Vagniez, the proprietor of Cayman’s Finest, which is a wholesale importer of gourmet and speciality foods, mostly from France, applied for a package license so he can add speciality wines to his list of products.
Meanwhile, Duane Ebanks, the owner of ‘Memory Lane, formerly the Inferno Club in West Bay, requested a package license in order to sell some speciality souvenir Cayman liquors in one of his shops at the location. Aiming to create a number of localised spirits for the tourist market, Ebanks says he has come up with some unique ideas and does not intend to sell a full range of liquor but just his own products.
The board also lifted the abeyance of the license at Archie’s Place on Sheddon Road, and Neil Bryington was granted a variation to his liquor licence in Caymana Bay to allow him to cater for functions off the premises of his Abacus restaurant in and around the new town centre.