Archive for June, 2012
TCI business community fights back at VAT
(CNS): The UK government’s proposal to implement VAT in the Turks and Caicos Islands to plug the public finances has been meant with concerted opposition from the business community. A new pressure group, the Turks and Caicos Independent Business Council (TCIBC) has been formed by a broad group of concerned individuals from all sectors of the economy and business community to campaign against the move which it says is inappropriate for the islands’ economy as they accused the British bureacrats of imposing a cookie cutter, tax system that won’t work in the Caribbean territory. Some 3000 people have already signed the petition and the TCIBC said the UK could not impose a tax that was rejected by the community.
“We have a common purpose in that we are all unified in our opposition to the introduction of VAT in the Turks and Caicos Islands,” a spokesperson for the new private sector pressure group stated. “We send a clear warning to Chancellor George Osborne that we represent the interests of all the leading businesses in the country and indeed it can be said that our views are representative of virtually every business concern.
“We are deeply concerned about the expected negative effects of the hasty introduction of VAT into the island’s tax structure. As business professionals we do not have a problem with taxation and recognize the need to fund government.”
The TCIBC said it did have a major problem however with VAT because of “its inappropriate nature” for the Turks and Caicos Islands and its unique economy and point of development. “We believe that the recent gains in economic sustainability will be lost with the imposition of this "boiler plate", cookie cutter, tax system,” it stated in a release. “This new VAT tax is not driven by a "grass roots" initiative, but is a politically driven tax imposed upon us by distant bureaucrats based in Europe without effective due process and regard to our specific economy and its future development. One size does not fit all.’
The business group said it intended to continue the debate on VAT through wider public education and dissemination of information. The group made it clear that it would oppose and resist the introduction of VAT through whatever legal mechanisms it could use including public consultations and education through the press, TV and radio.
“This task has already begun with over 3000 people having already signed a petition opposing VAT. Many more are joining us daily, “the group revealed. “This is not a done deal as many think. No government or administration can impose any policy upon a community if that community refuses to accept the policy.
TCIBC’s newly appointed Chairman, Clive Stanbrook, a local businessman and Queen’s Counsel, said the group was sending a clear message to the British Government. “t is the view of virtually the entire business community in the Turks and Caicos that a VAT tax is inappropriate, costly, cumbersome and unnecessary at this stage in the development of these Islands. In the short term it is clear that the existing taxation systems can be relied upon to raise such extra revenue as may be needed," he added.
Last week officials from the TCI interim government defended the VAT proposal as a way to plug the hole created by the previous government’s alleged corruption and mismanagement of public money. Chief Financial Officer Hugh McGarel-Groves said Introducing VAT would strengthen the country’s fragile recovery with a simpler, equitable and stable source of government revenue.
Hitting out against those opposing the tax McGarel-Groves asked what alternatives there were to the benefits of VAT and suggestedthe opposition came from those who are currently paying no tax at all.
“Given the difficulties endured by the TCI economy since the collapse of the last government, it is in the best interests of the entire community to ensure that government finances are secure and that it can continue to develop expenditure plans in line with local peoples’ priorities,” the chief financial officer said.
He added that VAT was a proven system across the Caribbean and would be straightforward to administer as a single form of taxation replacing the five different sets that are currently levied in the UK territory.
Minister urges survey input
(CNS): The health minister has vehemently denied any political agenda or any other sinister ulterior motives on the critical health survey currently being undertaken by the HSA officials. Mark Scotland told CNS Monday that the UDP is not attempting to get into people’s homes for political manipulation as some commenters have suggested but it is to get essential data about the health of the nation and to enable his ministry to focus limited resources where they are most needed. Cayman has a paucity of information regarding non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and needs to know much more about what it is that’s making people sick.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday morning, Chief Officer in the ministry Jennifer Ahearn said that the officials who are undertaking the survey, which selects households and those to be interviewed in each household randomly, had met with some problems. As well as people not being home they have also met with refusals and as a result it was taking longer to get the critical information needed. However, she said, the enumerators are pressing on and she urged people to take part as the information was confidential.
“If you are selected please do participate; the results are completely confidential,” Ahearn assured the public. “I know there is some concern and speculation about what we are going to do with the data, who we are going to give it to, and whether it can be identified as being your data. You will get the information for you, but once aggregated it will be aggregated confidentially.”
She explained it was very important that the ministry collected the information so it could target its ever dwindling resources for a healthier nation.
The first ever health survey of its kind, which began in May will continue through into July, and although some preliminary results and indictors will be revealed at this year’s National Health Conference, the full results are not expected until November.
The health statistics will be used for planning and implementing health policy and the minister has said Cayman cannot afford to neglect the growing epidemic of chronic diseases as he criticised comments made in the CNS Forum that he said were raising unfounded suspicions of the survey. He said that healthcare was never an area that had been politicised and the survey was critically important.
He said that measuring the risk factor data was crucial for predicting the future burden of chronic disease on the local population and to identifying potential interventions to reduce that burden.
Last week, the minister also presented the completed National Health Policy and Strategic Plan for the Cayman Islands to stakeholders, which will now be presented to Cabinet before being tabled in the Legislative Assembly and becoming a public document.
“While there are many good things about healthcare in the Cayman Islands, we are facing many challenges, including increasing costs and the need to ensure equitable access,” Scotland said. “The National Health Policy and Strategic Plan will provide the much-needed over-arching policy framework to help us address the challenges that we face, as well as helping us to capitalise on the opportunities that we have to enhance and promote health and well-being for all in the Cayman Islands. I want to thank all those who contributed their knowledge and expertise to come up with this document.”
He described it as a simple and straightforward document that gives a clear-cut vision and objectives for health with a focus on preventative and pro-active healthcare.
“People must take more responsibility for their health and I believe this policy lays thegroundwork for a culture of pro-active healthcare where we move away from sick-care to wellness care,” he added.
See more details about health at: www.ministry of health.gov.ky/healthy nation
Vote has possible 3rd result
(CNS): The referendum on one man, one vote (OMOV) and single member constituencies which will take place on 18 July could have a third outcome that may still influence government even if the ‘yes’ vote doesn’t carry, elections office officials said Monday. The deputy supervisor of elections said the vote will only be binding with a 50% plus one vote result for either ‘yes’ or ‘no, but the third outcome, in which neither the ‘no’ vote nor the ‘yes’ vote reach the threshold set by government, would not be a wasted message. Colford Scott explained that the number of votes cast in the referendum can still serve to advise government on the mood of the people towards single member or multi-member constituencies.
If the ‘yes’ vote falls only marginally short of the target set by government and wins the majority of the turnout, it may well decide that the Cayman Islands is ready for single member constituencies at the next election. However, if the 'no' vote wins the majority of the turnout at the polls it could set back the OMOV campaign for some time. The magic figure for a binding result is 7,582 as the total electorate for the referendum is 15,161.
Scott pointed out at a press briefing about the national vote that, whatever the result of the referendum, it would not be a wasted exercise.
With the elections office now in full swing, mobile voting starts a week Friday in Little Cayman before it begins its tour around Grand Cayman, where hundreds of voters will be polled ahead of Referendum Day.
Mobile voting is made up of two elements: the first is the ‘in home’ or institution voting where election officials go the Pines and other retirement homes, the hospital and people’s own homes to allow the elderly and infirm to cast their vote. The second is a mobile voting unit which provides early voting for the hundreds of workers who will be unable to go to the polls on Referendum Day because they are emergency service personnel or involved in the election itself.
Already 135 postal ballots have been issued and several more applied for and election officials said they expected a higher than normal number of postal ballots because of the referendum being in July. The deadline for making an application for an absentee ballot is 6 July but the completed forms can be received by election staff up to 6pm on Referendum Day.
Supervisor of Elections Kearney Gomez said that as a result of the anticipated postal ballots, the formal result of the full national vote probably won’t be announced until the morning of Thursday 19 July. He explained that counting postal votes takes longer because of the necessary verification.
For those voters who will be casting their vote on Referendum Day, the polls open at 7am and, with three exceptions, voters are required to go to the same district polling station where they voted in the last general election.
In West Bay three of the usual locations were unavailable and, as a result, voters in West Bay East will cast their ballot at a tent on the vacant lot opposite Fosters Repulix, those in West Bay South at a tent on the vacant lot at 88 North West Point Road, and those in West Bay North will vote at the Presbyterian Church on Boatswain Bay Road.
Throughout the voting day information will be updated on the number of voters coming out to the polls on a two-hourly basis, which will give an indication of whether enough people have voted for a possible binding result. If less than 7,582 votes come out to the poll then Cayman will know when the polls close that the result won’t be binding. With a constant update on numbers, though, campaigners on both sides of the debate will be able to continue encourage voters to go to the polls in order to get the sort of turnout that could influence government even if a binding result is not achieved.
With real time updates once the count begins, the media will be able to convey a running tally of votes throughout the night, keeping the country informed if the magic figure is achieved, one way or another. The counts will also take place in the districts and government will be able to see which of the existing electoral districts support or do not support the democratic principle one man, one vote.
The elections office confirmed that the usual rules and regulations governing a general election will apply to Referendum Day, and campaigners on the yes or no side will not be allowed to campaign directly but only to encourage people to go to the polls. Officials also confirmed that all liquor licensed premises, including hotel bars, must remain closed until 7pm in the evening.
For full details on postal ballots, mobile voting, district polling stations and other information visit the election website and be sure to keep glued to CNS on Referendum Day for full coverage and instant updates.
Ex bank employee jailed 2.5 years for $29k theft
(CNS): A 28-year-old George Town man was jailed for two and half years Monday following his conviction for theft and fraud after he stole US$29,987 from a customer’s account at the Royal Bank of Canada, where he worked. Erick Adam was given an additional 12 months, to run concurrently, for false accounting after he forged the signature of the customer in order to clear out the account, and was ordered to pay a compensation order to the bank for the amount he stole. Adam was convicted after a jury trial in which he was accused of creating a fictitious couple, whom he attempted to blame for the crime.
The theft, which took place in September 2009, came to light when the real account holders came to the bank and discovered their account had been emptied.
Justice Charles Quin, who presided over the case, said that there were more aggravating factors in the case than mitigating ones as Adam had been in a position of trust but had continued to deny responsibility for the crime even after his conviction. The account belonged to an elderly couple, and apart from the loss of the funds, the theft created extra expense for the bank dealing with the case and caused severe reputational damage.
The judge told Adam, who is the son of the Community Affairs Minister Mike Adam, that he had let his employers and work colleagues down, his family down and, above all, himself and his young family. He also pointed out that such crimes were particularly damaging in Cayman since the cornerstone of the country’s economy is its dependence on the banking industry.
However, the case also revealed that many of the procedures at the bank put in place to prevent this type of fraud were lax and were easily breached by Adam as he perpetrated the fraud on an account that had been inactive for many years.
The sentencing guidelines provided for a sentence of between 12 months to four years for a crime of this nature, and although Adam pleaded not guilty and therefore could expect no discount, it was his first dishonesty offence, and because he was relatively young when he committed the crime, the judge said he had revised his initial three year sentence down to 2.5 years.
He urged Adam to should put this dishonesty behind him when he is released and to focus on his young family.
See related story Former bank employee found guilty of 29k theft
Sea grass may protect coral reefs
(BBC): Research headed by a Swansea University marine biologist has offered potential solution to endangered coral reefs around the world's oceans. Dr Richard Unsworth's team included scientists from Oxford University and James Cook University in Australia. They found varieties of seagrass which may reduce the acidity of water around reefs, protecting them from erosion. Corals are worm-like creatures of around a centimetre length which live in colonies numbering millions. Calcium carbonate released by the corals forms a protective reef around the entire group.
The survival of these corals has been threatened by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the last 40 years, as it has raised the acidity of the oceans, rotting the reefs in the same way as fruit and fizzy drinks can erode tooth enamel.
But now Dr Unsworth believes he has found varieties of seagrass which can photosynthesise carbon dioxide so quickly and efficiently that they actually turn the surrounding water more alkaline.
"Highly productive tropical seagrasses often live adjacent to or among coral reefs and photosynthesise at such rates you can see the oxygen they produce practically bubbling away," he said.
"We wanted to understand whether this could be a major local influence on seawater and the problems of ocean acidification."
Cayman hopeful for regional junior games
(CIAA): The Cayman Islands will be one of the 38 member countries, represented at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (CAC Juniors) this weekend in El Salvador, as the CIAA will be sending a team of 6 athletes to compete in this Track & Field Championships. The three day competition will be held from June 29th to July 1st. The CAC Junior Championships comprises of elite athletes from member countries competing in two age group categories, i.e. Boys/Girls U-18 and U-20.
Alexander Pascal, the new national record holder in the Javelin will lead the charge for team Cayman and will compete in the Boys U-20 Javelin. Other team members are high jump specialist Ashleigh Nalty (U-20 division), Tiffany Cole 1500m (U-18 division), Demetri Chambers 100m/200m (U-18 division) and from Cayman Brac, Amelia Gillispie Heptathlon (U-18 division) and Jonathan Frederick Discus/Javelin (U-18 division).
The Association said it was looking forward to creditable performances from the team. Team Coach is Tyrone Yen and Manager Elizabeth Ibeh and the team departs Grand Cayman on Wednesday June 27th at 12:35pm and returns on Monday July 2nd at 4:00pm.
Crossing expected to make West Bay Road safer
(CNS): A crosswalk to be established close to the Strand Shopping Centre on the West Bay Road is the first of several new crossing places along the key artery to make things safer for both pedestrians and drivers. Government officials said Monday that the National Roads Authority (NRA) will start work on the new crosswalk shortly, which was identified in a 2010 review on ways to improve pedestrian safety on West Bay Road. "West Bay Road carries a high volume of traffic and running through a largely a tourist area, there is unfortunately a high potential for traffic accidents,"said NRA Transportation Planner Marion Pandohie. (Photo courtesy of Cayman27)
"Creating the crosswalk is the first step in attempting to make this stretch of road safer for drivers and pedestrians alike," she added.
Once the Esterley Tibbetts Highway is completed the NRA will be installing several more crosswalks on the road which runs parallel to Seven Mile Beach. The NRA is also set to undertake intersection improvements at Lawrence Boulevard which will also improve the pedestrian landscape of the West Bay Road.
The crosswalk is one of several long- and short-term measures identified to improve road safety in the busy tourist area. Other proposals included reducing the speed limit from 40 to 30 mph; providing flashing yellow lights to be activated by pedestrians and enabling them to safely cross the road, and the improvement of overhead lighting for better pedestrian visibility.
$10k on offer for home repairs
CNS): The Premier's Office is offering grants of as much as $10,000 to local home owners who need important structural or health and safety repairs to their house but who are not in a financial position to undertake the work. Although no formal policy has beenannounced by Premier McKeeva Bush, an advertisement in the local press on Monday indicated that the money to finance the home repair grants was coming from government's deal with the Dart Group. The notice indicates that a committee has been formed to oversee applications and the members will visit each location to assess the work needed.
The advertisement, which appears on page 3 of Monday's Caymanian Compass, (posted below) states that, using funds from the ForCayman Investment Alliance, the Premier's Office will make ordinary grants of up to $10,000 and possibly more at the discretion of the committee. The office says each application will be decided by the committee based on its own merits, although there is no indication how many grants will be given or how much of the Dart cash has been allocated to the programme.
The government has not revealed the members of the committee who will be making the decisions, and the criteria for application appears to be quite wide, However, the advertisement says that reputable contractors will be required to submit written quotes on the repair work required by applicants.
Members of the public applying for the grants must be 18 years and the property in need of repairs must be their sole residence and be at least five years old. The advertisement says that those already receiving mortgage relief will not be eligibly for this additional grant unless there are extenuating circumstances. It also indicates that priority will be given to health and safety repairs or homes where children are at risk.
The notice appears to be the first indication of the new government policy as there have been no policy statements made by McKeeva Bush regarding this particular programme, or debate in the Legislative Assembly about the initiative, which is not being handled via the planning department but directly by the premier's office.
The funding is coming from money given to government as part of the ForCayman Alliance with Dart, although Bush confirmed that the donation of $5 million made by the islands' largest developer last year as part of a sub-deal signed with the NRA, government and Dart was going into general revenue.
The Office of the Auditor General said Monday that it had become aware of the proposed programme as a result of the advertisement and it would be including the project in its review of government finances.
Gang mediation team land in Bermuda
(Royal Gazette): A team from Boston has arrived in Bermuda to start a gang mediation programme. Minister of National Security Wayne Perinchief (left) today announced a team from StreetSafe Boston had arrived in Bermuda to facilitate the programme. The programme is being facilitated independent of the Bermuda Police Service so that mediators remain neutral when engaging those involved in gang activity. Perinchief said: “This weekend's tragic events speak to the clear need for this initiative. Solutions to these problems do not achieve results overnight and so we renew our efforts on all fronts; committed to reversing the destructive lifestyle that is the gang culture."
Proctor leaps into Olympic team with record jump
(The Daily Mail): The many athletes probably cursing the British weather for their inadequacies at the Aviva Olympic Trials should have thought like the long jumper from the Caribbean island hotspot of Anguilla. Shara Proctor looked out of her Birmingham hotel room on Sunday morning at grey skies and drizzle and "I said to myself, 'London might be like this so I have to be prepared and do my best no matter what’.” Which is precisely what she did, smashing Bev Kinch’s British record of 6.93metres that had survived a month short of 29 years with a jump of 6.95m. That lands her among the contenders for a medal in London next month.