Archive for July, 2012
Sharks feed and Subway stings
(GCFFA): Week five of the Dart Women’s League within the Grand Cayman Flag Football Association saw first-time losses and first-time wins for some teams. Zulu Warriors continue their success after beating Maples Bliss 6-0 last Friday night at the Camana Bay Field. Quarterback duties for the Warriors were shared between Jessica Pawlik and Dionne Whittaker. Pawlik completed 12 of 26 passes with one interception thrown, and Whittaker completed three of six pass attempts, also with one interception thrown. EmilyVakauta caught the lone touchdown pass for the Warriors, and was also dominant in the middle, receiving four more balls.
When Whittaker wasn’t filling in as quarterback, she showed her versatility, receiving the ball five times, helping to bring her team down the field. The Warriors’ defense was led by Wendy Torres, who had four tackles, followed by Whittaker with three tackles. The momentum for Warriors was high, as Maggie Ebanks, Nadisha Walters and Agueda Broderick each had an interception, but it was Broderick’s pick that nearly led to a defensive touchdown. The team could have advanced their score, but Maples Bliss was able to stop the Warriors from scoring in the second half.
Frustration and butter fingers on the Maples Bliss team contributed to their inability to move the ball past the 40-yard marker. Quarterback, Ellenor Berry, completed 10 of 20 pass attempts, with three interceptions thrown.
Camille Solomon caught five of Berry’s passes by cutting through the middle and the quick-footed Marleena Smith caught two balls. Berry tried to spread the ball amongst other players, and when an option wasn’t available, she utilized her speed and ran the ball to help her team advance down the field.
Dianerra Whittaker had a great defensive game with five tackles, but fumbled and collided with her teammates on key interceptions. Maliqui Awe had four tackles, followed by Isatou Sey with three tackles and an interception. Sey’s interception was a big moment for Maples, as she picked the ball right in front of the end-zone, preventing the Warriors from another touchdown. Krishan Welcome also had two tackles and an interception, and Smith added to the defense by sacking the quarterback twice.
Subway Stingers started off Saturday’s games with their first win and shut-out against Lone Star JagerMonsters, with a final score of 13-0.
Subway’s quarterback, Christina Pineda is steadily improving her game, completing 13 of 24 passes with one interception thrown. Long passes to Latoya Cover and Joanne Remillard, who both sprinted the ball in around 30 yards resulted in touchdowns for Subway. Keisha Anglin was another favorite for Pineda, as she also added five catches on offense. Sasha Tatum also contributed to the score by catching a ball in the end-zone for conversion points.
Subway Stingers played a solid game on defense as the petite Remillard locked down Renee Thompson from JagerMonsters in the corner, with four tackles. Anglin also added four tackles to the defense. Sasha Tatum and Latoya Cover each came up with an interception, stopping the JagerMonsters from advancing past the 40-yard line.
Offense was the biggest problem for Lone Star JagerMonsters, as they were unable to move the ball down the field. Quarterback Tricia Miller completed 10 of 21 pass attempts with two interceptions thrown.
Center player, Erin Marshall was open in the middle often, receiving four of Miller’s passes. Renee Thompson caught three balls, mostly down the sideline, but was stopped short of advancing for JagerMonsters.
The defense of Lone Star kept knocking throughout the game as Laura Watler led the team with three sacks to the quarterback. Christina Ravdas had three tackles, followed by Renee Thompson and Nickey Martinich with two tackles each. Thompson also came through with a pick in midfield.
Hot 104.1 Cheetahs had a close game with Burger King Wolverines, but came up short with a final score of 6-14. Cheetahs’ quarterback, Kimberley Rivers completed six of 17 passes with one interception thrown. Jamesette Anglin is proving to be a favorite receiver for Rivers, catching three passes. Shalisa Barnett was right behind Anglin with two catches.
The Cheetahs defense saw much more action, as Jennifer Cotarelo intercepted a ball in the middle, maneuvered past four Wolverines players and sprinted up the sideline for a 30 yard defensive touchdown. Amanda Nelson caught a second interception, but slight hesitation stopped her running in a second defensive touchdown as Jahzenia Thomas was able to tackle Nelson just yards from the end-zone.
Adding to the Cheetahs defense was Sophia Dilbert with five tackles, Cotarelo with four, and Tonia Ebanks-McLaughlin with three tackles. Brittni Ebanks and Nelson each had a sack on the quarterback.
Although Burger King Wolverines struggled in the first half of the game, they were able to pull through with two touchdowns in the second half. Antoinette Lewis, quarterback for the Wolverines, completed 18 of 28 passes with two picks thrown.
Carrie Barnett shone on offense for the Wolverines, catching five passes including two in the end-zone for touchdowns. Beneica Thompson also had five receptions, followed by Joni Wood with four. Alex Terry added conversion points with her catch in the end-zone.
Missed flags were the biggest problem for the Wolverines’ defense. Alexandria Saintvil led her team on defense with three tackles, followed by Shinette Rhoden and Natalee Dyke with two tackles each. Jessica Ebanks came through on the defensive end with one interception.
The biggest upset of the day saw the undefeated Androgroup Killa-Panthers defeated by Hammerheads Lady Sharks, 6-0.
One of the most consistent quarterbacks this season is Christina Hefner of Killa-Panthers, who completed 19 of 30 passes with one interception thrown. Hefner’s favorite receiver continues to be the elusive Cassandra Bodden, who had five receptions. Caron Murphy followed with four catches and Alicia Dixon helped her team chip down the field with three receptions.
On defense, Janique Samson led her team with four tackles, followed by Suyen Coe and Gillian Roffey with two tackles each. Delicia Ebanks and Stephanie Watler snaked past the offensive blockers and came up with a sack each. The Killa-Panthers had some chances to turn the score around with interceptions, as Gillian Roffey snagged two, followed by Ebanks with one pick.
Hammerheads Lady Sharks didn’t have much to say on offense, but their strong defense kept the team in the lead. Quarterback Hong Nguyen completed nine of 18 passes, with three interceptions thrown.
Lilia Conolly had four receptions and the lone touchdown was from Judy Rivers, who span past the defense to run the ball about 30-yards into the end-zone.
Rivers showed her dominance on defense with an incredible nine tackles, followed by Conolly with five tackles and Zoenief Walker with three. Nguyen sacked the quarterback twice, and Walker and Serena Yates managed to pull off one sack each. Conolly also had an important interception on Alicia Dixon, that saved what could-have been a much-needed touchdown for the Killa-Panthers.
Week six of the Dart Women’s League within the GCFFA begins Friday evening at 8pm at the Camana Bay Field with Lone Star JagerMonsters versus Hot 104.1 Cheetahs at 8pm. Neither team has won a game yet this season. Saturday morning’s games begin at 10am with the Burger King Wolverines against the Androgroup Killa-Panthers. Both teams have lost only game yet this season. 11am sees Hammerheads Lady Sharks against Zulu Warriors, tied in team standings, on field 1, and Subway Stingers versus Maples Bliss on field 2.
Expert and novice swimmers join in local meet
(Stingray Swim Club): The Caledonian Swim Meet, hosted by the Stingray Swim Club of Grand Cayman at the Lions Aquatic Centre was a resounding success, the club said. There were swimmers from four local clubs or swim schools, from two different islands, featured swimmers from 4 – 44 and included one Olympic Swimmer – Mr Darren Mew. The meet’s events took place over 4 days, allowing a wide array of events – 50m sprints, 200m medium distances and 1500m long distances to take place.
High points winners were – Girls: 6 & Under Veandra Robinson, Brac Barracudas (BB); 7-8 years Stephanie Royston, Camana Bay (CBAC); 9-10 years Alison Jackson, Stingray (SSC); 11-12 year, Kavanagh Lambert (CBAC); 13-14 years Coral Tomascik (CBAC) and 15 & Over Bethany Cleaver (CBAC). The Boys winners were – 6 & Under, Lachlin Lambert (CBAC); 7-8 years Corey Westerborg (SSC); 9-10 years Zachary Moore (CBAC); 11- 12 years Rory Barrett; 13-14years Simon Butler and 15 & OverAlex McCallum.
Bernard McGrath, Managing Director of Caledonian and a long-time supporter of swimming was on deck at the Lions Aquatic Centre on Sunday 24th to watch the final races, revelling in the excitement of the relays – including the Masters’ relays – and to present High Points' trophies to the Age Group
Winners: “I was delighted with the turnout on Sunday,” he commented. “There was a great atmosphere of excitement in the air and it crossed every age group, from the under 6s to the Masters. We appreciate the hard work that Stingray Swim Club put in to this meet every year to make it such a resounding success and we look forward to seeing faster times, more swimmers …..and particularly more Masters Swimmers in 2013.”
In addition to the many, many Personal Best times recorded by the swimmers (PBs in swimming lingo), there were some new records set. Stingray Swim Club saw three of its club SC records fall to Corey Westerborg who, thus far this season has set 10 new club records! In this meet he set new SSC Records for the Boys 7-8 years 100m Free, 50m Breast and 100IM. And two new Lions Aquatic Centre Pool records were set by CBAC’s Zorora Motomba in the Girls 9-10 50m Free and Coral Tomascik in the Girls 13-14 50m Free.
Stingray Swim Club President, Brenda McGrath was delighted with the success of the meet: “Coming close on the heels of our early membership registration drive it was encouraging to see a number of our new members competing and completely ‘immersing’ themselves in the swim club. I would like to thank Meet Directors Melanie Solomon and Pat McCallum, the SSC Board Members who assisted them and all the volunteers who officiated, timed or acted as marshals. Without our volunteers we simply can’t put on these meets and so it is important that they all know how much we, and the swimmers, appreciate the donation of their time to swimming.”
Heading in to the summer will see Stingray Swim Club action slow down a little – however there will be a great deal of activity at the Lions Aquatic Centre with Government Camps, a Stingray Swim Club camp and training taking place throughout the summer. Additionally a team of 9 swimmers is attending the Saint Petersburg Aquatics’ Long Course Invitational – July 6-7-8, 2012; Senior Swimmer Geoffrey Butler will be competing in the British Nationals this summer and brothers Alex and Iain McCallum will be competing in the 1st FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, being held in Canada.
For information on Stingray Swim Club visit our website www.caymanswimming.com
New particle discovery could be Higgs Boson
(BBC): Cern scientists reporting from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)have claimed the discovery of a new particle consistent with the Higgs boson. The particle has been the subject of a 45-year hunt to explain how matter attains its mass. Both of the Higgs boson-hunting experiments at the LHC see a level of certainty in their data worthy of a "discovery". Prof Joe Incandela, spokesman for the CMS, was unequivocal: "The results are preliminary but the five-sigma signal at around 125 GeV we're seeing is dramatic. This is indeed a new particle." he told the Geneva meeting.
The results announced at Cern (European Organization for Nuclear Research), home of the LHC in Geneva, were met with loud applause and cheering. Prof Peter Higgs, after whom the particle is named, wiped a tear from his eye as the teams finished their presentations in the Cern auditorium. "It's really an incredible thing that it's happened in my lifetime,” he said.
Prof Rolf Heuer, director-general of Cern, commented: "As a layman I would now say I think we have it. We have a discovery – we have observed a new particle consistent with a Higgs boson. But which one? That remains open. It is a historic milestone but it is only the beginning."
A confirmation that this is the Higgs boson would be one of the biggest scientific discoveries of the century. Scientists would then have to assess whether the particle they see behaves like the version of the Higgs particle predicted by the Standard Model, the current best theory to explain how the Universe works. However, it might also be something more exotic. All the matter we can see appears to comprise just 4% of the Universe, the rest being made up by mysterious dark matter and dark energy.
Broken water main on Shedden Road
(CNS): The Water Authority has reported a broken main on Shedden Road, near the Anderson Square. Repairs are expected to take between 4 to 5 hours to complete, during which time service will be interrupted for customers located on Shedden Rd, from the McDonald Restaurant to the junction of Harbour Drive. Motorists are asked to note that the section of Shedden Road in the area of Anderson Square will be reduced to one lane in order to accommodate the necessary repairs. Motorists are encouraged to use an alternate route where possible. Traffic signs will be posted in the general vicinity and all are asked to drive with caution.
The Water Authority appreciates the patience and understanding of the motoring public as they continue to provide services to all of their valued customers and apologizes for any inconvenience this restoration may cause.
Unusual duty waivers granted
(CNS): An open records request has revealed an array of unusual duty waivers granted by government over a period of six months, including T-shirts, souvenirs, guns, heavy equipment, an elevator and even fireworks. The duty waivers have been granted not just to charities or schools but to a number of private companies and retailers, according to the partially redacted list supplied under the freedom of information law following an application by independent MLA Ezzard Miller. The list also shows that 26 of the waivers have been granted directly by the premier. Close to $200,000 of duty was waived, the document shows, between 1 July and 31 December last year.
Miller pointed out that this was just a snapshot of the waivers that appeared to be getting pushed through, not just because of government policy or at the discretion of the customs department, but also at the request of the premier. The independent member questioned the validity of waivers, at least on some of the items, at a time when the public finances are facing such dire consequences that government has been unable to produce a budget for the next financial year.
“I can’t see why we would be giving duty waivers on imported fireworks,” Miller said as he noted a more than $7,000 waiver for Cayman Firepower. “I find it incredible that, at a time when government is so short of revenue, it can give away so many duty waivers, some of which are for significant amounts of money.”
The MLA also noted that, according to the Public Management and Finance Law, McKeeva Bush can only give the duty waivers in his position as finance minister and not as the country’s premier.
Miller said that while they may be one and the same person, it was important to remember that the offices are two separate and very different entities in the law.
He also raised concerns that not all of the names on the request had been revealed, so the public could not be sure exactly who or what was in receipt of the waivers, in particular those given by the premier, and why.
Many of the waivers are given as part of government policy, such as solar and other eco-friendly equipment. Some on the list also cover equipment being bought by government itself or statutory authorities and government owned companies, but a considerable number of the items on the list have been waived without an obvious explanation.
Given that the list only covered one sixth month period, Miller said that considerable revenue could have been lost over this financial year if similar waivers were given over the last six months.
Researchers keep up fight against dengue fever
(CNS): Experts from the Mosquito Control and Research Unit are warning that levels of the pests are higher than usual this year and asking people to help keep the numbers down. Dr Angela Harris, Senior Research Officer MCRU explained that the early May rains delayed the seeding of the mosquito’s grounds but the unit is now on top of the aerial larviciding campaign across all three islands. “The early rains this year brought out high numbers of mosquitoes for a while – it’s not a record year, but the mosquito numbers are higher than average," she said. The scientists are also remaining vigilant regarding the Aedes aegypti mosquito to ensure the pest does not start to carry dengue fever as it does elsewhere in the region.
“We do everything we can to keep the Cayman Islands free from Dengue Fever. Last year there were two cases of Dengue — one from a traveller returning from a trip to the Bahamas,” said Harris in a government release. "It is a testament to the hard work and organisation of our department over the years that we are the only country among our Caribbean neighbours that does not have endemic Dengue. However this doesn’t mean it’s not possible that we will get it, and we must remain vigilant. This is where the MRCU asks the public for help.”
The Dengue mosquito (Aedes aegypti) is a domestic mosquito that loves to be around people. It breeds close to homes in any standing water it can find — from tarps, to disused vehicles and boats. It's favourite piece of junk are tyres, but a discarded can, bottle or coconut shell that holds water next time it rains is just as good.
“Whilst we concentrate specifically on the swamp and Dengue mosquitoes (Aedes taeniorhynchus and Aedes aegypti), we also want to remind the public of the importance of preventing any kind of mosquito breeding. It is therefore important to check out septic tanks and sewage systems for any tiny holes that mosquitoes might get into. Any standing water left long enough can be a breeding ground," Dr Harris said.
It is a misconception that this mosquito is only found in ‘dirty’ yards. Whilst it loves junk, it will breed in clean rain water. So drums, bird baths, ornamentals such as conch shells and even animal bowls and troughs can also provide a home for breeding Dengue mosquitoes. Stored water should be fitted with screens and plant pots and animal bowls emptied out at least every seven days, officials advised this week in the release from the ministry.
For more information on mosquito control the public is invited to go to www.mrcu.ky or www.facebook.com/mrcu.cayman or on the Brac www.facebook.com/mrcucyb where they can find information on the Unit, spraying schedules and control methods employed or send an email to info@mrcu.ky
MRCU’s five strategies for mosquito control:
1. TIP. Reduce standing water to eliminate possible mosquito breeding sites, including those in children's sandboxes, wagons or plastic toys; underneath and around downspouts, in plant saucers and dog bowls. Other hot spots include tarps, gutters, and flat roofs.
2. TOSS. Dispose of trash correctly; bottles, cans and fast food containers provide an excellent breeding ground if thrown in the bush, put them in the trash can or recycle if possible
3. TURN. Turn over larger yard items that could hold water like children's portable sandboxes, plastic toys or wheelbarrows.
4. REMOVE TARPS. If tarps stretched over firewood piles, boats or sports equipment and grills aren't taut, they're holding water.
5. TREAT. Using a regular fly spray around the house which will kill adult mosquitoes, for an evening spent outside use repellent containing ingredients such as DEET and picaridin and cover up at peak biting times (dawn and dusk).
Heineken brew crew touch glory
(CRFU): The season finale of the National Touch Rugby Championships ended last Saturday with teams battling in the Play-Offs. Every game played thus far has been building to this moment – a time when a player can stand on the very verge of history – to be a hero or a villain. By “verge” I’m referring to that grassy bit next to the pavement on the side of the Road of Real History of course but you get my drift. Anyway, this is what happened. Photo by Caroline Deegan: Ray Galletly of Team Black almost escapes Chandra Friesen on Team Maples.
5th and 6th Place Play-off – KPMG v. Walkers Blue Iguanas
KPMG and Walkers Blue Iguanas have both toiled long and hard all season and their play-off for the “Wooden Spoon” (the hypothetical and humorous prize for coming) was an entertaining affair. As a pre-amble to the main events of the day they played out a compelling game where tries were traded back and forth. In the end Walkers just pipped it 11-8 but both teams contributed massively to the season. They will come back next season wiser, stronger and ready to battle their way up the rankings.
SEMI FINAL 1 – DART v. HEINEKEN BREW CREW.
In blistering heat for the first semi-final, Heineken Brew Crew were red-hot favourites to beat a plucky DART team that have been improving all season. Suffering from depleted numbers in their match day squad, DART valiantly put up a fight but the Heineken team were fortified by the arrival for his first game of the season by the Fijian flyer, Venassio Toketokevanua. A sterling first half performance from DART saw them trail just 3-1 at the break however, they ran out of steam in the second half and Heineken ran in tries from all over the field. In the end it was a bit of a rout and Heineken Brew Crew advanced into the final on the back of an 11-1 victory.
SEMI FINAL 2 – TEAM BLACK v. MAPLES
The second semi-final was a closer affair. Both teams were packed with experience and although Team Black had edged their meetings in the regular season this was not to be a walkover. Giving Maples the respect they deserved, Team Black took to the field with a determined and resolute look that screamed that it was business time. No time for mistakes, they desperately wanted to be in the final to meet Heineken Brew Crew and avenge their own defeats of the season. They raced to a 3-0 lead with tries from Scott McCarty and two from James Waters.
Maples were shocked but drew on their reserves and with Simon Crompton tip-toeing his way around the outstretched grasp of his opponents they came back into it with tries from Chris Palmer and Crompton himself. It was 3-2 at half-time and it looked like an upset might just be on the cards. Team Black is nothing if not clinical at times and in response they rose to the challenge running in tries from Mike McGrath (2), Simon Raftopolous and Waters again. No matter how hard Maples tried they could not seem to get a foothold on the scoreboard and in spite of two further tries from Crompton they eventually were defeated 7-4.
The3rd Place Play-Off – DART v. MAPLES
Third place play-offs are a strange affair – both teams disappointed by missing out on the final but still with some pride to play for. Played in an excellent sporting spirit, the players entertained the crowd with some “Concho y Toro” rugby – not champagne stuff but decent enough and reasonably priced! As the game progressed DART found themselves in front mainly due to the superb efforts of Riley Mullen who sprinted in with two tries and great defence from Stacey Ottenbreit, Fiona Brander, Debbie Strassburg, Kelly Fiebig and Sonya Sherman.
Maples contributed to proceedings with some great play but could not get the vital scores to break DART. Al Lum scored on the final play of the game to make the score a shocking 4-2 to DART. It must be reported that the island-wide rumours of Mark Robson dropping a massive clanger whenhe crazily fumbled the ball over the line during the act of scoring without an opponent within 20 metres of him are true. D’oh! Taxi for Robbo!!
THE GRAND FINAL – HEINEKEN BREW CREW v. TEAM BLACK
And so to the main event. The two best teams in the league came head to head in the final. This was the first time that Team Black had been able to put a full strength team together against Heineken and they were keen to avenge their two defeats of the season to this adversary in the league programme.
The game started with the sort of intensity reserved for modern day sporting warfare and the first blitzkrieg attack from Heineken saw Will Heyward burst through a gap to score inside the first thirty seconds. He quickly followed this with a second that rocked Team Black on its heels.
Heavily influenced by the South African one-touch philosophy, Team Black started to move the ball around quickly and replied with two tries of their own from Simon Raftopolous and Etienne Duvenage, who took a lovely inside pass from Sharlee Henshaw. It seemed that the game was well and truly on. After trading two more tries, Heineken started to exert a pressure to which Team Black simply could not respond. Like a crocodile pulling its prey under the water and performing a murderous death roll, no matter how hard Team Black thrashed they could not free themselves from the deadly vice-like grip that Heineken exerted.
Will Heyward added a fourth for Heineken before a controversial penalty try was awarded to them by referee Dan Twist. The confusion on the pitch and in the stands knocked Team Black out of their stride and it appeared as if they were beginning to panic as the scoreboard started to get away from them. The pressure started to show as both Mike McGrath (Team Black) and Dave Bailey (Heineken) were sent from the field to sit on the Naughty Step until they could behave. Team Black still had the majority of possession and probed and prodded all over the park but the final telling pass would not stick. At the half-time break they trailed 7 – 3.
As the second half began, it was time for one of Heineken’s other young bucks to shine. Just as Will Heyward had done in the first half Iain Currie did in the second. Running fast and direct and able to side-step off either foot he made two quick breaks that punctured the heart of his opponents.
Team Black responded well again and time after time they drove at the Heineken defence but like waves crashing on granite cliffs they were repelled, either by a stubborn and swarming defence or by choosing the wrong option for the final pass. When they did score through Wiki Hitchman and Raftopolous, Heineken responded with tries of their own from Toketokevanua and Biannca Johnson. The crowd watched the ball ping from one end to the other as if they were seeing Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic pummeling each other on Wimbledon Centre Court.
Stuart Geddes and Duvenage again crossed the whitewash to reduce the deficit to two. For all their endeavour, of which there was plenty, they simply couldnot close the gap enough to cause Heineken to truly panic. Buoyed in the knowledge that their youthful contingent could run all day, the Heineken oldies increasingly stayed on the sidelines as the young guns closed the game out. In the dying embers of the match Toketokevanua jinked and jived his way through in typical Fijian fashion to bring the final score to 11-8 to Heineken Brew Crew.
In reflection Team Black will look back on some missed opportunities either through dropped or missed passes but Heineken Brew Crew, with their potent mix of young and old, have been unbeaten all season and were deservedly crowned Cayman National Touch Rugby Champions 2012.
4th arrest in bank heist
(CNS): Updated 5:15pm – Police said Tuesday evening that a fourth person has now been arrested in connection with last week's bank robbery. A 29-year-old West Bay man who was arrested on Friday evening in the wake of the heist at Cayman National Bank in Buckingham Square was charged in court today with armed robbery. Police have made fast progress in the investigation following the early arrest. No details on the age or sex of the four people arrested have yet been revealed. Sources say the robbers took some $100,000 during the hold-up but police are believed to have recovered around $25,000, which was dropped by the suspects as they fled.
Three masked armed men held up the bank at around 9:40am, but as they attempted to make their escape the getaway car collided with an armoured cash van outside the bank. The crash blocked the robbers escape so they fled on foot towards the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, dropping some of the cash as they ran.
Anyone who has any information regarding this latest robbery should contact George Town police station on 949-4222, the RCIPS tip-line 949-7777 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477(TIPS).
War of words heats up over VAT in TCI
(CNS): Following accusations by the newly formed Turks and Caicos Independent Business Council (TCIBC) that the territory's governor’s office has circulated “gross inaccuracies and wildly misleading information” in connection with the proposed introduction of VAT, Hugh McGarel-GrovesChief Financial Officer said as business people the council should understand the importance of stable cash flow. TCIBC Chairman, Clive Stanbrook, QC said that there had been no consultations over the implementation of VAT and questions had not been properly addressed. “The accepted rules of governance have been ignored,” Stanbrook said last week.
“The consultative bodies that they themselves have set up have been treated as a mere rubber stamp. They have been given less than two weeks to consider and assess complex legislation of a type that will have a profound impact on the economy of the Islands.
“To make matters worse, in this crucial period the Governor is taking a holiday. The Interim Government's claim to have consulted the people of the Turks and Caicos is a complete sham and provides no respectability for rushing through important legislation for the restructuring of taxation in the TCI against the wishes of almost everyone in the community," the chair of the body campaigning against VAT stated.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday McGarel-Groves said the IBC seemed to be set against people benefitting from “planned, sustained and regularised income” which would enable government to invest in, essential public services.
“Government revenue has fluctuated wildly over the past few years. VAT helps prevent this. What do we do if revenue drops again without VAT – close schools? More than anyone else, business people should understand the importance of stable cash flow.”
The UK official said the group was presenting a “partial picture of what has gone on in other Caribbean countries,” particularly Barbados where the challenges of that country are not as implied by IBC solely down to VAT.
“VAT was introduced in Barbados in 1997 and the country enjoyed a number of boom years immediately afterwards,” said McGarel-Groves who is behind the drive to implement VAT in TCI. “The IBC claims ignore wider economic issues and do not take into account that both income and property taxes are payable there, and elsewhere in the Caribbean, in addition to VAT. That TCI has neither of those taxes here, and has proposed the second lowest rate and the highest VAT threshold in the Caribbean, we believe offers the country an ongoing significant competitive advantage.”
The UK public finance officials said it was not true that the government had failed to consult the people and the issue has been up for discussion since 2005.
“The Green Paper – intended to generate discussion before decisions were made – was distributed widely to the Advisory Council, Consultative Forum, numerous business Associations, individual businesses and members of the public. We held more than 30 sessions with various groups. The accusation that we could not provide all of the answers is also misleading as many of these answers could only be provided after consultation in the White Paper, such as dealing with Strata corporations, which is the factual statement of Government policy and published today,” he said.
McGarel-Groves claimed that the white paper published Tuesday shows local considerations have been taken into account. “VAT is a replacement tax, prices should not rise; we have made a large number of items zero rated or exempt from VAT to help both the consumer and the construction sector, for example; we have carefully considered how to implement VAT and to ensure effective compliance,” he added.
The Turks and Caicos Independent Business Council (TCIBC) began a full scale campaign against the proposed VAT last month which they say is inappropriate for the islands’ economy. It has accused the British bureaucrats of imposing a cookie cutter, tax system that won’t work in the Caribbean territory. Some 3000 people have already signed a petition and the TCIBC believe the UK cannot impose a tax that will be rejected by the community.
Local runners inspired by Olympic spirit
(CNS): Over 150 competitors came out to compete in the Olympic Day 5K Run recently. Runners and walkers living in Cayman from 28 countries took part in the 3.1 mile road race which started at the Truman Bodden sports complex. Many racers were decked out in colourful attire and carried their country’s flags in celebration of the Olympic spirit. Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal was to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability. Celebrated all around the world: hundreds of thousands of people – young and old – get moving and participate in sporting activities.
Over the last two decades, the event has helped to spread the Olympic ideals to every corner of the world. Here in Cayman David Shibli Sr. led the way to the finish first with a time of 19:23 with Leon Barracks close behind grabbing 2nd place in 19:37 minutes and J.P. Hanekom claiming the final men's podium spot in a time of 19:40.
Marlene West who finished 19th overall was the fastest lady of the day, crossing the line in 23:21, while Shelley White clocked a time of 23:41 minutes for 2nd and Lauren Nelson was the 3rd female with a 23:52 posting.
Individual results may be viewed at www.caymanactive.com