Deputy premier sends message from Middle East
(CNS): The deputy premier and minister responsible for the postal service is currently in Doha, Qatar, where she is attending the Universal Postal Union’s 25th congress. In a message to mark World Postal Day (Tuesday 9 October), Juliana O’Connor Connolly reported that Cayman won a bronze medal for its express mail service at the event. Sending the message home from the Middle East as Cayman joins the rest of the world in celebrating the official observance of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Berne, Switzerland in 1894, she said the local postal service (CIPS) is still holding its own in this era of developing technology and could compete on the world stage.
According to a release from the minsitry and from the conference officials, the minister, accompanied by her chief officer and postmaster general, is joining some 2,200 delegates gathered at the conference to discuss the future of the postal sector, adopt the organization's work programme for the next four years and refine the rules for international mail exchanges among the UPU's 192 member countries.
Despite a changing business landscape, the postal service remains an important means of communication. According to UPU statistics, worldwide mail services deliver nearly 445 billion letters every year. The postal service is increasingly tied to newer means of communications involving electronic transactions and is at the end game of ecommerce — that is, delivery of packages.
See ministers' full message from Doha below.
Category: Local News
I think she must get some good idea to stimulate her constituency. Maybe she can build a couple more post office over there and get them paved the parking lots.
This would be a good trip for the Captain to go to. Been a
while i never hear them sending him off the Island. Let all the UDP members get a fair shot at travelling. Sured it would worth it than this moron.
I'm sure they could find a better paying job over there so they wont have to come back.
I sent a payment to Canada by Express Post, which they lost for approximately six weeks. So even though I paid the extra money to have it trackable (and "express"), all they were able to tell me was that it was last seen in Miami. Hardly award winning service!
Has Juliana lost her marbles completely? While we are all here hanging on by the skin of our teeth to our homes she's blowing away our money like there's no tomorrow at some fancy hotel attending an utterly meaningless conference, or whatever you want to call it, accompanied by a couple of pen-pushers. Then to rub salt into the wounds sending us an asinine message about some ruddy bronze medal Cayman has "won". Well, I'm sure we're all beside ourselves with excitement at the news. That's great, Juliana, I mean, really great.
I'd be interested, and no doubt appalled, to find out what the final bill to the Caymanian public is for this piece of total bloody nonsense. (Pardon my French but the longer I spend typing this the angrier I'm getting so I'd best leave it at that and go chop some bush or something to cool off.)
15:46, why would you presume she has any marbles? has she ever shown evidence of such things? She only survives because successive governments for 30 years keep pouring masses of money into the Brac simply to keep them quiet and get votes. It's a dreadful waste of money and lots of consultants have said so over the years but we are held to ransom by around 1500 people (most of whom have free health care and "seamens" pensions). Can anyone believe it? Why the eff do they have 2 MLAs for a part of the Cayman Islands that is tiny and contributes next to zero revenue???
WTH?? How is this justifiable or prudent in these austere times??
How can we constantly suck and pay all these fee increases whilst Government is making absolutely NO effort to curtail unnecessary spending and live within their bloody means!!!!
This is an indictment on the people of these Islands. This is infuriating!!!!
This Moron travels all over the world on our dime and we get nothing but the bill. She makes me ill.
A friend of mine working in Doha says Julianna is staying at the most expensive hotel – nearly $1000 dollars a night. He couldn't find out where the "entourage" is staying. Can anyone add to this information? I am hoping to get more tomorrow.
Is that double occupancy?
20:18. I am told she is in the Four Seasons hotel. I am too fed up with her and the UDP to bother googling their rates but we know she will be in the most expensive place because she likes to push this line about how wonderful it is that a "brown skinned, barefoot girl like me" after hard work etc etc can make the big time. Christ, it is so sad for our country. When will it stop?
I checked the list at http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/hotels/. Of the 28 hotels listed, the Four Seasons has by far the most expensive rooms going by the basic room rate.
Sadly many will crawl out to vote her back in in 2013.
Is this to train the Cayman postal service not to destroy or open other people's private mail?
The mistake many Ministers make is that they do not travel regularly enough, so when they do it is a big deal. How else is she going to know what is going on on the world stage with the subjects she has been given.
Her only mistake is that she shud a travelled much earlier in her term.
You're joking, right? Because if you're not you are in dire need of a brain-transplant.
The list of "official" hotels for this conference along with the prices per night can be found here: http://dohacongress.upu.int/participation/hotels/
It would be very, very interesting to know which one JOCC and her entourage are staying at, given the country's financial problems.
I hope someone does an FOI request on this.
CNS: We have made FOI requests about the travel during this administration of both the premier and the deputy premier.
This bronze medal makes me feel proud of the Cayman Postal Service every time I check my mailbox.
Which is never because, like the rest of the country, I don't have a mailbox because Cayman doesn't have a full postal service.
But hey let's not let that stand in the way of a junket to the postal conference. I am sure the deputy premier is doing important work for the country there. Maybe she'll get seated next to Joe Biden or Nick Clegg?
The real scandal is that we only find out about these pointless ego-fuelled jaunts after the visit has stated. What we need, as a revenue saving measure, is for all cabinet ministers to publish six months in advance all proposed international travel and the planned budgeted expenditure for that travel. That should shame them into behaving better, but this is Cayman and it won't.
I don't think that's how it works. More like, "where shall we go next week?" "how about the middle east?" "OK, I'll ask my assistant for a list of conferences, don't worry they're well catered and we don't have to actually do any work, and it's first class all the way!"
For crying out load is this for real…..
I do trust JuJu didn’t post the message home to us because unless CNS has a time machine then we would all still be waiting for the damn thing to be delivered ….
This really has to be the most blatant waste of public money I have ever witnessed by this Government, absolutely shocking. This convention is totally and utterly meaningless, especially to the Cayman Islands, a country that has NO postal delivery system to speak of and a very badly run distribution network.
Surely the FCO or Governor should be clamping down on this sort of behaviour – I thought excess spending had to be approved under the FFR terms these days ….
Public sends back message to Minister "Stay where you are, and never return to grace our shores. Pretty please and thanks in advance."
Postal conference is important. The medal will be cited amongst the UDP achievements in office for upcoming elections.
I, for one, am breathless to know more about this prestigious award! And the Travel medal mac went to Turks to collect the other day too.
Go UDP!
Is it worth pointing out that in 2010 the CIPS won the Silver medal? (based on 2009 performance) (http://news.upu.int/no_cache/news/news-details/article/record-awards-for-service-quality///42c56639bcbe3a3c1c865a2e87c9230f/)
Should we be pleased that after JuJu's supervision we has tranformed that into a Bronze level performance?
For those of us who can't afford to fly, you can join the conference now by webcast – perfect for learning what you want without having to leave your dependants far away. (http://dohacongress.upu.int/congress/webcast/)
Absolutely shameless behaviour. When will these ministers learn?
Crap, I clicked thumbs up because I thought this was sarcasm!
Just reading this pushes me ever closer to going postal myself.
Can I please go to the 2nd European Annual Packaging Summit in Germany on the 15th January 2013. To be followed by the Nuclear Power Asia Summit in Malaysia on the 16th January 2013. Thank you.
So thats it? She goes there just to send a stupid message back about a meanlingless postal award? How is that representing the people that elected you? There is a joke that says the problem with political jokes is that sometimes they get elected and boy we have plenty of them here!
shameless…………
VOTE THEM OUT!
What?! Vote who out? Never, we don't want our pretty roads up here in Bracwonderland to be taken back up!!!!
A country that doesn't bother delivering mail is third on the planet?!?!
Well done Caymanians, you voted in drunks, gamblers, morons, fools, thieves and yes men
Going to do it again?
The money spent on this trip would have been better spent on improving what can only best be described as an abysmal postal service.
Eugene is too busy fishing, I see him eating his lunch in Alfrescos telling people what he caught today.
If I didn’t have to go to work I’d be fishing too.
telling people?…..i didn't know he could speak….
Are their any readers "in the know" who can enlighten me on this: Who decides and approves government travel and personal expenses? Or do the politicians just make up their own mind to go, grab their CIG credit card and jump on a plane without having to justify it to anyone? Because if there is a body that is required to review and approve then there will be paperwork and budgets that we can get under FOI.
No message from the driver?
This is a joke… Mail from UK used to take 7 – 10 days – now its at least 6 weeks. The cost has gone up – and the service has gone dismally down!
Six weeks? You should be grateful. Leave off the zip code and I guarantee you will not receive it at all, because Sheena is determined to send back every single piece of mail that arrives without it.
Well wasn't the postal code system introduced over 5 years ago? Then the mail SHOULD be sent back if not addressed properly.Next thing we'll hear is some one sayin "hey, why my mail addressed to me at West Bay Road wasnt delivered man?" Just have your mail addressed properly and problem solved!
Well moron, lets just say that some people have been sending Christmas cards to someone in the Cayman Islands for the last 30 years. There is no communication other than the annual Christmas card. How do you think they feel after having a Christmas card returned when that same address had been valid for the last 25 years? Oh well, I guess those nice people in Cayman finally died!
What has changed? Oh they put on a postal code. The postal code allows the people in the post office to stand within 3 feet on the mailbox that it has to go into. Never mind that they know where the box numbers are after having worked there for years. As part of our "customer service" training we will teach customers that they will no longer receive mail if they don't put the postal code on it. Little Cayman has only one post office with 60 boxes, but without the KY3-2501 postal code there is now way on earth that mail could be put in the correct box.
In a few years time we will change the zip codes and make them do it all over again! That's how we do "customer service" at the post office. Why will we change the zip codes you ask? Well, as you can see the mail boxes are not in contiguous order. We have numbers all over the place as we chopped out walls and added more numbers. Once we put the boxes in numerical order then we will have to change the postal code to match.
Was the "moron" comment really necessary? You cast a shadow on an otherwise contributing post. Bad form.
I've had a postcard arrive in less than 7 days from the UK.
Must have been a year or so back then, it used to be a good service, its just in these last few months it has gone downhill.
Good service a year ago? Surely you jest!
Aah.. you never said someone brought it in their pocket!
Yeah, sometimes 7 days, sometimes 7 weeks and sometimes 7 months.
At least this is how long it takes for my weekly magazine subscription to arrive.
It is like a time machine, June arrives before May but after July.
And don't get me started about those tracking numbers, there must be a big black hole around here somewhere.
…and I had a Christmas card sent from uk arrive 2 years and 3 months later! Some consistency on the good deliveries would be nice.
Yes, and ask anyone…it is a true story that one of my wedding invitations arrived toa local Caymanian dear old aging Uncle a YEAR AFTER my wedding! The wedding was here on island. Another guest did not show for the event and only after inquiring I found out not got their invitation! Folks, this mail never even left our shores and could not be delivered? Shameful….
Sorry Ju Ju, there is no reason for you to travel to this event. Retail phone shopping in Spain either, your wasteful ways are a disgrace.
I'm all for the OCCASSIONAL perk of a good conference overseas, but you and the UDP have made a bad habit out of taking the public purse for any first class trip you can go to and it is shameful.
Today we read that property insurance charges are going up, last week another tax on goods. services, operating costs?? All while you and your greedy cronies live it up?
You ought to ALL be tar'd and feathered and run off the island. I hate to even think that you will enjoy a fat retirement while we all still work to make ends meet.
Shame on you and the rest of our lazy, greedy, horrid politicians- shame on you.
Next time they should it address it properly. That is probably not due to failure at CIPS.
Sorry Sheena or Melissa, that is NOT the problem with our mail.
Who won gold and silver?
Zimbabwe and Venezuela?
I guess we are lucky to have her and Mac travel the world collecting trophies and signing agreements…
In some countries as soon as leaders get in power they proceed to loot the treasury of their country for their own personal benefit, and for the benefit of their friends and family. We are lucky we dont have that problem here…
By the way next month there will be a banana eating contest in Central America. I wonder who will represent us for that one?
"loot the treasury of their country for their own personal benefit". IF that was the case the harm would only be for one term. Selling/giving our country to Dart will be forever.
However selling/giving our country to Dart might finally mean that it's finally managed properly and that there is a vested interest to make it proffitable, safe and clean….no more paying fat politicians to go and collect monkey prizes!…no more borrowing money from comunists to stop the Govt. cash leak, workable health care, jobs and security….you forgot to criticise all that as well
I heard there is a tiddly- winks convention in Australia shortly, and the world knitting championships in Vladivostok. Cayman must be in with medal chances, so wonder who is going to attend that? Obviously a minister must be there, those are so much more important than mere Postal conferences…. Don't you just wanna barf??
Both the premier and deputy are traweling
So has ship has been left without a captain
Or does this mean that the driving
Has been left to Minster Anglin?
Is there an auto pilot on this ship, just in case Mr. Anglin's DUI issue takes him off the ship??
Perhaps the sound of the ship hitting the rocks will wake up Captain Eugene….
IF we are even lucky to have that stir him from his slumbers. Good night Irene !
Out of one ditch and into another. Please call the police! Are we going to survive this?
OMG people losing their homes and businesses and they have the nerve to send a notice that we won because of our MAIL SERVICE???? OMG this is insane….I don't think we are in Kansas anymore….
Minister Anglin as captain? You must be joking.
I have been in Cayman almost 60 years and have heard of Capt. Ally all they way through Capt. Zedie (Zedekiah), and several more names if you want to throw in the North Sound boat captains who really weren't/aren't captains at all, but I have never heard of a Capt. Rolston. Doesn't that tell you something?
A postal conference? Unbelievable. I can't work out if it's ignorance or arrogance that causes it but apparently our leaders have no shame left at all. One in Doha and one in China, first class all the way, finest hotels no doubt, wining and dining like Roman emperors. It's astonishing.
I worry that the next administration will be no better. I do not see the opposition showing any concern about it- most likely they are thinking it's their turn next.
You obviously read nothing that the Opposition have to say.
How many camels can we get for the 3 of them?
Ok, so let me get this straight… The DEPUTY PREMIER goes to a Postal Conference??? Hmmm, I wonder if she sat beside Vice President Biden.
Let's hope they don't post her back to us!!!
Ever think the time will come when this country will have some resident (read that "stay at home and tend to business") leaders instead of part-time leaders and full-time world travelers?
Every opportunity this government gets to travel they take it. What is the deal, are they tossing coins to see who will take the next trip? As Deputy Premier one would believe that there are too many important issues at home for her to be jetting off so far for such irrelevant business. If it is so necessary for Cayman to have representation at such venues then they should invite members of the public to represent Cayman. Maybe Miss Cayman? She is an ambassador isn't she, and isn't that what ambassadors do, represent their country? Give the young ladies valuable and important commissions and exposure. Enlighten them, elevate them and be proud of them and most importantly let them have some thing to be proud off during their reign. In this case, the Post Master General should have also been considered, this is part of her portfolio and probably due to her efforts but the Honourable Deputy Premier must bask in the glory. Caymanians need to demand a full account of the cost involved in these trips. ENOUGH IS IS ENOUGH NOW!!!!!!
Hope she travelled first class … first class mail!
I hope Paul is there to carry her bags. I mean, the heat in Doha is something else.
Bags. Is that what she is calling them?
We need to vote this bunch of politicians out with a slogan of "No more snouts in the trough"!
its more than three!! do you know how much one of those flights costs??? WTF?!?!
I'm so glad that was in the 'budget' thats where my 3.2% went – have a nice holiday, don't worry – this ones on me!!
Grand Cayman to Doha first class on United Airlines costs US$12,788.00
Please tell me this is a joke. Come on don't keep me waiting.. What is the punch line.
Did anyone tell the UPU how it takes months for mail to come to Cayman from "exotic" places like Miami or Toronto because it has been determined that the mail will only come over in full containers? Did anyone tell UPU that we have the joys of paying extra for collecting packages for which full psotage was already paid? Nah, you would not even get a lead medal for service JuJu.
Seriously? I am so glad that my hard earned dollars are going towards sending three people first class to a postal convention. F**KING unbelievable.
But she/they have to fly First Class. Ever see the "girth" of those people? They can only fit in the wider seats found in First Class! And all that wining and dining coupled with lack of exercise because they are sitting so much during their world travels doesn't exactly help matters. When will CAL start charging more for overweight passengers like some of the U.S. airlines are now doing? Let's hope CAL doesn't do that. It'll just be more money wasted in an already bloated budget.
Congratulations to JuJu. Just when I thought it was impossible to find more ways to waste money, she has been able to fine another money wasting trip…..
She and the Premier is on a race to see which one can waste the most money. She knew before she left that Cayman had won a bronze medal so there is no need for her to try to make us think that it was a surprise to her. She really needs to find ways to get the mail out quicker after it reaches the island. Since she seams to think that they are doing such a good job maybe she should have asked the convention to airmail the medal to her- that would have been a good test . I guess it would arrive just in time for her demise at the polls next year May – a great going away present for her. There was absolutely no reason for her to go- i am sure Sheena could have found her way there and back without the entourage.