Archive for February, 2013
CS boss challenges civil servants to marathon
(CNS): With the promotion of healthy living central to the government’s health policy, the deputy governor has issued a challenge to civil servants to take part in the half marathon in December this year. Franz Manderson is expecting at least fifty public servants to join him on the thirteen mile run, which will require significant training for participants. In addition, civil service management are also considering a proposal to allow gym memberships to be funded by way of monthly salary deductions as public sector bosses examine ways of improving the health and well-being of government workers.
In the face of tough economic times and cuts across the service, the deputy governor and civil service bosses discussed ways to boost staff morale at a recent chief officers' meeting, according to the newly released minutes.
The formation of a Social Committee for the Civil Service was raised and the deputy governor said he believes that social activities would build a more cohesive civil service. Further discussion will be had, including consultation with the CICSA, but public funds will not be used by the Social Committee. Another idea to create social harmony among the public sector workforce was the idea of forming departmental choirs that could compete in sing-offs.
Among the business discussed at the meeting was the transition of staff relating to the Cabinet reshuffle following the fall of the UDP administration. Manderson advised that, following recent changes within Cabinet, some subjects had been reassigned to new ministers. As a result of the changes in the Organisational Chart, some staff had to be re-accommodated in other offices. However, the adjustments were all very minor and no staff had been displaced as a result and he had received positive feedback on the moves.
In the minutes, which offer only very limited detail of the discussions between public sector bosses, it was indicated that an update on the workings of the Budget Delivery Committee was provided but there was no indication of what that was.
Meanwhile, the deputy governor continued to urge transparency, pointingd to the publication of the minutes of meetings by Dax Basdeo, the chief officer in the Finance Services Ministry and his senior staff. Manderson encouraged all chief officers to consider this practice, in an effort to promote transparency and good communication.
Cruise lines could build port
(CNS): Although committed to a competitive tender for the George Town cruise berthing facilities, government believes it may still be possible for the cruise lines to do the project. Cline Glidden, the new tourism minister, said that after recent discussions with the cruise lines in Florida, government has since received a specific proposal from a cruise line. Admitting that this presented challenges for traditional procurement, he said government was looking at how the cruise lines could be involved in the project. He also revealed that his ministry had been unable to identify any intellectual property which CIG owns as a result of the $2.5 million payoff to GLF.
Speaking at Thursday’s government press briefing, Glidden stated that one cruise line had already submitted a preliminary proposal to government and others were interested. Although still too premature to go into details, the minister said that ownership of the facility would remain in the Port Authority’s hands but the line involved was requesting priority use of the pier it would build, for a given period, which the minister said demonstrated a real commitment to the islands from this important cruise partners.
However, the idea of the cruise lines being involved in a bid to do the port presented challenges when it came to traditional procurement. The minister said it was a good challenge to be faced with though, and the government had the assistance of not only the UK’s economic advisor but a procurement expert as well, who would be advising government as it moved forward with the cruise port bid.
Glidden remained optimist that the government would be able to do something with the cruise lines and still follow good practice. The cruise lines would, he said, create options and it was a way in that wouldnot directly use public money. The cruise lines would always have a distinct advantage over third party investors in a competitive bid, since the developers would need to seek the commitment of the cruise lines while they already had their own passenger commitment, it would present difficulties for a traditional RFP and competitive tender.
But Glidden pointed to the provisions in the tendering process for single source bids where value for money could be demonstrated. He said, however, that the cruise line interest created a new scenario that was more akin to the concept of a licensed development as they were merely offering to build a pier in order to dock their ships in our port.
The minister said that whatever happened CIG was committed to following best practice and they now needed to talk with the UK and the advisors about how government could entertain this type of proposal as a way to get at least one pier underway. Despite the challenges it presented, Glidden said he welcomed them as it showed how committed and interested in Cayman the cruise lines remained.
Deputy Premier Rolston Anglin added that traditional procurement might be tricky, given these types of proposals from the cruise lines, which presented a new scenario. But he said the Cabinet intended to put a case forward to the UK to consider this idea differently from traditional tendering as there were significant advantages to the public purse which may be attractive to the FCO.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that, so far, the tourism ministry staff have been unable to find any of the intellectual property rights that the former premier had claimed Cayman got with the pay-off to GLF. Glidden said there appeared to be no ownership rights with CIG.
The minister said it appeared no one had paid the government for any intellectual property and his chief officer, Stran Bodden, was still looking for what Cayman actually got in the pay off. Glidden said they had been hopeful that during the various negotiations the government would have acquired ownership of or have access to some useful information but so far, he said, they had not identified anything for the payment to GLF.