Minister shuffles cash to cover dump fire costs

| 04/06/2014

(CNS):The minister with responsibility for the dump and the museum has been given approval by Cabinet to shuffle around some of the financial allocations in his ministry during this current financial year which will end on 30 June. Osbourne Bodden told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that the Exceptional Circumstance Appropriation change was approved by Cabinet on 15 May which will see $240,000 allocated to the museum moved to environmental health to address the problems in the wake of the recent major blaze at the George Town landfill and the need for new equipment.

The money had been budgeted for the Cayman Islands National Museum under EI 23 to go toward securing a facility to house the museum’s support function and its collection of artefacts.

“Due to current conditions and incidents of fire at the landfill…. a decision to reprioritise this funding was made by the Ministry of Health, Sports, Youth & Culture,” Bodden said.  “The request for Cabinet Approval was made and granted under Section 11(5) of the Public Finance and Management Law (2013 Revision) for the reallocation of funds from EI 23 to EI 53 and from NGS 47 to TP 53.”

The minister said that advice from the finance ministry was that there will be no impact on the government’s forecast financial position to 30 June as the reallocation of funds corresponds equally.

Alongside the $240k moving from the museum to the landfill, Bodden also said that $10,426 which had been given to the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce under budget head NGS 47 for its Mentoring Cayman Programme was also being moved. Bodden said the Chamber will not conduct the programme this year so the ministry is moving the allocation to support the Junior Batabano Carnival.

He pointed out that over the years the money for that even had been reduced from $20,000 in 2011/2012 to $15,000.00 last year.

The funds come from TP 53 which is “Other Youth, Sports and Cultural Programme Assistance but the money remaining in that line item this year were insufficient to meet the ministry objective of ensuring that the event happened so the reshuffle of cash from the Chamber allocation has solved the problem.

Although the UK has stipulated that the various government ministries and departments are no longer allowed to re-appropriate funds once the budget has been approved this only applies if a refunding exercise pushes the budget over that agreed with the FCO.

 

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  1. Anonymous says:

    What a shame that those who run for political office are not required to take a physical exam and an [IQ] Intelligence Quotient test, prior to being allowed to run for office! 

    • Anonymous says:

      Ah but those same officials can have huge parties at the Gocernir's house on our penny!  I hear there are two huge parties soon – one to celebrate 30 year's of the Auditor general' office and another for Eric Bush's Ministry as supposedly best employer win.  The ministry is not even an employer, it is US!  What a waste.  They should be ashamed!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Charge for each bag of garbage thrown and do not charge for recycled bins which the individual has to transport themselves. See how quickly trash dimishes. Other countries do it. That are significantly larger. It will be a culture change and shock but the long term benefits are priceless. Also hazardous waste should be exported off island to facilities that can properly dispose of them. A charge for the individuals who dispose of such waste will follow – of course. 

     

    We already have CCTV put more cameras because initially people will dump the trash illegally in public and private areas. Charge exhorbiant fines and impose mandatory jail time. 

    Sound drastic? Well yes. The dump is killing everyone with the fumes and chemicals in the air, the soil, the water supplies (cistern, city water and well – think about it) and the ocean. The dump needs to be removed and exported and further trash should be dealt with in a manner to minize the detrimental impact on all citizens and visitors alike. 

  3. Anonymous says:

    OMG! "And now in the red corner, in support of the futherance of imported culture, specificially the enhancement of an Eastern Caribbean tradition recently introduced to the Cayman Islands (Batabano) and the regression of our our own culture (CI National Museum), I give you the Master of the Cow Cod, the Honourable Minister for Youth & Culture!! 

  4. Anonymous says:

    Really what cost could there be ?Overtime for firefighters? renting some excavators? this does not add up to me something is just wrong

    That said after listening to rooster the other day I know that the minister from east end knows how to fix most of the dump problems for little money.

    The only reason we need more studys is to ensure that the most $ is spent.

    The logic is that if they spend 100 million our economy will grow.

    There are plenty of fixes available Today that dont cost very much.

    Finally  I am a local expert in waste management my friends say why dont I become a consultant and get paid. I say they dont want to hear what I have to say. Because I could fix the problem for almost no money.

     

  5. Anonymous says:

    Nice to see that all the talk of culture and heritage is just talk, and the first thing to go in favor of political expediency was museum funding.

  6. pmilburn says:

    Typical move by Govt.Take from one department to pay for anothers shortcomings.The beat goes on

  7. Anonymous says:

    Perfect. The dump will become an integral part of the history of Cayman and people will be talking about the repeated failure of vote hungry politicians who have not an ounce of love for their country to deal with the festering mess for centuries to come. There could be no better place from which to take funds then than the museum. Preserving history one way or another, that will be Ozzie's legacy.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Ozzie's legacy will be that he was the man who cut the umbilical link between Cayman's past and future. For pity's sake, this is the National Museum. They have been struggling for years with inadequate space and storage conditions that compromise the safety and intergrity of the collections. We can only hope that it doesn't fall prey to what happens in other museums under these conditions: damage, theft, and illicit trafficking. What happens if a shipwreck cannon is discovered? Where will it go? And we can forget about people donating artifacts of cultural significance because the museum will not be able to accept them. Just think of bits of Cayman history going up on Ebay.

      What options does the museum have? Following other museum precedents, they could de-accession and auction off parts of the collection they can no longer house. Now wouldn't that  get some attention!

       

  8. Anonymous says:

    $10,426 to support the Junior Batabano Carnival?? lessons in debauchery? come on Osbourne, sponsor some school lunches, or tutoring lessons, c'mon now man! wtf?

    • Anonymous says:

      No parent should have children whom they cannot afford to feed.  How many are going to school without breakfast or lunch but have cellphones? Put your priorities in the right perspective first.

      • Anonymous says:

        your ignorant statement does not negate the fact is there are children that are hungry at schoolI in CAYMAN, RIGHT NOW, and failing thier grades!!! and the best you all can do is Junior Batabano?where the hell are your priorites? you live in a vacuum with the rest of the "well-to-do" politicians or wha?

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed, like one carnival is not enough more money goes to the kids version..WTF.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      You hit the nail on the head!  BUt these people don't seem to know the level of poverty in Cayman even though they see the many fund raising events to assist the less fortunate.  Why doesn't government make the prisoners have fund raisers to ensure they have a meal for the day?  Why should they get all the money when there are families who can't even afford to send their kids to school some days!  I'm said out!!!

  9. Anonymous says:

    What a disgrace.  PPM just greased the CS with a huge payout and now find themselves short on cash for priority equipment for known issues.  

    DEH should invoice for garbage fees on household trash pickups, just as they do for corporate, condo, hotel, and restaurant collections.  There are thousands of net contributors to this issue that have enjoyed a free ride for decades.   

    Bill for each additional bag of household waste and it will yield a more sustainable recycling culture.  A proven formula from around the world.  Or, the lazy-thinker's solution is to not plan, backpeddle, and then claw it back from the little old ladies at the Museum…

    • Gut Check says:

      I don't see it as a disgrace.   I see it as the PPM telling us (unlike the previous administration) what they are doing and why.   

      I find this refreshing.   We know the government had the bare bones left to them by the previous administration;  they have to work with what they have to run the country.   I wouldn't want their job.   

    • Anonymous says:

      Does anyone actually really read carefully anymore? The movement of funds was within the current (2013/2014) budget and the CS "bonus" is within the next (2014/2015) budget. The current allocations were not being used so they were used elsewhere. That does not appear to be a case of "short on cash for priority equipment" or "claw it back from little old ladies at the Museum".

      • Anonymous says:

        Makes little difference…

        you really think that govt is gonna stick with and actually demonstrate, with a cash in the bank statement, the projected surplus predicted next year..what is it 108 million, was that pre or post the new 100 positions for CS or pre or post the reduction in CS that they say will take years…

        its all make belive figures my friends…

  10. So we need the public now!? says:

    I see the need due to the fire at the dump, but the Minister should please BEG with the public now to support The Museum!!!  It has never looked better or been run better.  The staff are loyal and the experience is amazing…it is the jewel of the downtown area and thousands of tourists love this experience.  By the way, It is DIFFERENT than ANY other stop on a Western Caribbean cruise and the highlight of many visitors!! This is what our 1 million tourists think is better than the other islands…Support the National Museum!

    WHY should our heritage and history PAY for the laziness of the past 20 years of politicians not addressing the dump?  I know of some great private families that have been (and still are!) active at the Museum and with this blow, hope others will join (like banks, law firms, accounting firms, audit firms) will all step up and support our beloved National Museum. 

    If you have not been there in a while, take your lunch hour an SEE FOR YOURSELF!!! The Museum deserves the public's support and $$$

  11. Anonymous says:

    Kepping Boddentown Dump Free is worth every penny spent..

  12. Anonymous says:

    Dumping is a major aspect of Caymanian culture so this is quite appropriate.