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Archer outlines spending bill
(CNS): The Minister for Finance has asked the Legislative Assembly to approve an appropriations bill for $193.4 million, which will allow the government to function from 1 July to 31 October. Addressing the House Wednesday morning, Marco Archer said government expects to have a deficit of around $56 million during the four-month period. However, he said this “should not cause alarm”, as it covered the second half of the year where government revenues were less than operating expenditures. The minister also sought to maintain a $30 million overdraft facility, which he assured the House would be adequate and for which the government has already received verbal approval from the UK.
Bringing the motion for temporary appropriations to the House, the new finance minister, outlining the first government spending plans for this administration, said that during this four-month period the government would prepare the 2013/14 Budget and present it to the LA, and he assured the House that the full-year budget for the fiscal year ending 30 June 2014 would show a significant operating surplus.
Explaining expected spending, he said government had “sought to meet its moral obligations while keeping a tight hold on the public purse as we develop the full budget.”
This emergency spending package sought by the government, once approved, will take effect after the financial year ends on 30 June. It includes equity investments amounting to $8.9 million, which includes $2.5 million for the Cayman Turtle Farm to cover debt obligations; $2 million for the new Ministry of Home Affairs to establish a holding-area for those arrested and held in custody by the police, as well as funding to start the youth custody area at Northward Prison.
“All efforts are being made to complete this prior to November 2013, which is when the government needs to be compliant with the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the Constitutional Order 2009, with respect to the segregation of juvenile and adult prisoners,” Archer told the House.
The bill includes $1.8 million for the Ministry of Education for minor capital works and purchasing equipment and furniture; $1.7 million and $0.6 million for Cayman Airways and the National Housing Development Trust respectively to meet debt obligations.
Government is also asking for CI$173.8 million in operating expenses; $7.9 million in financing expenses to cover the interest payments on the outstanding public debt; $2.3 million for executive assets; and $0.4 million to fund loans made by the government to civil servants and to qualified persons needing assistance with expenses related to overseas medical care.
Outlining the main items on the executive assets list, Archer said the government needed $750,000 for miscellaneous road surface upgrades; $250,000 to settle on-going Gazetted land claims arising from roads development; and for Cayman Brac he asked for $350,000 for continued road development, $350,000 for further development of the Bluff playing field, and $250,000 to fund further development of the emergency shelter on the Bluff.
“All government agencies are expected to exercise fiscal constraint and prudence during the coming financial year,” the finance minister said. “While the government is upbeat and positive about the prospects for growth in the economy, there is still a long way to go before we can truly say that the economy has rebounded to a full-employment level. During the preparation of the full-year Budget for 2013/14, government agencies should be mindful that it is very likely that their budgets may be decreased below the level of appropriations in the 2012/13 financial year. In this current economic environment, government must innovate and deliver services at reduced costs.”
Archer explained how the Progressive government intends to deal with the controversial Nation Building Fund, which, when it was first introduced by then premier and finance minister, McKeeva Bush, in October 2009, was described in the LA by Alden McLaughlin, leader of the opposition at the time and now premier, as a potential “slush fund” for Bush.
The new finance minister said that “provisions for expenditures that are not supported by a proper framework have not been included in the interim budget.” However, he said that students who have been awarded scholarships to study overseas under the “Promotion of Nation Building” appropriation will not lose financial support, and he confirmed that provisions have been placed in the interim budget to continue in areas where the government was already committed.
“Government must also be grounded in reality and take a measured approach to our moral, safety and other obligations,” Archer told the legislature, explaining that items which were not adequately provided for in the 2012/13 Budget, such as the provision of medical care at overseas institutions for indigents, had to be adjusted in this year’s interim budget to ensure adequate levels of coverage.
Expected outputs from statutory authorities and government owned companies were based on the normal levels of services they provide. However, Archer stated that “this is one area that will be under enhanced scrutiny as the government develops the full-year budget.”
Archer said the forecast expenditures were meant to establish limits during the four-month period of the interim budget. “All efforts will continue to ensure that the government not only remains within those limits, but actually spends less than the amounts shown in the Schedule to the Government Motion,” he said as he asked for support for the motion.
Debate in the House on the interim budget is expected to continue until late this evening. However, with a strong government majority, it will undoubtedly be approved.
US Supreme Court overturns gay marriage provision
(BBC): The US Supreme Court has struck down a law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman only, in a landmark ruling. The court's 5-4 vote said the Defense of Marriage Act, known as Doma, denied equal protection to same-sex couples. The court also declined to rule on a California ban on same-sex marriage known as Proposition 8. The decision paves the way for gay unions there. Opinion polls show that most Americans support gay marriage. Twelve US states and the District of Columbia recognise gay marriage, while more than 30 states ban it.
The Doma decision means that legally married gay men and women are entitled to claim the same federal benefits available to opposite-sex married couples. On Wednesday morning, crowds gathered outside the Supreme Court hours before the rulings were due, in hopes of getting a seat inside the courtroom.
The legal challenge to Doma was brought by New York resident Edith Windsor, 83. She was handed a tax bill of $363,000 (£236,000) when she inherited the estate of her spouse Thea Speyer – a levy she would not have had to pay if she had been married to a man.
"Doma writes inequality into the entire United States Code," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in Wednesday's ruling. "Under Doma, same-sex married couples have their lives burdened, by reason of government decree, in visible and public ways," the decision added. "Doma's principal effect is to identify a subset of state-sanctioned marriages and make them unequal."
OAG celebrates 10 years with Flowers Sea Swim
(CNS): Staff from the Office of the Auditor General’s lent helping hands to Flowers Sea Swim organisers on Saturday, 15 June. The OAG staff helped to register more than 800 swimmers who took part in the event, from first-timers to gold medal winning Olympians. The office has supported the popular event for over 10 years. Proceeds from registration will benefit the local charity Feed Our Future, which provides meals for school children in need.
Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick said, “It is always an honour to be able to participate in the excitement of the Flowers Sea Swim, and an added bonus that we can contribute to a worthy cause at the same time. Congrats swimmers!”
Cuba’s climate change threat prompts new strategy
(Huffington Post): After Cuban scientists studied the effects of climate change on this island's 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers) of coastline, their discoveries were so alarming that officials didn't share the results with the public to avoid causing panic. The scientists projected that rising sea levels would seriously damage 122 Cuban towns or even wipe them off the map. Beaches would be submerged, they found, while freshwater sources would be tainted and croplands rendered infertile. In all, seawater would penetrate up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) inland in low-lying areas, as oceans rose nearly three feet (85 centimeters) by 2100. Climate change may be a matter of political debate on Capitol Hill, but for low-lying Cuba, those frightening calculations have spurred systemic action.
Cuba's government has changed course on decades of haphazard coastal development, which threatens sand dunes and mangrove swamps that provide the best natural protection against rising seas.
Aruba to run solely on sustainable energy by 2020
(CNS): The Aruba Tourism Authority the claims that 70 square-mile island is on track to become the world's first sustainable energy economy and achieve the goal of running on 100 percent sustainable energy by 2020. The Vader Piet Windmill Farm, built in 2009 on the island's northern coast, consists of ten 180-meter high wind turbines that currently produce 20 percent of Aruba's electricity. Plans are in progress for a second wind farm, which will double the energy capacity and continue to decrease Aruba's carbon footprint. In June 2012, Prime Minister Mike Eman and entrepreneur Richard Branson announced a partnership between Aruba and the Carbon War Room, an initiative that seeks to reduce global carbon emission.
Promoting the Caribbean Island's green credentials in a release Tuesday, the ATA said the partnership would transition the island to 100 percent renewable energy while eliminating any reliance on fossil fuels and will create a model for other countries to replicate.
The island's constant supply of sun, eastern trade winds and ocean currents allow for research and field-testing of renewable energy technologies. The islands tourism authority noted that in recent years, sustainability efforts within the travel industry have progressed from a niche consideration to an industry-wide priority; 96% of Conde Nast Traveler readers believe hotels and resorts should be responsible for protecting the environment in which they operate.
"The opportunities for renewable development on Aruba are really extraordinary … Aruba could truly be a model to the world in terms of a sustainable place to live and work," said Harvard Professor George Baker.
Aruba's private sector is also committed to preserving and protecting the environment, which is evident in the island's several certified and sustainable hotel and resort properties. EarthCheck, the premier international certification alliance for sustainable travel and tourism, complies with the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and the International Organizationfor Standardization (ISO) 114064 range of standards for greenhouse gas accounting. To date, six resorts on-island are certified by EarthCheck and eight are on the road to achieving certification.
In addition to pursuing alternative energy initiatives, locals and visitors alike join together for the Aruba Reef Care Project, the island's largest volunteer environmental initiative. The project has attracted more than 800 people annually since 1994 and results in cleaner reefs, public beaches and shallow waters.
Bianca Peters, a Dutch expert in sustainability in Aruba's Department of General Affairs, commends the One happy island's green initiatives and the probability for significant global impact. She said, "I decided to come here because of how the people in Aruba think. The energy here is amazing, we can make things happen — especially sustainability — because of the scale of the island, all the natural elements Aruba has, and the enthusiasm of the people living here. I believe living sustainably is the future for the world."
ICTA ducks HBO copyright complaint
(CNS Business): Is the Information & Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) obligatedto investigate allegations that a television service provider is broadcasting pirated content? The issue is under debate: ICTA Managing Director David Archbold believes that it should be settled in court, since the issue concerns the copyright law rather than ICTA law. HBO Latin America, the re-sellers of HBO and Cinemax programming, and LIME, which is licensed by them to broadcast the channels, believe otherwise. Last week HBO Latin America issued a statement that WestStar TV was illegally broadcasting its content and it had lodged a complaint with the regulatory authority. Read more and comment on CNs Business
Local Red Cross manager part of regional team
(CNS): Cayman’s Red Cross Disaster Manager, Danielle Coleman, has been certified as part of the International Federation of Red Cross Societies’ Regional Intervention Team (RIT) following intensive training in Jamaica. Coleman was selected to take up the one spot open to the Overseas Territories following an intensive competitive bid. The eight-day training included a combination of camping disaster simulation and classroom work, with accommodations reflecting the training style. Over 20 participants from all over the Americas were present. As a RIT, Coleman will now be part of the local and regional response supporting other Red Cross Societies in their post-disaster response.
This will help to further compliment her training as a member of the British Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU), which make her a part of the global network of responders.
“The training was intense, both on the practical and the theoretical side,” Coleman explained. “It’s important to ensure that you can, as much as possible, simulate that level of intensity because that is what happens in a real scenario. Part of the preparation is learning how to cope with the pressures and surroundings and the constant “lack of”- sleep, water, etc.”
The training covers a myriad of topics, ranging from water and sanitation, to psycho-social support, management of the deceased, communication and logistics, among others.
She will also be able to train local Red Cross volunteers as National Intervention Team (NIT) members, which is the highest level of training for a local responder within the Red Cross system.
“It’s great to be able to continue to offer support to our fellow Red Cross Societies around the region, which is something that the Cayman Islands Red Cross has done for years,” Coleman added. “Exposure to other Red Cross Societies, be it in times of peace or disasters, allows us to look more critically at what we are doing here at home and fine tune that which needs improvement. It always comes back to Cayman- the training, the knowledge and the experience- and as a community we are always better for it, even if in a small scale. That’s a great reason why we do it, because it makes us here better,” she said.
For more information or to join contact the Cayman Islands Red Cross on 949-6785 ext. 29 or pso@redcross.org.ky.
WestStar stealing channels
(CNS): HBO Latin America says WestStar TV is illegally broadcasting its content and has lodged a complaint with Cayman’s regulatory authority. According to lawyers for the cable network company, the local TV station is broadcasting HBO and Cinemax programmes without paying any licencing fees to the company, contrary to US Federal law. While WestStar has been broadcasting HBO channels for some time, the move to get tough on the television company comes a few months after telecommunications firms LIME and Logic both launched their TV services in the Cayman Islands, having signed legal agreements with HBO Latin America, enabling both companies to broadcast all of its channels legitimately.
“WestStar TV Limited is not authorized or licensed by the copyright owners to distribute or rebroadcast HBO and Cinemax programming in the Cayman Islands,” law firm Hampson and Company stated in a release aimed at both the company and subscribers to the TV station.
The channels which the firm says WestStar is illegally broadcasting include HBO rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 17; CineMax rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 35; HBO Plus rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 151; HBO Signature rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 152, MoreMax rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 154; ActionMax rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 155; HBO Family rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 157; and HBO Latino rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 178.
“WestStar TV has engaged in an unethical practice of unauthorized interception of US satellite TV transmissions contrary to US Federal law, in breach of the terms of the satellite TV provider (Dish Network), by rebroadcasting and distributing this HBO and Cinemax programming to subscribers in the Cayman Islands for commercial purposes, without the consent of the owners of the copyright in that HBO and Cinemax programming and without payment of any form of licensing fees to HBO Latin America,” the law firm stated.
“HBO Latin America has given WestStar TV notice of the position and every opportunity to cease its interception and rebroadcast of HBO and Cinemax programming, and while WestStar has not denied these unethical activities it has continued to engage in these practices, compelling HBO Latin America to make the position public and refer the matter to the Cayman Islands regulator.”
HBO Latin America, the exclusive distributor and licensee of HBO and Cinemax programming in the Caribbean, said through their lawyers that they had pressed the local regulators, the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA), to take appropriate action against WestStar “with a view to ensuring a level playing field among television providers in the Cayman Islands and avoiding an unfair competitive advantage to WestStar TV, in the interest of all subscribers in the Cayman Islands.”
They said, “HBO Latin America is confident that the local regulatory authority will take appropriate action to address this entirely unsatisfactory situation. HBO Latin America is proud of its licensed and authorized Cayman Islands’ partners, LIME and Logic, who offer world class HBO and Cinemax programming to their subscribers with the authority and license of the copyright owners.”
See Viewpoint: Why is piracy legal in Cayman? (29 January 2010)
Related articles:
Telecoms firm launches fibre optic TV service (CNS Business, 17 January 2013)
Internet TV arrives in CI (CNS Business, 10 April 2013)
Bermuda to hold gaming referendum this year
(CNS): Bermuda Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell has announced that the country will have a referendum on gaming later this year, noting that that Bermuda’s hospitality industry is trailing significantly when compared to competitive destinations in the Caribbean, according to local news reports. “It is a sobering reality that 2012 was a turnaround year for Caribbean tourism yet in Bermuda our tourism numbers were down six percent, GDP contribution from tourism was down and we are still in decline," Crockwell told MPs following a recent conference for Caribbean hoteliers, developers and hospitality representatives. “It became crystal clear to me … that we are no longer considered players in the hotel investment arena."
"As a country we must decide if we want to be in the tourism business or not,” he said, noting that 2012 was a turnaround year for some of Bermuda's competitors, such as the Bahamas, Barbados and Puerto Rico, which experienced an increase in tourism revenue, occupancy and demand, while Bermuda did not.
“I also learned of the significant hotel developments in places like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic alone there are ten major developments worth approximately $2.5 billion,” he added.
“In the Bahamas they are developing the ‘Baha Mar’ Resort, which will comprise four hotels with a combined 2,200 rooms, and more than 300 private residences. This is helping their economy tremendously with increasing employment — so much so that there are not enough locals to fill the jobs and guest workers are expected to come to the Island to service this resort.”
He said gaming features prominently in jurisdictions like the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, but that the industry attracted more local residents than visitors.
“When I asked the question of how important gaming was to the jurisdiction, I was told it was crucial in getting new hotel developments to the country. To date their gaming has been geared more towards local residents and consisted mainly of slot machines, as they provide much revenue, but mainly attracted few visitors. However, they are now shifting to table games to bring new visitors to the Island.”
He said the Bermuda government would lay the Gaming Referendum Bill in the current session and expected to hold a referendum at the end of summer or beginning of fall.
“I will add that it is imperative for our tourism revival that the referendum is supported,” he said.
Cayman team takes down Bermuda
CRFU): The weather cleared on Saturday 1 June to allow the Cayman Rugby Football Union to put on a great show for over 1700 spectators at Cayman Big Game 3 at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town.
With action starting at 12pm thanks to exhibition matches from the Cayman U10’s, U12’s and U14’s the title fight between the top ranked Caribbean side Bermuda (2011 & 2012 NACRA Caribbean Champions) vs. Cayman kicked off at 4pm in front of a packed Truman Bodden Stand.
Cayman opened the scoring through fullback and LIME man of the match Chris Bunce when good phase play resulted in an easy overlap for Bunce to jog in the opening 5 points which were duly converted by Morgan Hayward to take the score to 7-0.
Bermuda had the opportunity to notch up 3 points soon thereafterwith a kickable penalty which was sent well wide of the posts by Antonio Perincheif, a mistake which Cayman scrum half Robbie Cribb was sure not to mistake when he lined up 2 long range penalties to extend Cayman’s lead.
A change in kicking personnel for Bermuda saw them notch up 9 points against Cayman for infringements at the breakdown but the points from the boot were Bermuda’s only reprieve in the first half as the Cayman’s defense held out against the Bermudan pack and speedy wingers.
HALF TIME: Cayman 13-9 Bermuda.
Whilst both Cayman and Bermuda had lost to USA Rugby South in this year’s Championships Cayman were set on ensuring that mistakes made against the USA which resulted in a 2 point loss would not be repeated against Bermuda. Cayman continued to make inroads against a Bermudan defense which bled 24 points to USA Rugby South through sniping runs from Cayman winger Joel Clark and no. 8 Phil Fourie but Cayman failed to finish off promising runs to add more points against the Bermudans.
A change of front row personnel brought fresh legs onto the park as Cayman looked to a drive over scrum from 5 meters out and whilst the first attempt led to the ball being held up over the try line by Bermuda the 2nd attempt led to a penalty try for Cayman as Bermuda collapsed the scrum against a dominant Cayman pack.
With Morgan Hayward converting the penalty Cayman had breathing room as the score board moved 20-9 in favor of Cayman.
Whilst many expected the game to wind down from that point Bermuda came back strong in the final exchanges and a fortunate ball which popped from the side of a ruck allowed Bermuda scrum half Tom Healy to cross the line for Bermuda’s only try of the game (the conversion missed) and the celebrations started as clock wound down and Cayman won by 6 points.
FULL TIME: Cayman 20-14 Bermuda
The win for Cayman over Bermuda saw a climb of 4 places in the IRB world rankings to 61, whilst the loss for Bermuda saw that union fall 6 places to 54. Bermuda’s 2nd straight loss in this year’s Championships sees them relegated to the qualifying rounds of the Northern Caribbean division for 2014 to face off against Jamaica, Bahamas and Mexico.
Photo:
The victorious Cayman XV:
Back Row L-R: Tim Rossiter (Coach), Brad Cowdroy (Coach), Shaun Gerard, Yohann Regnard, Dan Bond, Seviri Tabuaniwere, Peter de Vere, Ben McDonald (Capt.) Mick Kehoe, JS de Jager, Paul Parker, Doug Anderson, Adam Keenan, Phil Fourie, Stuart Geddes (Manager)
Front Row L-R: Michael Sumares, Robbie Cribb, Morgan Hayward, James Waters, Joel Clark, Chris Kennedy, Jon Murphy, Chris Bunce, Michael Wilson, Jason Scarff, Simon Crompton