Search Results for 'turtle farm'
Joey may go back to the farm
(CNS): PPM North Side candidate Joey Ebanks has said that instead of the requirement for six months leave of notice from Boatswain’s Beach (Cayman Turtle Farm Ltd), as stated in his contract, he has agreed to act as a paid consultant for the same period. However, if elected he would not be able to accept the paid position offered by the Board but would still, in his role as MLA, offer advice to the new management team, as he would do for any government body.
Ebanks resigned from his post as managing director of the company on 24 March, the day before Nomination Day when he was declared a candidate for the People’s Progressive Movement in North Side. However, news that he had received a substantial salary advance during the period that he was employed by the Turtle Farm emerged shortly afterwards.
Turtle Farm Board Chair Joel Walton has said that while the Turtle Farm does offer advances to staff “ in unusual circumstance”, these are normally approved by its management. Asked about Ebanks’ salary advances, he said the Board became aware of them whilst conducting its due diligence procedures upon Ebanks’ resignation, and that there were several advances and trade credits obtained by Ebanks over a period of time. The repayment of salary advances, amounting to over $50,000, was made in cash. Walton said the cash payment was made, “Because the Board wanted it paid. It was the correct thing to do.”
Ebanks told CNS that he has been asked to do an audit on advances by the chief financial officer of the TurtleFarm, but that he had no issue with paying the advance salary back. He also noted that when he resigned his position, he still had $18,000 or $19,000 vacation pay due to him.
The terms of his separation from the Turtle Farm are being negotiated by attorneys, Ebanks said, and explained that because statuary bodies might be scrutinized by the complaints commissioner or the auditor general, they are now being very meticulous in taking advice from lawyers.
Walton said the Board had not yet revealed full details of Ebanks’ salary advances since the matter had yet to be closed. “The Board will not prejudice its position nor take lightly its responsibility to protect the interest of Company and it shareholders by making premature statements on the remaining matter,” he said.
Ebanks is running for the North Side seat long held by Edna Moyle, who officially nominated him for the elections. He is running against Ezzard Miller, a former minister and experienced politician, as well as Oswell Rankine, who previously ran for office in East End. Ebanks has himself taken to the hustings in the past when he tried his hand in Bodden Town in 2000 as independent.
From turtles to politics
(CNS): Native North Sider and Managing Director of the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm Joey Ebanks has finally confirmed that he will be contesting the seat, currently held by Madame Speaker, Edna Moyle, in the forthcoming general elections on behalf of the People’s Progressive Movement. Ebanks said that he has always dreamed of standing for office in his home district and is delighted to take up the reins from Moyle, who has decided to step down from the competitive side of the political arena after more than 16 years.
The much anticipated anouncement finally came on Wednesday afternoon, 18 March, at the Legislative Assembly when Ebanks said he would be the PPM representative for the district of North Side.
Ebanks moved to the top job at the Turtle Farm in 2007 following the controversial departure of Kenneth Hydes and has made his mark with an environmentally focused strategic policy that has introduced a new culture at the facility. Rumours suggest that Joe Parsons may well pick up the Turtle Farm’s top position as Ebanks turns his attention back to politics. However, Ebanks said that the board would make that decision and whoever takes over will have that defined strategic plan to work with.
Ebanks said he had always hoped to run for office again as he is no stranger to the political battle ground, having fought the 2000 election in Bodden Town as an independent candidate. He joined the PPM in 2005 and he said he has a tremendous amount of respect for the incumbent members. As a result, Ebanks added that there was never any question that he would run with the party once he was given the opportunity.
He said that he had long wished to return to North Side as that was where his heart is, and had been working alongside Moyle in the district since 2005, though his recent responsibilities at the turtle farm had prevented him from being involved in the community as much as he would like. However, having tendered his resignation he is now ready to start the campaign.
Ebanks also said he believed he had a lot of experience that would qualify him for the role of MLA. “I believe I’m well qualified to represent the people. I have a Master’s degree in Business and experience in the business and public sectors,” he added.
Moyle said that she was delighted to hand over to Ebanks, who she was confident would attain the level of popularity that she herself has enjoyed over the years in the district. She confirmed that she would be out campaigning alongside him as she was certain he would gain the support of her constituents. Speaking of her own future, Moyle said the matter of her remaining as Speaker of the House had not been discussed but it was something she would consider if asked by any future administration.
Governor joins turtle patrol
(CNS): According to the Department of Environment there are a mere 30 nesting turtles in the Cayman Islands today compared to the millions cited in historical accounts. During the nesting season (May to October) the DoE conducts beach surveillance of these endangered species to identify where turtles lay their eggs. Adult turtles breed in Cayman’s waters and nest on the beaches. After the breeding and once the nesting seasonis over they migrate to forage overseas.
Governor Stuart Jack recently joined Research Officer Joni Kirkconnell and a group of DoE interns on one of their weekly surveillance trips to Cayman’s beaches in search of the nests. As the group fanned out along a Seven Mile Beach stretch with the Governor and Kirkconnell walking the stretch from Boggy Sand Road in West Bay to Heritage Club, he said that there was a need for unity in the effort to protect the globally endangered sea turtle and noted that turtles are an importantpart of Cayman’s bio-diversity.
Kirkconnell explained to the governor what that the DoE does during the beach surveillance. "When nests are found we process, mark and monitor them to protect them from poachers and prevent damage from any recreational activity on the beach,” she said. The Governor also said he was very concerned about the recent incidents where nesting turtles had been slaughtered.
It is illegal to harm turtles or their eggs and carries a maximum fine of CI $500,000 and one year imprisonment. There are however, still several incidences of poaching every year and recently turtles were being stolen from the turtle farm in Boatswain beach. The meat is valued at a premium as despite its status as an endangered species the meat is still commonly consumed in the Cayman Islands.
Trouble in ‘Turtle Town’
By Wendy Ledger (Thursday 17 April)
********************************************
4 comments
News that the environmental activist group Global Green Caribbean has
pulled its support of Boatswain Beach’s Earth Day celebrations this
weekend because it’s green credentials fall short of the mark is
another problem on the growing list of issues facing the Turtle Farm.
Last month, acting Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of
Boatswain’s Beach, Joey Ebanks, admitted that the farm was having
trouble with the theft of the creatures and a failure to breed them
successfully. In an interview with the Caymanian Compass, he also acknowledged that the turtles were an
endangered species.
When someone does something wrong or is having problems with addiction
we often consider that the first step on the road to recovery must be
an admission of guilt, culpability or an acknowledgement of the
problem. All of us who care about biodiversity and the environment
should therefore welcome the comments he made that the turtles sold to
the public and restaurant are part of a trade in an endangered
species.
In a plea to his customers to cut down demand because of numerous
problems that seem to be plaguing the breeding programme, he said,
““It needs to drop to about once a week, which is ideally where it
should be. It is an endangered species.â€Â
The admission that we are attempting and, it must be said, failing to
breed this creature in captivity because local people insist on eating
it, regardless of its status, is not necessarily going to help improve
the farm’s green status, but at least Ebanks has raised the issue that
the Turtle Farm is more of a butcher’s shop than a conservation
programme.
He noted too that the demand comes from local restaurants not those in
the tourist sector. All over the world, foods and in particular marine
species that were once traditionally enjoyed by local groups are in
danger. As a result many people are sacrificing the food they
like to eat to try and save a particular species from extinction. A
viable comparison, which we have made on these pages before, is the
Cod in the North Atlantic. Gradually, across Europe and especially in
the UK, lovers of this tasty fish are recognizing that if they want to
ever eat this fish in the future they need to give it up now until the
natural stocks regenerate themselves.
Once a species is extinct, regardless of what the creationist may
preach, it is done for, finished, caput, end of story. Turtles evolved
and if we eat them all there will be no survival of the fittest. They,
like the dodo and probably very soon the panda, tiger and polar bear,
will be finished and they will not come back. Extinction is a very
final thing.
As yummy as many people here think turtle meat is, our community is
far from starving. There are numerous other healthy and delicious
things that we eat that are not about to become extinct. Provided that
we continue to manage our fish stocks and avoid taking creatures
during breeding times, and maintain and enforce marine regulations,
there will continue to be plenty of seafood alternatives. For those
that eat meat, the world so far is good for pigs, cows, goats, lamb
and chicken for the foreseeable future.
There is no reason at all for us to be eating turtle meat other than
the fact that people like it and have always eaten it. Eating an
endangered species, even when it is farmed, sends the message that it
is OK to eat a creature that is at risk and it continues to perpetuate
the desire for the meat.
This may be a controversial subject because many people believe they
have a right to eat what they want, but this is not the ‘thing’ to
make a stand about national identity and politics of difference. This
is a creature in trouble and, as the head of the turtle farm said,
it’s endangered. We can but hope that this admission is the first step
on the road to recovery for the turtle at least.
**************************************************************
Nicky: Before meat eaters get too comfortable with
themselves, they should read George Monbiot’s piece in The
Guardian. Eat your veggies.
**************************************************************
Claudette Upton: At last, the Turtle Farm has a
director who is honest enough to face the facts and speak about them
publicly. What a change!
**************************************************************
David Miller: I was told by a marine biologist that
the main problem with our turtle farm is inbreeding. He was educating
me into something I never knew before. All farms, (chickens, goats,
cows, alligators) have to change their breeding stock or they will
progressively create less and less animals as the years go by. So he
was explaining that it would happen in the future in the turtle farm.
This was told to me 10 years ago one day while I was giving a tour
about the turtle farm.
When we think about our future we have to agree with global warming.
Well there’s going to be more sea and less land, right? So our
children and grandchildren will probably not be able to afford beef
and chicken. So it would seem that with all of that ocean out there we
should create more turtle farms and exchange breeders like other farms
have been doing for hundreds of years in the past. What we have
forgotten in all of these arguments is that cattle make one calf per
year and is not an endangered species because we have made it into a
business. We have a lot of farms, if we didn’t it would have probably
have become an endangered species.
In my opinion the true reason that we don’t have a lot of farms is we
have created an emotional feeling about some animals and not others.
For instance, if I call a cow it will come. If I call a turtle it
won’t. The turtle will smell food and create a response to stimuli
with the sound of a boat engine and know that food comes when he
senses the sound. But cows have more human qualities such as
protecting their young. They are mammals; the calf sucks milk from its
mother, etc. But alas the turtle does not; it goes up on a beach drops
150 eggs up to 10 times per year and is not human-like at all.
Actually, very similar to crocs and alligators. Strange thing is they
are not endangered. I believe the only reason being they have
different breeders. Our turtle farm has the same breeders since the
inception of the farm by Archie Carr.
Dr. Balazs conservation efforts in Hawaii have proven successful
and he has declared a 600% increase in population: 55,000 mating
turtles and 155,000 juvenile turtles. Even the Leatherback has
increased in population in Trinidad. So I believe it CAN be done at
the turtle farm. We have to. Our children will need it.
My problem from all of this endangered species of turtles from
the sea is, how many did we have to begin with? Are we saying that sea
turtles prior to Columbus’ discovery was a proper way to count them?
Is it correct? Is the weather a problem? So many questions need more
research.
************************************************************** &n
bsp;
&nbs
p;
Chris Randall: The problem with the Turtle Farm, as ever, is
that it doesn’t know what it is supposed to be. When the original farm
grew out the defunct Mariculture operation it was as a research
facility, beginning with captured turtles and then, as breeding
techniques were perfected, becoming self-sufficient and finally
producing more turtle than were needed for research.
This enabled a quasi-commercial butchering business to develop, in
tandem with the introduction of licensing of turtle fishermen, the
declared intention being to eventually eliminate the catching of wild
turtle from the sea. This, it was hoped, would demonstrate to those
responsible for CITES that, although Chellonia Midas, in particular,
was endangered, the Farm could be classified as a genuine ranching
operation and thus it’s products would be exempt from the ban on trade
in turtle products. It didn’t work!
All of this is well-known so I apologise for regurgitating it.
Throughout the life of the farm, visitors were admitted, initially for
a nominal charge, and a small shop was operated selling shells and
items made from turtle-skin. I still have a business-card wallet
bought there in 1978.
There is an inherent conflict between the operation of a research
facility and a tourist attraction and, as we saw with the departure of
Dr Jim Wood, the tourist lobby won and research dwindled to nothing.
What we have now is simply a zoo. Various creatures, avian and
aquatic, have been imported and placed on display to provide variety;
after all when you’ve seen one turtle, you’ve seen them all.
Zoos do not usually slaughter their exhibits, which would seem to be
rather self-defeating.
The time has come to either admit and accept that this is, in fact, a
zoo and operate it as such, or abandon the whole expensive project and
go back to proper research and thereby regain some worldwide respect.
Minister confirms local thanksgiving holiday
(CNS): The minister for culture has announced the formal recognition of Caymanian Thanksgiving in the local calendar. Osborne Bodden told the Legislative Assembly last Thursday that as Cayman had developed so rapidly, with shifts in sectors of employment from seafaring and agriculture to tourism and finance, Caymanian culture was at risk of being diminished. He said that officially recognizing the day would strengthen and promote the cultural identity of the islands, especially for the younger generations, as well as building a cultural bridge with expat communities. There will not, however, be an addition to the list of public holidays because the holiday will fall on the first Sunday of December, Bodden explained.
Many Caymanians from earlier key generations of Cayman's culture and history were, he said, “departing this world”, taking their knowledge, skills and traditions with them, while many younger Caymanians were unable to identify characteristics of Caymanian architecture or sing traditional Caymanian songs.
However, one aspect of Caymanian culture that everyone could recognize is the food, he said, and its promotion would provide incentives for local business and food producers by bringing local restaurants into closer and more regular interaction with the focus of the holiday on the Sunday meal.
The benefits of promoting the islands culture would also be a boon for tourism, the minister said, as holiday makers from the US and Canada would be interested in seeing Thanksgiving “Cayman-style”.
North Side MLA Ezzard Miller questioned whether there should be potential household limits for consumption of turtle, and whether the premier would also have to “pardon a turtle” for the promotion of the holiday, much to the amusement of the House (a reference to the tradition in the US where the president pardons a turkey every Thanksgiving).
The independent member also queried whether or not the cost of turtle meat could be reduced for the holiday, which is approaching this weekend.
His wish appeared to have been granted as the Cayman Turtle Farm issued a release Friday stating that the meat would be on sale this week at a reduced rate. From Monday through to Thursday the farm has reduced the price of turtle stew meat and menavelins by $2 per pound, but officials said steak meat is not being reduced.
Cayman Thanksgiving is a weekend-long national celebration to honour Caymanian heritage, culture and way of life. It is a time for fellowship among family, friends and neighbours while allowing an opportunity for our Caymanian community to express gratitude for our many blessings on the passing of Hurricane season. This weekend celebration will culminate on the first Sunday of December, centered around a traditional Caymanian meal.
New rules coming for PAs
(CNS): The government is currently working on a new law which will see the rules regarding government companies such as Cayman Airways and the Turtle Farm, as well as the bodies that manage the port, the airport and the Water Authority, follow more standardized practices. Despite being government-owned, these various public entities have functioned separately with their own boards and rules. Many have different recruitment practices, benefits packages and management and accounts systems. But given that more than $114 million of taxpayers’ money goes to these companies and authorities annually to provide services or service debts, the Cabinet wants to regain some control and introduce across the board standards.
Speaking at a press briefing last week, Premier Alden McLaughlin said the current "ad hoc system" will be changed when the new law moves through the parliament sometime in the New Year, as he pointed to some of the problems with the way that public bodies function.
Government is seeking to remove the random management practices that have characterized some of the agencies and create standard recruitment and HR systems as well as pay and benefits packages for staff.
Government has 25 statutory authorities and government companies and many of them have entirely different management systems from each other and from core government. Marco Archer, the finance minister, recently described them as “a mixture of small, medium and large entities with varying degrees of reliance on financial support from the government”.
The drain on government resources from the Turtle Farm, for example, is well-documented but other entities such as the port and the Maritime Authority, which were meant to be profit making entities, are also facing problems. While others, such as the Water Authority and the Airport Authority, generate income, in some cases the government has lost control of what is happening inside the entities, which has result in significant problems and, according to the auditor general, the serious risk of abuse of public cash.
On top of the various types of problems, regardless of the size or system, their financial performance directly impacts the government’s financial results and the quality of the financial statements.
As a result, Archer said at the government’s professional development course last week that government has already stepped up its scrutiny of the SAGCs in order to ensure that they are “prioritizing the need for improved financial management; improved financial performance; and enhanced accountability for the way they carry out their functions”.
The public authorities all fall under the Public Management and Finance Law, which has some tight regulations and rules, but because they operate as distinct entities, each with separate boards of directors, they have sometimes been in conflict with it and the vision of the government.
“This occasionally results in unintended negative consequences, either in terms of policy direction and or financial performance,” Archer stated, as he explained that the draft bill may seek to better define the roles, responsibilities and autonomy of SAGCs and their relationship with Cabinet.
Archer further stated that government would be planning improvements regarding how all public sector agencies track and report their performance to show exactly how public money is spent.
“It is crucially important that the people of the country are given meaningful reports that allow for the assessment of how well agencies are performing and how that work aligns with the strategy and policies of the Cabinet,” Archer said. “The PMFL has a very complex performance reporting framework that has not worked as envisioned. The current system of Output specification and reporting requires an enormous amount of manual work and does not produce the type of information that Cabinet or the Legislative Assembly needs to properly evaluate agency performance.”
He said that the budget statements produced by government may provide an enormous amount of information but he questioned how useful it was as it does not really show the activities of a given agency or how well it is doing what it should do.
Over 2,000 people work in the 25 public authorities that fall outside of core government and the premier has indicated that his government is keen to see those public employees on morestandardized HR packages, as well as working more on government rather than their board’s policies. He said the bill would create common standards, not just for the financial reporting but in employment as well.
Key authorities in trouble
(CNS): A number of the government’s key authorities are not only losing money but facing major management issues from board interference and bad debts to a lack of compliance with tendering processes and the laws which established these entities. In his latest report looking at the state of all of government’s statutory authorities and companies (SAGC) for the financial year ending 30 June 2012, the auditor general has highlighted many weaknesses in the business models and has raised significant questions about Civil Aviation, the Airports Authority, the Maritime Authority, the Port Authority, Health Services Authority and the Tourism Attraction Board, as well as the usual suspects: the Turtle Farm and Cayman Airways.
While financial reporting and governance environments at many SAGCs has begun to improve over the last few years, Alastair Swarbrick’s latest report demonstrates that, like central government, the semi-autonomous public entities are also still struggling with a catalogue of issues. These undermine their performance and put at risk the tax payers' money injected into these entities as a subsidies or as payments made by government for their services.
In a detailed analysis of the 26 entities that were audited for the financial year ending on 30 June 2012, less than half were able to meet the statutory deadlines in preparing financial accounts. In the final analysis one entity, the Children and Youth Services Foundation, failed to complete any financial accounts, ten others received qualified opinions and one, the Sister Islands Affordable Housing Development Corporation, was disclaimed. Of the remaining 14 that were given unqualified opinions, Swarbrick indicated that there were still many problems in the management and financial stability of these government-owned entities.
Notwithstanding some improvements, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) report pointed to many shortcomings, including the failure of the SAGCs to table full reports to the Legislative Assembly in a timely manner, which Swarbrick said was fundamental. There were still financial management problems in many, as well as board interference and conflicts of interest that are not only undermining the running of many of these authorities and companies but leaving public cash vulnerable to abuse.
“There are still fundamental gaps in the accountability of government for the use of public resources and a significant way to go before financial accountability is restored,” Swarbrick wrote, despite his indication that things are improving. “My reports also highlight the significant weaknesses in governance and control frameworks that I believe are impeding the ability for entities to prepare timely and accurate financial reports.”
Swarbrick highlighted a litany of problems that authorities face. Some he found were already in dire financial circumstances, and while others were holding on, there were warning signs of significant future problems with their future viability. For some, it was not just a matter of poor financial performance and waste but conflicts of interest and mismanagement. SAGCs were straining government coffers while receiving payments and subsidies from the public purse but still returning further deficits.
The problems he found were varied and plentiful and although all but two of the 26 entities audited raised questions and concerns for the audit office, Swarbrick pointed to the Airport Authority, Civil Aviation, the HSA, the port and the Tourism Attraction Board as particularly troubling.
Breakdowns in governance, political interference and conflicts of interest at the Airport Authority were just some of the reasons why the CIAA received a qualified opinion. Swarbrick highlighted an already well-documented catalogue of concerns at the airport, including the former minister’s direction to the board regarding operational matters.
The report stated that McKeeva Bush provided direction “beyond his lawful authority” and directed who and how many ground handlers there would be, two of which were owned by board members at the time. The board also interfered beyond its authority with staff and operational matters. The conflicts of interest were also “so pervasive” they had the “potential to undermine the ability of the board to operate in the best interests of CIAA and negatively impact its financial performance.”
The report also indicated serious problems at Civil Aviation, where one of the reasons for its qualification was the potential lack of disclosure of related party transactions by the board. Swarbrick said there was evidence of a breakdown between the board and management and a pay dispute. He also found policy and human resource problems affecting the governance of the CAA.
The Port Authority was also facing a litany of problems undermining its ability to operate. From issues over related party transactions and the absence of good governance standards for the board to non-compliance with the port regulations and its increasing liabilities, Swarbrick highlighted several internal control and financial management concerns. The auditor also noted the amount of money the port authority had spent on legal fees trying to fight FOI requests at the direction of the board.
The HSA faced major issues, especially over bad debt. Its qualified opinion related to problems the auditors found with revenue records, the accuracy of the accumulative deficit, as well as the hospital’s difficulties in absorbing patient care costs that government had not covered as it exceeded the Ministry of Health’s budget.
Although the Tourism Attraction Board is much smaller than the other four critical authorities, the significant amount of problems raised serious concerns. Swarbrick said the number of internal control and other governance problems were so bad that the TAB was at risk of error, fraud and misuse of public funds. From serious discrepancies in the management of cash to theft and misappropriation of money, the report pointed to more ministerial interference. Bush, who was the minister and premier at the time, had reportedly indicated who should be given contracts to supply services.
With numerous problems still facing SAGCs, Swarbrick noted that even the ones that are improving are hindered by the fact that reports are not being made public. The importance of accountability was highlighted by the number of problems the auditors have found and now exposed some two years after the fact. Swarbrick said that until reports are completed and made public in a timely fashion, the Legislative Assembly would continue to remain in the dark about how SAGCs collect and spend public cash.
See the OAG full report on SAGCs below.
Chamber: CS can’t cut itself
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce is calling on government to partner with private sector experts to implement the rationalisation of the civil service. In a long statement supporting the Ernst and Young report and the recommendations for government cuts, the Chamber Council said that it was concerned about conflicts of interest and suggested the civil service team wasn’t capable of carrying out the rationalisation. Chamber President Johann Moxam fell short of supporting all of the report’s recommendations, such as the privatization of schools, but the business representatives appear to be backing the idea put forward of a government fire sale.
“The Chamber supports the rationalisation of the public sector. Education and health care are large complex systems delivering services to various members ofthe public and are closely connected with multiple related services,” Moxam said. “Parts of education and parts of health care could be more efficient, outsourced or rationalised. However, without a full, specific and detailed privatisation model to consider, the Chamber cannot say that it categorically supports the wholesale privatisation of either health care or education. At this stage, more research and analysis will need to be undertaken.”
While the Chamber urged government to consider the 55 recommendations in the controversial EY report, the Chamber did not specify exactly what government entities should be the first on the auction block or how government should go about making the first transition. However the Chamber criticised government for putting civil servants in charge of implementing the changes.
“The Council questions the decision by government to assign a team of civil servants to lead the implementation of the recommendations that are to be accepted,” The Chamber stated in its long response to the report. “We are concerned by the potential conflicts of interest and whether the team will have the requisite change management skills required to carry out this challenging process. We would have preferred to see some independent private sector involvement that can offer relevant expertise in, or oversight of, the implementation process.”
The Chamber said creating a new department rather than simply outsourcing the implementation contradicts the aim of the report. “The implementation phase should not be led by bureaucrats who may lack the objectivity to guarantee the success of this initiative,” the Chamber stated.
A month after the report was delivered to Cabinet the government remains silent about the recommendations and early indications are that the PPM members of government are less than impressed with the $150,000 report. Despite claiming in-depth analysis and research, some of the suggestions appear vague and have little justification. Sources tell CNS that government is unlikely to adopt more than a few of the recommendations.
Nevertheless, the Chamber said it would be pressing government to find the political will which has been lacking in the past to implement the changes.
“We want a government that is fiscally responsible, accountable, and transparent with a clear plan for the future. We also want to ensure that we have the financial resources and reserves to invest in key infrastructure projects and to prioritise them accordingly,” the Chamber stated. “The Council supports measures to reduce the cost of government, improve performance and relate efficiencies, increase enforcement, privatise non-essential services, introduce and apply reasonable regulation and eliminate waste and unnecessary bureaucracy.”
The Chamber asked Cabinet to “be brave and bold” in the selection of recommendations to adopt.
“Evaluationof the recommendations should not be hindered by internal forces that may attempt to sabotage reform, to protect old and antiquated systems or to centralise power or to build up internal empires,” the Chamber added in its response to the EY report. .
But with significant numbers of civil service jobs at risk, many unrealistic recommendations and significant unintended consequences associated with them, government is likely to find a lack of support not just in the public sector, but in the wider community for the vast majority of the 55 recommendations. Privatizing schools, giving health care debts to collection agencies, charging full fair for Cayman Airways flights or selling crown land may not all find favour with the public and selling the Turtle Farm or Radio Cayman may be easier recommended than done.
See Chamber response in full below.
Freedomof Information’s first responders
The Freedom of Information Law has been in effect now for 5 and a half years and public authorities in the Cayman Islands have fielded over 3,500 requests from the public for all kinds of records. Whether it is questions about how the Turtle Farm is operating, what the future holds for electricity generation in Cayman or the travel expenses of your elected officials, all those requests have had to be acknowledged and processed by someone in government, namely Information Managers (IMs).
The IMs are on the front lines when it comes to meeting the government’s obligations under the FOI Law. As part of Right to Know Week we are highlighting IMs and want to take a moment to recognize the busiest IM in the Cayman Islands, Ms. Petula Twinn, LLB from the Immigration Department. Last year Petula fielded over 140 FOI requests, in addition to her regular duties as the Immigration Appeals Coordinator, and she has had only five cases that were appealed to the ICO in the last 5 years.
Petula recently took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions we had for her.
Tell me how long you have been an FOI Manager and what your feelings are regarding the job so far, i.e. challenges, opportunities etc.
I’ve been the FOI Manager for the Department since the FOI Law came into effect. The first year was challenging as the concept of the public being able to simply request and receive documents/information from a government entity was a new one and required a new way of thinking. Additionally, Immigration was one of the departments to receive the most requests, with the majority of requests made by persons wishing to view their immigration files.
Tell me why you think your public authority receives so many requests per year.
Prior to the FOI Law coming into effect, generally persons were not able to view their immigration files and there was a bit of an ‘air of mystery’ about them. Now that persons have access to their files, many individuals are eager to view their file to see what it contains. In many instances, I have had applicants view their files and comment that they expected it to be a lot more interesting!
Tell me if FOI has in anyway changed the way your public authority does business and whether those changes have been positive or negative, and in what way.
I think the FOI Law has helped Immigration make a number of positive changes in that the department is now more proactive in providing information to the public. For instance, our website now contains all application forms, along with guidance notes and the current Law. We have a ‘Latest Updates’ which provides important information to the public. This information can include changes to the current Immigration Law and new forms or procedures in submitting applications. Currently, this section provides information on changes pertaining to the English Language Test.
Do you feel that FOI has made your public authority more accountable? If so, how?
Definitely. I think that just knowing that someone can request a document, whether it be a file note, memorandum, minutes from a meeting, a copy of an email, there is a concerted effort in ensuring information is recorded and stored accurately.
If someone asked you for a tip on how to make a good FOI request what would you say to them?
Try to be as specific as possible about the information that you have requested as it helps the FOI Manager identify the records/information that you need.
If your public authority needed someone to take over the FOI Manager duties from you what type of person would you tell your manager to look for? I.e. what type of personality, experience, education etc., should they be looking for?
Based on my experience with FOI, the position requires someone who is objective, naturally helpful and has an open mind. Many times people are not quite sure of the exact document or information that they are seeking and as the FOI Manager, you must be able to ask the appropriate questions in order to determine what an individual is requesting.
In the words of one IM the job they do is “thankless and tireless” but without them it would not be possible for the public to exercise their very important rights to access public records. That is why the Information Commissioner’s Office would like to thank IMs and Deputy IMs across the public sector for their hard work as FOI’s First Responders .
If you would like to know more about the Information Commissioner’s Right to Know Week Activities or the Freedom of information Law please visit our website at www.infocomm.ky or call us on 747-5402.
EY points to major sell-off
(CNS): The premier has released the report by Ernst and Young into the rationalization of government and the potential sale of public services. Announcing the arrival of the completed 260-plus page report, Alden McLaughlin said that government had received it Monday afternoon and had made no decisions on the recommendations contained in it. The report makes far reaching radical recommendations for a sell off of government and if implemented would place significant public services into the hands of the private sector, from education and healthcare to the airport and port. The document recommends the sale and outsourcing of dozens of government assets and services.
Promising that the government would be examining the entire thing very carefully, McLaughlin refused to commit to a single recommendation as he said the decisions would be made by the entire caucus. He said the report was being released to the public in the interests of transparency but the process of deciding what could be achieved would now begin as the PPM government will be examining the findings and looking at what it can support.
Although McLaughlin made no mention of a public consultation process, there is no doubt that the report's recommendations will stir up major public opinion on both sides. While some people will support the myriad sell-off suggestion, others may find the recommendations unpalatable and too great a departure from the accepted roles and responsibilities that government, as the collective representative of the people, should deliver.
The recent public debate that has emerged regarding the privatization of education, which has not won the hearts and minds of the broader public, is a clear indication that if government intends to implement the early priority recommendations in the report it is unlikely to get wide public backing for some of the more radical proposals.
The report is extensive and complex but it suggests the sale of public owned land, the Turtle Farm, Radio Cayman, the stock exchange and the Water Authority, the outsourcing of the entire hospital services and local clinics, privatizing CINICO and an increase in the fees the insured pay, increasing the fares on Cayman Airways to reflect the true costs, moving and selling off the airport, merging of some of CIMA’s services with the General Registry, abolishing the development bank, GIS, the Housing Development Trust and the National Drug Council. Recommendations include the introduction of charter schools with private sector entities running them as well as merging the primary schools on Cayman Brac.
The report also points to centralization of certain government elements, such as finances, HR, procurement, IT, revenue collection. It points to merging the National Gallery, the museum and the CNCF. The report also talks about merging support staff for the auditor general, the information and complaints commissioners, cutting security jobs and clarifying who does what at District Administration in Cayman Brac, with a view to cutting some of the jobs and centralising the services.
McLaughlin told the press Tuesday that he would not sell off government assets to get cold hard cash in the short term if his government felt it was not in the long term interests of the country but he refused to say where he believed the PPM government might start with the recommendations in the report.
The premier made a commitment, however, to keep the public updated throughout the process and wold announce as soon as any decision would be made about the implementation of any of the reports recommendations.
The deputy governor also assured civil servants that no one would be shown the door tomorrow and everyone in the service would be treated fairly during the transition.
See the full document below.