Good morning.

My thanks to our hosts, Royal Fidelity, for this invitation to speak at what has become an important annual conference in the Cayman business calendar.

I too wish to pay tribute to Anwer Sunderji, former Chairman and CEO of Fidelity. For many years he was the driving force of this conference and those who have been here before will understand how much he brought to this event and how we all looked forward to his political and economic insights and his wry humour, as he addressed the conference each year. 

Governor.. I thank you for your kind words and as you will hear shortly from my presentation – I very much agree that our economy is in great shape.   But let’s also get the viewpoint of leading regional economist, Marla Dukharan, when she presented her annual January online video economic report on the state of Caribbean economies in 2019.

SHOW VIDEO

  I thank Ms. Dukharan for continuing to acknowledge the hard work done by this Government to create not only a strong fiscal climate but also one that is conducive to growth and investment and that brings benefits to Caymanians. Ms. Dukharan also mentioned some challenges for us and I will speak to these later.  I will also later on provide a few statistics updated from those shown in the video.

As we gather to think about the global future economic outlook, perhaps it is appropriate that you hear this morning from a politician.  After all, it was a politician I greatly admire, Winston Churchill, Britain’s great war time Prime Minister who said, “Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year………And then to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen.”

He may have made these remarks tongue in cheek, but Churchill certainly understood that in his time, with changing world forces, it was becoming more and more difficult to know with any degree of assurance what the future might bring.  The same holds even more true today.   

This conference’s organisers have captured that sentiment well by titling today’s conference - Dynamic New World: Braving the Turmoil.

I am not planning to dust off a crystal ball and look into the future with you today.  That is always a dangerous idea at an economic conference.  After all – economists have correctly forecast at least nine of the last five recessions!

But neither am I planning to play it safe – instead I will provide my thoughts on not only what we in the Cayman Islands need to keep doing to avoid the turmoil; but also, the things that we could consider doing to prepare ourselves for an increasingly dynamic world.

I will start with this observation: in times of dynamic and profound change we should expect that there will be turmoil. 

Great change and turmoil are but different sides of the same coin.  Whether the change is political, economic, or technological – where there is great change we can expect turmoil; turmoil defined not just as total disorder - but also as upheaval, agitation, disruption or uncertainty.

The economic growth that the world has seen over the past 100 years has lifted millions out of poverty globally, but it has also made the very rich even richer – and highlighted a widening income disparity.   This has caused agitation and uncertainty in many countries – consider the ‘gilets jaunes’ protestors in France.  A new fuel tax has seemingly been the proverbial ‘last straw that broke the camel’s back’ and created an organic movement without a leader or a focus on any one particular cause, but a movement that has certainly created economic, social and political upheaval across France.

We have experienced great change in our Islands over the past 50 years, with the pace of change increasing at an ever faster rate.  And this has inevitably brought with it some agitation and uncertainty as Caymanians have experienced tremendous economic growth but also significant and sustained levels of immigration and development that have not just brought ‘new faces’ to Cayman but are also changing the very face of our Islands.

It is testament to the nature of our people that despite these immense changes, Cayman remains one of the most peaceful places on earth, largely free from the racial, ethnic, and social tensions that plague much of the world.

Consider just for a moment the political turmoil that is also impacting much larger countries and compare it to what we see in our small Islands.

In the world’s largest economy, we’ve seen political squabbling,  principally over a border wall and immigration, shut down the very business of government for well over a month, causing real problems to both those who receive public services and the civil servants who provide them.  In the result, some 800,000 public servants were left furloughed or required to work without pay.    

In contrast, Cayman continues to value the huge contribution that civil servants make in our society.  While we expect ever higher levels of efficiency and performance, we recognize and reward their service.  And whilst we have some tensions around increasing immigration we also understand the need to welcome people here to help us drive our economy and build a nation.  And because of that our population has grown by over 700% in my lifetime – with over 130 nationalities living amongst us in relative harmony.  We are a veritable little United Nations.

 In the UK, Brexit is revealing what has long been disguised – fundamental fault lines that run right through the core of the political establishment.  Again, it is not simply within the political sphere that the impact is felt, the British people feel it as well.  One of Britain’s most influential think tanks, the Institute for Government, in its annual report on the performance of the UK government concluded that all the time and effort that has gone into the political wrangling over Brexit has, “squeezed government’s capacity to manage public services and major projects, and to bring about improvement in them.”

In Cayman, by comparison, political differences have been put aside in the creation of a unity government that I have the privilege to lead – a coalition of the two main political parties and a number of independents.  The result has been a strong government that generates good decisions and is able to focus its attention on improving public services and delivering major projects. 

In Venezuela we see a once proud country, with some of the largest oil reserves in the world, become crippled under the weight of economic and political mismanagement.  Its people face a humanitarian crisis - suffering from a shortage in food supplies and medicines, and skyrocketing inflation making their currency useless as a store of value.  The impact is also being felt by its neighbors, including those in the Caribbean, as many thousands of Venezuelans leave the country in desperation.    

In Cayman we have had successive Governments that for 60 years have generally managed our economy and finances well and, despite the many changes here, there is political and social stability. We are no Utopia – as I mentioned at last year’s conference, we face our own challenges. But by and large we have done exceedingly well for a small nation with little in the way of natural resources.

 I mention these things to illustrate the fact that in the present day context the political and social stability we are enjoying in Cayman is more the exception than the norm.  

There are two important lessons in this.

The first is that stability cannot be taken for granted. We as politicians, particularly those within the unity government, need to continue to work tirelessly to maintain stability for the good of our country and our people. 

The second is that political instability, should we ever allow it to creep in, has real world consequences that none of us want to see in our Islands.  And so, we must be vigilant. And by we, I mean Government as well as private citizens, and business. 

We must not only appreciate the jewel that we have created here but we must jealously guard and protect it. 

Cayman’s political stability is bearing fruit.  You can see that in our headline economic indicators.

Annualised real terms GDP growth for the whole of 2018 is expected to close at 3.4%.  – This is on par with our largest trading partner, the USA.   So we have closed out the old year and started the new with continuing strong economic performance.

We have a strong economy that continues to generate jobs and opportunities for Caymanians.  The fall 2018 Labour Force Survey will be completed and released soon, but preliminary results indicate that overall unemployment, taking into consideration everyone legally resident here, has dropped from 4.9% in Fall 2017 to 2.9% in Fall 2018. As significant as that number may be, to me as Premier the more important number is that of Caymanian unemployment – which has dropped from 7.3% in Fall 2017 to 4.6% in Fall 2018.

This is the lowest level of Caymanian unemployment in more than a decade and is far lower than the peak Caymanian unemployment level of 10.5% that we saw in 2012.   

Political stability then has assisted in creating strong economic performance.  That in turn is sustaining confidence among businesses and investors about our future and their confidence is the foundation for maintaining growth and creating further opportunities for Caymanians.

Perhaps the most tangible and visible expression of confidence in the long term prospects of our economy is the growth that is going on in our development and construction sector.  This was one of the key factors driving the high level of overall GDP growth in our economy that I mentioned earlier.  Annualised growth in the construction sector reached 8.9% for the first half of 2018.  This growth in development is also driving an increase in imports with more than one billion dollars’ worth of goods having been imported into the Cayman Islands last year.

In large part so far I have been focusing on what we are doing, and must keep doing, to secure and underpin our success. 

This conference though is about looking to the future and in keeping with the theme I will consider what else we can do to prepare ourselves for the new dynamic world we face. In considering the future we should not just look at the most careful and predictable of scenarios, but at what exciting possibilities may be available to us if we are only more ambitious and innovative in our approach.

If we are to maintain, and indeed improve, our place in the world far into the future then we will need to be bold and to think big.  In my view, it only makes sense to think about bigger and bolder steps if we are confident in the foundations that are needed to support them.  If the economic fundamentals are sound then risk is more manageable and the confidence will be there to fund the investments that will be required.

Equally, it also only makes sense to think of such steps if they will bring real and tangible benefits to the Caymanian people. Ours is a proud history of willingness to innovate and to support inward investment but it has always been done on the basis that there is a meaningful return for our people.  You don’t grow an economy for the sake of business – you do it to provide opportunities for your people.

In terms of Cayman’s future prospects for growth and development, the fundamentals remain solid.  The factors that have fueled the success of Cayman’s economy continue to do so, despite challenges. 

For Financial Services, the bedrock foundation of our status as a UK overseas territory and our legal system based on English common law combined with the choice we have made to remain a tax-neutral jurisdiction with no direct taxation remains a fundamentally attractive proposition for businesses and investors alike.  The ability of the industry to innovate and the willingness of government to combine a business-friendly environment with appropriate but proportionate regulation will continue to maintain our competitive advantage so long as there is a level playing field.

Despite the challenges that our financial services industry is facing I am of the view that we can withstand these and continue to grow from strength to strength.   Ms Dukharan noted one such challenge in her video when she referred to initiatives by the European Union and their concern, justified or not, with countries that have ‘no tax or low tax regimes’. 

For those of you unaware, the Cayman Islands, along with over 20 other countries, are currently undergoing yet another review, at the end of which the EU will either give us their good housekeeping badge of approval or ‘black list’ us as having a harmful tax regime.      The concern presumably is that low or no tax regimes are harmful whilst, presumably, high tax regimes are not. 

This is never, though, simply a technical exercise.  In the end, the EU makes political judgments.  My government has therefore played its part in trying to influence those judgments by engaging with the EU.  This engagement continues and we, along with the 20 other jurisdictions undergoing the EU review process, await the decision of the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) meeting on March 12^th.  

I repeat here what I have said elsewhere - I remain confident that if the EU review process is fair, and not overtly political, we will not end up on any blacklist.  But we know that this is but one challenge – there are more to come.  

          I remain confident, however, that we can manage that future uncertainty and that by working together, government and the industry, we can keep pace with changing global standards while preserving the special characteristics of this jurisdiction that make it an attractive place to do business in the first place.

At the same time, our tourism industry continues to flourish with record numbers of tourists arriving at our newly renovated airport and at our seaport.  This growth will continue because we will continue to develop our world class tourism product. 

This Government has already been bold in not only modernising and tripling the size of our international airport but also in thinking of the future and committing to building the much-needed cruise piers that will serve us today but also protect our key cruise tourism business into the future.

The immediate economic prospects for Cayman are indeed therefore strong.  While there are uncertainties and threats, I believe that both our financial services industry and tourism have a positive outlook and we can continue to deliver sustainable levels of growth.

However, we do need to think longer term about what will drive future growth in the Cayman economy.  The more diverse the Cayman economy, the more resilient it becomes. Diversifying our economic base also creates new kinds of opportunities for our people, both as entrepreneurs and in the labour market.  And so we have attracted and continue to attract new types of technology and knowledge based businesses. 

Cayman Enterprise City, our well-established special economic zone, continues to attract new kinds of businesses to our Islands, notably internet and technology businesses, including FinTech and BioTech.

Newcomer Tech Cayman brings together Caymanian business acumen with established US technology entrepreneurship and is gearing up to create new forms of digital and knowledge-based business here.

Health City Cayman Islands utilises some of the most modern technology available anywhere. It is the first hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean to use robotic navigation for joint replacements; the first to install artificial hearts; and much more. This is a key part of our medical tourism platform.

And we continue to look to diversify financial services, more recently by attracting more reinsurance companies into Cayman – taking advantage of disruption in other jurisdictions to create new opportunities for us.  

But growth too brings its own set of challenges that we must manage. If we are to continue to grow, it is my view that we need to make really creative use of the scarce space we have.  And despite the huge strides we have made in recent years we must improve our future infrastructure, particularly our road network.  The Government is currently consulting on a draft national planning framework that begins to look at some of the crucial land use choices that will face us in the years ahead.  I support that consultation process and I hope everyone will want to take part in the debate.

However, the planning framework considers a relatively short time horizon and inevitably therefore this causes participants to  focus on marginal or incremental change.

This has traditionally been the Caymanian way.  We have taken a pragmatic approach and looked to make relatively small changes over time as circumstances have changed.   

Over a period of decades, we have gradually allowed taller buildings as the demand for property for development increased.  This demand continues and indeed strengthens and with the growth we are now experiencing there is already pressure to go beyond the current maximum of 10 stories above ground level.

I pose this as a series of questions that we as a nation should now consider, do we want to continue with the approach of incremental change?  Or is now the time for us to think bigger and act more boldly when it comes to our land use and building heights?  If so, how high and where do we want future development to be allowed?

Last week, speaking to the Chamber of Commerce I discussed the work Government is doing in partnership with business and the wider community to revitalize our capital, George Town.  I encouraged all involved to think creatively about how we might best use the space in George Town and the uses to which it might be put.  While I personally favour mixed-use development across the redevelopment area, this is a genuinely inclusive process and the Government is willing to listen positively to the ideas people will bring forward. 

The Government has already removed many of the constraints that have prevented innovative planning approaches in George Town in the past.  We would be willing to look further and remove other obstacles such as restrictions on building heights in order to see the kind of positive redevelopment we want in our Capital.

The other obvious example of the potential for taller buildings is along the Seven Mile Beach corridor.  All the messages about the strength of the tourism market and the luxury housing market suggest that there may be no obvious limit to building height in terms of what the market will bear.  The question becomes then, what is our community willing to see happen?

The answer to that crucially will depend upon the benefits that any such development brings.  I said earlier that if we are to take bold steps then there must be clear and tangible benefits for Caymanians.  If development is seen to be just about luxury hotels and accommodation for rich foreigners then our community will rightly reject it.  If on the other hand, it is not just seen to be, but actually is about, the delivery of improvements in infrastructure and in the economic and employment opportunities and the social conditions of Caymanians then I believe this is a debate we should be willing to engage in.

By way of a kick start to that debate, I can say today that representatives from Dart Enterprises have recently spoken to Government regarding plans for a landmark development within Camana Bay  that includes an iconic tower that would greatly exceed the current development height limits - creating a new skyline that would be recognizable the world over. With this development they will  commit to investing in excess of an additional $1 ½  billion into the Cayman Islands economy, not just in the development itself but in critical infrastructure improvements and supporting workforce development. 

We know that future development along Seven Mile Beach is inevitable.  In fact the new wave of redevelopment started some years ago and is now accelerating with the demolition of condominium complexes built in the 70’s and 80’s and the construction of new 10 story luxury residences in their stead. The question is whether we wish to continue to limit the type of development in the seven mile beach corridor in line with the status quo, gradually ratcheting up building heights and redeveloping existing sites to take advantage of changing regulations.  If so, the result will be more of the same in terms of what Seven Mile Beach is slowly becoming – just a higher wall of glass and concrete than we have at present and which continues to take over the whole beach.

Perhaps we can be content with this and the economic activity this incremental and ad hoc approach will create over the next ten or so years.  But what about the next decade and the ones after that? This approach is unlikely to ensure that as a country we maximize the full economic benefits of the Seven Mile Beach Corridor.

The alternative is to be bold and look at something different.  A more proactive approach that considers taller buildings and that conserves ever scarcer beach land on the important Seven Mile Beach strip.  Taller buildings but in particular hotel developments that generate much more income and economic activity for our islands than other types of development do. Taller buildings that will require developers to give back more of the beach and to have farther setbacks - creating a large open space between the building and the beach.

I believe we must at least take a long, hard look at the potential for the kind of tower Dart is proposing.

The development would necessarily be mixed-use with hotel, residential, retail and entertainment spaces. 

The potential economic benefits are considerable.  More and different construction jobs during the build phase.  New business and job opportunities for Caymanians to follow as new tourism and entertainment markets are developed to meet the needs of a different kind of tourist and a different kind of resident.

But we must also consider that such a large scale development project would create hundreds of jobs and economic opportunities and thus would also help to serve as a much needed buffer over the next few years when the inevitable next recession occurs. 

As part of considering this or any similar proposal, any developer will also need to bring forward a significant programme of infrastructure investment.  This would necessarily include road improvements but also potentially social infrastructure – improvements to Cayman’s schools or investment in affordable housing for local people for example. And so, as a Caymanian, I am excited about the idea.  As Premier, I am determined that we engage positively with Dart and with any other developers who might want to bring forward such ideas to see what might be possible.

There is an awfully long way to go before such ideas might come to fruition but now is the time for a national debate. The Plan Cayman process gives us a timely and appropriate vehicle to have that national debate.  The next phase of consultation in that process will be on an area plan for the Seven Mile Beach Corridor and the potential for a landmark development can be addressed as part of that consultation.   I will leave it to Dart to outline their ideas in more detail and, as I have said, I would welcome others coming forward with other proposals. 

I wish to make it clear that there has been no commitment from the Government to Dart or anyone else at this stage but we do believe we must be willing at least to consider the proposal.

The renowned architect Adrian Smith noted in an article on tall buildings that the landmarks they create often over time become a symbol of national pride and identity. Such developments create new types of jobs and economic benefit as well as serving as an iconic tourist attraction in their own right.

Think for a minute the impact that the Burj Khalifa, which was designed by Adrian Smith, has made for Dubai.  Or indeed the impact of the Eiffel Tower on Paris and indeed France as a whole.

Hang on!  Before people start taking to social media to decry this idea, hear me out.

Many people here will know that Gustave Eiffel was commissioned to design his iconic tower for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris.  What you may not know is that the proposed tower was immediately controversial.  Indeed 300 members of the Paris artistic and cultural elite signed a petition to the Fair’s organizing Committee asking for the project to be abandoned. 

Yes – petitions against progress were a thing even then.

But I digress.  Describing themselves as “passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris”, they protested with all their strength and indignation against what they described as “this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower” that they claimed would be antithetical to the traditions of the city and would overshadow existing cultural sites. 

I can just imagine those in Cayman who will make very similar – if not pretty much identical – objections to any proposals for a major development here.  Yet now, the Eiffel Tower is not just part of the Paris skyline; it is the very symbol of the city itself. 

Could we in Cayman imagine a similarly iconic structure here that would come not to threaten our cultural heritage but to reimagine it and to symbolize the bold future we want for our Islands and our people?

I have no doubt that this last section of my speech this morning will be highly controversial and will ignite considerable debate.  If so, good!  That is my intention because this is a debate that the country needs to have.  There is much that is within our grasp if only we are bold and the decisions we make will have profound impact on the long term economic outlook of these Islands.

It comes down to a matter of choice about the future we want for ourselves and these Islands.  Brutus, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, put it this way:

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat,

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures.

I thank President Chris Kirkconnell and the Chamber for this opportunity to address you.

Last year I highlighted the improving relationship between government and business and the importance of continuing to develop that relationship.

That spirit of partnership has continued to grow and there are many examples of how our joint leadership has served to advance the interests of these Islands. I will highlight those as I talk about them, but I thank Past President Paul Byles, the Chamber Council, member businesses, and Wil and his team for their important contributions.

The coming year will be very good for our Islands. The Royal Visit of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in March will certainly be a highlight in a year that I expect will have many such, but none more important. And so Government intends to make 28 March, 2018, a public holiday in honour of this royal visit.

If you were present last year you may recall that I began with a video in which leading regional economist Marla Dukharan described Cayman as “the best run economy in the whole Caribbean”. The performance of Cayman’s economy over the last year consolidates our position at the top of Ms Dukharan’s league table.  

Government continues to run excellent surpluses with preliminary 2018 results indicating revenues of $832.3 Million with a surplus of $178 Million; some $91.4 Million more than budgeted. We continue to pay down debt and to operate from cash.

GDP growth was 3.7% in the first six months of 2018 and the official forecast for 2018 year end is 3.4%.

The economy continues to perform strongly and, as we anticipated, our economic success continues to generate jobs and opportunities for Caymanians.

The 2018 Spring Labour Force Survey showed an overall increase in employment with Caymanians in work increasing by 3.4% while employment among non-Caymanians declined by 4.1%. Correspondingly, unemployment decreased to 3.4% from 4.1% in the same period of 2017. Unemployment was lower across all status groups but the highest reduction was among Caymanians, which fell from 7.3% in the first half of 2017 to 5.3% in the same period in 2018. 

When the fall 2018 Labour Force Survey is completed and released it will show yet further improvement. Preliminary results indicate that in fall 2018, when compared with fall 2017, total unemployment would have dropped to 2.9% from 4.9% and Caymanian unemployment has dropped to 4.6% from 7.3% in 2017. This is the lowest level of Caymanian unemployment in more than a decade.

Last year I appealed to businesses to redouble efforts to employ suitably qualified and experienced Caymanians. These figures represent a significant achievement and I am grateful to all contributing employers. 

I am far from complacent and acknowledge there is more we must do to strengthen the position of Caymanians in the job market. I will talk about the action we are taking in that regard shortly. For now, though, I will simply reflect that the figures I just gave represent a significant step towards fulfillment of this Government’s key pledge to achieve full Caymanian employment – a strong economy where every Caymanian who is willing and able to work can find a suitable job.

The other key macro-economic indicator, inflation, is one we are watching closely. The latest data for the consumer price index give an annualized inflation figure of 3.5% for the third quarter of last year.  While high by recent standards, the figure has dropped back from a peak of 4.8% in the previous quarter.

Economists among you may point out that such is the nature of price variations over time and that these recent figures come on the back of a period of deflation – falling prices – in the Cayman Islands. And so, taking a longer term view, prices in the Cayman economy in September 2018 were actually only 2.5% higher overall than they had been in September 2014. That represents a significant five year period of overall low inflation.

However, we recognise that the current level of inflation can represent a squeeze on living standards, but the tools available to government to reduce inflation are limited. As an example, one of the most significant recent price increases was a jump in electricity prices - but remember, this Government has maintained the significant fuel duty reductions brought in by my last Administration that are still helping keep utility costs down. We also continued reductions on various import duties to licensed retailers to help lower prices. And we increased the duty free allowance at the airport from $350 to $500 per person for goods purchased abroad.

We will do what we can to maintain living standards, especially for the vulnerable. Last month saw the second of our promised increases in the minimum income we guarantee to those in receipt of social assistance, retired seamen and veterans, and retired long-serving civil servants. These individuals saw their monthly receipts from Government rising to $750. That increase of at least 36% since this government took office under two years ago is directly benefitting hundreds of Caymanians and, I should add, delivering on another of the key pledges we made to the country.

Lest we forget though, the best way to ensure a good standard of living is to ensure we deliver economic growth so our people can access well-paid jobs. Indeed the best social programme is a good job.

The picture of success I am able to paint this afternoon owes much to the continued strong performance of Cayman’s two pillar industries – Financial Services and Tourism.

Cayman’s Financial Services Industry continues to thrive even as it constantly adapts to changing global circumstances. The ability of the industry to innovate and the willingness of government to combine a business-friendly environment with appropriate but proportionate regulation will continue to maintain our competitive environment.

But we must recognise that there are major global players determined to undermine Cayman’s success. Our position is straightforward. Where there are reasonable demands to raise global regulatory standards we will comply, so long as there is a level playing field. Our willingness to do so is evident in the economic substance legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly immediately before Christmas.

This is one of those areas where I must thank the representatives of more than 15 financial services and commerce associations that supported the Minister for Financial Services, her team and the Government to tailor that legislation to meet the requirements of those who set global regulation standards as well as our own local business community. 

 I remain confident that if the EU listing process is fair, we will not end up on any blacklist. But we take nothing for granted and continue our engagement with the EU Commission and member states.

Looking ahead, the future of Cayman’s Financial Services Industry will face more challenges; not just from the EU and OECD, but also from the FATF. I am confident that we can manage those challenges and, working together, government and the industry can keep pace with changing global standards while preserving the special characteristics of this jurisdiction that make it an attractive place to do business.

Given the challenges our Financial Services Industry is constantly facing, it is even more critical that we  do all we can to secure the future of our other key economic pillar, tourism, and seek to accelerate economic diversification to reduce our reliance on both those industries.

For that reason, the current controversy over the cruise dock is not something that can be seen in isolation.

Cayman’s tourism sector is flourishing. Last year we received nearly 2.4 million visitors; the highest number in our history. The number of stay-over visitors broke previous records and cruise visitor numbers would have also seen a record year but for bad weather in December that prevented 12 ships from stopping here. 

This success is the result of a lot of hard work. The Minister for Tourism and his team have a marketing approach that is the envy of the region. In the end, though, it is the quality of the offer that drives our success. Yes, we have many natural advantages but it is the continual improvement in the standards of our hotels, restaurants and associated businesses along with our  infrastructure as well as our people that keeps bringing visitors to our shores.

Some of our critics point to our success and ask why we need to change. Surely, if Cayman continues to attract visitors, why do we need a new port?

Even our fiercest critics accept that the cruise industry is changing. They accept the trend towards bigger ships but seem to believe the changes can leave Cayman unaffected. They argue that these bigger ships will only gradually come into service and that they can continue to tender their passengers ashore in Grand Cayman.

I liken this approach to that of the Kodak company, which enjoyed decades of growth and became a cultural point of reference the world over. It’s “Kodak moment” tagline became part of everyday speech. I am sure there were those sitting at the company headquarters during the 1990s saying, ‘we are continuing to grow, why do we need to change’?

Kodak did not fail because it did not see digital photography coming; indeed Kodak invented the world’s first digital camera in 1975. 

Rather it failed to understand the profound impact that change would have on its business – not overnight, but over time. 

After a period of decline that lasted some 20 years, Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012. The company survives but is unrecognisable from the 20^th Century giant it had been.

I fear that will be the outcome for our cruise industry if we refuse to pay attention to the way the market is developing. We will go into a gradual but sure decline and our cruise sector will eventually be diminished.

This government will not allow that to happen.

It was at a Chamber Luncheon in 2015 that I announced that after careful consideration, Government had agreed on the merits of building a cruise port and enhanced cargo port.  We not only remain committed to the cruise dock and cargo port project, but are even surer of the merits today. 

The new cruise dock is vital to safeguard the future of Cayman’s tourism industry; whilst the new cargo facilities will receive larger cargo ships and help support the Islands’ growing population and, by allowing greater economies of scale, help to mitigate some of the cost pressures impacting our cost of living.

Whilst we are committed to delivering the port project, cruise and cargo, and to securing the growth and jobs they will bring, we are not doing so recklessly and without regard to the costs. I have previously made two promises to the country, which I will repeat here. 

First, we will structure the financing of the port in such a way as to not expose the country’s finances to disproportionate risk.

Secondly, we will minimise or mitigate the environmental impact of the project. 

We have already delivered on the first of those promises. We announced last December that we have concluded agreements with Carnival and Royal Caribbean, the two largest cruise companies, on their financial commitment towards the costs of constructing the new dock. 

I am happy to announce today that Disney has also given its commitment towards the financing of the port project. These agreements, coupled with the finance to be provided by the preferred bidder on the project, effectively ensure that no public money will be required to build the new cruise berths and enhanced cargo facility.  When I addressed you in 2015 I stated that the cruise companies must have skin in the game to ensure that we receive the necessary volume of cruise passengers over the period required for the financing to be repaid. That promise is being kept and I want to again assure the Leader of the Opposition that no current fees paid by the cruise companies to Government will be used to repay the financing package.

Having delivered on that first promise, we will now ensure that the second promise is kept as well. I have said before that I respect the views of those who argue that no economic benefit can outweigh environmental concerns. But whilst I respect their viewpoint, this is not a position that a responsible government can take. In my view this comes down to a question of judgement – do the benefits outweigh the costs? In my judgement and that of my Government, $245 million of net economic benefit, hundreds of construction jobs and then decades of increasing employment and business opportunities for Caymanians in the Tourism Industry definitely outweigh the inevitable environmental costs in a part of Grand Cayman’s only working harbour. What we can and will do is ensure that the final design of the new piers will avoid as much environmental impact as possible. Where we cannot avoid it, we will aim to mitigate the effects.  

The project is now in its sixth year and we continue to move forward carefully and deliberately. The procurement process is winding down and a preferred bidder will be chosen by the summer. Once this is done we will be in a position to speak more to the final designs and projected costs. 

So we will continue to support tourism as well as our Financial Services Industry, despite the challenges. But we will also continue to support increased diversification of our economy.  

I was delighted, therefore, to attend the ground-breaking ceremony on the first phase of the new campus development at Cayman Enterprise City late last year, as well as welcome the launch of the new Tech Cayman initiative. Both add further strength to this country’s offer to attract knowledge-based industries and other entrepreneurs and both have the support of Government.

I would add that Health City Cayman Islands continues to prove its increasing social and economic value, especially for health tourism. Recently in New York I addressed a Reinsurance Roundtable event where reinsurance businesses spoke in glowing terms of the value of locating in the Cayman Islands. These are market segments that are both ripe for growth and Government will do what we can to attract and support reinsurance and health tourism companies. The brilliantly organised and hugely successful Kaboo music festival is also a good indication of the potential value of large scale festivals and conferences to these Islands.

Our development sector continues to help power the Cayman economic engine and the addition of new hotels to our tourism product will help stimulate, as well as support, more growth for years to come.

There is no other way to put it; Cayman is doing very well.  However, our future success is not guaranteed and in an increasingly competitive global economy this jurisdiction needs to be ready to compete in good times or in bad.

That competition is not just about attracting business to Cayman.  It is also about making sure that entrepreneurial Caymanians are able to take the opportunities that the future growth of our economy will bring.

The Minister for Commerce has been pursuing a two-pronged strategy to support small business development. In the first strategy, Trade and Business license requirements have been streamlined and the whole renewal process has been moved online. Indeed we are making good progress across a range of e-government services.

The second strategy is about improving the support available to small and micro businesses. Just last week the Minister and the Cayman Islands Small Business Association signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at delivering services including workshops, mentoring sessions, grants and individual assistance to small business. The partnership between public and private sectors will be further enhanced through the establishment of a small business centre. 

This Government has also maintained the greatly reduced fees for small businesses put in place by the last Administration, and in 2018, some 4,800 micro or small businesses benefitted from these reduced fees.

For Caymanians not inclined to open a business, a high quality education is a crucial gateway to future employment and so I am grateful to those in this room and beyond who support the work being spear-headed by the Education Minister. Amongst other measures, the Minister and the Chairman of the Education Council Mr. Dan Scott recently returned from a fact finding tour in the UK looking at how we can learn from their experience, including through an upgraded and modernised curriculum as a key tool in helping to raise standards in Cayman’s public schools.

Also critical is our ongoing investment in enhancing our school infrastructure – both at primary and secondary levels.  And we continue to encourage, and support as best we can, private schools to enhance their facilities as well. Of course as important as a curriculum and school buildings are, attracting and keeping good teachers is especially key – and so we have ensured that the remuneration of our teachers is being increased.

I have spoken before about the various vocational studies initiatives – including the very successful City & Guilds vocational studies programme run by PWD. This has grown over the past few years and today provides a variety of training courses to some 17 Caymanian apprentices. Our plans are to expand this to serve at least 50 students next year with training provided in a number of fields including air-conditioning, plumbing, electrical and carpentry.

The improvements in education will help future generations but we also need to further improve the position of Caymanians in the job market now. As I indicated earlier, unemployment among Caymanians has fallen significantly, but now is the time to put in place improvements that will maintain that position as we go forward.

That task will be spearheaded by the new Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman – or WORC – Department. WORC officially went live this month and implementation of the changes will follow in the next few months. The first of those will be the online jobs clearing house – due to go live around Easter - through which all jobs will be advertised allowing Caymanians full access to the opportunities available.

Improvements that the government has promised in the work permit regime are also progressing. I wish to acknowledge the Chamber’s assistance in helping develop a new simplified and modern work permit system. We have more to do to road test the proposed changes and we have undertaken to work with business as we do so.

As a country, we need to embrace the opportunities of growth but it is time that we do so in a planned and measured way.  For that reason, we are consulting the public on a new National Planning Framework for the Cayman Islands. This encompasses several things to which the Government is already committed.  For example, it recognises the work we have been doing to modernise this country’s infrastructure. The framework incorporates the much needed revitalisation of George Town and also reflects the ambitions in our National Energy Policy.

It also seeks the views of the public on new ideas and approaches to how we develop and ensure our future is sustainable. I hope the Framework will ignite a national debate about our future.  To that end, I would like to thank the Chamber for hosting an event on the framework last December. We have extended the consultation deadline until the end of this month to give everyone as much chance as possible to contribute their ideas and I would encourage everyone in the business community to take part. 

We are of course continuing to invest in the infrastructure this country needs for its future. 

We are picking up the pace on George Town revitalisation and I would like to say how welcome it is to see the appointment of Mr. Colin Lumsden as the Town Manager to take that work forward. 

Having put in place some of the necessary infrastructure improvements, the time has now come to reimagine what our Capital might be like in the future. The Government wants the exercise of planning and delivering that future to be a fully inclusive process. For that reason, we will put in place a steering committee of stakeholders to guide the project. I hope the Chamber will accept our invitation to be represented on the committee.

We want the committee to involve the wider community and so we are planning a town hall charrette to engage everyone in the future design of our Capital and its town centre.

To those who will be involved as the work progresses, I want to encourage you to be bold. This is an opportunity to think more radically about what might be possible in terms of how we utilise the space and the activities we want to see in the Capital. The Government has previously removed some of the restrictions that prevented sensible development. So I want the committee to explore the freedom we will give them to develop exciting plans for innovative mixed-use development in George Town, including considering sensible building heights as necessary to encourage investors to redevelop and breathe new life into our Capital.

We also continue to invest in much-needed road infrastructure. This year we will progress the second phase of the Linford Pierson expansion project that will give four lanes between the Agnes Way roundabout and the Bobby Thompson/Smith Road traffic lights.

Nearing completion is the connector road and new roundabout joining Printers Way to Crewe Road in the proximity of the Mango Tree restaurant and bar.

In the next few months, the Olympic Way-Walkers Road connector will be constructed to help reduce congestion on Walkers Road and more effectively segregate school traffic. 

Later this year, work is due to start on the extension of Godfrey Nixon Way from the Blue Marlin restaurant on Eastern Avenue to the Fish Shack on North Church Street creating an important link for cruise and port traffic.

Looking a bit further ahead, design work is under way for the expansion of Shamrock Road and Hurley Merren Boulevard from 4 to 6 lanes.  This will ease congestion that motorists moving east encounter. This work will commence later this year.

We are also looking at how best to move forward later this year with the much needed continuation of the East West Arterial Road through to Frank Sound, with phase one connecting Hirst Road to Northward.

Meanwhile, work will be completed at the airport and it will be opened at the end of next month by HRH the Prince of Wales. This will be a proud moment for all who call this place home.   

Much has been said about the delay and added costs of the airport expansion. I will say this: When the airport expansion was designed some years back we considered what we thought was affordable at the time.  As our finances improved we looked again at what was needed to make a very good new airport experience even better – and so broadly half of the additional spend was the result of positive decisions to improve the quality of the redeveloped airport for the benefit of travellers. I and my Government are satisfied that decisions taken in this regard were sensible and affordable and I am satisfied that the public will also agree once the expansion is complete and the airport is fully operational.

As we think about the future of our Islands, we must also consider Cayman’s place in a changing world. To that end, I announced last year this Government’s intention to create a new Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs. 

The new Ministry has now been established, with me as Minister, and will focus on advancing the economic and political interests of the country, the Caymanian people and the business community and will make it easier for potential overseas investors to do business in the Cayman Islands. This includes business that may flow to Cayman as we seek opportunities to participate in the UK’s Global Britain Initiative post-Brexit.

It will take direct responsibility for the Cayman Islands Government Office in London and a limited range of existing government departments and entities, including the Shipping and Aviation registers. Over time the Ministry will develop a select network of international offices to better achieve its stated purpose. Plans are already under way for the establishment of an Asia Office in Hong Kong. I must thank those business leaders, led by past President Byles, who gave their time to the development of that business case. An office in Washington is also being considered for 2020 as is one in Brussels if it is thought useful after the UK leaves the European Union.

In setting up both a new Ministry and an Asia Office, the case for change is underpinned by the view that international issues will become increasingly important to the wellbeing of these Islands. The Government accepts that there are costs and indeed potential risks in this approach. However, having done the business case, we believe the benefits are significant enough to justify the investment we are making. This same analysis will be done prior to any new international offices being established.

I have concentrated today on the Government’s economic record and our view of the future of our economy. Before I sit down; however, there a few other matters I thought would be helpful for Chamber members to hear about.

Firstly, whilst I am confident that our economy will remain very strong over the next 12 to 18 months; the picture is less clear after that.  Indications are that growth in major economies will slow over the next year. I believe that the momentum we now have, coupled with sound finances, place us in a good position to manage any such slowdown but the Minister for Finance and the entire Government are paying close attention and bearing this in mind as we start planning for the next budget cycle.

The latest constitution talks were held in London in December. Our requests have been generally well received and I am encouraged by the willingness of the UK to respond positively to what I believe to be a sensible and pragmatic set of proposals. Clearly, we will not get everything we want, but the negotiations are proceeding well and I hope they will be brought to a positive conclusion in the coming months; hopefully in time for our Constitutional celebrations that kick off in July, another key event in this year’s calendar to Celebrate Cayman.

I also wish to acknowledge the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper, for working in such a spirit of partnership since his arrival – including assisting with and supporting the new Ministry.

The Governor and I are also working together to ensure the country’s safety and security and we share an ambition to reduce crime and criminality and improve the security of our borders.

This month saw the launch of the Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control Service but already the new intelligence-led approach of the service is bearing fruit. One good example is that at the same time that we launched the green customs channel at the airport and higher personal import duty limits, both customs revenues and successful interdictions by border control officers are up.

Further innovations will follow during this year. Just a couple of weeks ago the Border Control Service began a procurement process to introduce new immigration and passport control kiosks, very much like the ones you will have used at various international airports. We expect a pilot utilizing four such kiosks to be in place before the end of 2019.  Also this year, we will introduce a fully online visa application process.

Another important step is the creation of the new Coast Guard Service.  As well as being part of that border security network, the Coast Guard has other vital functions related to safety at sea, including maritime search and rescue. The next significant development for the service will see the opening in the coming weeks of the new operations and rescue coordination centre, which will play a key role in ensuring Cayman can coordinate search and rescue and other activities on a 24/7, 365 day basis.

The approach the Government is taking can also be seen at the community level, including the drive to reinvigorate neighbourhood policing. Alongside things like the creation of new neighbourhood watch schemes – something the Government has been very keen to see – this more accessible, visible and responsive policing is having a direct and positive impact on the lives of Caymanians, visitors and businesses. 

Delivering that kind of direct impact on the lives of Caymanians is central to what this Government has set out to do and it is not just in the area of crime reduction that our success is being felt. 

We have responded to concerns that Caymanians are being priced out of the housing market by pushing forward the National Housing Development Trust’s affordable housing programme. Last month, ground was broken on a scheme in East End that followed the successful completion of 16 new homes in Bodden Town last year.

As the six East End homes are finished, work will begin on eight more homes in West Bay. The Trust is also buying 10 acres on which to build in North Side and recently bought a 24-acre plot of land in George Town. I thank the Trust and the Minister for Housing for their tireless efforts.

The government has also significantly increased the stamp duty thresholds for first time Caymanian home buyers, allowing greater numbers of Caymanians to purchase first time properties without having to pay stamp duty, or to pay it at discounted rates. This represents a welcome leg up on to the property ladder for many young Caymanians and their families.

Elsewhere the Government has continued its work to create a healthier environment and to preserve more public land, particularly beaches for the enjoyment of our people and visitors. We have procured 634 acres of protected land, increasing the total amount to 4,111 acres – about 6.3% of Cayman’s total land mass. This year we will continue the policy of acquiring land for public use, including beach land and land for parks. The East End housing scheme will also create a new recreation park in the district. 

We have purchased the property used by the Scranton community for many years as a park. This purchase safeguards public access to that important community space in perpetuity. Government is working directly with the Central Scranton community on plans to improve the property.

Land has also been acquired to create a park that will serve the Red Bay and Prospect constituencies. Those communities will also help guide the public use of the park.

Work will commence this year on Smith Barcadere once planning and design are completed. And the South Sound Boardwalk has been completed and provides a safe walking zone as well as preserves beautiful vistas of the sea for the enjoyment of all.

Work continues on the Integrated Solid Waste Management project and after more than five years of work and negotiations we are nearing agreement with the preferred bidder, DECCO. The project addresses the solid waste management needs for these Islands for the next 25 years. This is a design, build, finance and operate Public Private Partnership that will not require any capital investment by the Government. This is a key deliverable and we are very pleased to have made it to this juncture.

Much is being achieved by this Government and it is all being done in a fiscally responsible way.  We continue to operate with surpluses even higher than those that we budgeted to achieve. Our capital investments are being paid for from cash without increased borrowing and we continue to repay government debt. 

This Government’s track record of delivery and sound stewardship of the finances is the result of the hard work done by my Ministers and Councillors, as well as the Civil Service.  I thank them for the support they give me and for the work they do every day for the people we serve.

Ours is indeed a Unity Government – one where we may take different views but where we are all willing to work together towards our shared ambitions for these Cayman Islands.

We have achieved much together but our ambitions are not yet fulfilled. We have a lot left to achieve and just over two years in which to do it. With the same determination and pragmatism demonstrated in our first two years, I have no doubt we will achieve what we set out to do.

The best - the best - is yet to come.

Good morning.

Thank you Chris for so ably establishing Protocol.  

We find ourselves at an auspicious time in the history of the Cayman Islands. We are winding down a yearlong celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms and winding up the commemoration of the 60^th anniversary of our first written Constitution.    

You may wonder what this has to do with today’s conference.  So before you conclude that I have picked up the wrong speech this morning, perhaps I should explain.

Over the course of the next two days I am sure the words disruption and innovation will be mentioned many times – and when it comes to international business and financial services, disruption and innovation are two words that definitely apply when speaking of these Islands. 

The 1950s and 1960s were certainly a time of disruption and innovation.  Whether in music, social change or politics – it was an exciting time across the globe.  These years saw the birth of an important symbol of national identity, our Coat of Arms in 1958, coupled with our first Constitution in 1959.  This was swiftly followed with legislation like the Companies Law and the Banks and trust companies Law that provided the foundation for what has come to be called the Financial Services Industry.

 In 1958 women won the right to vote after lobbying for ten long years and in 1962 these Islands, bucking the trend at the time, decided to remain a British Crown Colony rather than seek independence as Jamaica and others did.  These important events helped shape the direction of our three Islands over the past 60 years.

At the point our Constitution came into force, the Cayman Islands population stood at 8,500 souls.  Our economy was based on seafaring, on international trade, notably thatch rope and turtle, and on small-scale agriculture.

In the six decades since we have become not only a tourism Mecca, but importantly a premier international financial centre – and in the process helped transform the way that legitimate global business is done.

Disruption and innovation were a part of who we were in those early days and continue to be key to our success. Today we are a sophisticated jurisdiction, both in terms of infrastructure and business. Yet you can still find areas of laid back charm with a Caribbean feel as you move away from the commercial and tourism centres. Forgive me for saying unashamedly there is no place on earth quite like the Cayman Islands.

In sixty years Cayman’s GDP has grown to over four billion US dollars. The Islands’ population has grown to over 64,000 as citizens from over 130 nations have been drawn to be part of our economic miracle. Taken together, those two data points put Cayman in the world’s top 10 of nations ranked by per capita income.

 Our economic miracle may have had divine assistance, but it certainly does also have distinctly man-made origins. It has been achieved through far-sighted decision-making, entrepreneurial spirit and government’s willingness to innovate in support of business and economic activity. 

That success has been most keenly felt in Cayman’s Financial Services Industry, which accounts for about 56% of our GDP. For example, the number of registered funds in Cayman was up by 4.1% to over 11,000 last year while 33 new insurance licenses were issued bringing the number of licensed insurance companies to 730.  Across our economy, in the first half of last year, new company and partnership registrations rose by about 11,500, or 39%, and listings on the stock exchange increased  by 401 new listing, or 38%. Total listings on the stock exchange at the end of June 2018 was1464, whilst total incorporated companies at the end of September 2018 stood at over 106,000.

We saw another record year in tourist arrivals with about 2.4 million visitors in 2018, combining cruise and stayover, up 11% over 2017. And the development sector continues to do well with some 722 projects approved in 2018 at a value of US$500 million.

This economic success brings benefits to international businesses based here as well as to Caymanians.  GDP growth in the first half of 2018 reached 3.7%.  Unemployment, when the next set of economic statistics is released, will have fallen below the last reported figure of 3.4%.  Government is delivering significant budget surpluses which are being used for public service improvements, infrastructure investment and to pay down debt.  And all of this without any reliance on direct taxation.

The picture I am able to paint is one of a vibrant and successful economy; a private sector that continues to flourish; and a responsible and responsive government. And an economy that has shown the capacity to survive disruption and to innovate and grow.

That is the picture today; but what lies ahead?

The International Monetary Fund’s latest global economic outlook has downgraded its growth forecast from 3.7% to 3.5% for 2019 and points to a range of threats and uncertainties – from tariffs and trade barriers, to Brexit.  

Here at home our key financial services sector is facing specific challenges. Last month I led a delegation to Europe for discussions with key officials in the European Union and with individual member states. In more than a dozen meetings held in Brussels, Paris and Berlin, we sought to defend Cayman and to raise the level of understanding of this jurisdiction and our Financial Services Industry, and to restate our clear proven commitment to working within the same internationally accepted regulatory frameworks as everyone else.

We demonstrated that commitment by explaining to officials the recent legislation that Cayman has passed in relation to the EU and OECD requirement that relevant entities doing business in the jurisdiction must have ‘economic substance’ in the jurisdiction. 

    We, along with over 20 other countries, are currently undergoing another review, at the end of which the EU will either give us their good housekeeping badge of approval or ‘black list’ us as having a harmful tax regime.  If the process is fair we ought not be on any EU black list.

The approach we have taken to this legislation results from working closely with the financial services sector as well as with the OECD and the European Commission. I would like publicly to thank colleagues in Cayman Finance and individual businesses for their help and support.

 We continue to cooperate with global authorities to ensure that our frameworks meet with appropriate standards.

Sadly, it has become increasingly clear that for some countries the issues are less to do with effective international regulation than with their own domestic politics and economies.

By example, despite the ongoing EU compliance process, last month the Netherlands government placed the Cayman Islands and 20 other jurisdictions on a ‘blacklist’ of its own devising. The reason? Nothing to do with global standards – simply put, the Netherlands takes the view that corporate tax rates in Cayman are too low. 

Well, I suppose at zero, it was unlikely anyone would think our tax rates too high!

The serious point is that the Netherlands, and there are others, cannot understand how a country as small as we are can be such a success and have no direct taxation, relying instead on indirect taxes and fees to provide revenue to government. 

Imagine, if you might, a small, low-lying land of enterprising traditionally seafaring people, making their way in the world to become a centre for international trade. They are confronted by an over-bearing European power intent on pushing back against their freedoms and determined to impose high levels of taxation upon them.

I am not describing Cayman in the 21^st Century.  Rather that is the story of the Netherlands in the 16^th Century as the people there revolted against their Spanish rulers. Given that the ensuing war lasted some 80 years and was crucial in shaping their nation, it is a wonder to me that the Dutch appear to have forgotten the lessons of their own history.

Let me be absolutely crystal clear. Cayman will comply with international standards and will maintain transparency and exchange information to allow local tax and law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions to do their jobs effectively. But we will not be bullied by those who are jealous of our success, resentful of our taxation policies and unable to compete with us on a level playing field.

In all apparent adversity there are opportunities. Over the last sixty years, Cayman has been innovative and flexible, capable not just of responding to the winds of geopolitical change but of leading the way in creating and sustaining new business opportunities.

It is in that spirit that we look to the future. We will continue to support Tourism as well as our Financial Services Industry, particularly the sectors in which our jurisdiction is pre-eminent - such as hedge funds and captive insurance. Alongside that we stand ready to support the development of new markets such as reinsurance or fintech.

The technology space is crucial to the futures of us all and it is no surprise why the organisers have chosen to focus on that during the conference. Technology itself is, of course, neutral but its future use will be both a disrupter and an enabler in economic and social terms.

As a political leader, I welcome the breadth and immediacy of contact that technology brings but confess to considerable frustration at the repeated attempts to hijack my social media accounts or to set up fake online scams in my name. 

As a Government we are investing in a comprehensive e-government programme that draws on the experiences of the Estonian Government’s world-leading programme. E-government is making public services more accessible, customer-centric and cheaper to deliver.

We have a shared interest in how technological change will shape the future of financial markets. In particular, we need to come to terms with how regulatory frameworks need to be created in response to the new products that technology enables. The vexed questions of the regulatory frameworks that need to apply to crypto-currencies are but one example.

What we do know is that these technologies will have a huge impact and here in the Cayman Islands we are preparing for the new digital financial services revolution.

The online magazine, International Investment, reported that Cayman-registered blockchain companies are amongst the fastest growing anywhere – with upwards of about US$5.5bn raised from initial coin offerings. You see the same formulae that make Cayman attractive for traditional financial services businesses also attract those in the Fintech sphere. And as we did with financial services, we intend to play a key role in helping develop the required regulatory framework needed for this growing sector – internally via a Cayman Islands Monetary Authority working group now looking at this and also via our memberships in organisations such as the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.

We in Cayman are determined to develop and exploit new markets.  We are establishing a new Ministry with responsibility for international trade and investment, and this year we will establish an Asia Office based in Hong Kong with a similar role to our existing London Office.  And we anticipate opening an office in Washington DC towards the end of 2020.  We believe these steps will help us to advance our international reputation while making us easier to do business with and attract more inward investment.

Cayman is a successful and attractive jurisdiction.  I am confident in the future of our economy and in the role that financial services will continue to play. The Government I lead will continue to speak for the industry internationally. We will continue to ensure effective but proportionate regulation. And we will continue to support innovation and diversity and work with the industry to keep government actions aligned with developments in the sector.

Cayman is looking to the future in a realistic way that recognizes challenges but also sees huge potential and opportunities - opportunities for business; opportunities for investors; and, yes, opportunities for Caymanians.

Whether you are invested in Cayman or visiting this conference to find out more, you can see the evidence of our past and current success and you can be assured that this Government is doing all it can to create and sustain Cayman’s future. I hope that you will want to be part of that future with us.

Thank you.

###

I extend a warm Caymanian welcome to everyone and thank each of you for joining me today on this National Heroes Day where we are “Celebrating the Creation of our Coat of Arms”.

I must admit, my heart was filled with pride as I watched those precious children walking past while waving flags and hearing our National Anthem, God Save the Queen. These are meaningful symbols of who we are as Caymanians, as is our Coat of Arms.

It was the conferral of our Coat of Arms that began our incredible journey as three small islands in the Northwest Caribbean Sea that have emerged from relative obscurity onto the world’s stage.

Last year we observed the 60^th anniversary of our Coat of Arms and heralded the return to these islands  of a very special part of our history, the Royal Warrant, which was conferred by her Majesty the Queen on 14 May, 1958, but had been lost in the fire that had destroyed the former government administration building in the 1070’s.,

When we examine the storyline that bridges the gap between Cayman’s earliest settlement and our rapid ascension to becoming a world class leader in financial services and tourism, the conferral of the Coat of Arms arguably represents the seminal event that provided the catalyst that put the Cayman Islands on the path to modernity.

It is indeed my distinct honour to share the story of how our Coat of Arms came into existence and pay homage to the many individuals who contributed to its development. 

The Coat of Arms is our first internationally recognised symbol of identity. Its rich imagery tells the story of who we are, our history, our culture, our earliest industries, our constitutional relationship and our faith. 

Up until 1958, life in the Cayman Islands was summarised by the legendary phrase, “the Islands time forgot”. There were many who saw little by way of a future here and chose to migrate, whether to Central America, Isle of Pines in Cuba, the United States or Jamaica.   

But many others remained, determined to stay and tarry on while bravely facing the most difficult of circumstances. You see, these hardships forged generations of Caymanians, steeling their spirits and uniting their hearts in a commitment to succeed while producing legendary iron men and women.

It is important to note that at this time we were constitutionally a dependency of Jamaica, which was itself a British Colony.

Whilst domestic affairs were managed locally and trade routes existed with other countries, the administration of the country was overseen by a Commissioner or Administrator who himself reported to the Governor of Jamaica.

Then in the late 1950s a man of vision arrived: Commissioner Major Alan Hilliard Donald.

Commissioner Donald is recognised for his central role in the development of the Cayman Islands first national symbol – the Coat of Arms.

Commissioner Donald would have seen first-hand the independence and ingenuity of the Caymanian people despite their constitutional link to Jamaica and recognised that Caymanian people clearly distinguished themselves from their neighbours to the Southeast. Commissioner Donald put forward a proposal to adopt a Coat of Arms for the Cayman Islands, which was approved by resolution of the Legislative Assembly of Justices and Vestry on 3 April, 1957.

In what could have been one of Cayman’s earliest examples of a public consultation exercise, on 11 April, 1957, Government notice 33/57 was issued requesting all interested persons to submit design ideas and illustrations for the Coat of Arms. A deadline of 1 May, 1957, was set.

One design was submitted by an American residing in Cayman named James “Jimmy” Ford, of the Yacht Club/Port of Call (now the Wharf). This submission assisted in the final design for the Coat of Arms. It is also believed that Commissioner Donald chose the motto “He Hath Founded it Upon the Seas” from Psalm 24 as it reflected the Christian faith of the Caymanian people.

On 5 February, 1958, a resolution was moved in the Legislative Assembly by the Commissioner to approve the selected design of the Coat of Arms and to send to Her Majesty’s Government for approval. 

It gives me great honour to recognise Mr. Linberg Eden and Capt. Owen Farrington, the two living Vestrymen who would have been serving at the time the resolution was moved in the Legislative Assembly.

There were three key features the people of the Cayman Islands placed great value on and wanted represented in the final design. Those were:

• The representation of the British connection
• The representation of the sea as the home of Caymanians
• Something to symbolise the three Islands

Additionally, it was noted that for sentimental reasons Caymanians desired to retain the thatch rope as part of the final design.

The chosen design for the Coat of Arms for the Cayman Islands features a shield, crest and motto and incorporates important historical and indigenous features of the country.

The shield features blue and white wavy lines representing the sea. Three stars of green, lined with gold, lay atop the lines, depicting our three Islands.

The top the shield features the British lion, symbolising the Cayman Islands’ connection to the United Kingdom.

Above the crest are the arms elements of the Coat of Arms. The green sea turtle is a prominent feature, representing the Islands’ original name “Las Tortugas”, given by Columbus, as well as the turtle fishing industry.

The turtle sits on top of intertwined bands of blue and white silk, representing Cayman’s thatch rope making tradition.

Above the turtle is a pineapple, which represents the connection the Islands have had with Jamaica.

At the base of the shield is the motto “He Hath Founded It Upon the Seas”. 

On 14 May, 1958, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II assigned the Armorial Ensigns to the Cayman Islands, bringing to life the first key symbol of national identity for Caymanians.

The granting of the Coat of Arms began the process of formally distinguishing the Cayman Islands from Jamaica and Cayman found itself at a crossroads with many choices to make. Once again our community and its leaders rose to the occasion, putting into motion a number of watershed moments in our history.

The legislation that was adopted, the choice to remain part of the United Kingdom when Jamaica chose independence, the receipt of our first constitution order, the granting of the right of women to vote and stand for election and the introduction of our own currency were just a few of the milestones fundamental to the development of the Cayman Islands that we know and love today; all built on the foundation of the Coat of Arms.

To commemorate the 60^th anniversary of our Coat of Arms, Cabinet commissioned the Celebrate Cayman team to plan and bring to life the cultural celebrations over two-years, beginning in 2018.

Members of the Celebrate Cayman team are Executive Chairman Alfonso Wright, Deputy Executive Chairman Marzeta Bodden, Project Coordinator Kara Coe and Events Manager Kristy Watler.  I thank them for their passion and commitment to preserving and promoting our heritage.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, this is just one of the many events giving us another opportunity to Celebrate Cayman. Throughout the remainder of this year and until July 2020, Celebrate Cayman will host many other events and educational campaigns focused on teaching the public about the Cayman Islands’ important historical achievements. 

Before I close, I want to let you all know that at Heroes Day 2020 we will honour those who involved in shaping our first written Constitution in 1959. Our Pioneers in Maritime Heritage will be recognized at Heroes Day 2021.

Thank you and God bless you, and may God continue to bless and prosper the Cayman Islands. Please enjoy the day.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin said he is pleased that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has confirmed that Martyn Roper’s post as Governor of the Cayman Islands has been made substantive and he is to serve a four year term.

“HE Martyn Roper has been working closely with me and the Government since his arrival and has been very helpful already in several areas,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Just this week he travelled to New York to support the Cayman Islands Government and Cayman Finance delegations at the Cayman Finance New York Breakfast Briefing and a Reinsurance Roundtable discussion. This was a first, as far as I am aware, for a Governor to actively support and endorse our Financial Services Industry on an international stage and to publicly note the United Kingdom’s support of our Financial Services Industry.

“He has also been very helpful in our conversations with the UK Government on constitutional discussions and of course his support for the purchase of a new helicopter to expand our aerial law enforcement operations was welcomed and we look forward to the new helicopter arriving later this year,” said Mr. McLaughlin. 

“As I said when the Governor arrived, he has come at a particular juncture in these Islands when we are again facing some significant international challenges. I know he has some considerable experience in dealing with agencies such as the OECD and I look forward to working with him on these issues over the coming months as we seek to address the serious challenges regarding the EU’s listing process,” he said.

On behalf of my Government and the Cayman Islands I offer him congratulations on his formal appointment.

NEW YORK, New York – The Cayman Islands delegation was well received at the 6^th Annual Cayman Finance New York Breakfast Briefing held Tuesday morning at the Harvard Club of New York City.

After welcome remarks from Cayman Islands Governor Martyn Roper, he noted the professionalism of Cayman’s Financial Service sector and confirmed that the sector had the support of the United Kingdom.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin told the more than 150 attendees that the Cayman Islands remains bullish about the prospects of financial services business in our jurisdiction and that the country and Government are gearing up for opportunities to successfully meet the challenges and uncertainties of the future.

In her address Minister Rivers spoke of the good work that Cayman has done in the fight against tax evasion, money laundering and countering terrorist financing and that this work was recognised by the likes of the OECD. She also spoke about Cayman’s efforts to comply with the most recent ‘economic substance’ requirements of the EU as well as the OECD.

The Premier, Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers, Attorney General Hon. Sam Bulgin and the Cayman delegation travelled to New York over the weekend following meetings in London, Brussels, Berlin and Paris where they attended 13 meetings with representatives from the European Union and various EU member states including Germany and France.

“We wanted to ensure that the EU Commission and member states understand that Cayman is meeting the commitments we made and to provide opportunities for them to raise any concerns,” Mr. McLaughlin told the New York breakfast crowd. “Conversations were professional and frank and mostly positive.”

Mr. McLaughlin also told the audience of the new Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs, which has been set up to better coordinate Cayman’s work in promoting the Cayman Islands overseas. He also told them about the United Kingdom’s assistance to establish Cayman’s own Asia Office based in Hong Kong.

The New York Breakfast Briefing is hosted each year by Cayman Finance to provide member firms and associates an opportunity to learn more about the latest development in the Cayman Islands Financial Services Industry. This is the first year that the Premier has been invited to give welcome remarks at the event.

During her address, Ms Rivers said, “As you can see, the Cayman Islands has included the “A Team” in today’s programme to underscore our commitment to the financial services industry; an industry that accounts for roughly 56 per cent of our GDP,” Ms River said. “It is our pleasure to not only sponsor this event annually, but to also participate in providing the key policy update covering the work of the past year and providing insight into the plans for the year ahead.

“Cayman will continue being a place for sound business, long into the future, because we will continue to meet internationally adopted standards,” she said. “Over the many decades we have demonstrated that we have the expertise and the resiliency needed in order to successfully navigate change, for the benefit of our clients and our country as a whole. As our history has shown us, the future of the Cayman Islands is bright.”

Following the breakfast briefing, the Premier and the Cayman delegation met with executives from Bank of New York Mellon at its headquarters.

“This meeting was salient for us because BNYMellon is an extremely important corresponding bank to the Cayman Islands,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “While the bank normally engages with regulators and the actual banks they do business with, this gave Government an opportunity to engage directly with them and have conversations about matters they wished to address.”

Additional meetings are scheduled on Wednesday with Citibank and Wells Fargo, two more key correspondent banks.  A correspondent bank is one that provides services on behalf of another financial institution to facilitate wire transfers, conduct business transactions, accept deposits, and gather documents.

On Tuesday evening the Cayman delegation attended the Cayman Finance New York Reinsurance Roundtable, again at the Harvard Club where the Governor, Premier, and Ms Rivers spoke about the attractiveness of Cayman as a domicile for Reinsurance business. Minister Rivers told those present that the Cayman Islands were working to attract large scale reinsurance operations. Ms Rivers noted that as a result “there are now at least 10 sizeable reinsurance operations in Cayman, including four Class D Licenses”

Premier Mclaughlin commented to those present, “My message to you today, as Cayman Islands Premier, is to say that my presence here, along with the Governor, the  Minister of Financial Services  and the Attorney General, fully demonstrate the Cayman Islands Government’s full support for the continued development and growth of the reinsurance industry in our jurisdiction.

The main event of the evening was the panel discussion that included professionals in the Reinsurance Market who told those present of the many benefits to their companies in being domiciled in the Cayman Islands, including the way the jurisdiction worked with them to not only set up business but to be successful. 

Good morning,

I will lie and say that it is great to be in New York City this time of year… but I will also go on to be truthful and say that the cold weather notwithstanding it is indeed good to be with you at this Cayman Finance New York Breakfast Seminar as we embark on another New Year filled with exciting possibilities.  

 Whilst 2019 certainly offers opportunities it has begun with challenges, much of which are political in nature. Here in the USA the Government shutdown comes to mind while in the UK Brexit is looming with no agreed plan.  In the Cayman Islands a key issue for us is the European Union Listing process and the focus on financial services jurisdictions demonstrating that there is substantial economic substance behind the business done there. We are up to the challenge. Many of you who have done business through the Cayman Islands for many years know that we have grown from strength to strength despite the challenges posed by moving goal posts and evolving standards. 

The great statesman and UK Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, is reported to have said that “a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity whilst an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”.  Seizing the opportunity inherent in difficulties has seen the Cayman Islands transform itself over the course of the past 50 years into a premier international financial centre, and in the process helped transform the way that legitimate business is done globally.

We have shown that we are ready and willing to not only fight to keep the thriving business and economy that we enjoy now, but to also adapt to new emerging trends, keenly conscious that many of these trends are driven by geopolitical considerations.

Some Governments, particularly in Europe, have a difficult time understanding how a country like mine can be so successful without a regime of direct taxation.  They see a country with very low unemployment, good budget surpluses, low public debt, modern infrastructure, a Moody’s Investment Credit Rating of Aa3 and a steadily growing economy. They see all this and no direct tax and conclude that something must be wrong - for the concept of no direct taxation is antithetical to their belief system.

They mulishly ignore the reality that our financial services business regime is attractive to companies because of our proximity to the United States, our tax neutrality, a broad cadre of financial services expertise, and because of our adherence to international standards with respect to global transparency and the fight against money-laundering and cross border financial crime.

While businesses domiciled in the Cayman Islands do not pay direct taxes to our jurisdiction, our laws and regulations ensure that the taxes owed to those home jurisdictions are paid. As the international standards continue to evolve, we are committed to adhering to them, providing they represent a truly a global standard.

And so just last month my Government, in consultation with the financial services industry, spearheaded new economic substance rules and legislation in our efforts to meet the requirements of the European Union and the OECD.  And we spent the last week in London, Brussels, Berlin and Paris where we had 13 meetings with representatives of the EU, including the Commission and the Code of Conduct Group, and with representatives of various EU member states, including Germany and France.  

We wanted to ensure that the EU Commission and member states understand that Cayman is meeting the commitments we made and to provide opportunities for them to raise any remaining concerns. Conversations were professional and frank, and mostly positive.

While the European Union has not yet determined what jurisdictions will be placed on a final list of non-compliant tax jurisdictions, we remain positive that, given all that we have done, if the process is fair the Cayman Islands will not be on any such list.

While we are doing all that we can to comply with global regulation and to remain the jurisdiction of choice for financial services, we also certainly see opportunities for us in the UK’s Global Britain initiative. 

We are therefore establishing a new Ministry of International Trade and Investment to better coordinate our work in promoting the Cayman Islands overseas, and with the assistance of the United Kingdom we have begun the process to establish our own Asia Office, based in Hong Kong.

We are positioning our Islands to take the best advantage of whatever new relationship eventually emerges between the UK and the EU.

So, in short, my message is that despite challenges the Cayman Islands remains bullish about the prospects of financial services business in the jurisdiction and are gearing up for opportunities that the uncertainties of the future will present.

If you are already doing business with us in the Cayman Islands, I thank you for your support and confidence in us. If you aren’t already operating from our shores, I invite you to come to Cayman and explore the awesome possibilities that await you.

Thank you for your kind attention this morning and again, I am pleased to be here with you in this fabulous city.

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin, Minister of Financial Services Hon. Tara Rivers, Attorney General Hon. Samuel Bulgin and the Cayman delegation are winding down meetings in Europe and will travel to New York over the weekend to speak at the Cayman Finance Breakfast Seminar where Mr. McLaughlin, and the delegation will continue to promote the Cayman Islands as a reliable and stable jurisdiction in which to do business.

As of Thursday, Premier McLaughlin, Minister Rivers and the delegation have had 10 meetings in Brussels, two in France and one meeting is scheduled tomorrow in Germany. On Monday, 14 January, the delegation met with Mr. David Boublil, Mr. Gints Freimanis and Ms. Emer Traynor. Mr. Boublil is a member of the Cabinet of Pierre Moscovici, the Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs. Mr. Freimanis is a member of the Cabinet of Valdis Dombrovskis, whose responsibilities include Financial Services and Capital Markets. Ms. Traynor is Deputy Head of Unit at the Director General of Taxation and Customs Union (DG Taxud).

Also Monday the delegation met with representatives of the European Union Code of Conduct Group (COCG). The COCG is charged with assessing jurisdictions to determine whether they potentially have tax regimes that are harmful to EU Member States. Ms Fabizia Lapecorella, the Chair of the Code of Conduct Group participated via telephone as she was in Rome. 

Other members of the Code of Conduct Group meeting with the Cayman Delegation were Mr. Andreas Strub, Mr. Aloys Rigaut, and Ms Emer Traynor, representing DG Taxud. The discussions focused on the commitments made by the Cayman Islands and our intention of continuing to meet all international global standards. Ms Lapecorella noted that she was aware of the excellent cooperation and engagement by the Cayman Islands.

In both meetings with the EU representatives the Premier and Minister Rivers, along with Mr. Bulgin,  outlined the  leading position of the Cayman Islands, over many years, in adhering to international standards regarding regulatory and tax cooperation as well as anti-money laundering and prevention of terrorist financing. More recently the Cayman Islands, along with many other financial centers, passed legislation to adopt and implement the new international standards on economic substance.

The EU representatives thanked the Premier and delegation for meeting with them and commented that the “good work and positive engagement” with the EU was appreciated. They noted that the legislation passed by the Cayman Islands and other jurisdictions in December 2018 is still being assessed by the Commission. However, they committed to advise the Cayman Islands technical team of the outcome once the assessment is completed.

Over the rest of the week in Brussels the delegation met with the Hungarian Permanent Representative as well as with the permanent representatives of Belgium, Cyprus, Luxemburg, Austria, Romania, Spain and the Netherlands. 

In France meetings were held with Mr. Gael Perraud, Deputy Director of International Taxation and European Affairs, as well as with senior representatives of Secretariat General on European Affairs. The Secretariat is a department of the Prime Minister and deals with several matters including taxation and the OECD.

In all of these meetings the delegation reiterated the positive engagement by the Cayman Islands and the measures taken to address the concerns of the EU. The Premier also sought to understand whether there were issues that need clarifying or further discussion.  In the meeting with the Netherlands the Premier and Minister raised concerns regarding the blacklist that was recently issued by the Netherlands Government, in particular the lack of engagement prior to the list being published and the rationale for including the Cayman Islands on the list.

On Friday the delegation travels to Germany for the final meeting in Europe after which they travel to New York.

Premier McLaughlin commented that “Whilst the EU delegation were not at this stage able to provide any insight on whether the Cayman Islands had passed muster and would avoid being blacklisted, they did not mention anything glaring that has so far concerned them.

“However, we are taking no chances. The  extensive engagement throughout  the week in Europe, at the EU level as well as with representatives of several member states, including the influential French and Germans, was  important to help ensure that those in the EU Commission, and in some Member States, who decide on these things, or who make recommendations to the decision makers, understand fully that we take our role as an international finance center seriously and that  we will continue to adhere to the evolving international standards. It also assisted in a better understanding on where some states were in their thinking,” he said.

Minister Rivers noted that “We have been directly engaging with the EU for almost two years, both at the technical as well as the political level, including some five visits by myself to Brussels and three for the Premier. We have worked with financial services partners at home in crafting the legislation and I am proud of the work we have done and for the support of Industry. 

“In addition, we have consulted with the EU along the way to ensure that the elements that they were seeking to be in legislation were present. In short we are collectively doing what we can to maintain a vibrant financial services business for years to come,” she said.

BRUSSELS, Belgium –  On Monday Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin and members of the Cayman delegation had discussions with members of the EU Commissions of Moscovici and Dombrovskis along with representatives of the EU’s DG Taxud and the Code of Conduct Group. Discussions were also had with the representatives of Belgium, Cyprus and Luxemberg.

On Monday morning Mr. McLaughlin, Financial Services Minister Hon. Tara Rivers, Attorney General Hon. Samuel Bulgin and the Cayman delegation met with Mr. David Boublil, Mr. Gints Freimanis and Ms Emer Traynor. Mr. Boublil is a member of the Cabinet of Pierre Moscovici, the Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs. Mr. Freimanis is a member of the Cabinet of Valdis Dombrovskis, whose responsibilities include Financial Services and Capital Markets. Ms Traynor is Deputy Head of Unit at the Director General of Taxation and Customs Union (DG Taxud).

Later on Monday the delegation will meet with representatives of the EU Code of Conduct Group, which assesses whether particular jurisdictions have tax regimes that are deemed potentially harmful to EU Member States. Ms Fabizia Lapecorella, the Chair of the Code of Conduct Group, will participate via telephone as she is in Rome. Other members of the group meeting with the Cayman delegation, representing the Chairs Team and the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC), include Mr. Gabriels Annolino (Chairs Team), Mr. Andreas Strub (GSC), Mr. Aloys Rigaut (GSC), Ms Kristi Raba (GSC), and Ms Emer Traynor, representing DG Taxud. 

In between the two meetings with EU representatives, the delegation will meet with Mr. Christophe Vinck, Advisor General for Direct Taxation at the Belgian Permanent Representation to the EU. Separate meetings are also planned with Georgia Nikolaou, fiscal attaché for direct and indirect taxation at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU; and also with Ambassador Georges Friden, Luxemberg’s Permanent Representative to the EU.

More details will be provided in a later press release.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin leaves the Cayman Islands Wednesday, 9 January, 2018, for meetings in London, Brussels, Paris, Berlin and New York to continue discussions about recently approved legislation concerning the Country’s continued efforts to meet international standards for the Financial Services Industry.

He will be joined by Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers, Attorney General Hon. Samuel Bulgin and other Ministry officials to continue discussions about global developments in the Financial Services Industry and Cayman’s continued efforts to stay off the blacklist of the EU. They will outline the steps the Cayman Islands has taken to meet European Union requirements, reaffirm Cayman’s commitment to international standards and address any concerns of global partners.

In December the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly approved legislation that further strengthens compliance with international standards. The legislation was produced following the Ministry of Financial Services’ in-depth consultation with Cayman’s financial services industry, Cayman regulators, the OECD and the European Union.

In New York the Premier has been invited to speak at the Cayman Finance Breakfast Seminar where he and the delegation will continue to promote the Cayman Islands as a reliable and stable jurisdiction in which to do business.

The Cayman Islands Government regrets that the Kingdom of The Netherlands has chosen to break from other EU Member States to pursue a “blacklist” of 21 jurisdictions, including the Cayman Islands, based solely on the criteria of having a lower corporate tax rate than any EU Member State.

This “blacklisting” does not take into account Cayman’s demonstrated adherence to international standards for tax transparency, or participation with the OECD’s BEPS Inclusive Framework, and ignores our engagement with the EU’s Code of Conduct Group over the last two years to address their concerns regarding economic substance.

The Cayman Islands Government regrets the unjustified “blacklisting” and rejects it as wholly lacking in fairness and credibility. It is unfortunate that The Netherlands has chosen to attempt to divert criticism of its own tax practices by attacking the legitimate tax regimes of other jurisdictions.

Putting aside this unfortunate action, the Cayman Islands continues its longstanding commitment to adhering to global standards, and to working with the global community to improve their effectiveness.  

Fellow Caymanians and residents, Happy New Year!

2018 was a year to Celebrate Cayman as we began a two-year journey to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of our Coat of Arms in 1958, and our first Constitution in 1959. 

In celebrating these two important events, we are also celebrating who we are as a people and the progress we have made in the 60 years since.  This is an opportunity to remind ourselves of our history and to involve our children so that they can be aware of the people, events, and times that set us on the path to becoming the successful nation and people that we are today.

We have indeed come a long way in 60 years.  My aim, and the aim of my entire Government, is to continue to build on the success of the past and to present the best possible future for all of you, and for future generations of Caymanians.

This we are doing.

Over the past five and a half years the good ship Cayman has been steadied and is on a good course.  Government finances are well managed, creating surpluses that have allowed us to repay debt, put aside money for rainy days, fund infrastructure projects, increase salaries for public servants, and increase assistance to those in need, as well as to retired civil servants, seafarers and veterans. 

Over the past year we have redoubled our efforts to improve the education of our children, and have expanded support for policing, with a focus on community policing. The purchase of the new helicopter will further enhance our law enforcement and border protection efforts, as well as our search and rescue capabilities.  Education and community safety remain top priorities in 2019.

We have also increased our protected lands assets over the past year and provided funding for more public and open spaces. These efforts will continue this year, as will the work to reduce the numbers of invasive green iguanas that are a major threat to our environment.

In 2018 we saw another year of record tourism arrivals.  Financial Services, despite continued external challenges, also performed well. The development sector is booming with many projects under way, including a number of new hotel projects that are needed for our growing tourism business.

And we are also continuing to diversify our economy.

We modernised our intellectual property and copyright laws and encouraged the growth of technology business, including financial technology or Fintech business.  These efforts are paying off with the Cayman Islands becoming a jurisdiction of choice for fintech and similar businesses with digital assets.  The private sector, including locally owned businesses such as Cayman Enterprise City and TechCayman, have embraced the opportunity and are attracting these businesses to our shores.  Government continues to play a key role and in 2019 will set up a regulatory framework to assist the private sector in attracting and supporting businesses with digital assets.

With a growing economy, businesses of all sizes are benefiting; and because of this we have seen job growth and greatly reduced unemployment. Indeed, last year saw the highest number of employed Caymanians since 2007.  Growth will continue this year and bring more opportunities for Caymanian businesses and the Caymanian people.

We are moving forward with the development of Workforce Opportunities & Residency Cayman, or WORC for short. The objective of WORC is to oversee the labour market, including the work permit and residency regimes, and to ensure that all Caymanians have a fair opportunity for gainful employment in our growing economy.

The creation of a Cayman Islands Coastguard Service is under way and we have appointed a capable Caymanian leadership team. We are also well on the way to implementing our new Customs and Border Control Department to provide joined-up, modern and more effective border security for our Islands.   

We continue to build necessary infrastructure such as roads, improved schools, our major airport, and more with surplus funds and not by increased borrowing.  And we are moving forward with plans for a modern waste to energy plant and an integrated waste management solution to solve the problem of our current overburdened landfills.    

We are also moving forward with the delivery of the cruise and enhanced cargo port facilities that these Islands need to help secure our economic future.

At a time when significant economic threats are looming, we cannot and must not turn our backs on $245 million of net economic benefit, hundreds of construction jobs, and then decades of increasing employment and business opportunities for Caymanians that the cruise berths will bring. Neither can we turn our backs on the opportunity to modernise and enlarge our now out-dated cargo port.

It is essential that we deliver this critically important project and continue moving Cayman forward, preparing us for the future.

There are other ways that we are preparing Cayman for the future.

We recently had very positive constitutional talks with the United Kingdom and I look forward to completing these early in the New Year to put our Islands in the best possible position to govern our own affairs and continue to prosper as a modern, progressive and successful democracy.

As we enter the New Year I believe that the work that government and private sector have done, and the legislation passed in December, will help us avoid blacklisting by the European Union.  But the challenges to our financial services sector will not stop here, so we are prepared to continue defending Cayman and our economic pillars wherever we need to.

The UK, too, is going through its own challenges with Brexit, and the outcome remains uncertain.  In an ever-changing world it is therefore vital to seek out new opportunities to benefit our Islands and protect our future. This is why we have increased the engagement done in the UK by our Government office in London over the past two years, as well as direct engagement in Brussels and London by me, my Ministers and other officials. 

And this is also why we are starting a new Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation, and Maritime Affairs, and will open a Government Office in Hong Kong this year to better facilitate business from Asia. We will not sit back and hope that business will keep coming our way.  We must increasingly fight for it in those markets that are important to us, and to defend Cayman wherever we need to. 

We will also continue to work hard at home to ensure that our people have the opportunities to live good, healthy, productive, and happy lives and to be able to share in this miracle that is the Cayman Islands.

I cannot leave you without reflecting that last year has been a year filled with challenges as well as blessings - much of which I highlighted earlier.  It was certainly a year that saw us bid adieu to two Governors and recently welcome another. As the New Year begins I wish Governor Roper and his family well and look forward to working with him over the remainder of my term as Premier.

As I said at the start, we have certainly come far over the past 60 years. From humble beginnings we have created a modern and diverse Cayman Islands that is the envy of the region.

Our future is bright. 

Despite much change over the decades, our three Islands remain a wonderful place to live and work and to celebrate family and community. At our core, Caymanians are still a hardworking, welcoming, caring and loving people.

I pray that we as a people never lose those traits.

On behalf of my Government, and from my family to yours, I again wish each of you and your families God’s richest blessings and a very Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.

As we go through the year the days and weeks can sometimes seem to stretch on forever but by year’s end we often reflect that though the days and weeks may seem long, the years are indeed short.

We are reminded of this every year as Christmas seems to come around sooner and sooner, especially as we get older.

But no matter the speed with which it arrives, to me it is still a magical time; a time to spend with friends and family; a time when everyone seems happier; a time to give; and a time to celebrate not only the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, but each other and our accomplishments in 2018.

I hope that today you take some time to reflect on your personal blessings as well as those of the Cayman Islands, give thanks and join together in celebration. We are indeed blessed.

Christmas time gives me the chance to slow down and get out to visit more with people, both young and old, in my wanderings through our many communities and at the festivities of the season. These interactions certainly leave me feeling blessed and rejuvenate me for the work ahead in the coming New Year.

I also cherish the time I get to celebrate this glorious season with my wife and two sons, my father, sisters and the rest of my family and friends.

Like you, I too cherish this time because of the opportunity to reflect and enjoy the company of my loved ones.

I pray that the feelings we have at Christmas of goodwill and charity will carry us into the New Year and continue as the year progresses.

I will leave you with words from our beloved National Song, Beloved Isle Cayman:

Away from noise of cities,
Their fret and carking care,
With moonbeams' soft caresses,
Unchecked by garish glare,
When sweet church bells are chiming,
My fond heart yearns for thee…
And when comes on the season
Of peace, goodwill to man,
'Tis then I love thee best of all,
Beloved Isle Cayman.

I sincerely hope that each of you has a joyous Christmas.

On behalf of my Government, my family and myself, I wish each of you a very blessed Christmas.

With permission Mr. Speaker I will make a statement concerning the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association Joint Ministerial Council meetings I recently attended in London.
Before I do so, I would like to put on record my thanks to the United Kingdom team led by Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister for the Overseas Territories; Mister Ben Merrick, Director of the Overseas Territories; and Mister Will Gelling of the FCO for organizing the series of successful meetings and events.
I would also like to thank the Hon. Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs; the Attorney General; the Cabinet Secretary; and the Cayman Islands London Office led by Mr. Eric Bush.
Mr. Speaker, the London Office did a splendid job organising several very successful events during the week, in particular the largest London Friends of Cayman dinner that I have ever hosted, which was very well received by all who attended.
Mr. Speaker the week of meetings began with an Environment Workshop, which I led as President of the Political Council of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA). This was the first UKOTA Environment Workshop and participants included leaders of Overseas Territories, Departments of Her Majesty’s Government as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Organisations and Charities in the environment sector. I was very pleased to see Nadia Harding in attendance, Chairperson of the Cayman Islands National Trust.
The topics discussed included environment funding, ocean conservation strategy and the inclusion of Overseas Territories in the UK Government’s “The Green Future – 25 year plans to improve the Environment”.
Mr. Speaker I was very happy to share with the attendees at the workshop the good news of the procurement of six hundred and thirty four acres of protected land in the Cayman Islands, which has now increased the protected land in Cayman to four thousand one hundred and eleven acres, equivalent to six point three per cent of Cayman’s total landmass.
The Overseas Territories are custodians of environmental assets of global importance. Over ninety per cent of the United Kingdom’s biodiversity is in the territories including many endangered species.
The Overseas Territories need to ensure that we receive the support and assistance by way of specialist technical advice as well as funding for environmental research and protection remains available post Brexit when access to European Union funds will no longer be available.
2
Mr. Speaker as Overseas Territories we fall between the cracks, unable to access some international funds because we’re seem as too rich, but also unable to access UK domestic funding. Working with NGOs, universities and charities may mean we will be able to unblock this.
Mr. Speaker following the workshop, the Cayman Islands chaired the UKOTA Political Council meeting. This was our opportunity to discuss matters relating to UKOTA as an organisation, as well as discuss and agree positions to be taken at the upcoming Joint Ministerial Council meetings.
It was agreed at this meeting that the Cayman Islands will host the 2019 pre-JMC meetings at the beginning of July.
Mr. Speaker I look forward to hosting the Leaders of the Overseas Territories Governments on our beautiful Islands, not just to progress discussions but to share with them our culture and the Celebrate Cayman festivities that are planned to mark the 60th anniversary of our Constitution.
Following this meeting our delegation met with the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands.
Mr. Speaker this gave me an opportunity to update the group on how well the Cayman economy is doing and to discuss concerns around the EU Blacklisting process and the upcoming Constitutional talks with the UK Government.
On Tuesday of that week, the two-day Joint Ministerial Council Meeting between the British Overseas Territories and Her Majesty’s Government began.
Mr. Speaker I want to go on record and thank the UK Ministers who attended the meetings, despite important debates taking place on Brexit in the House of Commons at the same time.
The meeting focused on discussions about Brexit, contingency planning, updates on domestic parliamentary process, trade policies and development funding. Discussions included an overview of planning for a “no deal” scenario in Brexit, trade policies post Brexit and potential changes to funding through the Overseas Development Fund.
Mr. Speaker the Overseas Territories were advised that European Union funding that supports environment and other projects in the Territories will be guaranteed by the UK until 2020. However, some Overseas Territories leaders noted that may create challenges for projects that need longer term funding. The Cayman Islands is not in that category.
There followed a lively debate on British Overseas Territories citizens’ passports. Concerns were raised that British Overseas Territory passports are now electronically coded with the same electronic code as British passports. For some Territories’ nationals this created occasional problems when travelling. It was requested that British Overseas Territories citizens’ passports be encoded with a code for each Territory to avoid this issue. The Cayman Islands is not affected, but the British Virgin Islands has some agreements with the United States for travel.
Mr. Speaker a key session of the meeting focused on Child Safeguarding. Territory leaders updated the Joint Ministerial Council on work that had been done in their countries.
3
I was very happy Mr. Speaker, to give an update on the work that has been done over the past year in the Cayman Islands, the advancements of the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), training and capacity building, raising community awareness on safeguarding children and older persons, and the restructuring of the services of the Department of Children and Family Services.
On Wednesday of that week Mr. Speaker, the meeting began with Overseas Territories leaders providing updates on their disaster preparedness. Those territories that were affected by hurricanes last year gave an update on their recovery progress. They thanked the UK government for its help and once again thanked the Cayman Islands for the assistance we provided.
The Hon. Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs gave an update on work that has been taking place in our Islands to enhance our resilience to natural disasters as well as to strengthen the regional cooperation frameworks. This includes working with the Governor’s Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to pilot the FCO’s Crisis Hub. This is a tool that will aid in evacuations and in tracking missing persons during disasters.
Mr. Speaker, the Cayman Islands has also agreed to participate in a formal regional Overseas Territory Rapid Deployment Team that can swiftly provide support for impacted territories. A second new specialist helicopter will be purchased with the assistance of the UK Government for use in the Cayman Islands as well as to participate with disaster relief in the British Overseas Territories. The Cayman Islands has already begun implementing a National Emergency Notification System as well as upgrading the National Public Safety Radio Systems.
The Financial Services session centred on the European Union blacklisting process with Mr. Stride, the Financial Secretary to the UK Treasury, noting that the UK Government is committed to assisting the Overseas Territories during the process.
Mr. Speaker I explained that the Cayman Islands has been actively engaging with the EU throughout the process, and is on track to meet our commitment by the end of this year.
Discussions moved to the UK’s goal to make public registers of beneficial ownership the global standard by 2023. It was noted that although the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act passed by the UK Parliament in May this year required that an Order-in-Council be issued by the end of 2020 requiring Overseas Territories (but not Crown Dependency’s) to implement public registers, the UK expects that such registers would be fully implemented and operational by 2023.
I requested, once again, that the UK extend the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to the Cayman Islands. Mr. Speaker, as you know this has been a request of the Cayman Islands for several years.
The afternoon session started with a discussion on Trade and Investment. A background was provided about the work done by the Caribbean Investment and Trade Advisory Group and the GREAT Campaign. Overseas Territories leaders were encouraged to determine how these organisations could work with the Overseas Territories on trade matters.
4
Mr. Speaker, as you are aware the Cayman Islands participated in the UK’s GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong earlier this year and I could attest to the benefit of attending.
The day closed with a session on the Constitutional Relationship with the UK. It was noted that the UK wants to have positive constitutional relationships with the Overseas Territories.
Mr. Speaker the challenge to the Overseas Territories and the relationship with the UK that the passage of the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Act in the UK Parliament caused earlier this year was acknowledged again by the UK Government. It was also noted that the UK wants the best constitutional options available for the people of the British Overseas Territories.
The aim is to recognise that the OTs are self-governing and subject only to the UK retaining power to carry out its obligations under international law.
Various territories provided their thoughts and several have started conversations to revise certain aspects of their constitutions with the UK. But the Cayman Islands is ahead of the game.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I commend this statement to the House.

Mr. Speaker. I previously advised this House of the Government’s intention to create a new international trade and investment Ministry as well as open an office in Hong Kong.
I am happy to advise this Honourable House that both of these have progressed with the UK Government, via the Governor’s Office, having formally confirmed their agreement for a new Ministry and have also agreed that it will be named the Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs.
I can also confirm that the UK has also provided a Letter of Entrustment that approves the opening of a Cayman Islands Government Office in Hong Kong, subject to receiving the necessary approvals from Hong Kong authorities. The UK Government and the Governor’s Office have also committed to assisting with both endeavors, the startup of the new Ministry and the Hong Kong Office. It is with the latter that this assistance will be especially useful and the UK Consulate General in Hong Kong will provide advice and on the ground assistance to get the initiative going, including seeking approvals from the Hong Kong Government.
While it is perhaps extra ordinary for an Administration to create a new Ministry, Mr. Speaker, these are indeed extra ordinary times. The principal purpose that brings us here today is to debate and hopefully approve a series of amending bills that seek to defend the Cayman Islands from being blacklisted by the European Union or falling afoul of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Forum on Harmful Tax Practices. What we continue to see, Mr. Speaker, is an ever changing landscape as regards the required regulation of the financial services sector; requirements that are no longer European Union-centric but are becoming the international standard – and so Cayman must move with the times if we are to
2
maintain a vibrant Financial Services Industry.
But the landscape will continue to change and the Cayman economic model will continue to face external threats, particularly as a result of the widespread misunderstanding of the Cayman Islands, our Financial Services Industry and the regulatory regime that underpins it. And despite our efforts to educate and engage with politicians in the United Kingdom, this misunderstanding even extends to Westminster Mr. Speaker, as we saw earlier this year. And Mr. Speaker whilst we are all hopeful that the UK will find a good solution to the challenge that is Brexit, it will continue to face challenges post Brexit.
So we must do our bit to lessen their burden and at the same time, as I have said before, to step out of the UK’s shadow and stand up for ourselves when it comes to matters of international trade. This is the role, Mr. Speaker that the new Ministry will take on.
Mr. Speaker, this Government recognises that in general terms, foreign policy or external affairs are functions reserved to the Governor under Section 55 of the Constitution. However, that Section also recognises that in the discharge of their normal functions, key Ministries will necessarily need to relate to overseas governments and institutions. The Constitution therefore provides that, in consultation with the Premier, the Governor may delegate responsibilities for external affairs to elected Ministers, which then gives them freedom to act within certain prescribed limits.
In reality, every Ministry has responsibilities that bring them into contact with other jurisdictions or inter-governmental bodies. This varies considerably in scope and in the resources required to develop and maintain overseas relationships within each Ministry.
Sadly Mr. Speaker, there is limited joining up of activities across Ministries and from the point of view of partners abroad in both the public and private sectors, the Cayman Islands Government can at times be difficult to work with. At the political level, I, as Premier, act as the de facto lead for cross-Governmental international activity and therefore, traditionally, the Premier will lead significant overseas missions. However, within the civil service there is no one similarly charged with coordinating or leading this activity. Opportunities to present a coherent and consistent approach to other governments and to potential investors and partners are being missed. The new Ministry will provide this coordinating function.
3
In summary the Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs will advance the economic and political interests of the government, the Caymanian people and the local business community, to make it easier for potential overseas investors to do business in the Cayman Islands, and to help enhance the reputation of the Cayman Islands.
Generally, Mr. Speaker, the benefits of the new Ministry include:
• improved reputation and promotion of Cayman with key opinion formers in overseas governments and institutions and in the private sector
• increased inward investment as we attract a wider pool of potential investors and make it easier for them to gain access to Caymanian markets
• increased tourism and financial services business as we help to open up and secure markets
• economic diversification as we are able better to understand and attract an increasingly diverse range of businesses to Cayman
• bringing a renewed focus on growing our aircraft and shipping registries.
To achieve these benefits Mr. Speaker, the new Ministry will take direct responsibility for the Cayman Islands Government Office in London and a limited range of existing government departments and entities. The Ministry will, more broadly, be charged with coordinating the jurisdiction’s activities internationally though many of those activities themselves would remain with existing Ministries.
The departments, offices and statutory authorities that will fall within the new Ministry will be those that have a principal focus on external trade and customers.
They are identified as:
• the Cayman Islands Government Office in the United Kingdom (CIGO-UK)
4
• the Department of Investment (to be split off from the Department of Commerce and Investment)
• the Shipping Registry of the Maritime Authority
• the Aircraft Registry but not the regulatory functions of the Civil Aviation Authority
I wish to make plain that with regards to the last two that the Ministry’s role will be limited to the promotion of the shipping and aircraft registries and does not affect the Governor’s responsibilities over other areas of maritime and aviation affairs.
In addition to the UK Government Office, it is anticipated that over time the Ministry will develop a network of international offices in locations where their establishment would enable it to better achieve its stated purpose. Proposals for such offices will be brought forward on a case-by-case basis and as I have mentioned previously the first business case, for the establishment of an Asia Office in Hong Kong, has already been developed and approved.
Mr. Speaker several potential locations for an Asia Office were considered, however, in consultation with key business leaders it was determined that Hong Kong would be the most advantageous location. That is because of its existing links to Caymanian businesses and government entities and its ideal location as a gateway to other Asian markets.
Mr. Speaker the establishment of the Cayman Islands Government Office – Asia will create a focal point to promote all aspects of the jurisdiction in an increasingly significant market. It will strengthen and deepen business ties and provide a gateway for future trade and investment in Asia. It will also facilitate the development of cultural ties between Asia and these Islands.
The primary focus for the office will be in the realization of economic benefits. It will support the existing twin pillar industries of tourism and financial services and also serve to support the diversification of the Cayman economy through establishing links and promoting inward investment opportunities with Asia’s highly-developed knowledge-based industrial sectors.
5
Mr. Speaker a physical presence on the ground in Hong Kong will mean that the Office can provide certain real-time support services such as certificates of good standing, dealing with immigration related queries for Asian visitors, and potentially company incorporation and funds registration in a same day and time zone convenient manner. This will add tremendous value to the efforts of Cayman-based firms already operating in Asia, and in particular in Hong Kong.
Previous attempts to establish an office in Hong Kong were unsuccessful but times have changed. Both the Government and the business community share optimism that the new Asia Office will provide a springboard for improved business and other links for the benefit of Cayman. And as I have indicated the UK is also geared up to assist us to make it a success this time around.
As I indicated earlier Mr. Speaker, Brexit is presenting a challenge to the UK and in some regards to its Territories. However, we also see opportunities. These include the opportunities that the UK’s Global Britain initiative could bring to Cayman if we put ourselves in the best possible position to exploit those opportunities.
Mr. Speaker the obvious example is our participation in the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong earlier this year. We were very grateful for the Secretary of State’s invitation to take part and we would welcome the opportunity to participate in similar events in the future. We believe that had this new Ministry been up and running we could have been even more effective participants in the Festival; and so this demonstrated to us that if we raise our game we can make the most of the opportunities that working closely with the UK can bring us.
In setting up both a new Ministry and an Asia Office in Hong Kong, the case for change is underpinned by the view that international issues will become increasingly important to the wellbeing of these Islands. It is therefore essential that high calibre and suitably skilled staff are employed and this will present opportunities for Caymanians to gain invaluable experience and exposure working in the Ministry or in the London and Hong Kong offices, and in any future offices that may be opened.
Mr. Speaker the Government accepts that there are costs and indeed potential risks in this approach. We intend to provide an annual budget, estimated at some $3M, for the Ministry and
6
the Asia Office. There will be new civil service headcount but much of the budget will go directly into promoting the Cayman Islands and attracting business. This represents a considerable investment when we are well aware of the other potential calls on government funding.
However, we believe the benefits I have outlined are significant enough to justify the investment; an investment in the future and prosperity of our people and our Islands.
Mr. Speaker I said at the start that the creation of a new Ministry is an extra ordinary step resulting from the extra ordinary times in which we live. What is not extra ordinary, however, is this Government’s determination to make the right decisions to support our economy, our businesses and our people.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as this Honourable House will recall, last month I confirmed to members and the public that the UK had agreed to begin talks with the Cayman Islands on proposals for various safeguards to our Constitution. These talks did occur over two days in London: Friday, 7 December, 2018, and again on Monday, 10th at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
I am pleased to report Mr. Speaker that the two days of talks went as well as one could have hoped. Indeed, they were constructive and fairly positive, and for this I would like to thank the Cayman delegation as well as the delegation from the FCO in London.
I wish to especially thank Sir Jeffrey Jowell, QC, for the excellent preparatory work done that allowed us to not only make an excellent case for reform but also for the clearly drafted proposals provided to the FCO prior to the talks. These made it easy for the UK to readily understand our position and to take a position themselves.
I extend my gratitude as well Mr. Speaker to our own Attorney General for his excellent contribution and solid recommendations to our effort.
These were important talks Mr. Speaker that took us over six months to arrange. I acknowledge the work done by our London Office, in particular the head of that Office and our representative in the UK, Mr. Eric Bush, in assisting in getting the dates pinned down.
Mr. Speaker, as you know we sought these discussions in the aftermath of a breach of
2
convention and possible constitutional overreach when in May this year the House of Commons legislated for the British Overseas Territories in the area of domestic policy.
As all members of the House will know, responsibility for domestic policy has been devolved to the territories under the terms of their respective Constitution Orders made by Her Majesty in Privy Council. Contrary to longstanding convention, the UK Parliament sought to legislate for the territories in an area of devolved responsibility by attaching an amendment to the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Bill that was making its way through the United Kingdom Parliament. The Bill with the amendment was passed by the Commons and then later by the House of Lords. This amendment requires the British Overseas Territories, but curiously not the Crown Dependencies, to establish public registers of beneficial ownership, and to do so no later than 31 December, 2020.
Failing this, the amendment requires the UK Government to utilise an Order in Council to change local legislation to force the governments of the territories to implement public registers of beneficial ownership, effectively legislating directly on a matter that has been devolved to the local governments.
This break in longstanding convention and overreach by the UK Parliament represents a line that once crossed cannot be uncrossed. The concern is therefore not just about beneficial ownership registers, but about what other areas of devolved authority the UK Parliament may feel it should interfere in without at least consulting with the Cayman Islands Government.
And so, Mr. Speaker, the safeguards we seek will confirm that the Cayman Islands Government has autonomous capacity in respect of domestic affairs, and that the UK will not seek to legislate, directly or indirectly for the Cayman Islands without, at a minimum, consultation with the Cayman Islands Government.
Prior to the meetings in London, as I mentioned before, the Government provided the FCO with proposed constitutional changes in draft form. These proposals were discussed with the Opposition prior to the trip to London and again with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition while we were in London. I wish to thank the Leader of the Opposition and his Deputy for their able assistance during the talks London. I also want to thank those on the
3
Government bench who also ably assisted with the negotiations: the Minister for Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure and the Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs.
Mr. Speaker not only did the country see before we left for London that Government and the Opposition both recognised the importance and necessity of the safeguards being sought, but in London the UK was presented with a solid Caymanian front, with the Premier and Opposition Leader, together with our delegation, sitting not on two separate sides, but united in the cause of defending our beloved Islands.
In addition to addressing the principal concern mentioned earlier, the opportunity was also taken to seek a small number of administrative changes to the current Constitution Order to improve the operations of the local government and legislature.
I am pleased to advise that by the end of the talks the majority of the proposed changes were agreed in principle whilst the remainder is still under consideration by the UK. Mr. Speaker, UK officials listened and genuinely sought to be helpful whilst asserting that the UK’s interests and its ability to ultimately legislate for its territories must remain paramount. We are a British territory and so we understand this, but we argued our case hammering home the points we needed to make. And Mr. Speaker, the FCO team certainly did seek to understand our positions and provide suggestions to address the concerns where they thought they could.
Mr. Speaker, the UK has committed to formally responding to us in the coming weeks. This formal response will include a Draft Order in Council that will confirm the matters already agreed in principle and provide the UK's proposals on how to address the matters that were left to be considered. Once the UK's response and Draft Order in Council are acceptable to the Cayman Islands delegation, then the constitutional negotiations will be considered concluded and the proposed amendments, with Draft Order in Council, will be published and later debated in this Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House would be aware of the challenges that the UK Government is now going through with Brexit; challenges that are impacting the UK’s internal politics. In recent days there was even a no confidence vote called on the Prime Minister within her party. The Prime Minister won that round but things are still poised on a knives edge politically in the UK.
4
These safeguards we seek on behalf of the Cayman Islands cannot be allowed to be caught up in the UK’s internal Brexit cauldron as it heats and boils. So I am grateful to the UK Government for seeking to conclude these negotiations as quickly as possible. This is also in our interest, so I - and I believe this House - commit ourselves to seeing this through as best we can within a reasonable timeframe early next year.
Following debate, and if approved by the Legislative Assembly, and subsequently by Her Majesty in Privy Council, the proposed changes are expected to come into effect in time for the 60th anniversary constitutional celebrations in July 2019.
I wish to thank the team, providing administrative support for the Cayman delegation: Samuel Rose, Cabinet Secretary; Roy Tatum, Head of the Office of the Premier; Jason Webster; Cabinet Office Policy Analyst; and Jana Pouchie-Bush, Personal Assistant to the Premier.
I thank the UK team, which included Mr. Ian Hendry, Constitutional Advisor to the FCO; Mr. Ben Merrick, Director of the Overseas Territories; and Mr. Will Gelling of the FCO; and Greg Reisman, Assistant Legal Advisor to the FCO. His Excellency Governor Martyn Roper also attended.
I would like to again thank all the members of both delegations for the hard work and constructive dialogue during the two days of talks. On the UK side I particularly wish to thank Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for the Overseas Territories, for his approach when working with us and with all the Territories. Lord Ahmad, I believe presents a real sense of partnership and friendship to the UK’s relationship with its Territories that is greatly appreciated. Indeed, despite a very hectic and uncertain week of Brexit debates in London, Lord Ahmad ensured that he was able to keep his finger on the pulse of the negotiations and made time at the start of the talks to meet with me and again at the end of the talks to ensure sufficient progress was made.
Mr. Speaker, we now await the formal response from the UK Government and I look forward to successfully concluding the negotiations and to publish them and then bringing them on the floor of the House for consideration and debate.

The United Kingdom Government has committed to formally responding to proposed Cayman Islands constitutional safeguards in the coming weeks.

The UK and Cayman Islands Governments held constructive, positive talks on changes to the Cayman Islands constitution over two days in London: Friday, 7 December, 2018, and Monday, 10^th at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The Cayman Islands sought these discussions because of a breach of convention and possible constitutional overreach in May this year when the House of Commons legislated for the British Overseas Territories in the area of domestic policy.  Responsibility for domestic policy has been devolved to the territories under the terms of their respective Constitution Orders made by Her Majesty in Privy Council.  Contrary to longstanding convention the UK Parliament sought to legislate for the territories in an area of devolved responsibility by attaching an amendment to the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Bill that was making its way through the United Kingdom Parliament. The Bill with the amendment was passed by the Commons and then later by the House of Lords. This amendment requires the British Overseas Territories, but not the Crown Dependencies, to establish public registers of beneficial ownership, and to do so no later than 31 December, 2020.  

Failing this, the amendment requires the UK Government to utilise an Order in Council to change local legislation to require the governments of the territories to implement public registers of beneficial ownership, effectively legislating directly on a matter that has been devolved to the local governments. The concern is therefore not just about beneficial ownership registers, but about what other areas of devolved authority the UK Parliament may feel it should interfere in without at least consulting with the Cayman Islands Government.

The Cayman Islands is seeking safeguards that will confirm that the Cayman Islands Government has autonomous capacity in respect of domestic affairs, and that the UK will not seek to legislate, directly or indirectly for the Cayman Islands without, at a minimum, consultation with the Cayman Islands Government.

Prior to the meeting the Cayman Islands Government provided the FCO with proposed constitutional changes in draft form. These proposals had the backing of both the Cayman Islands Government and Opposition and formed the basis for the discussions. 

In addition to addressing the principal concern, the opportunity was also taken to seek a small number of administrative changes to the current Constitution Order to improve the operations of the local government and legislature.

 During the talks the majority of the proposed changes were agreed in principle whilst the remainder are still under consideration by the UK.  UK officials listened and genuinely sought to be helpful whilst asserting that the UK’s interests and its ability to ultimately legislate for its territories must remain paramount.

The UK committed to formally responding to the Cayman Islands in the coming weeks. Their formal response will include a Draft Order in Council that will confirm the matters already agreed in principle and provide the UK's proposals on how to address the matters that were left to be considered.  Once the UK's response and Draft Order in Council are acceptable to the Cayman Islands delegation, then the negotiations will be considered concluded and the proposed amendments will be published and debated in the Legislative Assembly. 

If approved by the Legislative Assembly and subsequently by Her Majesty in Privy Council, the proposed changes are expected to come into effect in time for the 60th anniversary constitutional celebrations in 2019.

Participating on behalf of the Cayman Islands were Premier McLaughlin; Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Hon. Joseph Hew; Financial Services and Home Affairs Minister Hon. Tara Rivers; Attorney General Hon. Samuel Bulgin; Leader of the Opposition Hon. Ezzard Miller; and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Hon. Alva Suckoo.  They were joined by Government’s Constitutional Advisor in London, Sir Jeffrey Jowell, QC.  

Administrative support for the Cayman Delegation was provided by Eric Bush, Cayman Islands Government Representative in London; Samuel Rose, Cabinet Secretary; Roy Tatum, Head of the Office of the Premier; Jason Webster; Cabinet Office Policy Analyst; and Jana Pouchie-Bush, Personal Assistant to the Premier.

The UK team included Mr. Ian Hendry, Constitutional Advisor to the FCO; Mr. Ben Merrick, Director of the Overseas Territories; and Mr. Will Gelling of the FCO; Greg Reisman, Assistant Legal Advisor to the FCO. HE Governor Martyn Roper also attended.  

Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister for the OT's, kicked off the talks on Friday and returned for the closing session on Monday. 

Both Premier McLaughlin and Leader of the Opposition Ezzard Miller thanked Lord Ahmad, Mr. Hendry and the UK Government for proceeding with the talks despite the current political tumult in the UK. 

The Cayman Islands Delegation now awaits a formal response from the UK Government. 

LONDON - The two-day Joint Ministerial Council Meeting (JMC) between the British Overseas Territories and Her Majesty’s Government continued Wednesday at Lancaster House.  Lord Ahmad started the day discussing Disaster Management with Imogen Parsons, Deputy Director of Readiness & Response – Civil Contingencies Secretariat, in attendance.

Lord Ahmad noted that the UK continues to coordinate disaster management planning across the Overseas Territories (OTs). This includes planning in the event of hurricanes as well as other disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, serious flooding, or volcanic activity. An annual planning and readiness meeting will also take place between the UK, OTs, and other Caribbean countries that wish to participate. It was also noted that the UK has improved its own plans to swiftly respond to disasters in the OTs.

OT leaders provided updates of their disaster preparedness, with those who were hit by hurricanes last year noting the progress made in recovery. They thanked the UK for the assistance in the rebuilding efforts and once again thanked the Cayman Islands and other territories that provided immediate assistance after the passage of hurricanes in 2017. Lord Ahmad said the UK appreciated the effort of Cayman and fellow territories to provide assistance.

Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers provided an update on work in the Cayman Islands to help enhance its resilience to natural disasters, as well as strengthen regional cooperation frameworks.  This includes working with the Governor’s Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to pilot the FCO’s Crisis Hub, which is a tool to aid in evacuations and in tracking missing persons during disasters. The Cayman Islands has also agreed to participate in a formal regional Overseas Territory Rapid Deployment Team that can swiftly provide support for impacted territories. A second new specialist helicopter will be purchased with the assistance of the UK for use in the Cayman Islands as well as to participate with disaster relief in the Overseas Territories. The Cayman Islands has already begun implementing a National Emergency Notification System as well as upgrading the National Public Safety Radio Systems.  

The session on Financial Services was attended by the Rt. Hon. Mel Stride, the Financial Secretary to the UK Treasury. The discussion centred on the European Union (EU) blacklisting process with Mr. Stride noting that the UK Government is committed to assisting OTs during the process. He said the UK has worked to ensure that the process is fair and to promote objectivity in the criteria used for assessment by the EU. 

Several of the OTs encouraged the UK to continue its efforts with the EU, especially at the political level. Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin said the Cayman Islands has been actively engaging with the EU throughout the process, and is on track to meet its commitment by the end of this year. All the OT’s and Crown Dependencies (CDs) were expected to meet economic substance requirements of the EU and the OECD/FHTP.  

The conversation then moved to the UK’s goal to make public registers of beneficial ownership the global standard by 2023. It was noted that although the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act passed by the UK Parliament in May this year required that an Order-in-Council be issued by the end of 2020 requiring OTS (but not CDs) to implement public registers, the expectation of the UK is that such registers would be fully implemented and operational by 2023, and that the Order could be drafted as such.

The Premier also requested that the UK extend the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to the Cayman Islands. This has been a request of the Cayman Islands for several years. 

The afternoon session started with a discussion on Trade and Investment with Chris Bennett of the Caribbean Investment and Trade Advisory Group; and Conrad Bird, Director of the UK’s GREAT Campaign. Both provided a background to the work done by their respective organisations and encouraged the OT leaders to seek to determine how the organisations could work with the OTs on trade matters. The Cayman Islands participated in the UK’s GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong earlier this year and could attest to the benefit of attending.

The day ended with Chloe Smith, Parliamentary Secretary – Minister for the Constitution, leading the session on the Constitutional Relationship with the UK. In her introductory statement Ms Smith noted that the UK wants to have positive constitutional relationships with the OTs. She admitted to the challenge to the OTs and the relationship with the UK that the passage of the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Act in the UK Parliament caused earlier this year. She noted that she is eager to get the best constitutional options available for the people of the OTs, because it is people who are at the heart of the constitutional relationship. The aim, she said, is to recognise that the OTs are self-governing and subject only to the UK retaining power to carry out its obligations under international law.

Various territories provided their thoughts and several have started conversations to revise certain aspects of their constitutions with the UK.  

The JMC ended with the OT leaders and FCO officials and members of the UK Government attending the Annual JMC Reception at the Locarno Suite at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Joining Premier McLaughlin were Minister Rivers; Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Hon. Joey Hew; Attorney General Hon, Samuel Bulgin; the Leader of the Opposition Ezzard Miller; Deputy Opposition Leader Alva Suckoo; and other members of the Cayman delegation. Premier McLaughlin gave a closing address on behalf of the OTs and welcomed HRH The Duke of York who was the guest of honour at the reception.

Following the reception members of the delegation including Premier McLaughlin, Minister Hew, Mr. Bulgin, Mr. Miller, Cayman’s London Office head Eric Bush and Charles Parchment attended a dinner with the Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT), hosted by Andrew Rosindell MP, Chair of the APPG for the Oversees Territories.

LONDON - The Premier, Hon Alden McLaughlin and the Cayman delegation in the United Kingdom including Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers; Minister of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure Hon. Joseph Hew; Attorney General Hon. Sam Bulgin; Leader of the Opposition Ezzard Miller; and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Alva Suckoo gathered with over 200 friends and associates at the Institute of Directors in London for the Annual Premier’s dinner on Thursday. 

The event is an opportunity to network and thank business and political partners, associates and friends who have taken an interest in, or have worked with, the Cayman Islands Government in the UK throughout the year. It is also a valuable opportunity for the Premier to update an engaged audience about the current state of affairs in the Cayman Islands and the recent JMC meetings with the UK Government. 

“This was the largest networking reception and dinner that we have hosted in London with a turnout of 215 people,” said Premier McLaughlin. “We are delighted to have been able to share Cayman news and update our friends and associates. The dinner also serves as a vital time to thank and keep close ties with political and business partners.”

Also in attendance were Minister for the Overseas Territories, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon; His Excellency the Governor and Mrs. Roper; Former Governors John Owen, Duncan Taylor and Bruce Dinwiddy; Director of the Overseas Territories Directorate of the Foreign Office, and Cayman APPG members Lord Naseby, Sir Graham Brady and others.

Also in attendance were business partners including members of Friends of Cayman and the Nth Degree dining club as well as persons from cultural partnerships, Caymanians living in the UK and Caymanian students studying in the UK who are members of the network Cayman Connection UK (CCUK). 

Cayman Islands Representative in the UK, Eric Bush commented, “It was an honour to organise the largest event of its kind for Cayman in the UK and a fitting time to say my regards and farewells to those I have worked so closely with over the last two and a half years. It is extremely important for the Cayman Islands Government in the UK to develop and retain relations with a cross section of public, private and political partners, and this is our opportunity to harness and foster these relationships.”

LONDON - The two-day Joint Ministerial Council Meeting (JMC) between British Overseas Territories and Her Majesty’s Government began Tuesday at Lancaster House with welcome remarks from the Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin as President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA).

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK Minister for the British Overseas Territories also welcomed participants. Joining Premier McLaughlin at JMC 2018 are Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers and Attorney General Hon. Samuel Bulgin, QC.

In his opening remarks the Premier thanked Lord Ahmad for his work on behalf of the Overseas Territories. He also expressed his thanks to UK Ministers attending the meetings despite important debates on Brexit taking place in the House of Commons.

“Today’s agenda was busy but productive, with a lot to get through on the Brexit agenda,” said Mr. McLaughlin at the end of Tuesday’s meeting. “We are grateful for the attendance of those from the UK Government who were able to give us updates as far as possible given the uncertainty of the day caused by the Brexit debates in the House of Commons. It was regrettable, though understandable, that the Right Hon. David Liddington, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, was also not able to attend the JMC meetings today as expected.  However, we look forward to his colleague Chloe Smith, Parliamentary Secretary (Minister for the Constitution), joining us on Wednesday to lead the session on the Constitutional Relationship with the UK.”

The day’s meetings focused on discussions about the European Union exit negotiations (or Brexit) and contingency planning, including updates on the domestic parliamentary process, trade policies and development funding.

Discussions also included specialist details of Overseas Territories-related environmental work through the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), an overview of planning for a ‘no deal’ scenario in Brexit, trade policies post Brexit and potential changes to funding through the Overseas Development Fund. 

Overseas Territory leaders were again advised that EU funding that supports environmental and other projects in the Territories will be guaranteed by the UK until 2020. However, it was noted by some Overseas Territory leaders that whilst this was appreciated, it means there will be challenges for those projects that need longer term funding. 

The Cayman Islands has benefited in the past from EU funding for projects including post Ivan housing, the Doppler Radar Project and the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme.

Assurances were also provided to Territories with trade arrangements with EU countries, and UK officials noted that interests of OTs are being considered alongside that of the UK with regards to trade.  It was pointed out that in the proposed EU withdrawal agreement that every Overseas Territory is listed by name – an indication that the UK is determined to take all the UK family into consideration in any deal with the EU.

There was a lively session on British Overseas Territories citizens’ passports with the UK agreeing to look at concerns that impact some citizens; especially those travelling through the United States.  The concern was that BOTC passports are now electronically coded with the same electronic code as British passports and this presented occasional problems for some Territories’ nationals when travelling on some airlines.  The request was that BOTC passports be encoded with an appropriate code for each Territory to avoid this issue. 

Another key session of the day focussed on Child Safeguarding. Territories’ leaders updated the JMC on the work that has been done.  Mr. McLaughlin noted that much work was done over the past year in the Cayman Islands, with advancements of the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), training and capacity building, raising community awareness on safeguarding of children and older persons, and restructuring the services of the Department of Children and Family Services. 

During the day Ms Rivers spoke with Lord Bates, the Minister of State for International Development, and thanked him for the work done by the UK to press for funding to be made available to OTs damaged in hurricanes and other natural disasters. She said more should be done and was assured that the UK Government intends to work with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to help foster a greater understanding of the needs and vulnerabilities of small island countries. 

The JMC meetings continue today with sessions on Disaster Management, Financial Services, Trade and Investment and the Constitutional Relationship with the UK. 

LONDON, UK – As President of the Political Council of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA), The Premier, Hon Alden McLaughlin, opened and hosted the first UKOTA Environment Workshop in London on Monday 3 December. The workshop was organised by UKOTA, and participants included leaders of Overseas Territories, Departments of Her Majesty’s Government as well as NGOS, Organisations and charities in the environment sector. 

The Premier was able to share the good news of the procurement of 634 acres of protected land in the Cayman Islands; this has now increased the protected land area in Cayman to 4,111 acres, equivalent to 6.3% of Cayman’s total landmass.

The Premier highlighted to those present that Overseas Territories are custodians of environmental assets of global importance, due to the fact that over 90% of the UKs biodiversity is in the territories with many endangered species, also that the territories hold a third of the world’s albatross, a quarter of the world’s penguins and the largest coral atoll on earth. Lastly, the territories make up over 70% of the UKs marine estate in the world.  

He went on to highlight on behalf of the Overseas Territories the need to ensure that assistance by way of specialist technical advice as well as funding for environmental research and protection remains available particularly post Brexit when access to funds from the EU will no longer be available. This was a matter of significant importance to several organisations participating in the workshop.

Speaking as President of the Political Council of UKOTA, the Premier noted that “as Overseas Territories we fall between the cracks, we are unable to access some international funds but are also unable to access UK domestic funding. Working with NGOs, universities and charities may mean that we will be able to unblock this.”

The topics discussed at the workshop included environment funding, ocean conservation strategy and the inclusion of Overseas Territories in the UK Government’s “The Green Future -25 year plan to Improve the Environment.”

The importance of the role of universities in helping protect the environment through research and funding education was discussed. The University of Exeter has sponsored several overseas territories students including a Caymanian student to obtain Masters Degrees in environmental studies. 

Also discussed were pioneering new innovations that can assist with monitoring and protecting the environment, even within those smaller territories with little access to technology.

The UK Government support for the Oversees Territories efforts in organising this environmental workshop was demonstrated by the attendance of Ben Merrick, Director of the Overseas Territories Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who commented on the important role that the territories play in preserving such a significant amount of rich global biodiversity.

Nadia Hardie, Executive Director of the Cayman Islands National Trust attended the workshop, she commented “It has been a fantastic opportunity to network with NGOs and Organisations to review funding possibilities; it has also been worthwhile meeting and discussing these issues with our own Premier here in the UK.”

One of UKOTA’s recent achievements in the area of the environment and climate change is the direct representation of Overseas Territories for the first time at the COP24 Global climate change meetings, a very significant milestone for Overseas Territories.

The workshop was chaired by Colin Clubbe, head of Conservation Science, Kew Gardens and  included presentations from eight panelists; Hon Prof John Cortes, Minister for Education, Heritage, Environment, Energy and Climate Change Gibraltar, Ben Merrick, Director, Overseas Territories Directorate, FCO, Thea Edwards, Deputy Head, Wildlife, Natural Environment, DEFRA, Fiona Charlesworth, Darwin Plus, DEFRA, Hugh Raven, Chair of John Ellerman Foundation, Tara Pelembe, Deputy Director, SAERI, Professor Brendan Godley, Chair in Conservation Science, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Jonathan Hall, Head, UKOTs team, RSPB.

LONDON, UK – The United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) Political Council Meeting took place Monday 3 December, Chaired by the Cayman Islands.

Premier Alden McLaughlin, current President of the Political Council of UKOTA, served as Chair with the assistance of Eric Bush, Cayman Islands Representative in London and the current Chairman of UKOTA .

In addition to his duties as the current President of UKOTA these meetings present an opportunity for the Premier to meet with his fellow Overseas Territories leaders to discuss matters with regards to UKOTA as an organisation as well as to discuss and agree positions to be taken at the upcoming Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) meetings with the UK Government.

The Political Council meeting incorporated an in-depth review of the activity of UKOTA throughout the year.

Matters discussed included the provision of a part time secretary to support the work of UKOTA, issues to do with BOT citizenship of children born out of wedlock, as well as the hosting of next year 2019 pre-JMC Meetings.

It was agreed that the BOT citizenship issue should be raised at the JMC meetings and that the Cayman Islands will host the 2019 pre-JMC meetings at the beginning of July. This will allow Overseas Territories leaders to participate in our sixtieth anniversary celebrations.

Also discussed were issues relating to the safeguarding of children, constitutional matters, passports, environment and climate change, European Union engagement and OT’s student engagement.

The Premier commented. “It has been a pleasure to serve as President of UKOTA, we have covered a range of issues today and sought to reach some level of consensus between the Overseas Territories so we are able to speak with a unified voice when we address UK Ministers during the JMC meetings.”  He went on to say “we look forward to hosting the Leaders of OT Governments on our beautiful Islands, at next year’s pre JMC, not only to progress discussions, but to share with them our culture and Celebrate Cayman festivities”.

Following the meeting the delegation met with The All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands at Portcullis House. The meeting was Chaired by Sir Graham Bradey MP. The Premier updated the APPG on how well the Cayman economy is doing and also discussed concerns around the EU Blacklisting process, and the upcoming constitutional talks with the UK Government. The members of the APPG present muted their continued support for the Cayman Islands and were pleased to receive the update from the Premier.

The day ended with the Premier attending a private dinner for the Heads of Overseas Territories Governments hosted by Lord Ahmad, Minister for the Overseas Territories. 

Good afternoon,

Thank you for joining us as we welcome the newest plane to our fleet, the Boeing 737 Max 8.

Today has been long awaited and I congratulate the Board, Management, and staff of Cayman Airways on getting to today’s historic event. 

This new plane can be likened to a birthday gift as Cayman Airways is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. Since 1968 our national flag carrier has been serving the Cayman Islands, bringing people in and out of our beloved Isles. And the arrival of this fantastic brand-new aircraft will help position Cayman Airways and the Cayman Islands for the next 50 years of success. 

Not only can our Islands be proud that our national flag Carrier Cayman Airways is now flying the first Boeing 737 Max to be operated by a Caribbean-based airline, but we can also be proud that once again Cayman Airways is doing its part to help secure the future of our Islands and our people.

Those who lead, or who understand leadership, know full well that leaders must think and plan not just for today or for tomorrow, but as far into the future as possible. 

Leaders prepare for the future first by thinking and planning for it.  Then by acting; for thinking and planning alone are of little consequence without action.

In the words of Franklin D Roosevelt – To reach a port, we must set sail.  We must sail, not stay tied at anchor.  We must sail, not drift.

 There will always be those who question if this is the right aircraft or whether we should even have new plane at all.  They think only about today and have no vision for where the Cayman Islands can be in 25 or even 50 years. 

Some are afraid of the future and of change, preferring that we stay as we are, tied at anchor – not realizing that in changing times if one does not also change then the world and opportunities will leave us behind.

There are others who have a knack for talking about what should be done, and while they talk, nothing actually gets done. And if we follow them then we will merely drift with the tides, and land wherever the current takes us.  

As we celebrate the 60^th anniversary of our Coat of Arms this year, and of our Constitution next year, we are reminded that those who went before us and charted our way forward understood that to create a better life for our people we had to a new course and to sail toward new opportunities – not stay tied at anchor or merely drift.

The Board and Management of Cayman Airways understand the importance of planning and acting to ensure that the future of CAL and Cayman continues to remain bright for the next 50 years. And the government I have the honor and privilege to lead endorsed and supported their decision.

I congratulate them and the Deputy Premier for the vision and the willingness to act so that we can be here today.

Cayman Airways is an important lifeline for us. In a time when we are seeing a booming economy I am also acutely aware that we also have many challenges. Our economic model has been constantly evolving over the decades – but the main drivers of our economy remain tourism and financial services. And at a time when we are seeing financial services coming under increasing attack we must ensure that we not only continue to diversify our economy but also to shore up and grow our key pillar economic sectors. 

The investment in Cayman Airways and in its new fleet is one way this Government is strengthening our stay over tourism product and protecting our economy.  The upgrading of Owen Roberts International Airport is another. We are also supporting the work of private sector to invest in various hotel projects.

And with the Max 8’s coming online CAL will play an important role in helping to fill those hotel rooms through new routes that were previously not possible with the older aircraft.

But today is an important day for tourism for more than one reason.  The Ministry of Tourism will be issuing a press release this afternoon to formally announce that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Carnival Corporation have now made the financial commitments sought from them by the Government towards financing the cruise berthing project. Those commitments, coupled with the finance to be provided by the preferred bidder on the project, effectively ensure that no public money will be required to build the new berths.

This represents a huge vote of confidence in the Cayman Islands and in the viability of this project.  It is a very significant milestone on the critical path towards the delivery of the new port facilities that this country needs to secure its economic future.

Arriving at this point is important as it not only secures funding for the project, but the active involvement of the cruise companies is crucial to the ongoing sustainability and success of the project as well as to our cruise tourism business. 

It is important to our many merchants, large and small; to the hundreds of people who they employ; to our taxi and tour operators; and to many many Caymanians who make a living directly or indirectly from cruise tourism.

This Government, as have many Governments before, understands well that the cruise tourism model that we have had for over 25 years is not what will sustain and build a cruise tourism product for the next 25 years and beyond.  In thinking about the country’s needs over the coming decades we understand, as do many Caymanians, that to protect and grow the cruise business we must invest in a modern cruise berthing facility.  Just as we have invested in a new modern airport and in new airplanes for Cayman Airways.

However, we also understand and accept that there are costs associated with a modern cruise facility - monetary cost as well as environmental costs.  But there are also economic benefits. 

The choice is that we either do nothing or we build cruise piers. 

There is no future in doing nothing – but in building the cruise piers the experts at PWC have told us that we can expect a net economic benefit of some $245 million plus the creation of hundreds of jobs during and after construction.    

I respect the views of those who argue that no economic benefit can outweigh their environmental concerns.   But whilst I respect their viewpoint, this is not a position that a responsible government can take. 

We acknowledge that there will be environmental impact, and while we are redesigning the project to minimise that damage there is no way that we can build a new cruise and enhanced cargo port without some impact. 

In my view this comes down to a question of judgement – do the benefits outweigh the costs?  In my judgement and that of my government, $245 million of net economic benefit, 500 construction jobs and then decades of increasing employment and business opportunities for Caymanians in the tourism industry definitely outweigh the inevitable environmental costs.  At a time when huge economic threats are looming, we cannot and must not turn our backs on what in our view is a clear and convincing case for the benefits the cruise berthing and cargo port will bring.

Government is committed to delivering the port project and to securing the growth and jobs it will bring.  However, we are not doing so without regard to the costs. I have previously made two promises to the country, which I will repeat here. 

First, that we would structure the financing of the project in such a way as to minimise any risk to the country’s finances.

Secondly, that we would do all that we can to minimise or to mitigate the environmental impact of the project.

The agreement with the cruise lines that the Government is announcing today means that we have made good on the first promise.  In short, what it means is that Cayman will achieve the benefits of the new facilities while all of the cost and the financial risk will fall on the private sector, principally the cruise lines themselves.

Having delivered on that first promise, we will now ensure that the second promise is kept as well.

With those promises in place it is now essential that we get on with it and deliver this critically important project.

The cruise berthing and cargo enhancement project, like the new CAL airline fleet, or the upgrading of our airports, is an important part of moving Cayman forward and preparing us for the future.

And so today I applaud the Deputy Premier for not only his leadership and vision, alongside the Board and Management of CAL, on the significant step being made to modernize the fleet of Cayman Airways with the arrival of the new Max 8’s, but also for his work in modernising our cruise industry.

I am grateful for an incredibly proud of the government that I lead, every member of which has been in support of the critical decisions we have taken with regard to these crucial projects.

I await the day when both the cruise port and airport are complete, offering our residents and visitors a true CaymanKind experience.

A Cayman Islands delegation including Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Minister for Financial Services & Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers and Attorney General Sam Bulgin, QC, leaves the Cayman Islands Friday to travel to London to attend a series of meetings and events.

These include the Political Council of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA), the annual Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) with the UK Government as well as two days of meetings with UK Government officials on constitutional reform.

Following the JCM meetings, Premier McLaughlin, Minister Rivers and the Attorney General will be joined by Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Hon. Joseph Hew, Leader of the Opposition Mr. Ezzard Miller and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Mr. Alva Suckoo to begin constitutional discussions with the United Kingdom Government. They will be joined by Government’s Constitutional Advisor in London, Sir Jeffrey Jowell, QC.

“The constitutional safeguards we are striving for are to have aspects of our Constitution clarified to ensure that the Cayman Islands government has autonomous capacity in respect of domestic affairs and that the UK Parliament will not legislate, directly or indirectly, without consultation or, in matters of domestic autonomy, without the consent of these Islands,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Our goal is to put the Cayman Islands in the best possible position constitutionally to govern our own affairs, to resist constitutional overreach by the UK Government and Parliament, and to continue to thrive and prosper as a modern, progressive and successful democracy.”

The series of meetings begin Monday, 3 December, with the UKOTA Environmental Workshop, which the Premier will host. The Environment and Climate Change workshop will include leaders in environments across the Overseas Territories, NGOs and Associations from the UK. In attendance will be Nadia Hardie, Executive Director of the Cayman Islands National Trust. UKOTA’s focus and developments in the areas of the environment and climate change includes Overseas Territory representation for the first time at the COP24 Global Environment meetings, a significant milestone in the global climate change conversation.

Political Council meetings will incorporate an in-depth review of the activity of UKOTA throughout the year, which includes working with the UK Government on items such as Diaspora consular issues, citizenship and passport issues, environment and climate change, European Union engagement and OTs student engagement.

The Annual Joint Ministerial Council meeting will involve two days of intensive meetings with Her Majesty’s Government reviewing and discussing the Overseas Territories relationship with the UK, including environment, Brexit, trade and economy, health and education, constitutional relationships with the UK and disaster management.

Particularly significant is the high-level attendance from UK Ministers including Minister of State for the Overseas Territories Lord Ahmad; Minister of State for International Development Lord Bates; Rt. Hon David Lidington, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; and Rt. Hon Mel Stride, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, among others.

Other Parliamentary engagements during the visit include meeting with the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands, including the influential Sir Graham Brady, MP, as Chair; Lord Naseby, a staunch friend of the Cayman Islands, and Andrew Rosindell MP, a great supporter of the Overseas Territories.

During his visit the Premier will also attend The Queen’s Diplomatic Reception, the main Diplomatic reception of the year, where all members of the Royal Family will join over 1,500 people from around 130 countries including members of the British government, Prime Ministers, Archbishops of Canterbury and York and other public figures.

The Premier will also host a dinner with Friends and Associates and a reception for Cayman Students in the UK to ensure the delegation connects with Caymanians abroad while he is there.

Also traveling with the Premier will be Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose; Senior Political Advisor to the Premier Roy Tatum; Policy Coordinator within the Cabinet Office Jason Webster and PA to the Premier Jana Pouchie-Bush.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to provide the members of this Honourable House and the public an update on Government’s efforts to make important and necessary revisions to the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009.

Before doing so Mr. Speaker I will provide some background for the benefit of the public and the members of this House.

We will recall Mr. Speaker that in May this year the House of Commons attached an amendment to the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Bill that was making its way through the United Kingdom Parliament. The Bill with the amendment was passed by the Commons and then later by the House of Lords. 

This amendment requires the British Overseas Territories, but curiously not the Crown Dependencies, to establish public registers of beneficial ownership, and to do so no later than 31 December, 2020.  Failing this, the amendment requires the UK Government to utilise an Order in Council to change our local legislation to implement a public register of beneficial ownership on our behalf.

Mr. Speaker, I have said many times since the amendment passed in the UK Parliament that the Cayman Islands does not accept that the United Kingdom Parliament has the right to legislate for us when it comes to domestic matters that are already devolved to local government. In fact, we view this as constitutional overreach by the UK Parliament – a view that is shared by our constitutional advisors in the UK and also stated by several Law Lords during the debate in the House of Lords in May this year.

Mr. Speaker, this constitutional overreach is concerning; and not just because of the public beneficial ownership issue it is trying to force on us. It is also concerning because with the UK Parliament now believing that it can legislate for us, in a fashion that based on longstanding constitutional convention it previously accepted that it should not, the Parliament may feel emboldened to do so again in the future on any number of matters that it sees fit.  This vote in the Commons in May, Mr. Speaker, represented a line that once crossed cannot be uncrossed. 

And so when I was in the UK in May this year I met with both Prime Minister May and David Liddington, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; and I also spoke with Lord Ahmad, The Minister of State for the Overseas Territories, on this matter. As a result of those discussions, and subsequent official written requests, the UK Government did agree to engage in constitutional discussions with the Cayman Islands Government.  However, a date to begin these talks was awaited.

Mr. Speaker I also had several discussions with my colleague the Leader of the Opposition on this matter, and I met with him and a number of the other members of the Opposition about what we were considering in regard to constitutional safeguards. As I had said to this House in June this year, the Government and the Opposition are of one mind in the need for these safeguards and the proposals were supported. I will say again what I said then Mr. Speaker, I am appreciative of that support and for the bipartisanship displayed. It is important that we in this House are fully in agreement on this very important matter.

And Mr. Speaker, I would also remind the House that the Opposition Leader and I met with the Constitution Commissioner to discuss these matters and I received a response from the Commission on these and other subjects.  The Hon. Attorney General has also provided his feedback on the proposed enhancements that we are seeking to our Constitution.

 This House will also recall that the Leader of the Opposition and I held a joint press conference in May where we spoke to this issue and advised the Caymanian public that in the collective view of the Government and the Opposition, there was need for us to request some necessary safeguards and enhancements to our Constitution. 

Our goal, and I believe everyone in this House would agree, is to put the Cayman Islands in the best possible position constitutionally to govern our own affairs, to resist constitutional overreach by the UK Government and Parliament, and to continue to thrive and prosper as a modern, progressive and successful democracy. Indeed, I believe that the majority of Caymanians and those resident here can agree with this.  Because of this, we in this House must ensure that local politics take a backseat as we strive to obtain what is best for our country and our people.

As I mentioned in June when I last updated the House, the constitutional safeguards we are striving for are to have aspects of our Constitution clarified to ensure that the Cayman Islands government has autonomous capacity in respect of domestic affairs and that the UK Parliament will not legislate, directly or indirectly, without consultation or, in matters of domestic autonomy, without the consent of these Islands. This matches the objectives of the 2012 White Paper and endorses its balance between self-determination and the responsibilities of the UK.

We believe it should be made clear that the UK’s power over international affairs be confined to the enforcement and implementation of clear international obligations of the United Kingdom alone and that it also be made clear that provided the Cayman Islands is not in breach of international standards, the power of internal self-governance is absolute and that the power of disallowance with respect to legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands be removed, as is the case with the Gibraltar Constitution.

So in broad strokes, Mr. Speaker, those are the main measures that we are going to be pressing for in terms of constitutional changes to prevent this sort of constitutional overreach, which occurred in May from occurring in the future.

These proposals are not intended to secure the Cayman Islands’ independence. Nor is it our intention to usurp the UK’s proper role in external affairs, or to attain a degree of autonomy beyond the accepted status of the Crown Dependencies and, in respect of some constitutional provisions, of Overseas Territories such as Bermuda and Gibraltar. Instead, we want to ensure that we have autonomous capacity in domestic affairs.

Mr. Speaker, for the past six months we have been in conversation with the UK on beginning constitutional discussions.  However, there has been considerable back and forth on how to progress these talks.

I am pleased to confirm to this House and to the public that the UK Government has, just last week, agreed to such discussions to be held in London following the conclusion of the Joint Ministerial Council meeting, which will be held 4 - 5 December.  The dates proposed for the constitutional discussions are Friday, 7 December, for preliminary discussions, resuming on Monday, 10 December. Discussions will be held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on King Charles Street, London. 

The Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition have both agreed to be part of Cayman’s negotiating team.  Also accompanying me will be Government’s Constitutional advisor in London, Sir Jeffrey Jowell, QC, as well as Hon. Tara Rivers, Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs, and the Hon. Samuel Bulgin, QC, Attorney General; both of whom will also accompany me to the JMC meeting earlier in the week.

As this matter progresses, I will keep this House and indeed our country advised. Further, I want to reassure this House that before any final safeguards to our Constitution are agreed with the UK, the proposed constitutional revisions will be debated and voted upon in this House.

Mr. Speaker, during the last Administration, the Hon. D. Kurt Tibbetts, then Minister for Lands, received approval from Cabinet to purchase property behind the Government Administration Building when that property came on the market. That property, Mr. Speaker, is titled as GTC 14C J21.

At the time we also sought to purchase a piece adjacent to J21, which is titled GTC 14C J22, or Scranton Central Park as it is better known; but regrettably this property was not for sale at that time.
This was not the first time that the Hon. D. Kurt Tibbetts, as well as myself, had attempted to buy the Scranton Central Park property; in fact as representatives for the District of George Town we had sought to acquire this property for well over a decade because of its value to the surrounding community.
Although the property was privately owned, the owners graciously allowed the community to use the land for many years as a park. And so over the years it has been used for many things – everything from community gatherings to basketball games and more. It was, in many respects, an oasis for the neighboring community in an area that was becoming more and more commercial.
The Hon. D. Kurt Tibbetts and I understood that should the Scranton Central park property ever come on the market it was important for Government to buy it to preserve it for use as a community park. And so the family did promise that should they decide to sell that they would let us know. Earlier this year the family advised that the land was for sale; should Government be interested. And we were interested.
I immediately contacted the Minister responsible for Lands and had the process started to negotiate the purchase. Two independent valuations were obtained, as well as a valuation by Lands & Survey, to determine the value of the property. The negotiations between Government, as managed by Lands & Survey, and the owners were a bit protracted Mr. Speaker, but happily last month the deal was concluded with the property being bought by Government for CI$272,500. This purchase price was based on the valuation done by Lands & Survey and considered fair value for the property.
My Government, Mr. Speaker, places a premium on ensuring that open spaces are available to the public, including access to neighborhood parks and play areas. These are not mere words Mr. Speaker. The purchase and planned enhancement of Smith Barcadere, as well as the South Sound Boardwalk are two recent examples, as is property purchased in the Prospect area that will eventually serve as a public park for the huge Red Bay & Prospect communities.
And Mr. Speaker, we still plan to utilise the old Government Administration building site as a public park. God willing we will get this done over the next budget cycle.
But this administration also believes, and indeed the Progressives campaigned in part, on making our communities stronger – including through the creation of Community Youth Centres that can provide social, recreational, and counselling services, especially for children after school.
So Mr. Speaker, the purchase of this property by Government ensures that it continues to be available for use by the community and can serve other community purposes in the future. The ability to improve the condition of the park as well as to expand the current ¼ acre site using the adjacent Crown land creates exciting possibilities.
This Government, Mr. Speaker, will continue to pursue these types of opportunities to improve the quality of life for the people of George Town Central and indeed for all of our people across these Islands.
Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Delivered on 1^st November (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Good evening everyone,

I’m delighted to be here this evening as you celebrate this most auspicious event in your lives as graduates.

I want to congratulate you all for the hard work and for your achievements and to also congratulate and thank your spouses, your children, your other support folks who have helped you get this far along your journey.

As I sat there just now and thought back, it is 40 years this month since I graduated from High School.  In those days, graduations were in November because they wouldn’t let you graduate until you got your results; it was a different time.

 40 years, and I think back on the decisions, and some of the bad decisions that I was prepared to make at that age when I thought that high school graduation was something really special and that was just about all you needed to get on in life.  And I have a number of people to thank for persuading me that I needed to go beyond high school education, if I truly wanted to achieve the things that I had the ambition for in this life.

Principal among them was my father, who I will never forget said to me, he said my son you can’t see it, but the day is coming in this Country when you’re going to need a university degree to drive the garbage truck.  Well, we haven’t quite reached there, but those of you who have sought employment and are in employment will understand what he meant, that if you really want to get on you do need to do what you all have done and some of you will continue to do as you move from one level to the other from Diploma to Associates to Bachelors and on.

So I want to commend you for having understood the critical importance of education, which as Mr. Ritch just said is not a destination, but an ongoing process, important to your life and your ambition and ultimately your achievement.

So I want to encourage you to seek out, in whatever you do, whatever vocation or profession you pursue, something for which you have real passion.  For if you ever discover what you truly love to do, you’ll never really work a day in your life.

I was not a particularly good student; the teachers said it wasn’t because I didn’t have the ability; it was because when I was younger the pursuit of happiness was far more important to me than the pursuit of anything else and so I didn’t really work that hard.  But a point came when the penny dropped and I understood that to achieve, you really had to work hard and that has been the basis for me and all that I have been able to do in my life.  Finding the legal profession which was something that I loved deeply and then an outlet for my desire for public service, I’m just about completing in five days’ time eighteen years as an elected member.

And so I have always had, since I qualified as a Lawyer, a reason to get out of bed every morning and a job that I wanted to go and do and achieve at, if you can find that in whatever your pursuits are, you will have done the most important thing for yourself and indeed for whoever you work for.  Because when you actually find something that you want to get up in a morning to go and do that makes you a happy person.  So I encourage you to seek out those opportunities, I wish you all the very best in your further endeavours and I look forward to helping you celebrate some more of those occasions, those of you who remain here or elsewhere in Cayman.

I want to conclude these remarks by paying tribute and acknowledging the tremendous service of two, believe it or not, of my former high school teachers who are still here at UCCI.  Old teachers never die, they just keep graduating.

The first I want to mention is Professor Emerita Calvin Bromfield, who taught me A level English forty years ago, he must have been a boy.  He was one of the most inspiring teachers’ that I had, even though he came to the school late in my school career at what was then the Cayman Islands High School.  And finally to say, or to acknowledge with some sadness that tonight is the swan song of your President, J.A. Roy Bodden, who taught me A level history forty years ago.

Before that, Mr Bodden had been a teacher in the Government school system, before he went off for further studies to University in Canada returning as I said to the Cayman Islands High School to teach A level history, particularly American history.

So he had a long and distinguished career as a teacher in the public service before going on to be elected and serving sixteen and a half years, latterly as Minister of Education and then to do a further nine years now as President of UCCI.  That is truly a lifetime of public service, which warrants I believe not just applause here, but truly national recognition.

And he would be disappointed, because I’m not in his head and his heart, but I do believe that he’s most proud of being an author.  And he’s been the author of a number of seminal works, about the history of these islands, particularly the political history of these islands and our social history.  And although he has been recognized very much for those over the years, I do believe as he leaves this scene, more and more people are going to come to understand how critically important those works of his are.  To our understanding recognition and appreciation of what life in these islands was like, the struggles, the successes and the pride that we can have in being Caymanian. 

I want to thank you Roy for all that you have done and indeed look forward to the promise of more of those works as you go into happy retirement.

Again, I thank you all for the invitation to be here and the opportunity to say a few words and again my warmest congratulations to the graduates.

 Your Excellency, it is my honour and a real privilege to be the first to congratulate you on assuming the Office of Governor of the Cayman Islands. 

I also take this opportunity to again welcome you to these islands, you and your lovely wife Elisabeth.  I do hope that your children Matthew and Jessica will be able to visit here before too long, I expect they shall be as enthralled with these islands as most who visit here. 

I was also delighted that you initiated a video call with me early last week and that we had the opportunity to meet, I’m not sure if this is correct – “virtually”. 

I am very impressed with your extensive experience overseas and in particular your experience dealing with Overseas Territories and I have to tell you sir that in my view any man who likes bicycles and books, has a head start in my estimation. 

I could not have believed that I would be doing this again, just six months since we welcomed the last Governor.  You sir are the fourteenth Governor of these Islands since we had such things, and there were four Administrators who preceded you. 

You are my, I think seventh Governor, Smith, Dinwiddy, Jack, Taylor, Kilpatrick, Choudhury, yes my seventh Governor.  So I have had some experience in dealing with the Governors and in the transition that that involves. 

You have come at a particular juncture in these islands when we are again facing some significant international challenges and I am encouraged that you have some considerable experience in dealing with agencies such as the OECD.  We shall very quickly I believe, call upon that experience as we seek to address the current challenge which has been extant now for almost two years, of the EU blacklisting exercise of jurisdictions which they conclude the practice or engage in harmful tax practices.

Sir these islands have come a long way in my, I like to think relatively short lifetime.  Though we were first claimed as British pursuant to the 1670 Treaty of Madrid, I think it was 28th September 1670 and we have been settled since the early 1700’s, it is really the last 50 years or so, 60 years if we stretch it, that these islands have become what most people consider the modern Cayman. 

And so this year we are celebrating the conferral of our Coat of Arms, conferred by Queen Elizabeth II in 1958 which you will see emblazoned just about everywhere you go.  That sir is our first symbol of national identity and one of which we are incredibly proud. 

And so over the course of this year, we have been having various celebrations, we are coming towards the close of the year but I do believe there will be opportunity for you to participate in one or two of those before the year’s celebrations are over. 

That Coat of Arms is extremely symbolic; it reflects our link, our constitutional link with Jamaica, going back to the very early days of our settlement through the pineapple.  The British Lion, the wavy blue marks on it represent the sea, the three green stars the three Cayman Islands, the turtle which has been a symbol of Cayman’s identity ever since we were settled. 

It provided food, it provided work, it provided revenue from export and aside from that Caymanians tend to love eating the creature, something that many people from elsewhere find a bit unusual.  And then there is the thatch rope on which it sits, which again was one of our very earliest industries and below it is a verse from Psalm 24, verse 7 I believe from memory, “He Hath Founded It upon the Seas which underpins the Coat of Arms but also underpins the backbone and the culture of this country. 

We were founded on the basis of Christian beliefs which still persist, still pervades, still guide decisions made by those of us charged with that responsibility in this country.  It is not so everywhere but it is certainly so here. 

We start this Parliament with prayer every day, we start Cabinet with prayer every time Cabinet meets and you will find as you move around almost any public meetings that there is, you get the National Song, the National Anthem and a prayer, that’s the Cayman way.   

And so sir as I said quite recently to your predecessor, take time to get to know these islands, to get to know the uniqueness of our people.  We do not have one of those very vibrant and flamboyant cultures, there are subtleties that run through everything Caymanians do and say and if you are not perceptive and if you do not take time to learn, you’ll miss a lot of messages because Caymanians are generally not very overt, particularly if they are going to be critical of you.  Except if you listen to the talk show in the morning, but don’t do that sir, it’s not good for your health; it’s not good for your digestion. 

But sir, there are a number of significant challenges as I alluded to even with respect to our relationship with the United Kingdom.  I do believe that the Government’s relationship with the United Kingdom is on very strong ground and that is why we have been able to, not only withstand but we’ve been able to work through some of these challenges.  Many of these sir are not the making of the Civil Servants at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  They are the will of the British Parliament in many instances, and a great deal of misperception remain and exist in the UK and more broadly across Europe and indeed other places in the world, about what we do here in terms of business, particularly financial service related business.  And this unfortunately affects the way we are dealt with in a number of respects. 

I speak in particular sir with respect to the Anti Money Laundering and Sanctions Act and the clear constitutional overreach which Parliament of the United Kingdom exercised in seeking to legislate domestically for territories such as the Cayman Islands, not just us, but a territory such as the Cayman Islands, outside the scope of the constitutional order which presently exists. 

Those are some of the challenges that we have to deal with on a regular basis, more recently we had another unfortunate issue with the NCA.  We have managed to resolve all of these things, I cite these not because I’m complaining, really about them you know about them I’m sure you do but to say that your role sir as Governor is not an easy one.  I fully, fully understand the challenges of walking that line between your responsibility as a representative of the Queen and an appointee of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and your role as Governor in helping to protect, defend and help these islands to continue to prosper. 

The really good governors that I’ve had to deal with have been able to walk that line very effectively and I do hope sir that in time to come I or those who follow me are able to include you in that relatively short list of good governors. 

The role which you play in Cabinet is also important, notwithstanding the fact that under the current constitution the Governor has no decision making role or veto power in cabinet.  The role as Chairman provides, I believe, a great opportunity for you to receive feedback from the Cabinet as well as Cabinet to have your views on particular issues. 

I have found that over the course of my time not just as Premier, which has just gone five years but my previous term as a Minister, to be very invaluable to have an objective one hopes, perspective on matters which though locally relevant will benefit from a broader perspective. 

I also personally value the opportunity to discuss a range of issues with the Governor on a regular basis, indeed our constitution requires regular consultation between the Premier and the Governor and I do hope that we can swiftly arrive at an arrangement, so that we are able to do that in order to help facilitate the business of the Cabinet and the Government more generally. 

There are some other challenges ahead and I’m hoping not to embarrass the Chief Justice by even raising this particular one in his presence, but we have the long standing issues about I suppose I should use the colloquially  term, gay marriages and the rights of same sex couples which is one matter which is currently before the court and the ongoing dialogue and debate and if I‘m frank pressure from the UK government for the Cayman Islands and some of its other territories’ to accede to their thrust for these islands to validate such relationships. 

These are difficult areas, very difficult areas, there are mixed views in the community there are mixed views even in my Caucus and in my Cabinet.  They are very difficult to navigate politically.  I almost lost my previous government over those issues, so I say this sir not to cause you not to rest well tonight but to give you a little insight into some of the very significant issues which these islands face and those of us who bear the leadership roles face. 

Happily, happily in financial terms the Cayman Islands is in as good a place from the Government perspective as it ever was and government revenues are strong and solid.  The economy is doing far better than any economy in the region. 

GDP growth has just been published for the previous 6 months at 4% estimated to level out at 3% for the year when most places around the region are at 0.5% some even less.  Unemployment has fallen from a high of 10.5% in 2012 to 3.2% currently so government is pressing ahead with major infrastructure projects over the course of the previous term and the first 15-16 months of this term, government has not raised any taxes or duties, nor have we borrowed any long term money. 

We continue to pay down government debt, so far we’ve paid down $135 million in the last five years.  Moody has renewed our credit rating at AA3, the highest in all of the overseas territories one of the highest in the region. 

So we’re doing very well in that aspect but that is not to say we don’t have problems and social issues, one of the great challenges we have faced over the course of these many years is how do we balance the significant immigration which has been a major factor in our success. 

When I was born, which I like to think wasn’t all that long ago, the population was 8,500 people it’s now about 65,000 people.  We’ve got about 23-24,000 of those are people on work permits.  We have 135 nationalities are mixed up in that 65,000 people.  As a friend of mine in Barbados said the Cayman Islands is the United Nations of the Caribbean. 

There is no other nation in the region that even comes close to that diversity in terms of nationality and it’s made for tremendous success on a number of fronts from availability of cuisine, to different cuisines that are here, to the sports that we play to the attitude of people, it’s been hugely positive in many ways but it comes with its share of social strains. 

And one of the greatest challenges that we face is the continued perception by many local people, that they do not get fair opportunities, particularly when it comes to employment in terms of promotion and upward mobility.  And so my government, like governments before have struggled and are struggling with this issue and we are doing a number of things we hope which help to deal with this. 

One, we have created an economy and an environment where there is a great availability of jobs and opportunity.  So now we have to make sure that the Caymanians that are willing and able to do these jobs get them.  Which means a better education at its core, better education but also fairness by employers in selection and so one of the things we are doing is combining what were previous functions of Immigration dealing with the work permit application process and the department of labour relations into a new department called WORC  (Workforce Opportunities Permanent Residency Cayman). And we are also pressing ahead with the creation by legislation of a Fair Opportunities Employment Commission to be able to effectively investigate and sanction discrimination in the workplace. 

I give you this sir because I do not wish for you, nor do I wish to be accused of painting an overly rosy picture of these islands, we do have our share of challenges but in the context of the region and in the broader context of the world this place is still paradise. 

And so sir, I have gone over these issues a little to give you some flavour I think of the challenges that lie ahead and the opportunities for you to make a real difference and a real contribution to helping to move these islands forward.

 I want to finish by thanking, not just thanking, but commending the Hon. Franz Manderson for the exceptional job he has done as Acting Governor.  Most people might think that Franz and I get on like a house on fire, well generally we do but we’ve had our share of ups and downs too it’s just the nature of the respective posts we hold and I fear sir that you and I are likely to have a similar experience over time. 

But I do hope sir, as I’ve said to the Overseas Territories Minister Lord Ahmad that you are able to stay on long term.  The last thing these islands need is disruption and so I hope, that when that time comes, I am asked for, and that I will be able to provide you, with a glowing reference. 

Welcome to Cayman sir.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin spoke to incoming Governor Mr. Martyn Keith Roper via video conference today and awaits his arrival on Grand Cayman next Monday, 29 October.

“I had a good, positive conversation this morning with Mr. Roper, and I look forward to welcoming him when he arrives on Monday,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “I anticipate that Mr.  Roper and I will quickly build a cordial and productive working relationship. I am pleased to have heard directly from Mr. Roper his eagerness about working in the Cayman Islands and to also have him provide first-hand information on his background and experience working with other Overseas Territories.”

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon wrote to the Premier on 19 October announcing Mr. Roper’s appointment and thanked the Premier for offering advice on the qualities needed in a new governor. He said that he and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office took that advice on board in the appointment of Mr. Roper.

In his letter to Lord Ahmad on 24 September, the Premier noted that a new governor “should have a good knowledge of, and preferably experience of working with Overseas Territories. They will need to have an appreciation for the separate roles of the elected government and the Governor’s Office and to be able to hit the ground running.”

The Premier also suggested that the experiences of former Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick be taken on board as part of the recruitment process for the new governor.

“This would, I believe, go a long way to giving us confidence that the process would give us someone who understands and respects the role of the Premier and the Government whilst also appreciating that Caymanians understand full well how to grow and keep our Islands safe and prosperous,” he wrote to Lord Ahmad.

“I thank Lord Ahmad for the opportunity to provide advice on the qualities needed in the incoming governor. I am also grateful that, in speaking with Mr. Roper, he indicated he has had conversations with former Governor Kilpatrick with regards to her role and experiences when she served as governor of the Islands,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

Mr. McLaughlin applauded Acting Governor Hon. Franz Manderson for his work in taking up the role in the absence of a UK-appointed governor.

“I look forward to continuing to work with him as Deputy Governor and with Mr. Roper as our new governor,” he said.

LONDON – Eric Bush today told members of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee that the Cayman Islands has identified opportunities to work with the United Kingdom to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

Mr. Bush, the UK representative for the Cayman Islands in London, fielded questions from the committee, which is considering the resilience of the Overseas Territories, how effectively the Foreign and Commonwealth Office manages its responsibilities toward the OTs and how it sees their future.

“We welcome the opportunity to contribute to this review by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee into the future of the Overseas Territories,” said Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin. “There are few such opportunities for us to actively contribute to open discussions about our place in the United Kingdom family of nations, and in light of recent questionable legislative activities, it is of paramount importance to us to review and improve our constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom.

“As a small Islands state we punch well above our weight as a leading place to live, visit and do business,” he said. “To assure this, we understand the need to be outward facing to global opportunities and challenges.”

MP Andrew Rosindell began the questioning by asking Mr. Bush about his views on Brexit, the eventual separation between the UK and the European Union, and any associated risks to Cayman’s political stability and economic success.

“With the realities of Brexit, the UK is going to be more concerned about their own external affairs,” Mr. Bush said. “For the Cayman Islands, the risk for us is that we need to be more proactive with assistance by the UK Government in forming our own international identity.

“We accept Brexit is a reality and therefore we are looking for the opportunities,” he said. “We have no official ties to the EU except for being British. The risks of Brexit are all within the global risk of what it is to be British.”

And it is that sense of being British that makes the Cayman Islands a strong country in which to help the UK Government in its campaign of a Global Britain. Mr. Bush said all of the OTs and Crown Dependencies have much to offer in broadening the UK’s global footprint, from biodiversity, financial services and healthcare to many pockets of excellence.

He explained that the Cayman Islands represented Global Britain last year when it took humanitarian aid police forces to Turks and Caicos, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands after those countries were ravaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

“There was a lot of criticism in the UK about the timeliness of the response from the UK,” Mr. Bush said. “But the Global British response was pretty good.”

He told committee members that the constitutional relationship between the UK and Cayman is dated and needs to be reformed.

A contentious issue between the UK and the OTs has been the passing of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 earlier this year in the UK Parliament.

MP Mike Grape pressed Mr. Bush on whether the Cayman Islands would adhere to the law, which does not come into force until the end of 2020.

“Government has been quite vocal in saying that it amounts to constitutional overreach,” Mr. Bush said. “The Premier in 2013 came to the UK and made it clear that the Cayman Islands would be an early adopter once and when it becomes a global standard.”

He also told the members that it is important to recognise that the Cayman Islands and the UK Government share the goal in fighting against money laundering, tax evasion, terror financing and other monetary crimes.

“The Act betrayed years of constructive conversation,” Mr. Bush said. “There was a sense of disbelief for us. There is a disconnect. That’s where the management of the relationship comes in and that’s at the heart of this review.”

Mr. Bush’s talks with the Committee came a week after the Cayman Islands issued a requested written response that asserts that the UK Government’s responsibilities toward Cayman’s constitutional relationship should be clarified. The response also offers suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the Overseas Territories Directorate and relationship management with the FCO.

Committee members had the submission, which offers recommendations made by the Cayman Islands to clarify and strengthen the relationship between the Islands and the UK.

Those recommendations include:

• Safeguards to protect the Cayman Islands, and indeed the wider British Overseas Territory family, from future constitutional overreach by the Houses of Parliament, and that the safeguards be established in partnership with the wishes of our governments.

• The UK Government should facilitate Ministerial engagement from the Government of the Cayman Islands with requisite UK Government ministers and departments, so the international community and relevant forums are reassured we are being represented in keeping with the UK’s obligations.

• An invitation for the UK Government to review ministerial responsibility in relation to the Government of the Cayman Islands, including designation of ministers in each relevant department to ensure total cross-Whitehall participation as required.

• That the Cabinet Office work to integrate the British Overseas Territories requirements into the existing COBRA Civil Contingencies frameworks and engage with British Overseas Territory Representatives in London on a regular basis as well as in emergency situations.

• That the UK assess the suitability of moving to the Australian State Governor appointment process whereby the Crown directly appoints the Governor instead of the FCO and the appointment of the Governor be subject to the veto of the Government of the Cayman Islands.

• That the Cabinet Office, through the Commonwealth Secretariat, make every effort to involve the Government of the Cayman Islands on all elements of Commonwealth engagement, with the exception at this time of full membership.

• That every effort be made by the UK Government to improve the standing of the position of the British Overseas Territory Representative.

The FCO has primary responsibility for the UK Overseas Territories, which are spread across four oceans and eight time zones. These dispersed territories support the UK’s global reach but ensuring their security and stability, while respecting the principle of self-government presents a major challenge to the FCO.

In recent years the OTs have been exposed to shocks, from the Panama Papers in 2015, the Brexit vote in 2016 and hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. These have led some OTs to question the UK’s willingness to support them. Relations have also been strained because of high-profile instances of divergence between the UK and some of the OTs on issues such as civil rights and financial transparency.

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee in London is examining the role of the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories and on Tuesday afternoon will hear first-hand from Mr. Eric Bush in his role as the United Kingdom representative for the Cayman Islands.

The Committee is reviewing the relationship between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Overseas Territories. Mr. Bush will be the first Overseas Territory representative to join the discussion and provide further information about Cayman’s written submission to the Committee. The Committee asked for written submissions from the OTs in July.

According to the Committee’s website, “This review will consider the resilience of the Overseas Territories, how effectively the FCO manages its responsibilities toward them and how it envisages their future.” 

In the written submission, the Cayman Islands has recommended, among other things, that sufficient safeguards be put in place to protect OTs from future constitutional overreach by the Houses of Parliament, that the UK Government designate ministers in each relevant department to ensure the Cayman Islands has total cross-Whitehall participation and that the Cabinet Office make every effort to involve the Government of the Cayman Islands in all elements of Commonwealth engagement, short of full membership at this time.

Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin said he welcomes the review, especially in light of Britain’s imminent departure from the European Union.

“It is the right time for the UK Government and the Overseas Territories to review the way in which the relationships are managed and make real changes that will see a stronger Global Britain in which the Cayman Islands and indeed all Overseas Territories are an important part,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

A similar review was conducted in 2008 and the results prompted the UK Government to create and adopt the 2012 Whitepaper, which is the most recent UK policy document regarding the Overseas Territories.

George Town, Grand Cayman - The following statement has been issued by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Overseas Territories and Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Premier of the Cayman Islands:

Following further talks between Cayman Islands and UK officials concerning the sharing of beneficial ownership information by law enforcement agencies, an agreement has been reached which will allow close and effective cooperation under the Exchange of Notes. This followed discussions on the technical process to be used by the General Registry and Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) for providing information to UK law enforcement in a timely manner and assurances from the UK that addressed the Cayman Islands concerns on privacy issues and the secure transmission of data. The National Crime Agency (NCA) and RCIPS confirmed that they are satisfied with the operational adjustments and that the agreement immediately allows them to resume collaboration under the Exchange of Notes, which is in addition to the other mechanisms for information exchange that have been in existence for years.” 

On Friday 5^th October the Leader of the Opposition issued a press statement entitled “Opposition calls for the repayment of CI$20 million owed to the people of the Cayman Islands”.  This was regarding the settlement of 2004 Hurricane Ivan property insurance claims between the Cayman Islands Government and Cayman General Insurance Ltd.

The decisions taken regarding these insurance claims were made by the Government in office in 2004, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, when the Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughlin, along with Anthony Eden and Arden McLean were members of the PPM Opposition. This is a fact of which the Leader of the Opposition as well as Anthony Eden and Arden McLean are obviously well aware.  The accusation by the Leader of the Opposition that Mr. McLaughlin supported the settlement is therefore a deliberate untruth as both Mr. Eden and Mr. McLean would know. 

The government records, including a 2007report by the Auditor General, show that this was a negotiated settlement, with the benefit of legal advice, agreed between the Cayman Islands Government and Cayman General in full and final settlement of all claims made by the Cayman Islands Government against Cayman General, arising from loss and damage suffered by the Government as a result of the passage of Hurricane Ivan.   Government reached a settlement position of CI$70 million with Cayman General.  The agreement provided for the payment by Cayman General of CI$50 million dollars to the Cayman Islands Government within thirty days as well as the transfer to the Government of 24% of the shares in Cayman General.  This allowed Government to have quick access to much needed cash in the aftermath of the disastrous passage of Ivan. There was no loan made to Cayman General as part of the negotiated agreement as the Opposition statement infers.  Government still owns the shares which are now held in Cayman First Insurance given the sale of Cayman General some years later.

Regardless of whether or not the Opposition, or others, consider this a good commercial deal, the reality is the agreement was a legally binding contract in FULL AND FINAL settlement of all claims which the Government had against Cayman General arising from Hurricane Ivan.  There is no outstanding loan and no money owed to the Cayman Islands Government by Cayman General, or its successor Cayman First Insurance or Cayman National Corporation.

Premier McLaughlin stated “75% of the shareholders in Cayman National Corporation are Caymanians and it is both reckless and callous in the extreme, for the Opposition to seek to damage the company’s reputation and further to insist that its Caymanian Shareholders should pay Government CI$20 million which is not owed, given the final agreed settlement.”

Mr. McLaughlin continued “These disingenuous statements are part of a growing pattern of false accusations made by the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues.  In this instance they appear to be aimed at derailing the sale of the majority of shares in Cayman National Corporation which will principally benefit Caymanians.” 

“These deliberate attempts to continue to mislead the public on crucially important national issues such as this are deeply regrettable and unbecoming of the Leader of the Opposition and the members of the Legislative Assembly who appear to be blindly following his lead.”

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – Following on from a very successful visit to Monaco to support the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands (MACI) at the annual yacht show, The Premier, Hon Alden McLaughlin, accompanied by the Chairman and the CEO of MACI travelled to Athens for meetings with Greek merchant ship owners and movers and shakers in the Greek shipping industry.This initiative is part of MACI’s plans to increase the number of merchant ships on the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry.  The Cayman Islands is one of the top registers for yachts but are outranked in terms of merchant ships flying the Cayman flag – currently we have some 2,008 yachts registered, but only about 203 merchant ships on the register.

On Tuesday the Premier hosted a luncheon for 15 ship-owners and CEO’s of Greek shipping companies.  The venue was the historic Piraeus Marine Club in the heart of the Greek shipping community where the Premier and MACI staffs were able to speak directly about the Cayman Islands and the benefits of the Cayman Shipping Registry. 

Mr. McLaughlin noted that, “MACI asked me to attend and to personally speak to individuals involved in shipping, including those at the luncheon from traditional Greek shipping families who together control many hundred ships.” 

Mr. McLaughlin continued, “Some of the individuals I met do business with us now, but most do not.  We cannot substantially grow this sector of the shipping market without accessing Greek shipping.  So, I came to Athens to thank first hand those who do business with us, and to say to those who do not that we as a Country and as a Government are committed to the shipping industry, committed to supporting Greek shipping, and we want their business.”

Greek ship owners account for almost 25% of the world’s total merchant shipping fleet and are an important market to tap into if the Cayman Islands are to substantially grow the number of merchant vessels on the Cayman Register.  It’s important not only to better diversify the registry business but to also help diversify and grow the business done within the Cayman Islands.

Mr. Philip Barnes, Chairman of MACI commented that “The mere fact that this number of high powered individuals took time out of their busy day to be with us for several hours over lunch is an indication of their interest in the Registry as well as their interest in hearing first hand from the leader of the Cayman Islands”.

Mr. Joel Walton, CEO of MACI, said “I am grateful to the Premier for joining us in Athens.  This is important to MACI but it is also important to the Cayman Islands.  The individuals who met with us are not only significant players in Greek Shipping, but are also significant in terms of the global shipping industry. When the Premier of the Cayman Islands can say to them that we are committed to shipping and will work hard to get and keep their business, this means something to them.  I am hopeful that we will win a lot more merchant shipping business from Greece and today is the start.”

During the course of the week MACI staff and representatives in Athens are meeting one on one with several Greek shipping companies and brokers.

Also attending the lunch was Greek Caymanian Nicky Pappadakis who also addressed his fellow Greeks and spoke warmly about the Cayman Islands and the Caymanian people.  The Hon Speaker, Mr. McKeeva Bush also attended as he was in Athens independently visiting his friend Mr. Pappadakis.

Travelling with the Premier is Roy Tatum, Head of the Office of the Premier.   Mr McLaughlin and Mr Tatum travel back home on Wednesday 3rd October. 

MONACO – Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers as well as representatives from the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands attended the Monaco Yacht Show and hosted events this week to promote the Cayman Islands and our world leading Shipping Registry.

On Thursday night the Cayman Islands hosted a reception for friends of Cayman, including yacht owners, yacht builders, naval architects and other key players and service providers in the yachting sector. Special guest of honour was H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, who was welcomed by Premier McLaughlin and Minister Rivers. Premier McLaughlin and Prince Albert discussed the history, culture and economy of the Cayman Islands, as well as the prominence of the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry. The Premier also presented the Prince with the Coat of Arms of the Cayman Islands.  

Prince Albert, who like Premier McLaughlin is a keen cyclist, invited Mr. McLaughlin to return to Monaco to participate in the St-Tropez to Monaco charity bike ride in support of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The Prince also expressed an interest in returning the favour and visiting the Cayman Islands.

It was a successful evening that gave the Premier and the Minister opportunities to speak to some of the key players in the important Monaco super yachting sector about the Cayman Islands and the Cayman Registry. Several said they plan to visit the Cayman Islands.

On Wednesday, the Premier and the Minister met with Minister of State of Monaco Mr. Serge Telle, and Finance Minister Mr. Jean Castellini. The officials from Cayman and Monaco held an extended meeting to better understand the way the two different jurisdictions function. Mr. McLaughlin noted that there are more similarities than differences between the two jurisdictions and there may be opportunities for closer collaboration going forward.

Discussions also included infrastructure developments such as the Portier Cove project in Monaco that will develop some 15 acres of reclaimed land in the Mediterranean Sea to help provide space for new homes in Monaco as well as to provide economic benefits to the principality. The project is expected to cost about US$2.66 billion. The environmental impact will be minimised and when completed is expected to provide huge economic benefit for years to come. Premier McLaughlin and Minister Rivers noted that the Cayman Islands is in the middle of a cruise pier project, and although smaller in scope than the Monaco project, it too seeks to minimise the environmental impact whilst ensuring economic benefit into the future.

To close Wednesday, the Cayman delegation, led by Premier McLaughlin and Minister Rivers, hosted a dinner for clientele of the Shipping Registry. This was the first time that the Cayman Islands has hosted a dinner at the Monaco show.

“This dinner provided an opportunity for Cayman to thank some of the clients of our Registry for the business provided to the Cayman Islands and for their loyalty over the years,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Today we are a world leading register. However, we cannot be complacent and must collectively work hard to maintain our dominance in the sector.”

Minister Rivers also noted, “The presence of those at dinner was a clear indication of the value they place on Cayman’s Shipping Registry.”

She thanked guests for attending and looked forward to working with them to grow the Registry. During dinner, guests discussed with the Premier and Minister their thoughts on the Registry and the future of Cayman in general. Many guests noted their appreciation that the Premier and Minister took time to visit the yacht show and meet with the users of the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry. 

Premier McLaughlin, Minister Rivers and the Cayman delegation also had an opportunity to visit the yacht show and see the many large yachts using the Cayman Registry and flying the Cayman red ensign flag.  Most of them had George Town displayed on their stern to indicate their registering port. One was also seen sporting The Creek in Cayman Brac as the port of register.

On the final day Premier McLaughlin and Minister Rivers met with Lia Riva, the owner of famed Riva Yachts in Monaco. They discussed opportunities to work with the Cayman Registry as Riva Yachts focusses more in the Super yachts sector. Later in the day the Cayman delegation attended the Cayman Islands sponsored MARE Forum symposium on the future of the super yachts industry. Keynote speakers included Minister Rivers as well as Farouk Nefzi, Marketing and Brand Director of renowned shipbuilders Feadship; as well as Sherice Arman, Partner of Maples & Calder. The symposium was well attended and there was wide spread discussion on the future of yachting including the changing regulatory regime.

The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry plays an important role as part of the slate of services offered through its Financial Services Industry. As a dominating flag state of the ultra-large segment of the yachting industry, the Cayman Islands has more than 80 per cent of that market share and is a world-leading register. Not only does the Cayman Islands earn substantial fees from the work of the Shipping Registry, but the Caymanian brand is also greatly enhanced by so many luxury yachts being registered in the Cayman Islands and flying the Cayman flag.

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands will be represented at the Monaco Yacht Show the week of 24^th September, 2018, as Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon .Tara Rivers as well as representatives from the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands travel there to showcase what the Cayman Islands has on hand to offer stakeholders in the yachting industry.

The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry plays an important role in the Financial Services Industry and the Monaco Yacht Show is important to the Cayman Islands as it showcases its shipping registry to the world.

“The Monaco Yacht Show is the main annual event for the super yacht industry and provides the ultimate showcase for industry influencers,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “It is a key event for Cayman representatives to network with the most influential stakeholders in the industry.”

Super yachts are those with a length of more than 98 feet. Of the current super yachts under construction worldwide, about 45 per cent are being built under the supervision of the Cayman Registry. As a dominating flag state of the ultra-large segment of the yachting industry, the Cayman Islands has more than 80 per cent of the market share and ranks number two in the world, second only to France.

This year there will be 580 exhibitors at the Yacht Show and an anticipated 34,000 participants. There will be 125 yachts on display at a value of more than $2.5 Billion Euros. Represented will be 67 shipyards, 22 brokerage agencies and 26 refit yards as well as 45 new builds.

One of the Cayman Islands events at the Monaco show will be the recognition of the 60^th anniversary of Cayman’s Coat of Arms, which is proudly displayed on both the blue (land) and red (sea) flags.

“We are a leading flag state in the super yacht industry and it is important for us to be part of this important event and be available to meet with owners and their representatives to ensure they have the most up-to-date information on what the Cayman Islands can offer and provide the best possible advice for their existing and future super yachts,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “In addition, I will be able to tell them how well the Cayman Islands is doing economically and politically and that we continue to be a good and stable jurisdiction in which to do business.”

The Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands has been attending the yacht show since 1996.

“This is our 22^nd year attending the show,” said Joel Walton, head of the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands. “Over these years the Cayman Islands has established itself as the flag of choice for the superyacht industry.”

“Our Shipping Registry has the most experienced staff of the flag states in the yachting industry and our financial and legal sectors provide excellent customer service for our clients,” said Ms Rivers. “That’s what sets the Cayman Islands apart from the competition. We accept a wide choice of ownership structures and our clients appreciate that we have a solid political, legal, fiscal and social environment.”

The Monaco Yacht Show is an annual trade show held in Port Hercules and is Europe’s largest in-water display of yachts. The event was launched in 1991 as a broker-oriented event focused on superyachts over 66-feet in length. Throughout the four-day event there are more than 150 private events including press features, conferences, receptions and product presentations.

Travelling with the Premier will be Head of the Office of the Premier Roy Tatum and Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin travelled to Barbados over the weekend to speak at the ‘Central Bank Meets Blockchain’ Conference about the on-going successes of the Cayman Islands in its continuing work to improve e-Government services and embrace digital technologies and industries. Mr. McLaughlin will join a number of other distinguished speakers at the conference, including Barbados Prime Minister, Hon. Mia Mottley.

Chief Economist Marla Dukharan of Bitt Inc., a Barbados based technology company focused on digital payments, extended the invitation to the Premier to speak. She has repeatedly touted the Cayman Islands as “the best run economy in the Caribbean” in talks and discussions around the region.

On the first day, Premier McLaughlin met with Sen. Kay S. McConney, who heads up the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Smart Technology, and her Ministry team to discuss the Cayman Islands' wide ranging programme of e-Government initiatives. Barbados has looked at the advances made by Cayman in recent years regarding e-Government and is seeking to move along a similar path.

At the conference the Premier will speak to the regional leadership role the Cayman Islands has taken in progressive reforms and help showcase Cayman’s successes through the development of legislation, regulation and policy in relation to e-Government and digital technology.

“I am honoured to have been asked to speak at this conference where, I am told, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Hon. Mia Mottley, has committed to follow many of the e-Government initiatives we are adopting and the encouragement we are providing to attract companies that operate in the digital sector,” said Mr. McLaughlin.

E-government initiatives were a key priority of the last administration led by Premier McLaughlin and the e-Government unit was created with the Premier as the Minister responsible for the unit. E-Government has continued as a key priority for the current Government with several initiatives under way.

It is correct that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Cayman Islands Government continue to have a difference of opinion on parts of the agreement termed the ‘Exchange of Notes’, but it is disingenuous for the FCO to say that the Cayman Islands is not cooperating with the UK with regards to investigating serious crimes.

At the core of the current dispute with the FCO are fundamental issues of data security and human rights, specifically the right to privacy.  Cayman has on several occasions offered case law examples to support our point of view.  The FCO has never provided any counterpoints, choosing instead to dismiss Cayman’s concerns without explanation.  This attitude is alarming as a recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights found that British surveillance violated privacy rights - an indication that the UK’s interpretation of human rights protection is not infallible. The FCO, since November 2016, had chosen to dismiss Cayman’s concerns relating to a fundamental principle of data security, specifically encryption, in relation to the exchange of information for an active investigation.  Eventually, in July 2018, the FCO conceded that Cayman’s concerns, in this regard, were well founded. But other concerns remain.

Under the ‘Exchange of Notes’ (EoN), the Cayman Islands General Registry is the competent authority on the maintenance of Cayman's beneficial ownership platform.  This mirrors the mechanism in the UK in which Companies House maintains the UK's beneficial ownership register.  Under the EoN, the Cayman Islands specified the Financial Crimes Unit of the RCIPS as the 'designated point of contact' for requests.  This distinction in functions was determined by the UK in the crafting of the EoN.  Between August 2017 and July 2018, the Cayman Islands took the additional step of delegating certain powers of the beneficial

ownership competent authority to the Financial Crimes Unit to facilitate a transition period while the platform became fully operational.  At the end of the transition period on June 30th 2018, the additional powers delegated to the Financial Crimes Unit were no longer necessary and were consequently revoked. 

The revocation of this delegation to the Financial Crimes Unit in no way affects the ability of local law enforcement to cooperate with its international counterparts, a point that has explicitly been made to the FCO on multiple occasions.  The Financial Crimes Unit does have in place a designation to make search requests on the beneficial ownership platform in accordance with the provisions of our Companies Law.  Furthermore, while the Cayman Islands has taken the position that the UK is in breach of the agreement made with the signing of the EoN, we have repeatedly sought to ensure that an enhanced level of cooperation remains in place.

The Cayman Islands stands by its commitment to cooperation with all international law enforcement, including the NCA, but will not be bullied into the violation of fundamental principles of human rights or to cooperating in a way that runs counter to internationally accepted standards.

In reference to articles reporting the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency’s (NCA’s) comment that it “struggles” to get data from the Cayman Islands, there is absolutely no merit to Mr. Toon’s allegation. His complaint is a gross misrepresentation of a single situation and is no basis on which to accuse the Cayman Islands of being uncooperative.

Furthermore, the NCA’s recent criticism of Cayman is surprising, bearing in mind that the NCA itself has written to thank the Cayman Islands for its “continuing and excellent support” in relation to an international, high-profile investigation into money laundering.

Since then, there has been only one case in May 2018 in which a legal issue affected Cayman’s response time to a NCA request. That issue was resolved and the information was, in accordance with our commitment to cooperation, provided to the NCA.

Assuming the reporting is accurate, then what is even more worrying is that this baseless attack on Cayman’s economy and reputation appears to be due to our public criticism of and affirmation to challenge the recent attempt by the UK Parliament to legislate for Cayman (and other British Overseas Territories) in areas that are a part of our devolved administration.

The fact that the UK Parliament in May 2018 imposed an unjustifiable and inequitable requirement on the British Overseas Territories and not the Crown Dependancies is bad enough. Now it appears that in furtherance of that agenda the NCA has entered the political arena against what it has previously described as one of its most cooperative and excellent supporters. We hope we are wrong about this and look forward to the NCA correcting the public record.

The Cayman Islands will continue to cooperate and support the NCA and all other law enforcement agencies and tax authorities to combat money laundering, tax evasion and all other forms of crime.

I am happy to be here with you on Cayman Brac to Celebrate Cayman by observing the Diamond Jubilee of our Coat of Arms and herald the return of a very special part of our history, the Royal Warrant, which was conferred by her Majesty the Queen on 14 May, 1958. Celebrate Cayman will continue into 2019 as we observe the Diamond Jubilee of our first Constitution, issued on 4 July, 1959.

This is also a celebration of our incredible journey as three small islands in the Northwest Caribbean Sea that have emerged from relative obscurity onto the world’s stage.

These celebrations hold a special meaning for Cayman Brac because it was Cayman Brac that Ferdinand P Christopher Columbus first sighted in 1503.

Brackers also played an important role in the design of our Coat of Arms and the formation of our first written Constitution. One of the three proposed designs for our Coat of Arms contained three stars, but the two stars representing Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were smaller than the star representing Grand Cayman. Our wise forefathers knew better than to submit a design to England that diminished the Sister Islands.

When we examine the storyline that bridges the gap between Cayman’s earliest settlement and our rapid ascension to becoming a world class leader in financial services and tourism, the issuance of the Coat of Arms represents the seminal moment that arguably triggered the chain of events that placed the Cayman Islands on the path to modernity.

It is indeed my distinct honour to share the story of how our Coat of Arms came into existence and pay homage to the many individuals who contributed to its development. 

The Coat of Arms is our first internationally recognised symbol of identity.  Its rich imagery tells the story of who we are, our history, our culture, our earliest industries, our constitutional relationship and our faith. 

Up until 1958, life in the Cayman Islands was summarised by the iconic phrase, “the Islands time forgot”.   Caymanians eked out a hard scrabble existence based on subsistence farming, fishing, turtling and seamanship.  During these early years, our people endured many hardships, challenges and difficulties the likes of which I pray future generations will never experience. There were many who saw little by way of a future here and chose to migrate, whether to Central America, Isle of Pines, Cuba, the United States or Jamaica.   

But many others remained, determined to stay and carry on while bravely facing the most difficult of circumstances. You see, these hardships forged generations of Caymanians, steeling their spirits and uniting their hearts in a commitment to succeed while producing legendary iron men and women. Those hardy and intrepid Caymanians were distinguished by an existence based on self-reliance, ingenuity and relative independence.  

It is important to note that at this time we were constitutionally a dependency of Jamaica, which was itself at the time a British Colony or as I often say, we enjoyed the lowest form of constitutional existence - being the dependency of a dependency.  

Whilst domestic affairs were managed locally and trade routes existed with other countries, the administration of the country was overseen by a Commissioner or Administrator who himself reported to the Governor of Jamaica.  Caymanians received direct support from Jamaica in the form of medical professionals, teachers and pastors. Furthermore, many Caymanians went to Jamaica for medical care, further education and employment. And so you have a very concise picture of where Cayman stood until the late 1950s when a man of vision arrived, Commissioner Major Alan Hilliard Donald.

Major Donald came from Basutoland, a British Crown Colony in southern Africa, known today as the Kingdom of Lesotho. He served as Commissioner (equivalent to Governor) from 1956 – 1960.  During his administration great strides were made in many aspects of life in the Cayman Islands.

Commissioner Donald is recognised for his central role in the development of the Cayman Island’s first national symbol – the Coat of Arms.

Coats of arms are an important element of heraldry – the practice of design, display and study of armorial bearings. They have been used for centuries to represent and identify military units, towns, churches, families, individuals and even companies.

While history does not clearly record an underlying reason, Commissioner Donald would have seen first-hand the independence and ingenuity of the Caymanian people despite their constitutional link to Jamaica and recognised that Caymanian people clearly distinguished themselves from their neighbours to the Southeast. Commissioner Donald put forward a proposal to adopt a Coat of Arms for the Cayman Islands, which was approved by resolution of the Legislative Assembly of Justices and Vestry on the 3 April, 1957.

Records show that Commissioner Donald approached the Reverend Arthur W. Saunders of the Methodist Church, St. Lucea Circuit, Jamaica and a member of the Heraldry Society to assist with the creation of the Coat of Arms. 

In what could have been one of Cayman’s earliest examples of a public consultation exercise, on 11 April, 1957, Government notice 33/57 was issued requesting all interested Caymanians to submit design ideas and illustrations for the Coat of Arms. A deadline of 1 May, 1957, was set.

One design was submitted by an American residing in Cayman named James “Jimmy” Ford, of the Port of Calls (formerly the Cayman Islands Yacht Club). This submission assisted in the final design for the Coat of Arms. It is also believed that Commissioner Donald, reputed to be a devout Christian, chose the motto “He Hath Founded it Upon the Seas” from the Psalm 24 as it reflected the Christian faith of the Caymanian people.

On 5 February, 1958, a resolution was moved in the Legislative Assembly by the Commissioner to approve the selected design of the Coat of Arms and to send to Her Majesty’s Government for approval. 

When considering a Coat of Arms, Government sent three design proposals to the United Kingdom for consideration.

In a letter written by Garter King of Arms, Sir George Bellew, it is noted that there were three key features the people of the Cayman Islands placed great value on and wanted represented in the final design. Those were:

The representation of the British connection

The representation of the sea as the home of Caymanians

Something to symbolise the three islands

Additionally, it was noted that for sentimental reasons Caymanians desired to retain the thatch rope as part of the final design.

A typical classic coat of arms features several distinct elements, including a crest, field, shield, supporters, design motifs and motto.

The chosen design for the Coat of Arms for the Cayman Islands features a shield, crest and motto and incorporates important historical and indigenous features of the country.

The shield features blue and white wavy lines representing the sea. Three stars of green, lined with gold, lay atop the lines, depicting our three islands.

At the top the shield features the Lion of England symbolising the Cayman Islands’ connection to the United Kingdom.

Above the crest are the arms elements of the Coat of Arms. The green sea turtle is a prominent feature, representing the Islands’ original name “Las Tortugas”, given by Columbus, as well as the turtle fishing industry.

The turtle sits on top of intertwined bands of blue and white silk, representing Cayman’s thatch rope making tradition.

Above the turtle is a pineapple, which represents the connection the Islands have had with Jamaica. Pineapples also appear prominently on Jamaica’s coat of arms.

At the base of the shield is the motto “He hath founded it upon the seas”, taken from Psalm 24:2, reflecting the Islands’ Christian heritage and connection to the sea. 

As we explore our history and retell the incredible story of our Coat of Arms I am pleased today to reveal that our research has uncovered three other designs that were also proposed for the Coat of Arms. These designs are on display this morning and I encourage you to take a look at them at the end of the ceremony. 

As for the design that was chosen, on 14 May, 1958, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II assigned the Armorial Ensigns to the Cayman Islands, bringing to life the first key symbol of national identify for Caymanians.

The Royal Warrant notes it was the Queen’s pleasure to order the Grant of Arms to the Cayman Islands.

In addition to noting the adoption of the Cayman Island’s Coat of the Arms, the Royal Warrant also gives details of the design of the Coat of the Arms.

A painting of the Coat of Arms was placed in the Commissioner’s office for public viewing.

Our Royal Warrant has returned to our shores.  Many of you my age or older will remember the great national tragedy that befell the Cayman Islands when on 23 July, 1972, the Government Administration Building was engulfed in flames. Our signed Royal Warrant was amongst the litany of important documents and historical artifacts destroyed by that fire. Therefore almost two generations of Caymanians have known nothing about how our Coat of Arms came to exist. 

Until recently, the story, along with the Coat of Arms had been lost.

Today we can celebrate the return of a facsimile or an exact replica of our Royal Warrant, which has been prepared by Garter King of Arms of the College of Arms at the request of the Cayman Islands Government.

But back to its history. The granting of the Coat of Arms began the process of formally distinguishing the Cayman Islands from Jamaica. It was a visual and internationally recognised symbol of the Cayman Islands, its people and their culture.

Cayman would never again be the same. The winds of change began to blow as the region was fraught with discussions of decolonization, federation and independence. Cayman found itself with a number of choices to make and once again our community and its leaders rose to the occasion, putting into motion a number of watershed moments in our history. As a snapshot, some of the key milestones that followed the grant of the Coat of Arms included:

The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Law in 1958 that gave women the right to vote and stand for public office;

The First Constitution on 4 July, 1959;

The passage of the Companies Law in 1960 and the Bank and Trust Companies Law in 1966, which paved the way for the Financial Services Industry;

The choice to remain part of the United Kingdom following Jamaica’s decision to become independent in 1962;

Government’s purchase of 51% of Cayman Brac Airways in 1968, later becoming Cayman Airways, which helped to strengthen the tourism industry;

The introduction of Cayman’s own currency in 1971.

These milestones were fundamental to the development of the Cayman Islands that we know and love today and were built on the foundation of the Coat of Arms.

This year marks 60 years since the creation of the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms. To commemorate the anniversary Cabinet has commissioned the Celebrate Cayman team to plan and bring to life the cultural celebrations.

Members of the Celebrate Cayman team are Executive Chairman Alfonso Wright, Deputy Executive Chairman Marzeta Bodden and Project Coordinator Kara Coe.   All have extensive experience with hosting large events such as National Heroes Day, and TEDx Seven Mile Beach, but more importantly, these three distinguished Caymanians have an unquestioned passion and commitment to preserving and promoting our heritage. Their enthusiasm is contagious and they have ‘infected’ us all with a new found sense of pride and appreciation for our rich heritage and culture as we celebrate our Coat of Arms and our Constitution. 

The process has already begun. On 14 May the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue was dressed with the Coat of Arms (as part of the Celebrate Cayman logo) to mark the anniversary day here in Cayman.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, this is just the beginning. Throughout the commemorative period, Celebrate Cayman is hosting numerous events and running educational campaigns focused on teaching the public about the Cayman Islands’ important historical achievements. 

If there were questions about why the government would bother to embark upon such an initiative, perhaps recent events have brought into clearer focus the importance of celebrating our identity, understanding our history and protecting our Constitutional relationship. The winds of challenge and change are once again blowing in our direction and just as our forefathers and previous legislators blazed the trail for future generations, it is now our time to write this chapter of history.

I am confident that with God’s divine providence, we will successfully navigate through these uncharted waters. But our story will be more colourful and richer as we take this time to study our past and embrace our future. So as we embark on Celebrate Cayman, I encourage each of you whether you have been here for eight generations or eight months, to join in this national initiative and to be a part of history. 

Thank you and God bless you, and may God continue to bless and prosper the Cayman Islands. 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first ever meeting of the Legislative Assembly on Cayman Brac, which was held 28-29 March 1968. I cannot do better than to repeat the words of the then President of the Legislative Assembly, John A. Cumber, when the Assembly opened all those years ago at the then Secondary Modern School here in Cayman Brac. 

I quote, “I know that all members of this Honourable House will share the feeling with me that this is indeed a great privilege to be here, to indeed work in a new atmosphere if only for a short time. “

And to also quote the words of the then Honourable Senior Member for West Bay and at the time the Father of the House, the legendary T.W. Farrington, “It is an inherent right of the people to be able to come and hear what is happening in our Legislature.”

That sentiment – the idea that the process of government needs to be accessible and open to the people – is one I whole-heartedly endorse.  Very simply, that is why we are here - to share the legislative process with all the people of our beloved Isles; to enable the people of the Sister Islands to readily attend a meeting of this legislature and to see and experience the work that we do. 

But equally important Mr. Speaker this occasion allows all members of the Legislative Assembly to have the opportunity to visit the Sister Islands and to see and experience first-hand the opportunities and challenges of their fellow Caymanians who live here.  My two colleagues from the Sister Islands, the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands, consistently speak for the interests of the communities they serve during our Caucus debates and elsewhere across government.  There is no substitute though for coming to see things first hand.  And I know that the elected members from Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are both proud to show off their community and introduce us to their constituents. 

It is also fitting that we take this opportunity to officially bring the celebration of the 60th anniversary of our Coat of Arms to the Sister Islands.  In the words of Jamaica’s first national hero, Marcus Garvey: “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. So we will pause this week to remember and celebrate those involved in giving us this most important symbol of our shared national identity – our Coat of Arms.  It is on the shoulders of these great individuals, and indeed on the shoulders of all who came after them, that we, as elected members, continue to build and to create a thriving future for our beloved Cayman Islands. 

We also have our own heroes of today, Mr. Speaker. As I have told this House before, this Government is reviving and reforming the awarding of the Order of the Cayman Islands to outstanding individuals who have made a significant contribution to these Islands and our people. The Honours scheme will award three classes of distinction: Companion, Officer and Member of the Order of the Cayman Islands. It will also incorporate medals for valour or bravery. The Bill to establish the Honours scheme will be debated in this meeting of the House and I will speak more to it then. It is planned that the first three honours will be awarded during the next Heroes’ Day celebration in January next year. 

Mr. Speaker, during last year’s budget session and State Opening I was pleased to report to this Legislative Assembly this Government’s objectives for its four year term, set out in a plan entitled – “Stability, Empathy, and Prosperity – A Plan for Sustainable Social and Economic Development”.  Today I will update the House and the Country on the progress we have made in implementing our plan – advising the House and the country on the current State of the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, over the past five years as Premier, I have laid out a consistent vision for the future of our Islands, which the two successive Governments I have been privileged to lead, have worked and are working tirelessly to deliver.  I am delighted at the progress we continue to make towards achieving our ambitions for our country and I will say more about that progress shortly.  I don’t underestimate the work that still needs to be done and I recognize the challenges that we face. However, you can rest assured that this Government will continue to build on what we have achieved; we will maintain our focus on the priorities we have set; and we will ensure a strong and successful Cayman Islands for all our people.

The cornerstone of our ambition, and indeed our success, is building a strong and resilient economy to help families and businesses thrive. Throughout my political career, I have consistently argued that without steady and sustainable growth, neither Government nor the country is able to achieve anything. You see Mr. Speaker - and I know you understand this - it takes economic growth to create jobs and opportunities that benefit our people.  It also takes economic growth to provide the funds necessary to build schools, to pay teachers and police officers, to pay for health services, to build necessary infrastructure like roads and airports, and much more.  I believe that the day we stop growing is the day we start dying.

 And Mr. Speaker because this Government understands the importance of sustainable economic growth, we have been pursuing a strategy for growth that is not simply about this four-year term but about creating the favourable conditions that will drive our economy for many years to come.  And we are seeing the success of this strategy as our economy continues its trajectory of growth, begun in the last Administration, across all the key sectors, including tourism.

All areas of tourism are seeing growth, including Sports Tourism.  I was delighted by the success of the recent Pan Am Squash Championships in Grand Cayman and I look forward to extending a warm Cayman-kind welcome next year to the CARIFTA Games. I thank all involved in making these events a success but particularly the Sports and Transport Councillor and MLA for George Town West for his tireless work to develop sports and young people across the Cayman Islands. 

As Caymanians, we have long understood the value that tourism creates in our economy and I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that you are as pleased as I am to see tourism records continue to tumble as we welcome ever increasing numbers of visitor arrivals – indeed in the first six months of 2018 alone, we have seen a 20 per cent increase over the same period last year. And, Mr. Speaker, in the crucial stay-over market, the Cayman Islands saw increased arrivals in the first half of this year that exceeded more than 250,000 visitors, a 16 per cent increase on last year.  

Similarly, cruise arrivals in that six-month period were above the one-million mark. Maintaining that performance through the second half of the year will mean another record year for cruise arrivals.  

There are many regional options available to tourists and if they have chosen the Cayman Islands over the Bahamas, or Cuba, or Mexico then that is because of the quality product that we have here, combined with the outstanding promotional work of the Ministry and Department of Tourism and its private sector partners. 

So we can be confident that these sustained tourism improvement numbers are clearly not some mere blip, but the consequence of sound planning and strong delivery. Here I must pause to pay tribute to the Hon. Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism and his Ministry team who are the architects of those plans.  And I pay tribute too to all those who invest in or work in our hospitality sector for helping create our high quality Caymanian tourism brand.

As I have stated though, the plans go well beyond this immediate success, impressive though it is. The Hon. Deputy Premier is continuing to develop and to implement a new five-year National Tourism Plan that will drive the next phase of the industry’s development; including enhancing the tourism product here in Cayman Brac. 

The beginning of the new year will see the completion of the improvements that will almost triple the capacity at Owen Roberts International Airport and provide us with a much-needed, modern airport. Many previous administrations have talked about the need for a new airport but it will be my last Administration and this one that have gotten it done – and paid for it with cash and not with new taxes or new debt; a tremendous achievement by any standard. 

And when done, the fully renovated Owen Roberts International Airport, as well as the recently upgraded Charles Kirkconnell International Airport, will mark a step change for air transport in these Islands.  

Mr. Speaker while we welcome our visitors to our Islands, we are also making it easier for our people to travel and return home. The introduction of the ‘Customs Green Channel” at airport arrival is allowing those returning home, who do not have any purchases above the dutiable limit, to clear Customs much quicker. Those with items to declare will join the regular Customs line to declare their imported items and to then pay duty as necessary.  

Of course, Mr. Speaker, Customs reserves the right to stop and search anyone passing through the ‘Green Channel’ should they suspect that they are evading duty. Our officers are being trained, and will continue to be trained, to monitor and watch for suspicious activity. Continued vigilance will always be important but increasingly our border security depends on our ability to act based on specific intelligence received rather than suspicion. This is why we recently passed legislation to allow the Cayman Islands to participate in the Advanced Passenger Information Programme – receiving early warning of  individuals of concern that are on their way to our airports and seaports. This is the direction that we are working towards: intelligence-based vetting that has the best chance of stopping those bringing in contraband or trying to circumvent the Customs Law. I will speak more about border security later Mr. Speaker, but certainly this approach is a central part of the solution to better securing our borders. 

And Mr. Speaker, because of this new approach at our airports, my Government has carefully considered how best we can encourage all residents to declare amounts above the allowed duty free limits. Certainly raising the personal duty free limit is one such solution. Increasing the fines on those who evade duty is an alternative. Our preference is to offer a ‘carrot’ rather than rely on ‘the stick’ approach.  

And so Mr. Speaker I am happy to advise that Government has decided to increase the personal import duty allowance from $350 per person to $500 per person with effect from 1 November this year.  As is always the case, this will apply to purchases imported for personal use and not for commercial purposes. I believe the vast majority of Caymanians and residents will welcome this increase in the duty allowance and will abide by the rules requiring them to declare any goods imported over that limit.  However, if there is abuse of the system and if it is determined that an increase in fines is also needed to combat abuse, then Mr. Speaker we will certainly take that into consideration. 

We have of course fully analysed the potential impact of this raising of the duty threshold on Government’s revenues. In doing so, the Ministry of Finance has carefully examined the actual declarations made by arriving passengers over  time and have concluded that the potential lost revenue to Government will be about $1Million. Our careful stewardship of the national finances makes this is an affordable amount for Government to forego while being another welcome reduction in the burden of duties on Caymanians and residents. In addition to encouraging proper declarations at the airport, this increase will also provide our people with some useful monetary relief when returning home from their annual vacation and shopping trips. 

Taken together, our new processes are designed to significantly improve security while making arriving and passing through customs and border security at the airport much easier and faster. 

Our investment in our main airports, combined with our proven ability to bring more visitors to our Islands, has created the conditions for the private sector to invest in increased hotel capacity. The Dart Group, Howard Hospitality Group, as well as NCB Group all have plans to build new hotels.  And we are seeing these investments not only around Seven Mile Beach, but also in Bodden Town with the announcement of the prestigious new Mandarin Oriental hotel. This and other new hotels will create jobs in their own right while the visitors they attract will bring more employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for Caymanians in the tourism industry.  

This Government has also signaled its willingness to take the hard but necessary decisions to secure the future of our cruise tourism sector through the development of two cruise piers and associated enhanced cargo facilities in George Town. Both aspects of this project are necessary for the same reasons: to help protect our future economy and the well-being of Caymanian families. 

By allowing larger cruise ships the ability to dock, we are ensuring that we maintain this critical industry into the future - of this I am sure. 

Mr. Speaker, this is about more than cruise ship piers. This is also about enlarging the crucial cargo dock in George Town. By ensuring that the country’s main cargo dock can also accommodate larger cargo ships, we will help reduce shipping costs and in so doing help lower the cost of goods shipped to Grand Cayman. This provides us with a valuable opportunity to reduce the cost of products coming into our Islands and lower the cost of living for Caymanians and residents. By accepting larger cargo ships, we can also attract those that now bypass us taking produce and seafood from South and Central America to Miami – only to off-load and transfer these foodstuffs onto smaller vessels that come to Grand Cayman, again, adding another level of shipping and other costs to products imported into our Islands. Mr. Speaker, we have to get off the small ship merry-go-round if we are to have a chance at reducing the cost of living in our Islands. 

Mr. Speaker, we are fully cognizant and we have been clear that the redevelopment of our port must minimize environmental impacts.  As in all things there is a trade-off and none of us would seek to contend otherwise. But assessing the potential environmental impact of the development of the cruise berthings is not simply a case of weighing the potential environmental damage that will be caused by the port development against a scenario of no damage if the status quo is allowed to remain.  That is not the case at all.  To believe that is to ignore the decades of massive anchor damage sustained by the reefs in George Town Harbour, often caused by cruise ships.  And as long as cruise-ships are allowed to anchor in the harbour, the risk of more environmental damage will continue. That consideration must be part of the overall assessment of the costs and benefits of the new port.

We have also been clear - and we are determined - that the financing must not place disproportionate risks on government finances.  In June this year the Deputy Premier confirmed that the negotiations with the cruise companies regarding those issues, among others, remain on track.  Because of the commercially sensitive nature of the discussions we cannot provide the kind of running commentary on progress that some have called for, but, as the Deputy Premier has repeatedly promised, as soon as we are able to communicate details we will do so. 

That said, Mr. Speaker, the Minister and the Government have been transparent and forthcoming on this project from the beginning and have kept the public as up to date as possible on where we are. All reports have been made public and there have been public meetings held at various points over the life of the project. The vast majority of the members of this Government campaigned on building a cruise and enhanced cargo port – as did the majority of the members in the last Administration. Indeed, Mr. Speaker, in every election over the past 12 or more years the governments that were formed had a viable cruise dock as part of their election platforms. In last year’s election campaign both political parties - and many independents - campaigned on building viable cruise piers.  So, I am satisfied that the electorate has had ample opportunity over successive elections, including most recently at the polls last year, to have their say on the question of having enhanced port facilities – cruise and cargo.  For our part, the Government believes that it is in the vital national interest of the Cayman Islands to proceed with the port project - provided we do everything we reasonably can to limit the environmental impact and to build it as affordably as we can, and with the cruise companies having skin in the game. And this we will do. 

We are matching this approach to securing tourism growth with our support for the Financial Services Industry, Cayman’s other traditional economic pillar. Our role here is different but no less important. Here I must thank the Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs and staff in her Ministry who are working with Cayman Finance and the industry sector to ensure that the legislative and regulatory frameworks we put in place support the industry and enable it to compete in global markets.

The Government recognizes the risks to the future success of our Financial Services Industry. It is a huge frustration to me that threats are not just coming from the usual suspects but from those we should be able to count on; not just as our friends but as our advocates. Thanks to a handful of misinformed malcontents in the United Kingdom Conservative Party in Parliament, we are threatened with the imposition of public registers of beneficial ownership – a standard to which few if any competitor jurisdictions even aspire. Let me say now as I have said before: we will face down that threat if and when it materializes. We will work with our partners in the industry and we will deal with it appropriately; if necessary challenging it in the courts.

What this sorry episode highlights, though, is that we cannot rely on the UK to defend - let alone promote - Cayman’s economic interests. This is particularly so at this juncture when they have their own pre and post Brexit worries.  Mr. Speaker, it is time for Cayman to step out of the UK’s shadow and stand up for itself.  

For that reason, I am today announcing the establishment of a new Ministry of International Trade and Investment. The Ministry’s role will be to enhance the reputation of the Cayman Islands; to advance the economic and political interests of the government, the people and the business community; and to make our economy easier to do business with, including acting as a single doorway for potential foreign direct investment. The Ministry will assume responsibility for the Cayman Islands Government Office in London and other overseas offices, such as the proposed Cayman Islands Government office in Hong Kong which I have previously announced. As Premier, I will assume responsibility for this Ministry which is planned to become operational early in the new year. 

The creation of the new Ministry is the right response to the changed circumstances we find ourselves in but we must also fight to safeguard ourselves against any further inappropriate interference in what is our own business. Make no mistake; the UK Parliament’s decision to seek to require public registers represents a constitutional over-reach into matters that should only concern locally-elected representatives. I am continuing to press the case for constitutional reform with the Prime Minister’s office and Lord Ahmad, the minister for the Overseas Territories, in order to clearly delineate local matters from the very few areas where the UK needs to retain competence to act directly. Despite the tangled web that is Brexit, the UK has responded positively to the issues I have raised and agreed to work with us on discussing constitutional reform.  Constitutional reform may seem a dry subject to some but it matters.  It really matters.  It matters to our economy and it matters to our people.  We Caymanians must be able to chart our own future and to take responsibility for our own affairs, free from arbitrary or perhaps even malicious interference.  I will pause here, Mr Speaker, to thank the Leader of the Opposition for continuing to work with me, to get this matter resolved. I will continue to press the case for change as vigorously as possible.  While tourism and financial services remain our pillar industries, and we will work hard to enhance and protect these industries, our vision for the Cayman economy must be one of increasing diversification. My own view, repeated to this House many times, is that we must extend our competitive advantage from financial services into other areas of knowledge-based industries and grasp the opportunities of the digital economy.

In that context, I would highlight two initiatives that will, I believe, be seen to be crucial to the long term prospects of our economy. The ongoing development of Cayman Tech City, part of our Cayman Enterprise City Special Economic Zone, is providing a base for the growth of well over 250 companies from global market leaders to innovative start-ups with a focus in the tech space.  This includes the exciting developments in Fintech and Blockchain technology. CEC, with the varied businesses it attracts, including tech businesses, is proving a valuable addition to our business offerings. 

In addition, the announcement last month of the launch of TechCayman, which has connections to the developers of Health City Cayman Islands, will see complementary opportunities in the digital space for software companies and others to create intellectual property and other assets.  In welcoming this development, I will simply restate the point made by the founders of TechCayman themselves - that this has only been made possible because of my last Administration’s willingness to create, almost from scratch, a world-class framework of legislation to protect intellectual property.

I would, Mr. Speaker, add that the implementation of modern intellectual property laws will help drive business in other ways.  As an example, as the media recently reported, over the past year the number of applications to register trademarks in the Cayman Islands has jumped from the typical 300 applications per year to 620.  And we expect the number of applications to continue to increase.

Ours then, as I have said before, is a vision for strong economic growth. However, that does not mean growth at any cost - and in two crucial senses our ambition comes with an important qualification. 

First, our vision for growth is actually a vision of prosperity for Caymanians. Secondly, growth must be at a level we can sustainably accommodate without irreparably compromising the environment and the way of life that makes our Islands special.

Our vision for prosperity means that all Caymanians must be able to benefit from our economic strength. The ambitions of Caymanians for themselves and their children must be capable of being achieved when matched with the hard work and determination to succeed that has long been the hallmark of the people of these Islands.  

I have previously described this as the Cayman economic contract. We welcome the foreign investment, the expatriate wealth creators and the immigrant labour that have for decades, alongside hard working and entrepreneurial Caymanians, been the bedrock of the Cayman economic miracle. But that miracle has also been about the creation of real and meaningful opportunities for all Caymanians to participate and to benefit from growth. Ours is a vision of economic and social inclusion, not one of growth that simply benefits a wealthy few.

The most obvious expression of that inclusion is through direct participation in the economy through either entrepreneurial or employment opportunities. This Government has demonstrated its willingness to help ensure that both of those opportunities are there for Caymanians to take.

There is a widespread perception that this jurisdiction is comprised of multinational financial and legal firms. It is certainly the case that we are blessed with many such businesses here. But it is also the case that the Cayman Islands - all of our Islands - is home to a thriving small business economy. This Government has supported and will further support those who wish to start and grow their own business. I commend the work the Minister for Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure has been doing to cut red tape, to streamline licensing and other processes and to minimize the cost of doing business in our economy. I am excited by his plans for the creation of a small business centre that will offer the kind of structured support that particularly micro businesses need in their early stages. My last Administration succeeded in increasing the number of new businesses formed and this Administration is building on that as we look to ensure that small businesses are more fully enabled, encouraged and supported by Government.

For the majority of Caymanians, though, it is access to employment opportunities that will remain the priority.  

For that reason, one of the key commitments made by this Government was a pledge to achieve full Caymanian employment. We will deliver on that commitment.

The strong performance of our economy, thanks to the policies of the last Administration and this one, has seen a consequent downward trend in Caymanian unemployment since it reached a peak of 10.5 per cent in 2012.  The most recent, Spring 2018, Labour Force survey is proof of this – with Caymanian unemployment having effectively been halved since that peak and now standing at 5.3 per cent. 

This improvement is against a backdrop of a Caymanian labour force with almost 19,900 Caymanians employed.  Overall that means that, thanks to the policies implemented by this Administration and the last, some 3,350 more Caymanians are now working and able to support themselves and their families than was the case before we took office.

And looking across all sectors of the labour force, I can report that total unemployment is now at 3.4 per cent versus 4.1 per cent at the same time last year; all positive signs of a growing economy providing job opportunities for Caymanians. 

 However, as good as some may find these numbers, this Government understands that we must do more if we are to deliver on our commitment to full Caymanian employment, where any Caymanian able and willing to work is able to find employment.

This Government appreciates that it is the private sector that creates the necessary jobs, and it is the private sector that must give Caymanians the opportunities to take those jobs. We also appreciate that Government must do more to support Caymanians into the labour market - ready to grasp the opportunities that are there - and we must do more to work with the private sector in ways that facilitate the smooth working of the labour market for the benefit of everyone.

The experience of the last Administration was that the machinery of government was not always up to the task - hindered by bureaucracy and the inefficiency and misalignment of differing ministerial responsibilities. That is why this Government made the creation of the new Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman – or WORC - Department one of its first initiatives.  

The new department will launch early in the coming year. It will enable the Government to make four vital improvements on what has gone before.  

First, we are creating a new function within government to work with our key private sector employers to properly plan and meet the long term labour market needs of our economy.  

Secondly, WORC will be able to support all Caymanians to access the labour market in a much more holistic way than has been the case with the National Workforce Development Agency, which it will replace.  

Thirdly, it will improve and streamline the work permit process so that it is fair and transparent for the benefit of businesses and employees alike.  

Finally, a new accreditation system will be launched that recognizes and rewards the many private sector employers who do play their part in employing and developing Caymanians.  

But, Mr. Speaker, not all employers play their part and we do know cases where Caymanians have not been given a fair chance for employment in fields where they are qualified or skilled.  And so, as I advised this House earlier this year we are working at introducing a Fair Employment Opportunities Commission. This commission will fill a void that exists and will provide Caymanians with a place to go to complain - and more importantly get action - should they believe they have been treated unfairly in the job market – including when passed over unfairly for promotion or not given an opportunity for employment.  The Fair Employment Opportunities Bill is still with legislative drafting and did not make this sitting of the House Mr. Speaker, but I am pressing for it to come later this year.  

In the long term, the successful functioning of our labour market to benefit Caymanians is only possible if the Caymanians entering the market have the capabilities employers need. To ensure that happens, the Government must address the need to radically improve standards of public education. The Minister of Education will speak in some detail on her plans during this meeting but I am excited by the potential for improvement she has identified and she has the full support of myself and her colleagues across Government to forge ahead to deliver the changes we need.  

Here again, we are fortunate to benefit from the work done in the last Administration. The baseline assessments of public schools indicated the size and scale of the challenges we face, but they also highlighted for us the key areas in which we needed to act. The Education Law, 2016 gave a complete overhaul to the education system and in so doing created the substantive framework necessary for improvement.

The Minister for Education is now driving that improvement forwards.  The current budget is investing in additional teachers and in classroom support. More is being done for students with special needs. Plans for John Gray will create the learning environment our high school students deserve and the pragmatic, phased approach the Government is taking to the project is sensible and will avoid excessive costs.

We are already seeing improvements in Education results. The follow-on inspections of our 10 public primary schools found that “there has been an improvement in the quality of teaching…” since the baseline inspections were completed. 

Eight out of 10 primary schools were graded “satisfactory” or “good” in the follow-on inspections and results in year six showed significant improvement in results for both mathematics and writing.

These improvements are encouraging. The principals and teaching staff in our schools deserve our thanks and the students deserve our congratulations for their achievements.

Our ambition must be to drive forward. With the support of the Education Council, which the Minister has re-energised, the stage is now set for further improvement on that foundation. All our schools should be graded “good” or better and our exam results should be at a level that compares with the best internationally. We must not settle for anything less.  Only then can we be confident that young Caymanians are leaving school equipped for the competitive labour market they will face.

To achieve that ambition we need to see further improvements in the quality of teaching. Last month, the Minister announced that the Government will be raising salaries over the next two years to recognise the hard work that teachers do and to boost our ability to attract and retain the best teachers, including Caymanian teachers. Our ongoing investment in the continuing professional development of our teachers will help support the brightest recruits to become the best educators.

Support for academic achievement must be matched by other pathways into work through technical and vocational education and training. The Hospitality School started during the last administration is now paying real dividends. We need more success stories like this. The Government has begun a far-reaching review of the variety of programmes that are already in place and we will work with employers on the results of that review to enhance the opportunities for young Caymanians in terms of internships, apprenticeships and other forms of work experience.

It is also a key component of this Government’s approach that we need to ensure that growth is geographically rebalanced. Job opportunities will continue to be created in and around George Town and Seven Mile Beach, but we can do more to spread growth elsewhere to benefit other districts and their communities.

With strong government support the continued growth of Health City is creating more and more jobs both directly and indirectly in the Eastern Districts. The Tech Cayman initiative, which I mentioned earlier, may, in time, mirror the success of Health City and bring digital economy jobs to the Eastern Districts. The Mandarin Oriental hotel recently announced for Bodden Town will potentially act as the beginning of a renaissance in tourism in our former capital.  The hotel will create hundreds of jobs in its own right but it will also provide a catalyst for local business opportunities and provide the anchor for other tourism developments in Bodden Town.

Nor have we forgotten the Sister Islands. The expansion of Charles Kirkconnell International Airport has enabled increases in airlift here to the Brac and on to Little Cayman which has boosted tourism numbers by 12 per cent over the last two years.

The second issue I raised in qualifying our ambition for economic growth was that the level of growth we achieve must be sustainable.

The most obvious concern here relates to the impact of growth on our precious environment. This must always be a crucial component of the Government’s approach to the economy and so it is with this Government.

I have mentioned just now that our support for the cruise berthing facility is conditional; not just on finding a suitable funding model but also on a design that minimizes the environmental impact.

This Government is also taking steps not just to safeguard existing beach access and public open space but to enhance it. The work the Education and Financial Services Councillor and MLA for George Town South is doing in her community on plans for Smith Barcadere is a standout example of what we can do to create a local environment which we can all enjoy, and from which we can all benefit. And a little further east, the South Sound Boardwalk which I have personally championed for more than a decade, and which is now almost complete, will soon provide a safer space for those who walk or run alongside that section of South Sound and further enhance one of the most beautiful aspects in Grand Cayman. And just as important it will also preserve for years to come the gorgeous vistas along that section of coastline for the enjoyment of all.  

Vistas are important Mr. Speaker, but Caymanians also cherish access to the water and our beaches. Which is why Mr Speaker, my Government brought a motion early this year to utilise CI$10 million from the Environmental Protection Fund to purchase land for public use, particularly beachfront properties and beach access pathways. These will forever be available for use by generations of Caymanians, residents and visitors. I want to thank all members of this House once again, Mr. Speaker, for supporting the Government and unanimously supporting the motion.  

More broadly, we need to protect our environment and secure long term energy security through a shift away from these Islands’ almost complete reliance on fossil fuels. The National Energy Policy adopted by the last Administration sets out an ambitious blueprint for Cayman’s future.  

Work is now under way to implement that plan beginning with a number of initiatives that will promote energy efficiency and energy saving by households and businesses and kick start our transition to a lower carbon economy. It will not happen overnight - indeed it cannot happen overnight – but progress is being made.

We must also think about the kind of growth we want to attract to Cayman. That is why I have highlighted growth in the digital economy that can be achieved without the need for significant land take.

Sustainable economic development also requires that infrastructure keeps pace with growth. The most obvious aspect of that is road infrastructure. Any journey around Grand Cayman in recent months might be characterized as a tour of various roadworks. That has brought some short term pain but it has been a necessary part of our efforts to catch up on the backlog and to create the transport network this country needs. The successful completion of phase one of the Linford Pierson Highway improvement project last month is just the latest example of the benefits our investment is bringing to these Islands.

Improved roads and pedestrian areas are a key feature of the George Town Revitalisation Project that was started under the last Administration. The Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure continues to develop the Revitalisation plan and is in the final phase of hiring a town manager to oversee the plan’s implementation. The town manager will work directly under the Ministry and will begin by supervising some of the smaller, but important projects identified within the plan; the low-hanging fruit that should immediately give the town centre a freshened and friendlier feel.

Simultaneously, stakeholders, including businesses and residents will be invited to contribute to the broader development of medium and longer term plans to improve our town centre and beyond. 

Another key part of the George Town Revitalisation project is to maintain the main functions of Government within the Capital. This Government will resist any approaches or suggestions to move functioning Government entities outside of the Capital. For about 150 years George Town has been the centre of government and it has been inside the government buildings within the core of the Capital that historic decisions that have guided our country’s development have occurred, including Mr. Speaker, the events surrounding the creation of our Coat of Arms and our first constitution; events that we are celebrating this year and next. 

So Mr. Speaker, I am therefore pleased to announce that Government has, last week, completed the purchase of the Scotia Bank Building and its satellite car parks. These will support a larger project to provide 21^st Century court facilities for these Islands - and in so doing delivering on another of this Government’s stated objectives. Plans include erecting a new multi-story courts building connecting the Scotia Bank building and the existing Court House, which will also be suitably refurbished.  The first phase of this project will commence early next year.

When complete this project will resolve the longstanding need for modern court facilities that will also serve as a significant landmark for generations to come. I am pleased to say that the Chief Justice and his staff are as excited as the Government by this development and we are all committed to ensuring that the end result is not only fit for purpose but also affordable. As the plans develop we will certainly keep this honourable House and the public advised.

Other physical infrastructure needs must also be met. One of the most pressing has been the need for a modern and effective solid waste infrastructure for all three Islands. Negotiations with the Dart-led consortium to create that infrastructure are continuing as we seek to reach an agreed position on a number of reserve matters, including financial, technical, and legal issues. Once these have all been agreed, a draft contract will be drawn up for Central Tenders Committee to review and, hopefully, approval. The technical staff has advised that it anticipates this occurring by the end of March 2019. The work being done on the Environmental Impact Assessment is also expected to be completed by March and shortly thereafter, all going well, we expect to have planning approval for the built waste facilities that are at the core of the project .  

There is a lot going on with this very technical project and I am grateful for the hard work going on in the Ministry to ensure that we do not get blown off track and will actually see the work on the new waste management project begin in 2019. It has been a long time coming but we are getting there; and when completed we will have a modern fully integrated waste management facility that will end our reliance on the existing landfills.    

The ability to use waste as a resource for recycling and energy generation instead of a problem to be dumped transforms our approach to waste management and brings considerable health and other environmental benefits.

Sustainability also has an important social dimension. Our economic success must drive social improvement and not be used to mask inequity.

The single most important issue is, in my mind, how we protect the most vulnerable in our community. The preference should always be, wherever possible, to ensure people have the means to look after themselves. That is why the budget passed by this Administration provided for what is, in effect, a minimum income guarantee for those in receipt of “poor relief” payments, our seamen and veterans and long-standing civil service pensioners. This minimum income guarantee was set for this year at CI$650 a month, rising to CI$750 a month next January. Under this Government, as of January, 2019 these welfare payments will have increased by 36 per cent since we took office (considerably more for some civil service pensioners).

The Government provides other support for these individuals in meeting their medical costs and providing other forms of social assistance. Part of the unfinished business from the last Administration is to modernize the Government’s approach to welfare so that those Caymanians who need it can receive the right help at the right time. Here I must give my personal thanks to my Councillor, the MLA for Prospect, who is working on my behalf with the new leadership of the Community Affairs Ministry - first to reform the hodgepodge of legislation that covers welfare and then to ensure that the supporting processes in the Needs Assessment Unit and elsewhere in government are efficient and fit for purpose.

In addition to supporting individuals in need, we also recognise the value of assisting Caymanians looking to purchase their first home to do so. And so we are continuing the work started last term to build homes that can be afforded by middle income Caymanians. There are some 16 new affordable homes now being built in Bodden Town that will be sold at between $110K and $125K. I thank the Minister and the Councillor for Environment and Housing and MLA from West Bay Central for their continued work in this area. Mr. Speaker, I also thank the Chairman of the Housing Trust, Mr. Tony Powell, and his able Board for the work they did and are continuing to do to make this happen. 

I will also highlight two specific groups that I believe have been let down by successive Governments but who can now look to this Administration for effective support. The first of those are people suffering from mental illness. 

For years, we have required those patients to be sent off Island for treatment at huge costs to the government and at huge inconvenience to them and their families. My last Administration committed to a long term residential facility here in Cayman for those with mental illness. I thank the Minister for Health, Environment, Culture and Housing for his efforts to bring that project to fruition and we can look forward to the contract to build this much needed facility to be awarded next month and for the facility to be open early in 2020.

The second group I want to highlight is children and young people at risk. Like many communities, we in Cayman have for too long allowed the suffering of vulnerable children and young people to remain hidden - often hidden in plain sight.  This Government will tolerate that no longer.  

As a Government, we must put our own house in order and protect young people in our care. That is why we are prioritizing improvements to the Northward Residential Facility to allow the proper separation of adults from children with special needs. More broadly, the Ministry is reviewing the effectiveness of the Department of Children and Families, and working to achieve the full potential of the multi-agency safeguarding hub in partnership with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service which, I am pleased to say, has recognized the need to prioritise their work on safeguarding children and combatting domestic violence.

This is one facet of the much closer relationship between Government and the police that has been engendered since the current Commissioner came into post. We all recall how out of touch many felt that the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service had become from the communities it serves and how remote the former leadership was from we who are elected to represent those communities.

The new partnership we have created is built on the willingness of the current Commissioner to work with the elected government and respond to the voices from our communities. Thus we have seen a welcome return to more visible community policing, ably led by Inspector Courtney Myles,  made possible by the extra resources the government provided for the current budget. Discussions to supplement the additional police beat officers on our streets with community safety officers, similar to the community warden service we campaigned on,  are now at an advanced stage and I look forward to seeing the first recruits go into action next year. The Commissioner is finalizing his plans for community safety officers and will make a formal announcement in time.  I will take this opportunity to again thank him and his team for their hard work and for creating an atmosphere of partnership with the elected Government.  

But the extent of their work goes beyond Community Policing and their broader work in fighting violent crime is greatly appreciated. 

Over the past year gang related crime has been disrupted with the arrest and imprisonment of some 10 high profile offenders. 

In addition to the 18 guns turned in during the amnesty earlier this year, the RCIPS took a further nine guns off the streets this year for a total of 27 illegal guns. Last year some 29 illegal guns were removed. 

Mr. Speaker, the Joint Task Force of Customs, Immigration and Police that was formed this year has brought about 50 arrests, interdicted 750 pounds of ganja, and seized over $240,000 in illicit cash. They are also focusing on illegal gambling that often serves to fund other serious criminal ventures. 

This government committed to creating safer communities and cutting serious crime, including gang and gun related crimes and we are providing the RCIPS with the resources needed to accomplish this. In turn, the Commissioner and his team are putting those resources to good use in acting to reduce crime in our Islands.

The Government also committed to dramatically improving border security. Last week the public was able to get a glimpse of the work that has been ongoing behind the scenes to create a Cayman Islands Coast Guard with the appointment of Commander Robert Scotland and Lieutenant Commander Leo Anglin as well as the appointment of Mr. Charles Clifford as the Director of the new Customs and Border Control agency. I again congratulate all three on their appointments and on behalf of the Government I wish them success in the vital work they will be undertaking in their new roles.  Both of these two entities will work to make our Islands safer, stem the flow of drugs, guns and illegal immigrants into our Islands, and at the same time smooth access to Cayman for legitimate travel.

It has been a short 15 months since the current Government was sworn in but we are delivering on our commitments and our ambitions for Caymanians. However, it is the achievement of this Government’s ambitions for the economy that is enabling us to deliver by generating the income to support necessary government spending.

We are not, however, falling into the trap of simply spending whatever revenues come our way. Rather we are taking the same measured approach that was the hallmark of the last government. Yes, we are ambitious for our people but part of that ambition is to be able to meet the current needs of these Islands without creating a burden for future generations.

We moved into full compliance with the prudent ratios sent out under the Public Management Finance Law towards the end of the last Administration, but we have not loosened our grip on public finances. Whilst we have maintained our pledge not to raise fees and charges, government revenues, fueled by our economic success, continue to rise. We are continuing to bear down on costs wherever possible. As a result, for the first six months of 2018, the entire government surplus topped $200M. We continue to set aside money to build our reserves and the surplus is also funding our capital projects that are under way. We also continue to pay down government debt and in fact have repaid almost $20M over the course of this year alone. We will make a significant further step in that direction next year when we repay at least half of the bullet bond that falls due. The surpluses we achieve will also help cushion these Islands should natural disaster or economic downturn threaten.  I would like to thank the Minister of Finance & Economic Development for steering the public finances so skillfully.

Mr. Speaker, it is because of our able management of public finances coupled with a strong and vibrant economy that has encouraged increasing investments across our country. This growth can be seen in the increased diversification of the economy as well as in gains in the financial services, tourism and development sectors. In fact from 1 January to 30 August this year, the Planning Department has approved almost 670 projects valued at over $749 million.

We recognise we have not achieved what we have done alone but this Government, like the previous one that I led, has been ably assisted by a good cadre of civil servants across all of core Government. And so, I am pleased to advise Mr. Speaker that we have agreed to provide a 5 per cent cost of living increase to the civil service this year, back dated to 1 July, 2018, and which will be commence being paid with the September salary. Providing Government financial performance and the economy remain strong, we will look again at a further CoLA increase in 2020 to adjust for the Consumer Price Index between 2018 and 2020. This will finally begin to bring civil servant salaries back on track after seven or more years of playing catchup with an increasing cost of living. This will also complete the plans started during the  last Administration to bring civil servants pay back in line – this will not only benefit families of civil servants but is money that will be spent back into the local economy.  

We are also reviewing the broader salary scales of the RCIPS, Fire Officers, and employees of the Department of Environmental Health to ensure we can attract and retain the staff we need and will advise on these at a later date once the work is completed.  

In summary, this is a Government whose ambition for our people is clear. We are working to support economic growth in our pillar industries while increasingly looking to diversify our economy. We are ensuring that growth brings prosperity for all Caymanians by fostering entrepreneurship and creating the conditions necessary for full employment. We are ensuring that young people can participate in work though improvements we are delivering in our education system. We are striking the balance between economic growth and environmental impact and investing in the infrastructure that we need as our economy continues to grow.

Some infrastructure needs such as airport, cruise port, mental health facility and a new courts building have been needed for well over a decade, but those needs are finally being met by this Government building on the foundation set by the last Administration. And Mr. Speaker, this administration, like the last one that I led, has thus far achieved all that we have done with no new debt or no new taxes.  

This Government recognizes and is responding to the needs of the vulnerable in our community. We are improving living standards and acting to enhance public services to meet the needs of individuals and groups who need our help. We are working with the police to tackle crime, enhance public safety and to provide public reassurance.

All this we are doing while delivering on our pledge not to increase fees and duties, achieving budget surpluses and paying down government debt.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my entire team, Ministers and Councillors, for their hard work and commitment. I also wish to thank the Acting Governor, Acting Deputy Governor, Attorney General and the Cabinet Secretary for their work and support. 

In particular, I wish to acknowledge the stellar work that the Acting Governor has done since he was required, with no notice, to step in to assume that role in the absence of Anwar Choudhury as Governor. I welcomed the focus on delivery that Governor Choudhury had brought to the role and regret his untimely withdrawal.  While the uncertainty created by the means and timing of his absence is at the very least unhelpful, it is great comfort to me and my Government that the Acting Governor and others have been able to carry on the business of government with such dignity and professionalism. The House will know that this matter is entirely outside the remit of the elected government but I, and I believe the House and the country, hope that it will soon be resolved.  

To the civil servants who are charged with implementing our policies, programmes and projects, I thank you for your hard work and assistance in delivering the Government’s priorities. 

I also thank my small but dynamic team in the Office of the Premier that provides support to me and the Government Caucus.  A particular, personal thank you is due to a Bracker no less – Roy Tatum -who provides both able leadership to that team and unwavering support, invaluable advice and true friendship to me.  I am truly grateful.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot close without thanking you for the able job you are doing as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. I also thank the Clerk and the other hardworking staff of the LA without whom we could not do the work we do here. 

Mr. Speaker, this is a Government delivering on the ambition we have set out. This is Government whose talent is drawn from across political lines and made up of all those whose interest lies in doing what is best for our country and our people. This is a Government I am proud and privileged to lead.  

In closing, I will say again that working together as one my Ministers and Councillors have achieved much over the last 15 months and I am proud of all that they have done. In the next two and half years we will achieve much more. Indeed Mr. Speaker, it is true: there is great strength in Unity. The best, the best is still to come.

The Coast Guard service is being established with dedicated resources to allow detection and interdiction of boats arriving in Cayman waters with drugs and guns, as well as illegal immigrants. It will have the ability to board and search vessels in our waters and make arrests if needed.

“The idea of our own Coast Guard began to take shape under the Progressives-led Administration in the last term of Government,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “We committed to it in our Manifesto and today we are publicly putting our dream into reality. There has been a lot of behind the scenes work to get us to this point and I commend everyone who has helped in the formation and success of a Cayman Islands’ Coast Guard.”

Cayman obtained the services of Mr. Phil Bostock, who is commander in the United Kingdom’s Maritime and Coast Guard Agency in January this year to assist in the development of the Coast Guard.

“I told members of the House and the public in March this year that work had already begun to improve border security and merge the Customs and Immigration agencies into a single border force,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “I am happy to say that as of January 1, 2019, The Department of Immigration and the Cayman Islands Customs Department will merge to create the Customs and Border Control Agency.”

Staff members have been involved in specialist joint operations and training continues in enhanced search and rescue capabilities. Cayman has also been assisted since January by Mr. Colin Brown of the United Kingdom Border Force who is helping us make the Customs and Immigration merger effective.

“All three of the appointments are good for Caymanians and the Cayman Islands and I thoroughly support these men,” said Minister for Finances and Economic Development Hon. Roy McTaggart under whose remit Customs falls. “Their backgrounds make them uniquely qualified for the jobs at hand and we can all rely on them to keep Cayman safe.”

The new Commander is Robert Scotland who has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience, 10 of which have been in a strategic management capacity.  Mr. Scotland is a former police superintendent and an excellent example of the calibre of Caymanians who are willing and able to serve their country in this extremely important role.

Mr. Scotland has earned a reputation as a resourceful problem solver with excellent communication, analytical, and leadership skills as he worked locally and regionally. These attributes will be an asset in the establishment of effective and efficient Coast Guard operations.

The Lieutenant Commander is Mr. Leo Anglin, a former Police Inspector, who has experience in command of the Joint Marine Unit and experience with the Cayman Islands Port Authority.  Mr. Anglin is experienced in training and developing junior officers, marine drugs and firearms interdiction, search and rescue as well as strategic and operational law enforcement.  He served as a capable tactical and operations inspector with the Joint Marine Unit of the RCIPS.

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard will be operationally independent but report to the Commissioner of Police.

The appointment of Mr. Scotland and Mr. Anglin follows a recruitment process conducted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Immigration.

On 1 January of next year Mr. Charles Clifford will take up the lead role as Director of Customs and Border Control.

Mr. Clifford, a son of the soil, has worked his way up from a police cadet to Chief Inspector. He has worked within Central Government in the role of Senior Assistant Secretary (Now called Deputy Chief Officer) and ultimately Permanent Secretary and Chief Officer of Tourism, Environment, Development and Commerce. 

He has served as the Collector of Customs for over three years and is a qualified and practiced attorney. Mr. Clifford brings a wide range of solid and relevant experience to this new agency. 

“I am confident that the team of officers and staff of the Immigration and Customs Department will support his leadership in the establishment of the New Customs and Border Control Department, taking the security of our airports and seaport to world class,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “This new agency is tasked diligently to uphold the law in relation to customs duty, landing and entry, asylum and   border control.

 The appointment of Mr. Clifford follows a recruitment process also conducted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Immigration.

Cabinet will meet in the District Administration Building on Tuesday, 4 September, 2018, and the fifth meeting of the Legislative Assembly will be at the Aston Rutty Centre on the Bluff beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 5 September.
Radio Cayman and CIGTV will broadcast the audio of the LA meeting live.
The last meeting of the Legislative Assembly on Cayman Brac was in March 2014. The first meeting on the Brac was 50 years ago on 28 and 29 March, 1968. Efforts are made to hold at least one meeting of Cabinet in Cayman Brac during each administration.
“Once again we are taking the Legislative Assembly to the Brac to allow the public on the Brac and Little Cayman to see how their parliament functions,” said Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin. “We held a Legislative Assembly meeting on the Brac during the last Progressives-led Administration and we want to continue that practice under this Government of National Unity.
“It gives us great pleasure and satisfaction that while we live in a country that is a global leader in the financial services industry, we remain small enough to bring the business of the Legislative Assembly to the people who do not live on the main island,” he said.
The Brac meeting will end on Friday, 7 September.
The Legislative Assembly will continue the following week on Grand Cayman for Finance Committee.

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) stand squarely behind the Cayman Islands and other Overseas Territories in their disagreement with the United Kingdom concerning potential constitutional overreach.
Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, along with Hon. Attorney General Samuel Bulgin, and the Cayman delegation, returned over the weekend from the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Montego Bay, Jamaica from the 4th July through the 6th July 2018.
At the request of Premier McLaughlin, His Excellency Erwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM, agreed to include on the Conference agenda the issue of the constitutional relationship of the Overseas Territories and the United Kingdom and the recent overreach by the United Kingdom Parliament regarding implementation of Public Registers.
The matter was discussed during the Caucus session and it was agreed by CARICOM Heads to support the Overseas Territories and to express concern regarding the vote in the UK House of Commons to seek to force OT’s to implement Public Registers.
The Official Communique issued at the end of the Conference stated that:
“Heads of Government noted with great concern the amendment approved by the UK House of Commons to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill requiring the UK Government to ensure that the British Overseas Territories, but not the Crown Dependencies, establish public registers of beneficial ownership information by no later than 31 December 2020.
“They expressed their solidarity with the territories adversely affected by this unilateral action to legislate in areas of domestic policy constitutionally devolved to the territories without the consent and involvement of their people. Moreover, the action ran counter to an alternative arrangement to public registers earlier negotiated and agreed with the UK government and put in place at great cost to the overseas territories.
“Heads of Government viewed this action as similar to the unilateral and punitive extra-territorial measures such as blacklisting and de-risking taken against their own countries financial services sector, also a critical aspect of their economies, despite their best efforts at transparency and compliance.”
“This is an important statement of solidarity from the Heads of member states of CARICOM in support of the Overseas Territories, the majority of which are also Associate Members of CARICOM,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “I am grateful to Heads of Government for this unanimous support, but in particular I am very grateful to the Prime Ministers of Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent who unhesitatingly provided support and spoke passionately on our behalf.
“This shows the importance of building relationships within the region and as I noted during the Legislative Assembly, there is strength in numbers. The support of CARICOM Heads enhances the cause of OT’s for the creation of appropriate safeguards in our individual constitutions,” he said.
“I also thank the Prime Minister of Jamaica for hosting the conference and for his support, and importantly I am grateful to Secretary General LaRocque for agreeing that this matter be added to the Conference agenda,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “And of course, I am appreciative of the assistance of the Attorney General, Mr. Samuel Bulgin, for his advice and counsel during discussions as well as to the team from my office and the Cabinet Office, Roy Tatum and Jamal Anderson, for their support during the Conference.”
The 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community was chaired by The Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness.
Other Members of the Conference in attendance included:
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Honourable Gaston Browne;
Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Honourable Dr. Hubert Minnis;
Prime Minister of Barbados, Honourable Mia Mottley;
Prime Minister of Belize, Honourable Dean Barrow;
Prime Minister of Dominica, Honourable Roosevelt Skerritt;
Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. the Rt. Honourable Keith Mitchell;
President of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger (Brigadier Ret);
President of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse;
Premier of Montserrat, Honourable Donaldson Romeo;
Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr the Honourable Timothy Harris;
Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Honourable Allen Chastanet;
Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves;
President of Suriname, His Excellency Desire Bouterse;
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley.
Associate Members in attendance were:
Premier of the Cayman Islands, Honourable Alden McLaughlin;
Premier of Bermuda, Honourable David Burt;
Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Honourable Dr. Orlando Smith; and
Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands,Honourable Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to inform you and members of this Honourable House that I, along with the Honourable Attorney General, will attend the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which will be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, next week.

On the 21st of June I wrote to His Excellency Erwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM, to advise that as the President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association’s Political Council, I wished to bring to the attention of CARICOM members a most serious matter that is impacting all British Overseas Territories that are associate members of CARICOM. The matter that I am referring to is that of the constitutional overreach by the United Kingdom Parliament of which everyone in this House is aware.

I can confirm that all Overseas Territories view the actions of the UK Parliament to legislate for the Territories in areas of domestic policy, which have been devolved to the Territories, as a gross affront to the constitutional relationship we have with the United Kingdom. Every single Overseas Territories leader during the recent Pre-Joint Ministerial Council meeting in London expressed a concern not only with the potential of further overreach but some others gave past examples where this had occurred in their own territories. We were all of one voice that we each need to seek our own individual constitutional safeguards to prevent any future possibility of constitutional overreach.

Mr. Speaker, we have received confirmation that the matter I have raised has been placed on the agenda at the Caucus of the CARICOM meeting for discussion and that my letter to the Secretary General outlining the issue will be circulated to the Heads of Government and delegates and used as the paper to facilitate that discussion.

I believe that a discussion at the Caucus level with regards to this issue and the need for clarity in the constitutions of the Caribbean Overseas Territories will have the dual benefit of deepening the understanding of CARICOM leaders regarding our unique circumstances while increasing our level of engagement as associate members of CARICOM. I am grateful to Secretary General LaRocque for agreeing that this matter be added to their Caucus agenda at such a late stage and believe that this is an indication that CARICOM also views the matter as important.

Mr. Speaker, as you and members of this Honourable House are aware, there is strength in numbers. Just as members of this House are united in assuring that the rights of Overseas Territories’ citizens are respected and protected, so too can we benefit from the support of CARICOM.

Mister Speaker, as you and members of the House are aware in March I led a delegation to Hong Kong to attend the GREAT Festival of Innovation.

We went at the invitation of the United Kingdom as part of the Global Britain initiative.

While there I and other ministers took the opportunity to also meet with private sector financial industry leaders including Invest Hong Kong to determine the level of interest that Hong Kong businesses have in the Cayman Islands.

Indeed, Mister Speaker, the Ministry of Financial Services has attended various events in Hong Kong over the past two years, and has seen first-hand the potential for growth from the region. 

Attending the Great Festival allowed for more in-depth conversations with industry members including Maples, Walkers, DMS and large accounting firms, as well as clients of the jurisdiction and pointed to the fact that serious consideration is needed regarding the re-establishment of a Cayman Islands Government Office in Asia.  As members may know, two previous attempts at opening a Cayman Islands Government office in Hong Kong did not last. I suspect this was the case because of the challenges of this particular market and the need to be very focused on what we are actually seeking to achieve.

In any event, a lot of time has passed and needs change. And so it is time for us to explore again the possibility of an Asian presence, particularly given the increasing importance of Asian markets to the financial services sector. In fact Mr. Speaker, about 70 per cent of all companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are incorporated here in the Cayman Islands.

I can advise this Honourable House that my Government has reached out to industry and a cross-industry working group of senior leaders has been pulled together to develop a business case and consider the challenge of establishing a successful presence in China. Initial discussions included whether we should look to Hong Kong or perhaps Shanghai on mainland China as the ideal place to locate a Cayman Islands Government office. Other jurisdictions were also discussed as well, including Singapore, but in the end it was fairly unanimous that we should start from Hong Kong.

Members of that working group include me, the Deputy Premier, the Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs, chief officers Dax Basdeo and Stran Bodden, Alasdair Robertson, Paul Byles, Don Seymour, Conor O’Dea, Taron Jackman, Sherice Arman and Joel Walton.

We are working closely particularly with private sector businesses who have already successfully gone through setting up shop in Hong Kong and who can offer advice to help us avoid pitfalls and unseen challenges and to make a success of this new venture.

Work is now ongoing by members of the group to suggest how best to structure the office, not only to accommodate financial services, but also tourism, our shipping registry and indeed our aircraft registry.

Mister Speaker we envision the Cayman office in China to mirror the operations of our London Office, which has operated since 1982.

I personally believe we need a presence in Asia because our competitors are already there.

In addition Mister Speaker, when we attended the GREAT Festival in Hong Kong the absence of a Cayman Islands Government office was very pronounced given the number of Caymanian law and accounting firms as well as Caymanians working in Hong Kong.

Mister Speaker, I repeat that the Asian market has become increasingly more important to our financial services business and with the advent of financial technology there is a huge opportunity that we will be able to grow that business from this region. Indeed, in many respects there is likely much untapped business, not only in financial services, shipping and aircraft registration, but also in tourism.

I will keep this Honourable House and the general public up to date and informed as we progress the establishment of this office in Asia.

Thank you Mister Speaker.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, along with Hon. Attorney General Samuel Bulgin, travels Wednesday, 4 July, 2018, to Montego Bay, Jamaica, to attend the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to discuss, among other issues, the constitutional relationship of the Overseas Territories and the United Kingdom as requested by the Cayman Islands.

On the 21st of June the Premier wrote to His Excellency Erwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM, to advise that as the President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association’s Political Council, the Premier wished to bring to the attention of CARICOM members a most serious matter that is impacting all British Overseas Territories that are associate members of CARICOM. That matter is the constitutional overreach by the United Kingdom Parliament.

Mr. McLaughlin said a discussion at the Caucus level with regards to this issue and the need for clarity in the constitutions of the Caribbean Overseas Territories will have the dual benefit of deepening the understanding of CARICOM leaders regarding our unique circumstances while increasing our level of engagement as associate members of CARICOM.

“I am grateful to Secretary General LaRocque for agreeing that this matter be added to their Caucus agenda and believe that this is an indication that CARICOM also views the matter as important as we do,” he said.

Those in attendance at the Heads of Government meeting will also discuss ways to make the CARICOM Single Market and Economy more efficient; approval of a draft declaration on climate change; security issues; a CARICOM regional strategy for the development of statistics; and the third United Nations high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases, among other issues.

Jamaica Prime Minister Hon. Andrew Holness will chair the meeting.

Special guests at the meeting include His Excellency Sebastian Pinera Echenique, president of the Republic of Chile and His Excellency Miguel Diaz-Canel, president of the Republic of Cuba.

Traveling with the Premier and Mr. Bulgin are Roy Tatum, Senior Political Advisor and Head of the Office of Premier; as well as Jamaal Anderson, International Affairs Analyst, who has responsibility for CARICOM in the Cayman Islands Cabinet Office. They return to Grand Cayman on 7 July, 2018.

Mister Speaker, I rise today to provide you, the members of this Honourable House and the public an update on the Government’s efforts to make important and necessary safeguards to the Cayman Islands Constitution.

Before doing so Mister Speaker I will provide some background for the benefit of the public and the members of this House.

We will recall Mister Speaker that in May this year the House of Commons attached an amendment to a Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Bill that was making its way through the United Kingdom Parliament. The Bill and the amendment were passed by the Commons and then later by the House of Lords. 

This amendment requires the British Overseas Territories, but not the Crown Dependencies, to establish a public register of beneficial ownership, and to do so no later than 31 December, 2020.  Failing this, the amendment requires the UK Government to utilise an Order in Council to change our local legislation to implement a public register of beneficial ownership on our behalf.

But Mister Speaker this was not the first attempt by the UK Parliament to force the issue of Public Registers on the territories. Late last year a similar attempt was made with a similar amendment and we worked with our team in the London office and with the UK Government to fight off that attempt. The UK Government at that point was able to gather sufficient votes to help stave off the threat.  In particular Lord Ahmad, the Minister responsible for the Overseas Territories, fought on our behalf in the House of Lords and assisted us greatly to fend off the threat on that occasion.

But unfortunately, in May when the new amendment was introduced, the UK Government, with 19 Conservative members supporting the amendment, was unable to muster sufficient votes for its defeat. And so, facing a possible vote loss the Government conceded and the amendment passed in both the Commons and in the Lords.  Again Lord Ahmad, along with Lord Naseby and several other Law Lords, spoke up in the Lords to defend Cayman and the OTs. 

That final fight back in the Lords, led by Lord Naseby, is greatly appreciated. Lord Naseby has been a longstanding supporter of the Cayman Islands and is the current vice chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cayman in the UK Parliament.

This final effort in the Lords was encouraged and assisted by our team in the Cayman Islands London Government office, led by me, because we felt that even though the House of Commons had done what it had done, this issue was so significant that it deserved at least another last gasp effort on the legislative front to see what could be done to prevent what had transpired from becoming reality.

In the end, and we were quite aware before the end, that our efforts would not succeed because the UK Government in its weakened state had declined to give it support. But the debate was useful as it allowed many Law Lords, including Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury (Former President of the UK Supreme Court) to give their views and defend Cayman and the OTs on what we deem as an overreach of the UK Parliament.

So despite not winning this final attempt in the Lords, the merit of the effort was borne out by that debate in the Lords; a debate that took place starkly in the frame of the constitutional overreach. We believe those speeches will aid not just in any legal challenge we make if the UK proceeds to make the Order in Council as they are now mandated to do, but also in our efforts with the UK when we enter into a fresh set of constitutional discussions to put in place the necessary constitutional safeguards to avoid any future attempt of constitutional overreach by Parliament.

So Mister Speaker, I have said many times since the amendment passed in the UK Parliament that the Cayman Islands will not accept that the United Kingdom Parliament has any right to legislate for us when it comes to domestic matters that are devolved to local government. Furthermore sir, we will not be changing any laws or making any moves to adopt legislation to implement public registries of beneficial ownership.

If the United Kingdom does try to use an Order in Council to force the territories to adopt public registries, we are prepared to challenge that order in the Cayman Islands courts where we believe we will be successful. And if necessary, we are prepared to take our case to the Privy Council in London, where we believe officials there will have to look at our local laws and take in account of the devolved nature of local legislation as well as consider the views of our local courts.

I raised this issue of a review of our Constitution with the UK Prime Minister Teresa May when I visited London in May and had considerable discussions with David Lidington as well as Lord Ahmad about it.  I have also written to the Prime Minister, Mr. Lidington and Lord Ahmad as well. The UK has agreed to begin this dialogue, both in a letter from the Prime Minister as well as in conversations as recently as when I attended meetings in London during the week of June 11th. I have requested a timeframe for us to commence talks and I am awaiting confirmation from the UK, which I hope to receive soon. Just this past week my office received confirmation by way of e-mail that timelines for discussions are forthcoming.

I have previously spoken to the Leader of Opposition and a number of the other members of the Opposition about what we are proposing in regard to constitutional safeguards and I have their support, of which I am most appreciative. It is important that we in this House are fully in agreement on this very important matter.

And Mister Speaker, the Opposition and I met with the Constitution Commissioner to discuss these matters and just yesterday received a substantive response from the Commission, which I have not yet read.

What we are striving for is to have aspects of the constitution clarified to ensure that the ability of the UK Parliament to legislate for the Cayman Islands is significantly restricted. In particular, we are proposing that the power currently reserved to Her Majesty in Section 125 of the Constitution, which is the section that says Her Majesty reserves unto herself the power to legislate for the territories with respect to peace, order and good government be removed as is the case with the Bermuda constitution or clarified to apply only to matters involving the most serious circumstances such as a fundamental breakdown in public order or endemic corruption in the government, judiciary or legislature.

And further that it be made clear that the UK’s power over international affairs be confined to the enforcement and implementation of clear international obligations of the United Kingdom alone and that it also be made clear that provided the Cayman Islands are not in breach of international standards, the power of internal self-governance is absolute and that the power of disallowance with respect to legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands be removed as is the case with the Gibraltar constitution.

So in broad strokes those are the measures that we are going to be pressing for in terms of constitutional change to prevent this sort of constitutional overreach from occurring. This matter extends well beyond the issue of the position of public registers. Indeed it extends well beyond even the implications of our Financial Services Industry. If the UK Parliament, emboldened by what it has just done, comes to believe it can legislate for the territories anytime it disagrees with something in the territories or any time it believes that a certain situation should obtain within the territories, then as I have said previously it is not just our financial industry that is at risk, but really, our very existence. 

Hence the reason we intend to do two things: Challenge when appropriate should they attempt to implement public registers, and to seek to insulate, as far as possible, the Cayman Islands from such further constitutional overreach.   

Mister Speaker, I have also pointed out to the Prime Minister and Mister Lidington that the exchange of notes and the technical protocol that the Cayman Islands and other BOTs have worked on over the course of almost two years have been impaired. The exchange of notes allowed the exchange of information or the access to information in the Cayman Islands by law enforcement or tax regulatory authorities swiftly and in extreme cases in as little as two hours where there is an urgent issue. The whole premise of that arrangement – the agreement we reached with the UK Government - was that that would provide an alternative to the public registry regime. The actions of the Parliament have essentially vitiated that underlying agreement and we do not believe we have any further obligation to the UK Government under that arrangement.

I am not suggesting that the Cayman Islands Government should seek or will not continue to cooperate with law enforcement and tax regulatory authorities in the United Kingdom Government. That is certainly not the case. We believe we need to continue to play the important role we do in the global fight against international crime and tax evasion. I am simply saying that henceforth our cooperation is a result of our willingness and desire to cooperate and not as a result of any obligation we have to the United Kingdom pursuant to the technical protocol and the exchange of notes because the underlying premise, I repeat, for that agreement was that that would be the alternative to the implementation of a public registry regime.

In all that we have done so far on this issue I can confirm that we have met with Industry and kept them abreast of developments.  Importantly we have taken the advice of two very senior members of the UK Bar in the persons of Sir Jeffrey Jowell, QC, and Lord David Pannick, QC, both highly regarded constitutional lawyers and we are following their advice in this respect.  

As this matter progresses I will keep this House and indeed this country advised.  Indeed, I want to reassure this House that before any final safeguards to our Constitution are agreed with the UK, the matter will be debated in the House.

“We talked about the way forward with Constitutional talks in regard to the Cayman Islands Constitution of 2009” said Mr. McLaughlin.  “We are concerned about the actions of the House of Commons in seeking to legislate for the Cayman Islands, which amounts to constitutional overreach by forcing the Cayman Islands to adopt public registers of beneficial ownership.”

Lord Ahmad has consistently defended the British Overseas Territories in his debate about public registries in the House of Lords. The Prime Minister Theresa May agreed to the Constitutional discussions with the Premier when they met in London last month. The Prime Minister has now appointed the Deputy Prime Minister David Liddington to lead on the coordination across the UK Government on the approach to constitutional change with the Cayman Islands and other Overseas Territories.

When debating the bill in the House of Lords last month, Lord Ahmad argued that while the OT’s are British, they are also separate jurisdictions with their own democratically elected governments, responsible for their own domestic economy matters and they do not have representation in the UK’s Parliament.

“Financial services are an area of domestic responsibility for territory government, where they surpass international standards in the context of beneficial ownership,” he said on the floor of the House of Lords. “Legislating for these jurisdictions without their consent in this field effectively disenfranchises their elected representatives.”

The principle changes that the Cayman Islands are seeking as mentioned by Mr McLaughlin at the press conference last month are:

• The power reserved to Her Majesty under section 125 be either removed (as is the case with Bermuda) or clarified to apply only to matters involving “the most serious of circumstances (such as) a fundamental breakdown in public order or endemic corruption in the government, legislature or judiciary.
• That it be made clear that the UK’s power over “international affairs” be confined to the enforcement and implementation of clear international obligations of the UK alone.
• That it be made clear that, provided that the Cayman Islands are not in breach of international standards, that the power of internal self-governance is absolute.
• That the power of the Governor to disallow Cayman laws (as in the Gibraltar Constitution).
• Further amendments clarifying the power of the Cabinet in other areas, such as in relation to the National Security Council etc.

Sir Jeffery is a longstanding associate of the Cayman Islands and has been involved in Constitutional developments for many jurisdictions including the Cayman Islands. The scope of Sir Jeffrey’s work includes judicial review, human rights and planning.  He advises extensively on the drafting of national constitutions, the relationship between the UK and dependent territories, and the design and application of internal regulatory and Ombudsmen schemes. He has appeared on these matters in the courts of Commonwealth countries as well as the Privy Council and the UK Supreme Court.

Lord Pannick QC is one of the UK’s most highly regarded advocates, practising in a broad range of areas with a particular emphasis on Public law & Human Rights. Amongst appearing in 100 cases in the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (before it was replaced by the new Supreme Court), more than 25 cases in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and over 30 cases in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, he has acted in a large number of the leading public law cases of the last 25 years. He is recognised by Chambers UK 2015 as one of its “stars at the bar”, and by the Legal 500 2014 as a ‘Leading Silk’ in eight areas, including EU & Competition.

“We talked about the way forward with Constitutional talks in regard to the Cayman Islands Constitution of 2009” said Mr. McLaughlin.  “We are concerned about the actions of the House of Commons in seeking to legislate for the Cayman Islands, which amounts to constitutional overreach by forcing the Cayman Islands to adopt public registers of beneficial ownership.”

The agenda for discussion included a review of advice from Sir Jeffery and Lord Pannick, a discussion about desired outcomes, formulation of plan for the way forward and setting out timelines necessary for the Cayman Islands.

The meeting was followed by a luncheon hosted by Sir Jeffery and Lord Pannick held at Blackstone Chambers in the Temple district of central London, the lunch was also an opportunity to continue discussions that morning.

The Cayman Islands Representative in the UK, Eric Bush said after the meeting “The round up from the meeting alone continued well on into the evening and we believe we are making great progress in setting out desired improvements to the Cayman Islands constitutional relationship between the UK and the Cayman Islands at this critical time. We thank Sir Jeffery and Lord Pannick for their enthusiasm and expertise to help guide us through these waters.”

Talks will continue this week, with a meeting with Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for the Overseas Territories, and two conferences with other Overseas Territories Heads of Government.

The meeting was to discuss the strategic partnership between the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council and the Cayman Islands. In discussion is the possibility of co-hosting a CWIC event in 2019.

Mr Bush said of the meeting “This meeting was the continuation of a conversation that we started in Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings and we look forward to a continued a beneficial partnership with CWIC for the Cayman Islands.”

Lord Marland of Odstock, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, is a British businessman and politician, having served as Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy, Minister for Energy and Climate Change and Business, Innovation and Skills, and Treasurer of the Conservative Party.

The Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin has met privately with the Prime Minister Theresa May and has had two separate meetings with David Lidington, Minister of State in the Cabinet Office and de facto Deputy Prime Minister, who has responsibility for constitutional matters within Her Majesty's Government. The dialogue is ongoing and a full update will be provided next week.

Clare was in the Cayman Islands last March where she hosted 10 days of ‘pop up’ culinary events including a four-course dinner at the Kimpton Seafire, a harvest dinner where she worked with the head chef from Abacus and other public demonstrations.  She also led an afternoon class for children aged 8 to 12 teaching them basic culinary skills which were all part of Jamie Oliver’s global initiative.  

The guest list included high net worth business people, members of the Nth Degree Club and a Cayman delegation led by Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, H.E. Governor Anwar Choudhury, Speaker of the House Hon. McKeeva Bush, Leader of the Opposition Hon. Ezzard Miller, MLA Chris Saunders and Councillors Barbara Conolly and Capt. Eugene Ebanks.  The event was hosted by Robert Walton MBE.  Robert, who frequently visits relatives in the Cayman Islands, is a recognized and respected figure in the hospitality industry and is President of the Restaurant Association of Great Britain.  

The Premier said “I want to thank Robert and Clare for this opportunity.  We will continue to promote the ties we have, historical and indeed future with the UK and to play our part in Global Britain.”

“We want to continue to be a part of Britain.  We were settled by British settlers some 360 years ago and the last 60 years have been particularly good for our islands.”

“I want to thank Clare not just for today but for coming to Cayman last year and for continuing to be a great ambassador for our beautiful islands.  Today you’ve helped us to celebrate, what for us, is a most special occasion.”

“The Cayman Islands Government is deeply aggrieved by the acceptance of the UK Government today of an amendment to the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Bill in the House of Commons.” The Premier was referring to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill amendment that was accepted by the House of Commons on Tuesday, 1 May. It requires the British Overseas Territories, but not the Crown Dependencies, to establish public registers of beneficial ownership information by no later than 31 December 2020.

The Premier, The Hon Alden McLaughlin, said: “Imposition of legislation, through powers that date back to the colonial era, over and above the wishes of the democratically elected legislative bodies of the Overseas Territories represents a gross affront to the constitutional relationship we currently have with the United Kingdom. Further, imposing such an obligation on the Overseas Territories while exempting the Crown Dependencies discriminates unfairly against the Overseas Territories. This amendment is based solely on prejudice and a wilful misunderstanding of our current regulatory framework.”

The Minister for Financial Services, the Hon. Tara Rivers, added: “Even more unfortunate, today’s actions indicate that, for political expediency, the UK has chosen to ignore Cayman’s high level of ongoing cooperation which is embedded in our laws and international agreements. Over 100 tax authorities globally, including HMRC, and UK crime agencies already have access to information which states who owns what and how much in relation to Cayman companies. Indeed, verified beneficial ownership information on Cayman structures has been available to the UK’s legal, regulatory and tax authorities for more than 15 years, and our agreement on the sharing of information with the United Kingdom authorities is of such strength that we have committed to reporting within 24 hours, or within 1 hour in the case of a truly emergent situation. ”

Central public registers are not the global standard. Premier McLaughlin went on to state: “Since 2013 I have been completely clear that, when public registers become a global standard, the Cayman Islands will adopt them. The actions in the House of Commons today seeks to impose the UK’s own flawed system of unverified public registers upon the Overseas Territories by the end of 2020.”

The Premier also noted the apparent double standard adopted by the House of Commons during the debate on the same amendment bill, when it voted down an amendment to the UK’s Companies Act, which would have required due diligence on beneficial owners of UK companies in order to prevent money laundering.

The Government of the Cayman Islands is keeping all options on the table including a legal challenge to the amendment which violates accepted and conventional constitutional relationships between the UK and the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands has its own democratically elected government and is not represented in the UK Parliament. The actions of the House of Commons in seeking to legislate for the Cayman Islands amount to constitutional overreach and are reminiscent of the worst injustices of a bygone era of colonial despotism.”

It is with great sadness and a profound sense of loss that I acknowledge the passing of Mr. Kirkland Nixon, QFSM, IDSA, MBE, JP, a most special Caymanian, and to me a personal friend and mentor. 

On behalf of the Government I extend sympathy to his widow, Melba, his daughters Tammy and Lorrie and the entire family. Kirkland was a retired civil servant and Cayman’s first Chief Fire Officer, serving in that post for more than 40 years. But he was more, so much more than that. Kirkland epitomised the best of Caymanian values:  patriotism, hard work and diligence, honesty, integrity and fairness, frankness, common sense and judgement.  These values endeared him to a wide cross-section of people in these Islands and beyond and shone through in the many roles he played in the development of these Islands and our people and the preservation of ‘things Caymanian’.

Kirkland was an exemplary civil servant and fire-chief, community leader and helper, advisor and doer, orchid expert and farmer – truly a man for all seasons. His life included many years of work with the fire service and as an invaluable member of the National Hurricane Committee. His service on numerous government boards and private sector organisations, including the Lions Club of Grand Cayman, speak to a commitment to service to country and people rarely seen. On behalf of the Government and people of these Islands I pay tribute to a man whose lifetime of selfless service will endure long after his passing and will continue to benefit Cayman for generations to come.

He was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1979, and in 1989 was presented the Queen’s Fire Service Medal (QSFM) and the Distinguished Service Award (IDSA) at the National Hurricane Conference.

In May 2013 Mr. Nixon was honoured by renaming the visitors’ centre at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park after him. That centre was renamed the “Kirkland Nixon Visitors’ Centre” in recognition of his connections and contributions to the Botanic Park. Mr. Nixon was instrumental in building the  park, telling Joanne Scott – the then-governor’s wife – that it would be built the Caymanian way; one brick at a time.

Since 2013 he has been chairman of the Cayman Islands Airport Authority, leading and championing the recent redevelopment of the Owen Roberts International Airport. Despite his illness, he continued to chair meetings of the Authority’s Board until March this year.

Mr. Nixon dedicated most of his life to his country – the Cayman Islands – giving us untiring service and humility that gained him the respect of all; his countrymen and our visitors. And he never asked anyone to do something that he would not do himself. He was a true leader and visionary.

When speaking at his retirement celebration in 2005 he said that his time of service had been a labour of love, supported by his family, friends and co-workers. Despite the retirement ceremony, Kirkland did not ever truly retire. Until now. 

Now he rests from his labours leaving an incredible legacy of service and achievement. He is deeply loved and greatly respected and will be missed by all those who knew him and by the countless others whose lives he impacted.

As a mark of respect, the Cayman flag will be flown at half-mast at all Government buildings from 12 p.m. Monday, 30 April, 2018, until sunset Tuesday, 1 May, 2018.

LONDON – Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin continues his duties as president of the United Kingdom Overseas Association (UKOTA) Thursday when he represents UKOTA at the official opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference at Buckingham Palace. 

The Premier is attending the Commonwealth Business Forum in London, which began Monday.  It is one of three key forums that occur prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference Meeting (CHOGM) taking place this week.

Mr. McLaughlin will also meet with Minister with responsibility for the Overseas Territories, Lord Ahmad, on Thursday to discuss matters of interest regarding the Cayman Islands as well as UKOTA.

 The business forum continued Wednesday with the theme “The Future of Leadership”.

Mr. McLaughlin was invited by the United Kingdom Government to participate in aspects of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London this week. 

“This is the first time that UKOTA has been invited to participate in the biennial meeting of Commonwealth Leaders and I am honoured to have been invited to attend and represent the Overseas Territories,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “It is important that we use these opportunities to not only continue to build relationships within the UK, but to make the wider Commonwealth membership more aware of the Overseas Territories generally and to see how we can benefit each other”.

The Business Forum continued Tuesday with a stirring event by musicians and people from across the Commonwealth; all with either their flags or in national dress. The display demonstrated the diversity of the people of the Commonwealth. The theme for the day was “Building the Future” and was highlighted by Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, when she opened the day’s events. She spoke of fulfilling the dream of the Commonwealth Charter and the strength of Unity. This theme was continued when Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to the Forum for the second time. She addressed threats that are facing the Commonwealth and the world and the ability of a united Commonwealth to make a difference. 

The sheer size and diversity of the Commonwealth allows it to help shape the world, she said, as she spoke of the need to support the rules-based system that has guided international trade and the way nations treat each other. She also praised the advances in Commonwealth countries, including advances in the prevention of diseases. Microsoft founder Bill Gates spoke on the fight against diseases such as polio and malaria in Commonwealth countries. 

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness spoke about fairness within the Commonwealth between smaller and larger states, including the need for the larger states that contribute to climate change to do much more to help Small Island states prepare for and recover from storms.

Later on Tuesday Premier McLaughlin attended the Lord Mayor’s Banquet at historic Guildhall where he met political leaders attending CHOGM as well as business leaders from the City of London and the wider Commonwealth. Speakers at the banquet included the 690^th Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Rt. Hon. Charles Bowman; Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Phillip Hammond; and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.

Attracting an audience of business leaders from across the Commonwealth, along with heads of government and ministers, the Business Forum touches on topics such as new models of healthcare, the maritime industry, the economic empowerment of women, investing in infrastructure, fintech and innovations in financial services and how business can be made easier between Commonwealth countries.

LONDON – Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin attended the opening of the 11^th Commonwealth Business Forum in London on Monday.  This is one of three key forums that occur prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference Meeting taking place later this week.

The Business Forum was opened by UK Prime Minister Theresa May followed by welcome remarks from Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Charles Bowman, Lord Mayor of the City of London, Rt. Hon Liam Fox, Minister for International Trade  and Lord Marland, Chairman Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.  The theme for the first day is “The Future of Trade”.

Mr. McLaughlin said “Opening the Forum UK Prime Minister Theresa May spoke about the importance of free trade of larger and developing Commonwealth countries, and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate.  Free trade uplifts all and helps our Commonwealth citizens fight the scourge of poverty.”

The opening was held at the historic Guildhall in London, home of the City of London’s administrators for 600 years. 

“Later in the morning I attended a panel session with the theme ‘Delivering a Prosperous Commonwealth for All’ with panel members including the Rt. Hon Liam Fox, Minister for International Trade who I met back in March in Hong Kong.  Hon, Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia, Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Bank, John W.H. Denton, First Vice Chair, International Chamber of Commerce & CEO, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Australia, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Confederation of Indian Industry & Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises and Roberto Azevedo, Director-General, World Trade Organization.”

“In the afternoon I joined sessions on Developing the Digital Economy, and on Economic and Climate volatility – Innovation and Resilience for Small Island States.  These were very interesting sessions for the Cayman Islands as well as the other British Overseas Territories.”

Monday evening all delegates attended a Welcome to the UK Reception at the QEII Centre in Westminster.

Attracting an audience of business leaders from across the Commonwealth, along with heads of government and ministers, the Business Forum will touch on topics such as new models of healthcare, the maritime industry, the economic empowerment of women, investing in infrastructure, fintech and innovations in financial services and how business can be made easier between Commonwealth countries.

Mr. McLaughlin will also meet with United Kingdom Government officials to discuss issues and concerns that are common to the United Kingdom, the Overseas Territories and the Cayman Islands in particular.

The business forum continues tomorrow with the theme “Building the Future”.

 “Attending the Commonwealth Business Forum is part of our ongoing relationship building with the United Kingdom as it seeks to leave the European Union,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “The Cayman Islands, as well as all of the UK Overseas Territories, see ourselves as a very important part of Global Britain.”

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – As President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association, Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin has been invited by Minister of State for the Commonwealth and Overseas Territories Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon to represent UKOTA at  certain elements of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in London next week.

Specifically, he will attend the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace, the Welcome to the UK Reception at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, the Lord Mayor’s Banquet at the Guildhall, City of London and the Commonwealth Business Forum.

“While there I will also take the opportunity to meet with United Kingdom Government officials to discuss issues and concerns that are common to the United Kingdom, the Overseas Territories and the Cayman Islands in particular,” said Mr. McLaughlin.

Attracting an audience of business leaders from across the Commonwealth, along with heads of government and ministers, the Commonwealth Business Forum will discuss practical ways to enhance trade, showcase investment opportunities and promote sustainable development.

The Business Forum will touch on topics such as the global economic outlook, how technology is changing our world and the way we work, economic and climate volatility for island states, new models of healthcare, the maritime industry, the economic empowerment of women, investing in infrastructure, fintech and innovations in financial services and how business can be made easier between Commonwealth countries.

“These topics, and the others on the agenda of the Business Forum, are important to us as an Overseas Territory and attending is a natural progression from our recent trip to the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

“Attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government events and attending the Commonwealth Business Forum are part of ongoing relationship building with the United Kingdom as it seeks to leave the European Union,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “The Cayman Islands, as well as all of the UK Overseas Territories, see ourselves as a very important part of Global Britain and I am honoured as the President of the Political Council of UKOTA to be invited to take part in these events.”

The Premier will leave the Cayman Islands on Thursday, 12 April. Traveling with him will be Cabinet Secretary Mr. Samuel Rose and Senior Political Advisor to the Premier Mr. Roy Tatum.  Joining them in London will be Mr. Eric Bush, head of the Cayman Islands London Office.

Mr. Speaker, it is almost impossible to turn on our computers or televisions these days without seeing some news story regarding immigration, including anti-immigrant sentiments, expressed by politicians, nationalists and people worried about job losses around the world. Cayman is no different in that respect and increasingly anti-immigrant sentiments are seen and heard on the talk-shows, television, social media and wherever Caymanians gather.

Mr. Speaker, as I wound up the budget debate in this Honourable House in November, I spoke about the benefit of immigration and the need for us to protect the rights of Caymanians but I also warned against falling into the trap of xenophobia. I noted that Cayman owes much of what we have in development and opportunity to immigration. It was immigration and inward investment that allowed these Islands, and all of us, to progress as we have done these past 50 years.

I also noted that immigration, like fire, is a good servant but a bad master. We must ensure that businesses have the workers they need to grow and prosper, and in so doing help Cayman and Caymanians prosper and thrive. But while we appreciate the benefits of immigration we cannot ignore the local concerns regarding immigration; concerns that have challenged government after government ever since the Cayman Islands population first started to really grow. In the main those concerns have been about jobs. In the early stages those who inhabited these hallowed halls responded to the need for control of immigration and the economy by passing the Work Permit Law in 1969.  But as the number of work permits grew, so did the concerns and by 1971 it was thought necessary to pass the Caymanian Protection Law and other related legislation. Following numerous amendments over the next 2 decades the legislation was revised and modernised and in 1992 the Immigration Law was passed. In the ensuing years there has probably been no other law that has been amended more times than the Immigration Law – mostly seeking to get a fair balance between employers having access to needed workers from overseas and ensuring that Caymanians are treated fairly and have opportunities for employment. 

But despite all these measures, complaints of discrimination against Caymanians in the labour force remain widespread.  As I have said, these are not new; however, the complaints and resentment are growing, and to date no amount of change to the Immigration Law has alleviated the concerns. The stories about Caymanians being treated unfairly in the labour market are legion. Personally, hardly a day passes that I do not hear an anecdote of a Caymanian being discriminated against or treated unfairly with respect to employment. By being treated unfairly I am talking about qualified Caymanians who are able to do a particular job being unjustifiably refused an opportunity to work or being passed over for a training opportunity or promotion. Indeed, at times they may not even have received an opportunity for an interview for a job. In some cases we know the stories first hand, either through constituents, family or friends and so know them to be true. That having been said, I acknowledge that not every complaint is valid – we also know the stories of the people that we have helped acquire a job, with employers giving them a chance, sometimes a second chance, only to find ourselves feeling disappointed when the individual leaves the employment without good reason – expecting the country or an elected member to bear the burden of their living costs.

I mention this Mr. Speaker because we have to be honest with each other as Caymanians. But I want to focus today on those Caymanians who try hard to find and keep employment. And who come to us feeling let down because despite their experience and their qualifications they feel shut out of the job market. 

Mr. Speaker, besides complaining about this issue publicly all that successive generations of legislators have done is to keep tweaking the Immigration Law to fix one loophole or another so as to try to ensure fair opportunities for Caymanians. It is time that we cease tinkering at the edges and accept that a fundamental change is necessary if we are to address this longstanding and growing issue of discrimination against Caymanians in the job market. In an economy that is expanding and that has as many work permits as ours does, it is simply unacceptable that a qualified and experienced Caymanian should not be able to find employment. My Government is determined to fix this issue, which is threatening to undermine the social fabric of these beloved Islands we call home.

Mr. Speaker, one of the key measures we are taking is development of a Human Resources Department, whose remit will be to better regulate the labour market, including access to work permits. But this will not be enough, so we are also proposing to change the laws regarding the advertising of jobs as well as implement a National Jobs Clearinghouse to improve the transparency and fairness of the labour market. 

But this too will not be enough - and I know that we will still hear complaints about discrimination. And when we do hear them, what are we as elected members able to do? Should we simply resort to tweaking the Immigration Law and Regulations yet again?  

No, Mr. Speaker successive governments have tried this approach over the last 45 years and it has only led to an Immigration Law that has become even more complex and burdensome to manage. 

And even more attempts at increased enforcement of the Immigration Law will have limited success in alleviating the concerns of discrimination in the minds of Caymanians. There is a fine line between ensuring companies follow the law regarding the hiring of Caymanians, and having an over-bearing enforcement approach that discourages business. Incentivising businesses to hire Caymanians has also been discussed for some time but has never really gotten off the ground. However, we do intend during this year to dust off and implement plans for what has been called the accreditation system that will seek to reward those businesses that do the right thing regarding the hiring and training of Caymanians. But this too will not resolve concerns of fair treatment. There is a need for an avenue for Caymanians to go when they have concerns regarding hiring practices. My Government will address this vacuum by establishing Cayman’s first Fair Employment Opportunities Commission.

Employers and immigrants have access to an Immigration Appeals Tribunal if they believe that a work permit or permanent residency application has been incorrectly refused. If you are employed and have a complaint against your employer you have access to the Labour Appeals Tribunal. But if you are a Caymanian jobseeker and believe that you were incorrectly treated when applying for a job or bypassed for a promotion, you have nowhere to go.  The practice of writing a letter to the Immigration Board may sometimes result in the work permit application for a non- Caymanian being refused, but it rarely results in the complainant being given the job in question.

Ironically, while many Caymanians look to the Immigration Law & Department for protection against discrimination, the Immigration Law does not in fact specifically address discrimination against Caymanians  - there are no references to “discrimination” in the Immigration Law (2015 Revision). Due to the lack of a legislative mandate for the Immigration Department, there is no official process for handling complaints of discrimination from job-seekers or those seeking promotion. Hence the department is frequently criticised for “failing to protect Caymanians” and for “failing to enforce the law”. 

The Fair Employment Opportunities Commission, which we propose, with its legislated framework would fill a gap that now exists. 

It is not just the Immigration Law that is inadequate with regard to anti-discrimination provisions.

Section 80 (1) of the Labour Law (2011 Revision) states that “no person (whether an employee or employer) may discriminate against another by reason of race, colour, creed, sex, pregnancy or any reason connected with pregnancy, age, mental or physical disability.” Penalty for doing so is a maximum of 12 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Section 80, which consists of 135 words, does not apply to Caymanians per se and applies only to “employees and employers”, i.e. it excludes job applicants.

Women, by contrast, have had extensive protection against workplace discrimination since the Gender Equality Law was passed in 2011.

Neither does the Labour Relations Bill in its current form significantly enhance protection against workplace discrimination for Caymanians

Finally, while the Bill of Rights contains protection against discrimination this only applies “vertically”, that is between individuals and government. Specific laws are required to apply the rights “horizontally”, between individuals and other parties.

In summary there is no current law to protect Caymanians from discrimination by employers and no process by which Caymanians can officially complain or seek redress against instances of discrimination.

The Fair Employment Opportunities Commission would supplement other tools for ensuring the hiring of Caymanians while also providing Caymanians with the assurance that Government and law abiding employers do care about Caymanian employment. 

It would also have the ability to sanction. Exactly what those sanctions involve will need to be decided but would likely include administrative fines on businesses that are deemed to have hiring practices that are unfair to Caymanians.

The Commission will be independent to avoid possible perceptions of bias toward business and must be able to maintain a balance and to apply the relevant aspects of the law. As such it would be headed by a Commissioner appointed by the Governor in a manner similar to the appointment of the Auditor General and Ombudsman. It is envisaged that the Commissioner would be an experienced attorney or retired judge and the office would be staffed by individuals with legal and investigative skills. 

 I hasten to say this will not be some form of affirmative action commission. But it will be a commission that will consider the law and determine whether the complaint of unfair treatment is valid. It will be important that the business community and public do not believe that this body is subject to political interference but instead operates independently and in accordance with the rule of law.  

In addition to providing Caymanians with an avenue to seek redress when they believe they have been treated unfairly, a Fair Employment Opportunity Commission will provide other benefits. Whilst there are  Caymanians who believe that Caymanian job-seekers are frequently discriminated against by employers, there is no data by which the government or the general public can correctly gauge the real extent of the problem, the effectiveness of existing legislative and enforcement efforts or the impact of new measures to reduce this discrimination. The work of a Fair Employment Opportunity Commission would, over time, provide data regarding the occurrence of such incidents and what segments of the job market are more impacted by incidents of real or perceived discrimination.

There are also no proactive measures to prevent workplace discrimination against Caymanians. There is also no campaign to educate Caymanians as to their employment rights and/or what to do if they believe their rights have been violated. A Fair Employment Opportunities Commission would also perform these duties.

Such a commission as we propose is not a unique idea Mr. Speaker. Indeed many countries have similar commissions under names such as Equal Opportunity Commissions and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. So we are not proposing to implement something entirely novel. 

Mr. Speaker, it is our intention to consult widely with the business community with regards to the proposed Fair Employment Opportunity Commission. We also intend, as part of the exercise regarding the creation of a new Human Resources Department that a new work permit regime operates efficiently and effectively without undue delays, providing a high level of service.

As I said at the start, this Government recognises the importance of businesses having access to quality, necessary personnel but we also recognise that we need to do something new to ensure that Caymanians not only believe that they will be treated fairly in the job market but where they do not so believe, that they have an avenue to take their grievances. If we do nothing and allow the current beliefs of unfairness to fester and grow, we may well end up where the Bahamas was in the 1970s with an unsettled business climate and great resentment amongst local people and with business leaving our shores.

If properly set up, Mr. Speaker, within a legal framework and operated in an independent and fair manner, a Fair Employment Opportunity Commission can only be considered as something positive by Caymanians and by the business community.

If a business is operating as the law requires and is treating Caymanian job applicants fairly then they will have nothing to fear regarding the implementation of such a commission.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important initiative and one I wanted to share with the Honourable House and the public at the earliest stage possible. We will move the initiative through the machinations of the Government process including consultations with stakeholders. The House can expect to hear more about this in the coming months.

Mr. Speaker, the events of the past week have once again heightened the public discourse around crime, particularly gun related crimes. The report from the RCIPS of two robberies and a subsequent murder and that they were looking for an individual who was armed and dangerous, and presumably willing to shoot if he felt at risk, caused alarm throughout these Islands, but especially in the Red Bay constituency, which I represent, and the Prospect constituency where I live. And rightly so – to be afraid to walk from your car at night to your front door or to visit an entertainment establishment at night for fear of being robbed,  or worse, is not the Caymanian way of life. And even if these incidents are not everyday occurrences but are only spikes in crime they must never come to be accepted as the norm.

I can say Mr. Speaker, that every single member of my Government - whether a Progressives candidate, a CDP candidate or an Independent candidate - campaigned and promised to work with the RCIPS to tackle crime, particularly gun related crimes. We take these promises seriously and during the recent budget session Government committed to various strategies to combat crime and keep our communities safe. Indeed some $270 million has been allocated to National security over this budget cycle, which is two years. 

We committed to putting in place a dedicated Community Policing Programme and voted funds to provide the RCIPS with 75 new police officers over the next three years to help accomplish this. I am pleased to say, as everyone in this House and the wider public would be aware, that Community Policing has become a reality and is being welcomed by the public as well as by those on the opposition benches.

As of February, 26 Community Police officers have been placed in East End, North Side, Prospect, South Sound, George Town, at the Waterfront, Seven Mile Beach and West Bay. Officers stationed on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were already considered community officers. They are all working on differing shifts, depending on the demands of each area. These officers are embedded in the communities and there is a genuine commitment to make sure those officers are maintained in those areas for at least two years.

Mr. Speaker, community policing is still in its fledgling stages but I am certain that it will play a key role in not only keeping communities safer but also helping rebuild public trust in the RCIPS and thus peoples’ willingness to ‘say something when they see something’.

I have also advised the Commissioner of Police that the Government will consider providing additional resources, such as more CCTV cameras in order to deter crime and improve detection. We just need a proper plan.

I have asked the Deputy Governor to review the salaries of police officers (as well as other underpaid departments of government) with a view to making the RCIPS a more attractive employer. This will enable the Commissioner to attract and retain more qualified persons to the Police service.

So we are doing as a Government what we need to financially support the RCIPS and I am satisfied that under the leadership of the current Commissioner  and his senior team the RCIPS has taken seriously this Government’s commitment to keeping our communities safe and reducing gun crime in the Cayman Islands.

Increasing Neighbourhood Watch programmes is another commitment that is being met and the RCIPS, through the Community Policing Programme, will assist communities to put these in place. Neighbours know when something looks wrong and when someone looks out of place in a community and can help raise an alarm if needed. 

We also committed to improving border security and to merging the Customs and Immigration agencies into a single border force. The work on this has started and we have secured the assistance of Mr. Colin Brown who is head of the UK’s Border Force National Targeting Centre to move this project forward as a matter of urgency. Mr. Brown arrived in January and has been working with the steering committee charged with the planning and eventual implementation of the merger. So again, this commitment is being met and when complete we will have a single border force agency with staff trained to better protect our seaports and airports, focussed on preventing illicit drugs, guns and people landing illegally in the Cayman Islands.

Modern law enforcement and border protection agencies do not focus on searching suitcases and containers, instead they rely on intelligence as well as on modern investigative and targeting practices that are more successful than searches alone. This is where we are going, Mr. Speaker. Currently Immigration and Customs staff are undergoing cross training as well as participating in joint operations. Over the next six months we will start seeing a single uniform for some staff and a fully joined up Cayman Border Force should be in place for the start of the 2019 financial year, which is January. I will continue to provide this Honourable House with progress reports on the work being done in this area.  But again, the commitment has been made and work is ongoing and will become reality.

Another key element in border protection is our commitment to create a modern Cayman Islands Coast Guard with a multifaceted role, including search and rescue, patrolling our seas and helping keep illegal guns, people, and drugs from being smuggled into our Islands. The Coast Guard will have the ability to board and search vessels in our waters and make arrests if needed. We have obtained the services of Mr. Phil Bostock, who is a commander in the UK’s Maritime and Coast Guard Agency who has also been on the ground from January to assist in the development of the Coast Guard.

Neither the Coast Guard nor the border protection agents can be everywhere, so we will utilise technology to assist in the detection of boats entering our waters. It will be important Mr. Speaker, and I will ensure, that the Coast Guard will be as independent as possible with a local commander – who we are hoping will be a Caymanian. It will be properly resourced and we will ensure that it will be structured in such a way so as not to have its resources poached for other law enforcement work.

Staff has already begun specialist joint operations and are undergoing training in enhanced search and rescue capabilities.  We have the services of the consultant to the end of this year and we intend to put in place operational policies as well as any necessary legislation by year end.  Major assets will be budgeted for in the 2020 budget cycle. This is a major undertaking but we are moving as swiftly as we can and with God’s grace this too will be achieved.

But Mr. Speaker, there are other things that we are looking at to battle crime, including initiatives to prevent youngsters from entering lives of crime as well as more effective rehabilitation programmes – both for incarcerated prisoners and those who have served their time. If we can prevent re-offending and help people lead more productive lives then that is part of the battle won. 

Improved policing is about dealing with crime now. In the longer term, the answer lies in stopping our people turning to crime in the first place. I believe the most significant contribution to long term crime reduction, besides a good education, will come from the early identification of young people at risk of offending behaviour, and implementing programmes to help them make better life choices – choices that will benefit them, their families and their communities.

As I reported during the Budget session, work on this commenced during the last administration and an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Youth Affairs has been established to serve as the coordinating and advisory body to implement plans in this area. The Department of Children and Family Services is playing an important role in the overall solution through social workers who specialize in family crises resolution and trauma. But they cannot do it alone. This requires work and cooperation across many ministries for there to be real success. Mr. Speaker, a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub Team, or MASH, was created in 2016 where the Ministry of Community Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services, works with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Education Department and Health Services to enhance the safety of our children.

These are important and part of a longer term solution that addresses the causes of crimes.  

But there is another issue that needs to be addressed; one that I believe needs our utmost attention. That Mr. Speaker is the need for the elected government to be allowed a greater role in national security matters. Our role needs to extend beyond merely voting funds for the police. The elected government needs a significant voice in strategic decision-making relating to national security matters. That was what was contemplated by the constitutional provision that created the National Security Council in the 2009 constitution, but that is not what has occurred in practice. For national security to succeed it needs to become a shared responsibility of the Governor and the elected Government. It is too big and too important an issue to be the Governor’s alone. The National Security Council needs to function in the way it was contemplated – as the National Security Cabinet of the Cayman Islands – and not merely as a talk-shop. Earlier Mr. Speaker I mentioned that Government is providing funding for resources to combat crime. All of us in this House are held accountable by the public for reducing crime, even though our main opportunities to do so rely on our control of the budget and on the views of the Commissioner at the time, and the Governor at the time who has constitutional responsibility for all aspects of internal security, including the RCIPS. We get to vote money but we do not have real control of national security issues.

Mr. Speaker you may recall that during the Constitutional talks a decade ago that I raised this issue with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It was a battle. As a compromise the UK agreed to create the National Security Council a body that is charged under Section 58.4 of the Constitution with responsibility as follows:

“The National Security Council shall advise the Governor on matters relating to internal security, with the exception of operational and staffing matters, and the Governor shall be obliged to act in accordance with the advice of the Council, unless he or she considers that giving effect to the advice would adversely affect Her Majesty’s interest (whether in respect of the United Kingdom or the Cayman Islands); and where the Governor has acted otherwise than in accordance with the advice of the Council, he or she shall report to the Council at its next meeting.”

Mr. Speaker  every Governor since 2009 when the Constitution came into effect, presumably under the directions of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has never accepted that the advice, by way of decisions  given by the National Security Council  are really intended to be advice that was to be followed, but merely as  ‘suggestions’ to be considered.

Because of this Mr. Speaker, you and the wider public would have heard me mention on several occasions that the UK Government needed to rethink the position of the Governor having full responsibility for the RCIPS and to consider a Police Authority whose role would be to allow for the sharing of authority between the Governor and elected members regarding strategic police matters. 

During the Strategic Policy Statement last year I said the following:  “in line with my earlier point on creating a culture of delivery, we will not only provide additional resources to the RCIPS but we will also insist that resources are used as agreed and will hold the Commissioner to account for the results. This will mean creating new approaches that foster accountability and enhance the responsiveness of the RCIPS to the people’s concerns. Our proposal to accomplish this is the establishment of a Cayman Islands Police Authority and we will discuss with Her Excellency, the Governor, how we can establish such a mechanism quickly”.

During the Budget process in August last year I again noted:  “As we provide additional resources to the RCIPS we will insist that resources are used as agreed and hold the Commissioner to account for the results of those expenditures. We also intend to discuss with the UK Government the establishment of a Police Authority to help create new approaches in fostering accountability and enhance the responsiveness of the RCIPS to the people’s concerns.”

And I was pleased that the Governor during her Throne speech noted the following: “The Government has also indicated its eagerness to discuss the creation of a Police Authority with me and with Her Majesty’s Government. A Police Authority that would be devolved some authority for policing. Whilst no outcome to these discussions can be pre-determined, I welcome the conversation.”

Mr. Speaker, I mention this to provide some background and to remind the public and this House that this has been an issue for some time.

Mr. Speaker, we are at a critical juncture, where national security issues are increasingly a concern to the people of this country and those that visit. If we are to succeed in addressing these matters, the National Security Council, which is made up of the Governor, the Premier, the Deputy Governor, two ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police and two private sector representatives, must be permitted to function as the Constitution contemplated. Mr. Speaker, I can advise that in my recent conversations with the Office of the Governor I have urged that going forward the National Security Council be operated as was envisaged when the Constitution was written. That is, as a decision making body whose decisions or ‘advice’ on ‘non-operational or staffing’ matters regarding the RCIPS the Governor would be obligated to take. Where this advice is not followed then the Governor will be obliged to report this back to the NSC at the next meeting. 

I also discussed with the Office of the Governor the need to formalise the proceedings of the NSC with regular monthly meetings and with papers submitted by members for consideration, similar to the process followed in Cabinet. I would expect that the NSC agenda would be agreed jointly between me as Premier and the Governor. This should help the NSC become more focused on strategic and policy matters and take meaningful decisions. It will also provide elected members - I and the Leader of the Opposition as well as two Government ministers - with some real say into non-operational policing matters. It is through us the elected members and the private sector representatives on the NSC that the security concerns of the everyday man, woman and business owner in this country will be taken to the NSC meeting table for consideration and decision.

Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that we may get to a point swiftly to where these discussions become reality. I certainly am hopeful Mr. Speaker and I pray that nothing comes along to derail these considerations.  With a new Governor arriving this is certainly an opportune time for a reset regarding the NSC and for the UK’s representative and the elected members of the Legislative Assembly to share authority for internal security.

So Mr. Speaker I will close by saying to this honourable House that the Government’s commitment to creating safer communities and tackling crime is not just talk – they are happening. These strategies will take time to work, but with the RCIPS properly resourced and trained, and with elected members having a say regarding policing strategies, and with much improved border security and a new Coast Guard service, I believe we will win the battle with crime. The social issues are also important and these too are being tackled. Sadly we will not ever eliminate crime, but we can and must drastically reduce it and prevent its further escalation in these Islands.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.

As I ran for election at the beginning of 2017, everywhere I went and everyone I spoke to talked about crime and the fear of crime in our communities. 

People were, and still are, concerned about the increase, in what they often term, nuisance crimes – everything from petty theft, illegal motorcycles and speeding vehicles.  But of greater concern are the incidents of robberies and violent crimes.  These too often involve guns and arise out of gangs and drug use.

When we sat last year and debated the budget, my government agreed to the request from the Police Commissioner for new resources to tackle crime on our streets.  Of the 75 new officer positions approved in the budget over the next three years, (at 25 a year), it was agreed almost one-third will be dedicated to community policing.

I campaigned for safer communities and said it would be achieved by making our border control more effective - at our airports and around our waters.  A Coast Guard to assist with search and rescue as well as the detection and interdiction of boats arriving with illegal cargo.  And by supporting the use of community policing as an effective tool to make communities safe and I was heartened that the Police Commissioner is of the same view and this is one of his priority areas. 

So I was very pleased to hear that twenty-six Royal Cayman Islands Police officers have now been assigned to full-time neighborhood policing duties around Grand Cayman, as the department attempts to expand its visible presence within our communities.

Four officers and one supervising police sergeant have been placed in North Side and East End, 10 officers and a sergeant are in George Town, three officers and a sergeant will staff areas of Bodden Town and four officers plus a sergeant will staff West Bay.

RCIPS Inspector Courtney Myles will oversee the entire unit that will see beat officers on foot and on bicycles.  They will be expected to engage directly with the people living and working in their beat area and will be operating in that area for a minimum of two years.

This is good news, and I encourage everyone to get involved, meet your community police officer, ask about setting up a neighborhood watch area and let’s all work together to make our communities safe.

Ato Modibo Stephens left the Cayman Islands on Sunday 11 March, 2018, travelling to Miami in the United States.

Mr. Stephens is now a prohibited immigrant to the Cayman Islands. Under Section 82(h) of the Immigration Law, a prohibited immigrant is “a person who, not having received a free pardon, has been convicted in any country of an offence for which a sentence of imprisonment of or exceeding 12 months has been passed otherwise than for non-payment of a fine”.

Mr. Stephens was sentenced to 18 months in prison on 4 August, 2017, and the Court recommended his deportation following completion of his sentence. Mr. Stephens’ sentence resulted from a guilty verdict on one charge of using an information and communication technology network to annoy, harass or abuse an underage female. At the time of his sentencing the court recommended deportation.

The Cabinet of the Cayman Islands approved the issuance of a Deportation Order for Mr. Stephens for 16 March, 2018, or as soon thereafter as could be arranged by the Department of Immigration.

It’s hard to believe that it’s only sixty years since the passing of a bill in the Cayman Islands that allowed women to vote and stand for election.  My own mother was 33 years old before she had the right to vote, today that seems impossible to conceive. 

It is 9 months ago that the country went to the polls and it’s interesting to note that just over a quarter of the candidates nominated for the 2017 General Election were women. 

This is a step in the right direction on the road to political equality, however, when you realize that women make up more than half of our population, they are still under-represented in the Legislative Assembly.  I encourage more women to stand for public office and to step forward into the political arena to become involved in the decision making and bring women and family issues to the fore. 

No-one can deny the role that women have played in the development of these islands.  Caymanian women took over in family, business, and government when the men went to sea and women played a more active role in social and economic life.  However it wasn’t until after World War II that women were accepted as partners in the political process.

I come from a line of very strong women who worked in the community at a time when most women stayed home. My paternal grandmother, Ethel Connor, was a school teacher. My maternal grandmother, Lizzy Bodden, worked as a seamstress and on her own raised two children after her husband died when my mother was five years old.

My mother, Althea, worked as a dispenser, nurse, pharmacist and sometimes doctor for 36 years at the Government hospital. It was really the only job she ever had. I know from her experiences the difficulties and discrimination that women in the workplace encountered. 

I’m happy to say I’m still surrounded by strong women, my wife Kim and my sisters Debbie and Elizabeth. 

 As we celebrate International Women’s Month we celebrate women’s achievements – from the political to the social – while calling for gender equality. 

In addition to the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Law on December 8, 1958 (which allowed women the right to vote), other milestones include the Gender Equality Law 2011 and the extension of CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women). 

Whilst we have made great strides, there is still much to be done. With the advancement of technology and social media, the power of corporate, social and grassroots initiatives, and the voices of supportive men and women willing to speak out on issues concerning gender equality, everyone can be an advocate for change.  We must ensure that girls and women are treated fairly in the workplace, and in society generally.

I also want to draw attention to domestic abuse and highlight the great work that the Family Resource Centre, as well as the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, are doing by providing safe shelter to victims, support and counselling, as well as educating the community on what family violence is and what healthy relationships are.

Recent global prevalence figures indicate that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.  That’s pretty deplorable. 

When people talk about domestic abuse, they often focus on domestic violence. But domestic abuse occurs whenever one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to dominate and control the other person.  Domestic violence and abuse are used to gain and maintain total control over you. Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation to wear you down. Your abuser may also threaten you, hurt you, or hurt those around you.

Domestic violence and abuse do not discriminate. It occurs within all age ranges, ethnic backgrounds, and economic levels. And while women are more commonly victimized, men are also abused.

Figures show that globally, women’s education, health and violence towards women is still worse than that of men.  International Women’s Day, which is part of Honouring Women’s Month, is a day when men and women across the world come together to recognize these inequalities whilst celebrating the achievements of women.

Show your support for Honouring Women’s month by participating in the following events:

■ Thursday, 8 March - International Women’s Day – Canvas and Mocktails at Art Nest, 7.30 p.m. – 9 p.m., $38 incl. refreshments

■ Friday, 17 (Kaibo) and Saturday, 18 March (Smiths Cove, South Sound) - Colour Me Purple 5K Run/Walk., Cost $25. Fundraiser for local youth and women’s initiatives

■ Sunday, 25 March - Honouring Women Month church service, John Gray Memorial Church, West Bay, 10 a.m.

For registration and more information, call the FRC on 949-0006 or email Family Resource Centre

Senior officers from the UK’s Border Force and Maritime and Coastguard Agency are being seconded to the Cayman Islands to oversee changes in the way in which Cayman’s borders are protected and its search and rescue services provided.

Colin Brown, who is currently Head of Border Force’s UK National Targeting Centre, will arrive in early January for an initial period of six months to oversee the modernisation of immigration and customs procedures at Cayman’s borders and to advise on the transformation of elements of both departments into an integrated “Cayman Islands Border Protection Service”.

On Sunday The Progressives gathered for the Annual Seniors Christmas Party.

The Cayman Islands is not on the EU’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.

The list is the outcome of the EU’s screening process to identify countries that it considers to be non-cooperative in working with EU Member States to combat tax fraud, evasion and avoidance, which erodes the tax bases of EU Member States.

The EU announced the list of 17 non-cooperative jurisdictions today. It also announced a list of 47 countries that it considers cooperative, but that it says can make further enhancements to prevent misuse of their jurisdictions. The Cayman Islands is included among these 47 countries.
In developing its lists, the EU assessed jurisdictions against three criteria. The EU had no concern with Cayman’s position on two of these criteria: tax transparency, in relation to our exchange of tax information with other countries; and implementation of the OECD’s base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) programme, which addresses multinational companies' tax avoidance strategies.

For the criterion on fair taxation, the EU noted positively that Cayman’s system does not charge different tax rates to persons based on any factor, including whether the person resides in Cayman or not. As part of this particular criterion, the EU also wants to ensure that jurisdictions do not facilitate ‘letterbox companies’. These companies, which are set up to circumvent tax obligations, do not actually have physical presence, and therefore do not perform tangible economic activities, in the country in which they are established.

‘The majority of Cayman’s companies are not bricks and mortar, but they also are not letterbox companies’, explained the country’s Premier, the Hon. Alden McLaughlin. ‘Rather, they are financial instruments that pool investment capital and facilitate international transactions.

‘In addition, our transparency aids foreign tax authorities with their tax assessments.

We provide taxpayer information to more than 100 countries, including all EU Member States and G20 countries. Thus there is no interest in setting up these companies to circumvent tax obligations’.

In cooperation with the EU, the Cayman Islands Government is further assessing the fair taxation criterion, and will work with EU Council officials to address this issue by December 2018.

‘This is in line with the Cayman Islands’ longstanding commitment to international cooperation, which has been recognised by international organisations such as the OECD, the Financial Stability Board, and the International Organisation of Securities Commissions’, said the Minister of Financial Services, the Hon. Tara Rivers.
The EU began its process of developing its non-cooperative tax jurisdictions list in fall 2016, by inviting 92 jurisdictions to participate in the assessment. The Cayman Islands Government has continuously cooperated in this process by responding to multiple requests for written information, phone calls, and face-to-face dialogue.

On Wednesday Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers and the Cayman delegation attended the second day of the Joint Ministerial Council meeting at Lancaster House in London.

In the morning session the Rt. Hon. Mel Stride, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, led the discussion on tax transparency and beneficial ownership.

A highlight from the session was United Kingdom officials acknowledging that the European Union process to determine non-cooperative jurisdictions has been challenging for the territories involved.  It was again confirmed that the UK has been and continues to work on behalf of the British Overseas Territories to ensure that the EU process is fair and balanced.

Several leaders spoke about the EU process with Premier McLaughlin noting that the process was indeed challenging but the Cayman Islands Government had worked diligently to provide EU officials with information to assist in their deliberations. He thanked the UK for the work being done to assist OTs and again pressed them to continue to lobby the EU on behalf of Cayman and the OTs.

It was also noted by UK Government officials that the UK could assist the territories in educating the public about how far the Overseas Territories have come in the fight against financial crimes, tax evasion and the issue of beneficial ownership. UK officials also acknowledged that it needs to help educate the public that overseas financial centres play an important role in facilitating global finance. However, it was also noted that OTs with financial services businesses also needed to tell their story and help educate people and change perceptions to help shift attitudes. 

Territories provided updates on the progress made in implementing commitments made last year in the Exchange of Notes on Beneficial Ownership. ‘Minister Rivers provided an update on the work that has been done to implement those commitments. Minister Rivers also indicated that Cayman had submitted comments which highlighted a few concerns for further discussion as part of the planned 6 month review.’

Premier McLaughlin said Cayman and other OTs have been requesting that the UK Government extend the UN Convention against Corruption to the OTs for several years, which has presented a problem when the Cayman Islands is under review. UK officials agreed to see what could be done.

Lord Ahmad also updated the OT leaders and their delegations about the Commonwealth Heads of Government to be held in April 2018. Lord Ahmad said the UK intends to ensure that Overseas Territories have an opportunity to be more involved in these meetings going forward. The Overseas Territories already participated in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association as well as in the Commonwealth Games, and so it is right that they have the opportunity to participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings as well, he said.

The remainder of the morning session included conversations about health, including the UK assisting OTs to improve their health systems. Steve Brine, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Health led the session. Topics included an update on the work done by the UK’s Department of Health as well as collaboration between the UK and the OTs on mental health and obesity.  

Lord Ahmad led the session on Child Safeguarding, and Claire Perry, Minister for Climate Change, led the session on the UN Framework on Climate Change. It was noted that the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean highlighted that small islands like the British OTs are badly impacted by rising temperatures. It was highlighted that the UK should ensure that OTs had the ability to lend their voice directly in debates about setting climate change standards.

The afternoon session included an update by Robin Walker, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State at the Department for Exiting the EU, on the Brexit negotiation. The future of the relations hip between OTs and the EU was discussed with several OT leaders again noting concerns about losing EU financing and grant options as well as maintaining trade to EU countries. OT leaders pressed UK officials to ensure that they are not disenfranchised once the UK leaves the EU.

They say that art decorates space and music decorates time - well the best of both worlds came together on Wednesday night for the annual Progressives' Fundraiser!

Have a look through our photos:

The project will cover repairs and maintenance, gardening, cleaning parks, beaches, beach access and roadside verges. A similar project will also be undertaken in the Sister Islands under the supervision of District Administration. The dates of the programme are from Monday, 4 December - Friday, 15 December 2017 and from Monday, 8 January - Friday, 12 January 2018.

The project is only open to unemployed Caymanians, 18 years and older, and unemployed spouses of Caymanians who have the right to work. Rigorous vetting will take place to ensure that only those who are eligible are accepted into the programme. Contracted workers will be paid $10 per hour, foremen will receive $12 per hour.

Application forms can be picked up at all district libraries in Grand Cayman, as well as from District MLA Offices, the Needs Assessment Unit, the National Workforce Development Agency and at the Government Administration Building’s reception area in George Town.

Mandatory registration and training will take place at the Lions Centre on Tuesday, 28 November 2017 at 9 a.m. Applicants will need to bring a completed application form and supporting documentation with them to prove immigration status on registration day.

For further information, please call or send a WhatsApp/text to the NICE Hotline 917-0153, or email NCEP@gov.ky.

Older persons in the Cayman Islands now have a voice to represent them as Government continues to implement the Older Persons Law.

Cabinet has approved the appointment of members to the Council for Older Persons, naming six members from each district in the Cayman Islands, seven members from Government, along with an attorney and a medical doctor.

“Reaching this point has been a milestone and a major accomplishment for the Cayman Islands,” said Premier and Minister for Community Affairs Hon. Alden McLaughlin. “The appointment of this Council is a significant achievement.”

The council members will champion and monitor the promotion and development of programmes, projects and legislative measures as well as monitor and evaluate the implementation of the action plans for the Cayman Islands Older Persons’ Policy.

The government, under the previous Progressives-led Administration, approved the 2017 Older Persons Law in March this year. The law commenced in July.

Specifically the law seeks to promote access to services including their affordability, physical accessibility and acceptable maintenance; social inclusion so that our elderly feel valued, their opinions and differences are respected and their basic needs are met so they can live with dignity; anti-discriminatory practices; and improved care, including physical, psychological, social or material assistance and services aimed at promoting the quality of life and well-being of older persons.

“I commend all who had a part in helping develop the Older Persons Policy, getting it approved and enacting the Older Persons Law,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “And I deeply appreciate the members of the Council for agreeing to serve on this important board to protect and advance the well-being of our elders.”

The following members will serve for a term of not less than four years:

Mrs. Lucille Seymour - Chair & Member for the district of George Town
Mrs. Sarah Alice Mae Coe - Deputy Chair & Member for the district of West Bay
Mr. Reginald Nixon - Member for the district of Bodden Town
Mrs. Barbara Gee - Member for the district of East End
Ms. Esther Patricia Ebanks - Member for the district of North Side
Ms. Lana Poldavaart - Member for the Sister Islands
Mr. Mark Beckford - Member, Attorney-at-law
Dr. Eryka Simmons - Member, Medical Doctor
Chief Officer or designate - Ex-officio Member (representing the Ministry responsible for Community Affairs)
Chief Officer or designate - Ex-officio Member (representing the Ministry responsible for Health)
Chief Officer or designate - Ex officio Member (representing the Ministry responsible for Education)
Chief Officer or designate - Ex-officio Member (representing the Ministry responsible for Employment)
Chief Officer or designate - Ex-officio Member (representing the Ministry responsible for Gender Affairs)
Director of Policy Coordination Unit or designate - Executive Secretary (representing the Cabinet Office)
Mrs. Tempora Wesley - Representing the Department of Children & Family Services

A Cayman delegation led by The Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughlin will be heading to Miami for a pre-meeting of the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) on 28^th October. 

This meeting is specifically for Caribbean British Overseas Territories giving them the opportunity to discuss the needs of the islands impacted by the recent hurricanes, prior to the JMC meeting that will be held at the end of November in London.

The goal being to ensure that the needs of those territories impacted by the storms are a key part of the agenda for talks in London.

During the recent trip to Manchester and London, the Premier and his team were lobbying hard on behalf of the British Overseas Territories that had been affected by the recent hurricanes.

Mr. McLaughlin said “The UK government had indicated a commitment of up to £62 million, according to Lord Ahmed, Minister for Overseas Territories, to help rebuild the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Anguilla and Turks and Caicos (TCI).  However due to the damage inflicted on these islands, they will need to access significantly more in reconstruction funds.” 

“The devastation is such that their economies are in danger of long-term damage unless they receive financial assistance - in the short term for disaster relief - but in the medium to long term to rebuild infrastructure and to enable them to maintain their economic base.  This includes the financial services in BVI and TCI as well as tourism for all three countries.  If the hotels and airports are not ready to receive tourists this winter it will be another blow to their economies.”

The request by the UK to obtain funds from the international aid budget managed by the EU International Development and Cooperation Directorate, (IDCD) has been denied.   The reason given is that the GDP of the islands is too high and the budget is designed to relieve poverty.    However, Priti Patel, the Secretary of State for International Development, one of the senior UK government officials that Mr. McLaughlin met and lobbied whilst in Manchester, responded to the IDCD asking it to “urgently” review the rules relating to countries hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria saying that the international rules should take into account the vulnerabilities of small island states. 

For example 36% of Anguilla’s capital budget in 2016 according to Bloomberg News, came from EU funding and normally this funding would be used to build or repair infrastructure such as roads, ports, government buildings etc.  There is no indication at the moment, how this funding is going to be impacted by BREXIT – it may continue, it may not.  However, what is clear is that a lot more capital funding is going to be required by the islands affected by these major hurricanes to get them back on their feet.

Mr. McLaughlin continued “I lobbied all the Ministers, Parliamentarians and Officials that I met in Manchester and London regarding UK support for these islands.  It is important to remind the UK that the Overseas Territories are part of the British Family and deserving of assistance when impacted by natural disasters.  In fact I feel that the UK has an obligation to assist the Caribbean British Overseas territories, in the same way it supports Gibraltar and the Falklands. 

I feel obligated to join my fellow Premiers and Chief Ministers in lobbying the UK because I’m conscious that this will also benefit the Cayman Islands.  If one OT is floundering, that puts a question mark around all of us; I want to make sure that UK aid is available.  Today it is TCI, BVI and Anguilla but tomorrow it could be the Cayman Islands impacted and needing help.”

The Premier added “We are happy to play our part and we are in a fortunate position to be able to do so.  The assistance we’ve provided so far, from the RCIPS officers that we sent to BVI, the helicopter and RCIPS team we sent to Turks and Caicos and the medical and humanitarian support we provided to Anguilla benefits those Islands but it also highlights our relationship, shared histories, and circumstances. 

“We are all Caribbean people but we’re also British and we’re obligated to support our Caribbean Overseas Territories brothers and sisters in their time of need.  The importance of our relationship has been recognized at the highest levels of the UK government, on many occasions over the last few weeks it’s been said how grateful the UK government is for the assistance that the government and the people of the Cayman Islands have provided.  I would go so far as to say that this recognition has raised the profile and esteem of the Cayman Islands with many in the UK government.”

The annual Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) brings together political leaders from the Overseas Territories (OT’s) and UK Ministers.  It will meet this year in London from 27^th – 28^th November and will be hosted by FCO Minister for the Overseas Territories Lord Ahmed.

Following on from the successful meetings in Brussels with key EU decision makers, the Cayman delegation led by Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughlin, travelled to Manchester to the Conservative Party Conference.  The aim was to utilise the conference to continue engagement with elected members of the UK government to help them better understand Cayman’s Financial Services business and the important role we play to the UK and world business.

The team attended various events in Manchester including the Gibraltar Reception where they met several key individuals including James Cleverly MP, and Andrew Rosindell MP; both are members of Cayman’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) – which aims to support and increase awareness of the Cayman Islands in Westminster.

Mr. McLaughlin said “it was good to catch up with James and Andrew and to update them on the needs of our fellow Overseas Territories (OT’s) devastated by the recent hurricanes as well as to bring them up to date with what’s happening in Cayman.”   The reception was hosted by a long-time friend of Mr. McLaughlin’s, the Hon. Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar.

On Monday Premier McLaughlin, Hon. Tara Rivers, Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs along with Councillor Austin Harris met Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs where the Premier presented Mr. Johnson with a gift from the Cayman Islands.  Mr. McLaughlin said, “Whilst Mr. Johnson had seen first-hand much of the devastation caused by the recent hurricanes, I continued to make a case for continued support from the UK.”

Prior to the meeting with Mr. Johnson, Mr. McLaughlin and Ms. Rivers met with Sir Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defence where humanitarian aid, the need for a coordinated effort on disaster preparedness and recovery for the OT’s going forward was again the topic for discussion.

On Monday evening members of the delegation attended the Conservative Party Conference business dinner.  Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond was the key note speaker and the dinner was attended by the majority of the UK Government’s Cabinet Ministers as well as key UK business leaders.

Mr. McLaughlin took the opportunity to speak with Hon. Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development.  Mr. McLaughlin continued to lobby for financial support for the OT’s impacted by these two major storms, again stating that the Cayman Islands had been quickly able to offer humanitarian aid as Cayman had not been affected.

For the final leg of the mission the group travelled down to London.

Ms. Rivers met with City UK, a group which promotes policies that drive competitiveness, support job creation and ensure long-term economic growth in the UK.  She also attended the 100 Women in Finance Breakfast event at Bloomberg and met with Baroness Evans who currently serves as the Leader of the House of Lords.

Ms. Rivers said “this has been a very successful trip; I had the opportunity to speak with many key influencers to educate them on Cayman’s role as a Financial Services Centre and all the work we have been doing around implementing and shaping international transparency standards.   I was fortunate to speak at the British Overseas Territories (BOT’s) reception in Manchester about the inter-connectedness between the UK and the Cayman Islands, as well as the humanitarian relief we’ve been providing to those affected by the recent storms.  This was very well received by everyone in attendance.” 

Councillor Austin Harris also spoke about Cayman at the BOT’s reception.

Mr. McLaughlin’s and Ms. Rivers final meeting was with Lord Ahmed, the Overseas Territories Minister.

Mr. McLaughlin said, “I provided a general update on what was happening in the Cayman Islands and we again discussed Caymans’ humanitarian assistance efforts to our OT neighbours.  We talked about the need for the UK to commit, not just short term financial help with the devastation, but long term to help their economies get back on their feet.”

Lord Ahmed again expressed his thanks, as had everyone the delegation met over the course of the trip, for the assistance that the Government and the people of the Cayman Islands are providing to those islands affected.  He reiterated how grateful the UK government is for the help.

The final event on the itinerary was the Conservatives Abroad dinner which was attended by Mr. McLaughlin, Ms. Rivers and Mr. Harris along with other members of the delegation.  Mr. McLaughlin was a guest of honour and was invited, during dinner, to say a few words about the Cayman Islands.  Sir Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defense was also in attendance as the guest speaker.

Mr. McLaughlin added “Everyone involved agreed that this trip accomplished what we set out to do.  We were able to renew and build relationships with not just senior Civil Servants but also senior members of the UK government and business leaders and to continue to spread the story of Cayman’s success.  This is important for us as a country, to ensure the people we meet understand the issues that the Cayman Islands face and the contributions that we make.”

Premier Alden McLaughlin, Hon. Tara Rivers, Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin had unprecedented access Monday evening to the most senior of United Kingdom government officials and business people when he and the Cayman delegation attended a dinner hosted by The Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

During the dinner Mr. McLaughlin spoke with Hon. Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development, about the Cayman Islands’ rapid response with humanitarian assistance to Caribbean British Overseas Territories that were ravaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Last month the Cayman Islands Government sent medical teams, equipment and supplies to Anguilla, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service helicopter to Turks and Caicos and armed police to Tortola, British Virgin Islands following Hurricane Irma. More relief was sent to the islands following damage from Hurricane Maria. The Cayman Islands was the only British Overseas Territory that did not suffer from either storm.

“I told Ms Patel that it was our duty and privilege to help our sister British Overseas Territories,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “All of the BOTs have forged a strong bond over the years and it is incumbent that we take care of one another when we are in a position to offer any kind of assistance.”

Mr. McLaughlin, Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers and Councillor Austin Harris are in Manchester attending the Conservative Party Conference 2017. Attendance gives the Premier and the delegation an opportunity to meet with high-ranking UK politicians and business people to keep them updated on the strength and stability of the Cayman Islands.

“This Government, like the previous Progressives-led Administration, will take every opportunity to continue to build relationships and spread the story of success that is the Cayman Islands,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

Prior to the dinner the Premier, Ms Rivers and Mr. Harris met with Hon. Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, where the Premier presented Mr. Johnson with a gift from the Cayman Islands.

The Manchester visit follows a trip to Brussels where the Cayman delegation met with key EU decision makers from 28-29 September to assist EU ministers of finance in their understanding of Cayman’s financial regulatory compliance. The EU is slated in December 2017 to name the jurisdictions it considers to be noncompliant with global tax good governance standards.

The Cayman delegation returns home on Sunday, 8 October.

We’ve already seen and heard some early indications of the devastation that Hurricane Maria has caused to the island of Dominica.   This is a very dangerous storm which will later today pass through our Overseas Territory neighbours. 

Premier Alden McLaughlin said “we’ve been carefully watching Maria’s progress and have been in constant communication with both teams in BVI and Anguilla.  It’s a credit to the bravery and commitment of our teams that they desire to remain in the islands in order to continue the tremendous work they have been doing.”

He continued “Their well-being and safety is of paramount concern and we are assured that every possible precaution has been taken in light of Maria’s rapid development into a category 5 storm.”

BVI is still recovering from the devastating blow that Hurricane Irma delivered, debris litters the islands and hurricane force winds will turn that debris into projectiles.  The recovery teams on the ground are racing to help people prepare for the passage of Maria.

Matthew Forbes, Head of the Governors Office said "the RCIPS Officers in BVI are continuing to do a fantastic job and are a credit to Cayman.  They will be based in a secure location with the Governors staff, Bermuda police and the UK military for the passage of Hurricane Maria.  They will then be ready to deploy as soon as the storm has passed. "

In Anguilla the medical team that travelled down on last week’s relief flight have volunteered to remain during the passing of the storm.  The team has assessed the situation and have been given the assurance that the facilities, supplies and conditions in Anguilla are at levels that will not compromise their safety, security and well-being.   

Chief Executive Officer of the Health Services Authority Ms. Lizzette Yearwood said “we have maintained hourly contact with the team and the Anguillan authorities and they have reassured us that all precautionary measures have been implemented to ensure their safety and well-being.” Additionally Ms. Yearwood emphasized that, “Should conditions deteriorate after the passing of Hurricane Maria, the HSA along with the Government have established arrangements for their evacuation if necessary.”

McCleary Frederick, Director of HMCI  added “the medical teams are going to shelter at the hospital where they can best be positioned to provide any services that may be needed afterwards.  We’re expecting tropical storm force winds later on today at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and I will remain here for the passing of the storm.  We’re all okay and doing as much as we can and I think it’s making a big impact at the hospital and with patients that are being seen and with the response from the EOC.”

The public are reminded that, whilst Hurricane Maria is not a threat to the Cayman Islands, everyone is encouraged to prepare for this very active Hurricane season.   For further information on how to get ready, visit www.caymanprepared.ky.

The Cayman Islands Government’s work with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to help provide needed security and humanitarian assistance to sister British Overseas Territories is paying off.

United Kingdom Foreign Minister Boris Johnson landed on Anguilla Tuesday  afternoon as a Cayman Islands Government chartered Cayman Airways jet was leaving the island after delivering medical teams, medicines and other needed supplies.

Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos, all British Overseas Territories, were ravaged by Hurricane Irma this past week. The Cayman Islands was the only British OT that did not suffer from the storm. Anguilla suffered extensive damage, and at least one person there has been confirmed dead.

Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin applauded the arrival of Mr. Johnson, saying the urgency shone by the Foreign Minister’s visit to Anguilla demonstrates a new commitment to the Overseas Territories.

“The UK has responded this time in a way that I haven’t known them to respond in the years since I have been in government,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “The fact that they sent the Foreign Minister out to the Overseas Territories is intended as a clear signal of their commitment in assisting with the recovery effort.”

The Cayman Airways 737-300 jet left Cayman Tuesday afternoon loaded with two doctors, six nurses, one paramedic, and almost 16,000 pounds of needed medicines and medical supplies and other critical donations to make the two-and-a-half hour trip to Anguilla.

The medical staff will stay on Anguilla for two weeks before being retrieved and replaced via another Government chartered Cayman Airways flight.

Health Services Authority Director Lizette Yearwood said the medical staff will deal with normal maladies that come from rebuilding after a storm, such as lacerations, puncture wounds and trauma.

“We sent about 15 pallets of medical supplies that were donated by the HSA, Health City and CTMH Doctors Hospital,” she said.

The Cayman Airways flight also returned with a person that was in dire need of medical assistance that could not be provided in Anguilla.

Deputy Premier and Minister with responsibility for Cayman Airways Hon. Moses Kirkconnell said the humanitarian mission shows once more the importance of Cayman’s national airline.

“Cayman Airways is not only important to us as our national carrier, but it is also an asset to the region, especially in times like these when our neighbours need help in any form,” said Mr. Kirkconnell. “The airline has been used many times for charity work and we will continue to celebrate Cayman Airways as a major contributor to our economy, our country and our region.”

Anguilla Governor HE Tim Foy said the aid from the Cayman Islands Government is important because his island was badly damaged in Irma.

“The aid shows fellowship and support of fellow overseas territories. This very big gift has a real value when it comes to those close to you,” Mr. Foy said.

Chief Minister of Anguilla Hon. Victor Banks echoed the Governor’s sentiments, saying it is important for the British Overseas Territories to show solidarity.

Mr. McLaughlin said the bond formed with fellow Overseas Territories government officials through Joint Ministerial Council meetings was instrumental in allowing the aid package from Cayman be assembled and delivered so quickly.

“I have said it before and it bears repeating; we and our sister British Overseas Territories are British people,” he said. “We are not residing in some foreign land. The British Overseas Territories have been owned by Britain for hundreds of years.”

“We who went through Hurricane Ivan some 13 years ago and then Hurricane Paloma nine years ago know well the feeling of absolute despair and isolation that follows a major destructive event like the passage of Hurricane Irma,” he said. “Cayman is in a wonderful place to be able to assist our brothers and sisters in the British Overseas Territories and I am delighted we have risen to that cause.”

Cayman Airways has lowered its fares for Caymanians and travelers in south Florida so they can come home or avoid the ravages of Hurricane Irma.

One way fares to Cayman have been reduced to $69 with no change fee and no baggage fee.

“As a government we need to make every effort to get people home and safe from harm’s way,” said Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin. “It is our obligation and our mission.”

The flights will be Friday, 8 September, 2017. There will be one flight from Tampa and two from Miami. There will be additional flights added if needed. The Miami airport will remain operational until winds reach 35mph.

“We expect the Miami airport will be closed on Saturday, so we need to get our people home tomorrow,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for District Administration, Tourism and Transportation Hon. Moses Kirkconnell. “There are already mandatory evacuation orders in place in South Florida, so we need to do all we can to help.”

Hurricane Irma is on a path to slam Miami as a Category 4 storm late Saturday or Sunday.

Irma has already battered the tiny island of Barbuda and left thousands homeless on the island territories of St. Bart and St. Martin, where local officials said about 95 per cent of the island was completely demolished after Wednesday's thrashing by the Category 5 storm.

"If you're told to evacuate, get out quickly," Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned Thursday. "Based on what we now know, Miami-Dade will have major hurricane impacts with deadly storm surge, deadly storm surge and life-threatening winds. Look at the size of this storm. It's huge. It's wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts on both costs; coast to coast."

Cayman Airways will honour the low-cost fare to get people back to South Florida and Tampa once the all-clear is given following the hurricane’s landfall.

While the Cayman Islands so far remain spared by the wrath of the storms raging around the region, we watch with anguish the unfolding scenes of devastation being wrought by Hurricane Irma in the eastern and northern Caribbean.

This is one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic and, at a Category 5, smashed into the Leeward Islands last night (Tuesday, 5 September 2017). Irma barrelled past the Virgin Islands and pummelled Puerto Rico today, and is projected to head north of Hispaniola. The storm then looks set to go over Turks and Caicos, and hit The Bahamas before possibly making landfall in Florida at the weekend.

In its wake, the storm is leaving a path of destruction and damage that will likely rack into billions of dollars.

While some islands now begin to pick up the pieces after the storm moves west, others are hunkering down to brace for the worst. Our hearts go out to those who have already been affected by Irma and we pray for those who are waiting for the worst.

Of course, we must not forget all the people in Texas who are still reeling from Hurricane Harvey which hit the state less than two weeks ago. The Cayman Islands has strong links with that area, many people have family in cities such as Port Arthur, which was badly affected by the storm.

Earlier today, I met Her Excellency the Governor and her staff, the Deputy Governor, Hazard Management and other government officials to discuss and assess the situation regarding Hurricane Irma. The Governor’s Office is in regular contact with the crisis command centre in London and we are being updated as the situation unfolds. We will issue details of how people can help once conditions on the ground become clearer.

I’ve also spoken to some of my fellow Overseas Territory Heads of Government and assured them of our thoughts and prayers, as well as our commitment to supporting them in the aftermath.

In the meantime, I am pleased to say that the British naval ship RFA Mounts Bay is in the region and on its way to assist UK Overseas Territories in need. The ship was in the Cayman islands only a matter of weeks ago conducting hurricane-relief exercises, so the scenarios that they played out on Seven Mile Beach will now play an essential part in relief efforts

Having experienced Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Paloma in 2008, we in the Cayman Islands know only too well the horror of a major storm and its aftermath. And although it looks as though we may be spared the impact of Irma, we must remain vigilant and be prepared at all times during hurricane season. Please, make your hurricane plan and preparations, if you have not already done so. If you need further information on how to get ready, visit www.caymanprepared.ky.

We continue to pray for God’s blessings on our regional neighbours and our beloved Cayman Islands during the remaining hurricane season.

Novelist and visiting journalist Stanley Johnson made a courtesy call to Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin at the Premier’s office in the Government Administration Building Thursday.

Mr. Johnson, father of former London Mayor Boris Johnson, presented Mr. McLaughlin with a copy of his book Kompromat, a political thriller about the “skullduggery” that might have gone on behind the scenes in the run up to the European Union referendum in June 2016.

The Premier gifted Mr. Johnson with a copy of Michael Craton’s book Founded upon the Seas, a history of the Cayman Islands and Their People.

Mr. Johnson arrived in Cayman on 5 August and left 10 August. While here he toured Pedro Saint James, the Mission House, the National Trust, Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park the Mastic Trail and Cayman Crystal Caves.

Talks continued in London Thursday with Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Finance and Economic Development Minister Hon. Roy McTaggart and Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers meeting with Miriam Sachak, head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Economics and Financial team.

Minister McTaggart provided an update of the Cayman Islands Government’s financial position through to June 2017 as well as projections for the remainder of the financial year. Other matters discussed were Cayman’s plans to continue paying down debt and Government’s commitment to continue the policy of the last Progressives-led Administration of no new borrowing during the term. Ms Rivers provided an update on Financial Services matters.

Also discussed were Government’s infrastructure development plans, including progress and challenges, as well as the process for the upcoming Strategic Policy Statement and budget preparation. This next budget will be the first two-year financial plan under revisions to the Public Management and Finance Law.

Minister McTaggart noted that United Kingdom officials continue to applaud the ongoing management of Government’s finances and government’s conduct of the country’s financial affairs.

In the afternoon Premier McLaughlin, Minister McTaggart, and Minister Rivers had a bilateral meeting with Lord Ahmad, Minister for the overseas Territories at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Matters discussed included national security, in particular Government’s plans to create a national border protection agency with the UK’s assistance. Financial service matters discussed included the exchange of Beneficial Ownership information with the United Kingdom and the EU’s screening process for non-cooperative jurisdictions.

The recent Cayman Islands election was discussed as were the challenges and opportunities of operating a coalition government. The Premier highlighted the importance of the UK’s continuing support of the Cayman Islands and all Overseas Territories now and post-Brexit. This was also highlighted separately at the special Joint Ministerial Council for Exiting the European Union meeting on Wednesday.

It is expected that Premier McLaughlin will meet with Lord Ahmad again in November when OT leaders meet in London for the Joint Ministerial Conference and ongoing discussions about Brexit.

Throughout the day Minister Rivers and Chief Officer Dr. Dax Basdeo had other meetings with business entities in London; details of which will be provided through the Ministry of Financial services.

Also travelling with the Premier are Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose, Senior Political Advisor to the Premier Roy Tatum and Jason Webster, Policy Analyst in the Cabinet Office.

They return to the Cayman Islands on Sunday, 16 July, 2017.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin is in London this week, along with the Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs Hon. Tara Rivers and the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. Roy McTaggart for series of meetings, including a special meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council to discuss Brexit.

On Monday the Premier hosted a lunch for Friends of Cayman at the Travellers Club off Pall Mall, which included key stakeholders in the UK.  Former Governor of the Cayman Islands and chair of the Friends of Cayman, Mr. John Owen, was in attendance as well as head of the Cayman office in London Mr. Eric Bush.

“It is always good to be with friends, especially the Friends of Cayman here in the UK who have a keen interest in the Cayman Islands and willing ambassadors to promote our various industries.” said Mr. McLaughlin.  As but one example, Mr. Owen recalled Friends of Cayman hosting an auction at the House of Commons which raised over £50,000 for the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme during its inception in 2003. 

Through the Friends of Cayman, Stanley Johnson, renowned conservationist, writer and father of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, is coming to the Cayman Islands in August to write about the success of the Blue Iguana Programme. 

During the lunch the Premier spoke to the election results and the new coalition government.  He also discussed Cayman’s good economic position and the need during this administration to focus on social and other issues facing Cayman.
“We have a government of unity that will aim to address the interests of the Cayman Islands and our people for the next four years,” he said.

In the afternoon, Minister Rivers and Minister McTaggart, along with Chief Officer Dr. Dax Basdeo met with a delegation from the Isle of Man led by Chief Minister Howard Quayle. Matters of mutual interest, including financial services, were discussed.

Monday evening Mr. McLaughlin hosted a dinner at the House of Commons for more than 30 Members of Parliament and Peers from across all parties, including members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands with the chair, Graham Brady MP, who is also chairman of the influential Conservative Party 1922 Committee.

Also in attendance was Her Excellency the Governor Helen Kilpatrick.

During the dinner the Premier spoke about Cayman and reminded those present that our ties to the United Kingdom go back centuries with our earliest settlers being British. He recounted our country’s decision in the 1960s to remain British and discussed our constitutional history.

He also reminded those in attendance that the Cayman Islands operates its financial services industry in the highest ethical standards; always transparent in the way we perform an all-important role for business not only in London, but around the globe.

Meetings continued today with a pre-Joint Ministerial Council gathering with leaders or representatives from the Overseas Territories, including Bermuda, Gibraltar, BVI, Montserrat, Anguilla, Falkland Islands, St. Helena, TCI, Tristan da Cunha and Pitcairn.

Also travelling with the Premier are Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose, Senior Political Advisor to the Premier Roy Tatum and Jason Webster, Policy Analyst in the Cabinet Office.

They return to the Cayman Islands on Sunday, 16 July, 2017.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin with former Cayman Islands Governor and head of Friends of Cayman Mr. John Owen at the Friends of Cayman luncheon on Monday.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin welcomed Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica Mr. Bernardo Guanche Hernandez to the Cayman Islands on Friday, 23 June, 2017.

Mr. Hernandez was visiting on Grand Cayman and had a brief friendly visit with the Premier in his office.

Mr. Hernandez began his diplomatic career in 1984 and has enjoyed many overseas postings, including high level appointments in his home country. He assumed the role of Cuban Ambassador in Jamaica on 3 October, 2013.

Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica Mr. Bernardo Guanche Hernandez, left, and Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin met at the Premier’s office Friday afternoon.

Remarks on Manchester terrorist Attack

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA

It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the senseless terrorist attack on concert-goers in Manchester, England on Monday night.

As of this morning it is being reported that 22 people were killed and 59 injured. There were many more still unaccounted for as parents and guardians frantically searched for their children and others who attended the Ariana Grande concert.

Flags in the Cayman Islands were ordered to be flown at half-mast on Tuesday.

Our prayers, thoughts and sympathy go out to the people of Manchester and England as they pull together in the aftermath of this act of terrorism.

Come see YOUR Progressives Team for the last time before the election!

Where: Kirk Supermarket Parking Lot

When: Tuesday, 23 May, 7:00 P.M. 

#CAYMANSTRONG 

Juliana and Moses would like to invite YOU to a Public Meeting!

Where: Kirkconnell Supermarket, Stake Bay

When: Tuesday, 23 May, 7:00 P.M. 

Refreshments served!

#CAYMANISLANDSSTRONG

Meet YOUR Progressives candidate for West Bay West.

#CAYMANSTRONG #voteorrett 

Come meet YOUR candidate for Bodden Town West!

Where: Kurt Tibbetts Yard, 419 Northward Road

When: Monday, 22 May, 7:30 P.M.

Refreshments served!

#CAYMANSTRONG 

Don't miss your chance to meet Moses and Juliana!

Where: Mrs Ann Walton's Residence Spot Bay

When: Monday, 22 May, 7:00 P.M.

Refreshments served!

#CAYMANISLANDSSTRONG

Edward Chisholm wants to hear from you!

Where: Chisholms Supermarket Parking Lot

When: Monday, 22 May, 7:30 P.M.

Refreshments served!

#CAYMANSTRONG

Saturday 20th May

Progressives Motorcade

Meet Bobby Thompson Way 12 noon

Finish 7:00 pm Heather Bodden's yard, Savannah

http://caymannewsservice.com/elections2017/2017/05/18/the-battle-of-the-incumbents/ 

Theresa Green writes: Political geeks out there will have already spotted the rather unusual situation that has emerged in one of the 19 electoral districts in Cayman’s first election under the system of one person, one vote in single-member constituencies, but for those who haven’t noticed, there is just one race between incumbents. Newlands is the only constituency where two sitting MLAs are actually competing against each other. 

Given this is a transition election, it could have happened in a lot more of the districts that were previously part of the multi-jurisdictions, but the way the candidates have chosen their districts means there are no sitting CDP candidates up against either PPM or independent incumbents.

The only direct battle between serving representatives is in Newlands, where Alva Suckoo, as a result of his decision to resign from the PPM and become an independent, is facing off against the Progressives’ Wayne Panton. By all accounts, it’s going to be a very tough race between the two of them, with the independent candidate, Raul Gonzales, pushed well back into third place.

Panton may not have received any gongs for being the region’s best minister in his field like some of his Cabinet colleagues, but as the minister responsible for financial services, he has been arguably the most prolific minister when it comes to important legislation. Panton has steered through a swathe of laws to ensure that the Cayman Islands gets through its forthcoming critical task force financial industry review and a number of others that the industry has been wanting for years to help improve the offshore sector’s ability to compete on the global stage.

Panton also faced up to considerable controversy over the opposition to the much-needed Legal Practitioners Law, and when it comes to the environment, he managed to overcome decades of dispute when he navigated the National Conservation Law through the choppy waters of the LA with unanimous support.

Panton has also been the only minister in a massively hostile environment to offer support to the LGBT community and insist they should not be the subject to discrimination, although he fell short of calling for legislation to pave the way for same-sex unions. 

Meanwhile, Suckoo, since he crossed the floor at the end of November 2015 on the coattails of political veteran and his ally, Anthony Eden, has been diametrically opposed to Panton’s positions over the last year and a half, despite campaigning on the same policy platform as him four years ago in a campaign funded largely by Panton’s cash.

Even before Suckoo crossed the floor in the wake of the hateful vitriol spewed in the first anti-gay debate in the LA, he had already tried to sabotage Panton’s National Conservation Law. But always willing to compromise, Panton shaped the legislation to ensure all the parliamentarians could get behind it.

There are those that believed from early in this administration that one of Suckoo’s concerns about his political future was that once the PPM enacted the legislation to introduce one person, one vote, he would have a fight on his hands to be able to run in Newlands, the only seat he was confident of winning, and had always planned to jump ship when the time was right.

Suckoo said he left the Progressive because of the policy on gay rights, among other issues, but the Progressives don’t actually have any gay rights policies. They have not changed any laws to advance the rights of the LGBT community and have no plans to do so any time soon, much to the chagrin of activists. But Suckoo is apparently banging that drum on the campaign trail. Claiming to uphold Christian values as part of a loose alliance with Eden, Gilbert McLean, Arden McLean and Ezzard Miller, among others, he has pointed to Panton and his slightly liberal tendencies as the spawn of the devil.

Some say Suckoo also had his eye firmly on the fight for Newlands when he led the charge and took up against the Legal Practitioners Law and deliberately painted the legislation as anti-Caymanian. Whether this is just being politically astute or playing to win at all costs in a dirty game that marks tight election races remains to be seen. But this battle of the incumbents in Newlands could prove very decisive in shaping the next government.

The fact that two sitting MLAs are going up against each other makes the race tougher than any other for both incumbents. But this race could also make the difference between the PPM securing the numbers needed to lead a government or an unstable coalition of the largely incumbent independents, with a couple of the new faces expected to secure their seats, supported by the CDP.

Whatever voters think about the PPM, anyone with an interest in the environment has to be concerned about Panton not being returned to office next week, be it in government or even in opposition. The joke that he was the first environment minister who knew where the Department of Environment was when he took office would be very funny if it wasn’t a fact that he was the first one to ever visit the North Sound Road HQ.

Whatever people’s politics, we all have to breathe the same air and we are all vulnerable to rising sea levels and the damage caused by intense hurricanes. The impact of climate change in our region is expected to become increasingly apparent in the very near future — years not decades, experts now say — because of our geographical location, protecting our shorelines from over-development is going to be extremely important.

Given that the few candidates on the campaign trail who have made any serious commitment to real environmental protection are very unlikely to win, Panton remains the only experienced politician on the ballot that actually cares. He can at the very least act as a restraint on those, even in his own party, who will continue to put the environment at risk and sacrifice our natural resources in the name of development which remains the holy grail to so many would-be and existing politicians.

During the next administration, it is essential that Cayman deals with its marine park enhancement to protect not only its tourism product but to mitigate against climate change and to preserve the dwindling reefs and fish for future generations. Yet with a handful of vocal and determined fisherman and developers still opposing the much-needed expansion, it is almost impossible to imagine another minister managing to deal with this issue other than Panton.

The environment has been given very little attention during this election because, as Panton noted recently, it is often seen as “a tomorrow problem”, but in reality, it is much more important than almost any other issue for low-lying islands. It is hard for those of us who are concerned about the dangers of climate change to understand the indifference most politicians have for what we are doing to the planet.

Cayman alone cannot stop what is happening to planet Earth. But given that we are on the front line of the rising seas, we can stave off the impending doom and coastal erosion by enhancing our reef and mangrove protection and stopping coastal development as soon as possible. Having a minister with no real interest or, worse, no understanding of the realities of Cayman’s precarious position is a real concern. While the arguments continue about education, immigration, unemployment and crime, none of that will matter if Cayman is underwater before 2040. 

Never mind the white goods or lavish spreads, when it comes to treating by the 2021 election I want free snorkels and fins for my vote.

http://www.caymanreporter.com/2017/05/18/premier-says-hes-shy-not-arrogant/ 

By Paul Kennedy

paul@caymanreporter.com

Premier Alden McLaughlin has revealed he was a very shy child – and his demur demeanor wrongly paints him as arrogant.

Cayman’s leader was speaking in a professionally produced video which went online this week in the run up to the country going to the polls.

Made by Cayman Spaces, the video shows the premier relaxing on his farm in East End and cycling around the country.

But it’s at the very beginning he made the revelation about his childhood.

“I was a painfully shy child,” he said. “I’ve had to work through that all my life. Unfortunately a lot of people interpret my shyness as being aloofness or being standoffish or even arrogant at times.

“It’s none of those things. It’s just the way that I am that I’ve battled with my entire life.”

The three minute clip which has appeared on YouTube also contains testimonies from fellow Progressives – who say the premier is more comfortable wearing his cycling outfit than he is in a suit.

Joey Hew, tourism councillor  said: “The Premier you see in a suit at the cocktail parties is a very uncomfortable guy.

“If you take that jacket off and you take that tie off and get an opportunity to walk around the farm with him or go for a bike ride, then you meet the real person.”

The premier also described his farm as his “happy place,” and revealed when the pressure of running the country is getting to him, that’s the place he goes to unwind.

“Whenever pressures really reaches me, I’ll just disappear from the office, put on my work clothes, come up here and fall in with whatever my guys are doing, whether they are weeding or planting, fertilising or spraying,” McLaughlin said.

“After four or five hours of that it clears my mind and I get back into the harness again and continue with the business of running the country.”

To watch the video in full, click here.

Meet YOUR Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin!

Where: The Sailing Club, 320 Spinnaker Road, Red Bay

When: Friday, 19 May, 7:00 P.M.

Refreshments served!

#CAYMANSTRONG 

Join Moses and Juliana for a Public Meeting!

Where: Mrs. Meriel Ritch Store, Spot Bay

When: Thursday, 18 May, 7:00 P.M.

Refreshments served!

#CAYMANISLANDSSTRONG 

Wednesday 17th May

Joseph Hew & Marco Archer Area Meeting

George Town North and Central

Kirk Home Centre Parking Lot - Eastern Avenue

7:30 pm

Refreshments

Tuesday 16th May

Meet & Greet

Alden McLaughlin

Loretta Ramoon's house

284 Victory Avenue

7:00 pm

Refreshments

Please join George Town Progressives candidates Barbara Conolly, David Wight and Roy McTaggart to hear what they have planned for YOU in the next 4 years.

When: Tuesday, 16 May, 7:30 P.M.

Where: Outpost Street (Vacant Lot)

#CAYMANSTRONG #voteprogressives #voteconolly #votewight #votemctaggart

Alden would like to meet YOU!

When: Saturday, 13 May, 7:00 P.M.

Where: 348 Prospect Drive, Prospect Park

#CAYMANSTRONG #votemclaughlin

Ed would like to meet YOU!

When: Friday, 12 May, 7:30 P.M.

Where: Paul & Mary Ebanks House, 141 Hutland Road

#CAYMANSTRONG #votechisholm

Joey would like to meet YOU!

When: Friday, 12 May, 7:00 P.M.

Where: Washington Boulevard Park (End of Greenwood Drive)

#CAYMANSTRONG #votehew

Come out Wednesday, May 10th to the launch of The Progressives Manifesto!

Hear what plans The Progressives have for our country for the next four years!

#CAYMANSTRONG

The Progressives 2017 Manifesto Official Launch will take place Wednesday, 10th May at 7:00PM.

Location: Bimini Drive (behind Hurley's) Grand Harbour

Refreshments Served

#CAYMANSTRONG  

Join Progressives candidates Heather and Wayne Monday 8th May 7:30 pm Mrs Mary Bodden's yard, 423 Hirst Road, Newlands. Hear their plans for the districts of Newlands & Savannah.

Roy McTaggart YOUR Progressives candidate for GT East! #CAYMANSTRONG

Barbara Conolly YOUR Progressives candidate for GT South! #CAYMANSTRONG

David Wight YOUR Progressives candidate for GT West! #CAYMANSTRONG

#CAYMANSTRONG

Ed would like to meet YOU!

When: Friday 5th May, 7:30 PM

Where: 160 North Side Road (Whittakers Yard)

Refreshments to be served!

#CAYMANSTRONG 

David Wight has lived and worked in George Town West his entire life. He has excelled as an athlete and would like to channel those successes to help his people succeed.

#CAYMANSTRONG 

Heather Bodden is committed to her people and especially those in Savannah. She loves to help the needy and would like to encourage them to better themselves.

#CAYMANSTRONG

Barbara Conolly main interests are the elderly and the youth. She will also focus on unemployment and crime in the George Town South area! #CAYMANSTRONG

Lucille Dell Seymour is dedicated to uplifting her Caymanian people!

#CAYMANSTRONG

Maxine Bodden Robinson candidate for Bodden Town West invites YOU to a Community Meeting.

When: Thursday, May 4th, 7:30 PM

Where: Entrance to Northward

Refreshments will be served!

#CAYMANSTRONG 

David Wight, Barbara Connoly and Roy McTaggart will all be on hand to answer questions and discuss the issues important to the people of George Town.

Where: Opposite Rubis Gas Station, Walkers Road
When: Wednesday 3 May, 7:00 pm

Marco Archer Yard Meeting 

Date: 1 May 2017

Location: 196 School Road (Junction of Eastern Avenue and School Road)

Time: 7:30 PM

Due to the inclement weather, tonight's public meeting hosted by Edward "Ed" Chisholm is cancelled. The revised date will be made available on our website as soon as possible.

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin and Ms. Lucille Seymour will be hosting a public meeting to discuss issues of importance to the people of the districts of Red Bay and Prospect.

Other speakers include:  Hon. Kurt Tibbetts, Hon. Marco Archer and Mr. Roy McTaggart.

Where:  Vacant lot next to the Seafarer's Hall, Prospect

When:  Saturday 29 April, 7:00 pm

or, watch us live on Facebook

Voter Registration Cards will be available for pick up from the following:

April 28 – May 19      Elections Office, Smith Road Centre             9am - 5pm

(Weekdays Only)

April 29 (Sat.)            Foster’s Food Fair – Airport                           9am - 3pm 

May 3 (Wed.)             Gov’t Admin Building                                    11am – 5.30pm

May 5 (Fri.)                Hurley’s Supermarket                                   1pm - 7pm

May 6 (Sat.)               Foster’s Food Fair (Country Side)                9am - 3pm 

May 10 (Wed)            George Town Hospital                                  9.30am – 3.30pm

May 12 (Fri)               East End Public Library                                 3pm – 6.30pm

May 13 (Sat)               North Side Clinic                                          9am - 12pm

Cayman Brac & Little Cayman:

May 9 (Tues)              District Administration Building                   10am - 4pm

Cayman News Service reports:

The political arm of government received a welcome boost yesterday after the pre-election economic and financial update published by the finance ministry revealed that the central government operating surplus is forecast to be $48.1 million by the end of this year, which is $1.5 million more than originally budgeted. Core government is expected to have a whopping $353.5 million in the bank by the end of the year, over $12 million than it expected for the 2017 budget. Debt has also been paid down, the workforce is growing, with employment on the increase, and the economy is set to grow by 2.5%.

See the full story here

YOUR Progressives Candidate for George Town South! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #voteconolly 

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Newlands! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votepanton 

YOUR Progressive Candidate for George Town East! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votemctaggart 

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Bodden Town West! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #voteboddenrobinson 

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Prospect! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #voteseymour 

YOUR Progressives Candidate for George Town North! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votehew 

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Bodden Town East! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votebodden 

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Cayman Brac West & Little Cayman! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votekirkconnell

YOUR Progressives Candidate for George Town Central! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votearcher

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Cayman Brac East! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #voteconnollyoconnor 

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Red Bay! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votemclaughlin

YOUR Progressives Candidate for Savannah! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votebodden

YOUR Progressives Candidate for North Side #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votechisholm

YOUR Progressives Candidate for George Town West! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #votewight 

YOUR Progressives West Bay West Candidate! #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm #voteorrett

Enjoy the launch of YOUR Team, The Progressives! Hear their plans for the next four years. #CAYMANSTRONG #voteppm

On the heels of a well received Conference two Saturdays ago, The Progressives shifts gears this week with the official launch of its #CAYMANISLANDSSTRONG campaign in Cayman Brac on Thursday.

“This is a significant and historic event for the Progressives and falls squarely within the One Cayman Islands ethos of the Party,’ said Political Leader Alden McLaughlin. “Traditionally, we have launched our platform in George Town, but as an innovative political organization, we have decided for many reasons that the Brac is the best place for our first public meeting of the 2017 campaign.”

The Progressives are set to officially launch their 2017 election campaign at their conference, which is scheduled for Saturday 8^th April 2017. 

The conference will comprise two parts:  a members session where Party officials will be elected, amendments to their constitution will be adopted and other administrative functions will be addressed; and an open session where the public is invited to attend, to be formally introduced to the candidates and learn about their vision going forward for an even stronger Cayman.

The keynote speaker this year is local businessman Don Seymour, who will be delivering his presentation on the importance of strong governance, a strong economy and a strong business environment for further job creation.

The Hon Alden McLaughlin, leader of the Progressives Team, will also deliver his speech on the successes of the team in its last administration and how that work can be built upon in the next four years to fulfill The Progressives vision for a Cayman Islands that is fully employed, competitive and socially responsible.

The members’ session will run from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm.  The open session will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner.

For those who cannot attend, the conference will be broadcast live on Facebook and will feature at a later date on Cayman27.

Registration in advance is recommended.  Email to info@ppm.ky or call 945 1776.

Moody’s, the international credit rating agency, has maintained Cayman’s Aa3 rating for Government’s bonds issued in a foreign currency, and an Aa2 rating for long-term foreign currency ceiling bonds and notes.

The Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Honourable Marco Archer stated that “the high rating and stable outlook for the Cayman Islands is attributed primarily to a very high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, high levels of economic development and the Government’s commitment to reducing debt.”

Moody’s reported that Cayman’s GDP per capita is estimated at US$57,936 for 2017, amongst the highest in Moody’s rating universe.  Strong revenues and budget surpluses, since 2013, have reduced Cayman’s debt burden where debt-to-GDP is expected to fall to 17% in 2017.  Debt is expected to fall further in 2019 when the Government plans to pay most of a single large bullet bond payment, equivalent to 7% of GDP, from its cash reserves.

Moody’s rating action and credit opinion reports are dated 17 February 2017 and 19 February 2017, respectively. The 17^th February 2017 rating action report by Moody’s can be found, in full, on the following websites: www.gov.ky and www.mof.gov.ky. The 19^th February 2017 credit opinion can be purchased from Moody’s.

Premier promotes Cayman at London Law Conference

LONDON – Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin took a room filled with leaders of law firms, financial institutions, government departments and journalists on the journey of how the Cayman Islands developed from the ‘Islands Time Forgot’ to the financial services powerhouse it is today.

Throughout his narrative Friday afternoon he touched on how the decision to remain with the United Kingdom as a crown colony rather than going with Jamaica into independence was key to helping lead the country forward.  With this decision, the UK agreed to Cayman’s first Constitution that, along with early companies and banking laws, became the legal foundation for Cayman’s Financial Services Industry and, consequently, its strong economic and financial position of today.  

“What might be described, albeit with a touch of artistic license, as Cayman’s Brexit moment – the point at which regional integration fell apart and the Cayman Islands opted to forge a future that bucked the prevailing trend – was in fact therefore more of a “Br-entry” than a Brexit,” he said.

Mr. McLaughlin was the keynote speaker at a Blackstone Chambers Conference in London titled “Current Issues in Rule of Law and International Trade and Development”.

Blackstone Chambers is a leading set of barristers chambers that offers a variety of practices including commercial and public law as well as human rights, employment, EU law and financial services.

“With our own constitution in place, and the stability of our new Crown Colony status, the Cayman Islands set about to construct a financial services regulatory system that enabled the territory to achieve more economic development and diversification than its peers,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Between 1960 and 1980, both legally and economically, the Cayman Islands went from being one of the least developed jurisdictions in the region to surpassing the United Kingdom in GDP per capita terms and, during that same time, affecting a sophisticated body of financial law.

“As a jurisdiction, Cayman has always ensured that it kept, and keeps, up-to-date with emerging trends, reacting swiftly to ensure that the legal framework evolves accordingly and institutional confidence is preserved and always operating based on ethical principles,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “Throughout my presentation I sought to demonstrate the symbiotic nature of our constitutional and economic development and the importance of the rule of law to Cayman’s success as a country.”

At the end of the conference Mr. McLaughlin appeared on a panel to discuss “Brexit: Constitutional and Economic Consequences”. He said the loss of the UK’s moderating voice around the EU table is a matter of considerable concern to the Cayman Islands and other Overseas Territories, especially as it relates to financial services matters.

Consequently, he said, the Cayman Islands will have to seek even greater engagement in international discussions relating to issues that affect its most important industry. Joining him on the panel were Sir Jeffrey Jowell, Lord Pannick – both of Blackstone Chambers - and Michael Llamas, Attorney General of Gibraltar.

On Monday Mr. McLaughlin will meet again with Baroness Anelay and FCO Officials to provide an update on Cayman’s progress with respect to implementation of the necessary supporting legislation underpinning the searchable register for the enhanced exchange of beneficial ownership information with UK law enforcement authorities. 

He will also attend the first meeting of the Cayman Islands All Party Parliamentary Group, which will be hosted by MP Graham Brady.  Members of the APPG help champion Cayman’s cause in the halls of Westminster.

Traveling with the Premier are Attorney General Sam Bulgin, Senior Political Advisor Roy Tatum, Senior Legislative Policy Advisor in the Department of Financial Services Policy and Legislation Andre Ebanks and Press Secretary Tammie C. Chisholm.

They return to Grand Cayman on Tuesday, 8 March, 2017.

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin will meet with leaders of law firms, financial institutions, government departments and Members of Parliament in London over the next few days in his continuing zeal to promote the interests of the Cayman Islands.

On Friday, 3 March, 2017, he is the keynote speaker at A Blackstone Chambers Conference in London. Blackstone Chambers is a leading set of barristers chambers that offers a variety of practices including commercial and public law as well as human rights, employment, EU law and financial services.

Mr. McLaughlin leaves Wednesday, 1 March, 2017, to address the conference, “Current Issues in Rule of Law and International Trade and Development”.

“This will give me an opportunity to say what the Cayman Islands has done in respect of having an advanced bill of rights, an independent judiciary, anti-corruption provisions and how our Government has worked to enact and enforce laws against money-laundering and tax evasion,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “The trip will also give us another opportunity to reaffirm our stable, diversified and growing economy and the great opportunities that exist to invest and live in the Cayman Islands.”   

The conference will be chaired by Blackstone Chambers’ Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC.

Other guest speakers include Michael Llamas, Attorney General of Gibraltar; Justice Angelica Nussberger, Section President and German Judge on the European Court of Human Rights; and Justice Catherine O’Regan, former member of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and Director of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at Oxford.

Topics to be discussed include Brexit and international trade, tax, cross-border crimes and combating corruption. Members of the UK press have been invited to attend.

The Premier will also meet again with Baroness Anelay to provide her with an update on Cayman’s progress with respect to implementation of the necessary supporting legislation underpinning the centralised platform for the sharing of beneficial ownership information with UK law enforcement authorities.

On Monday Mr. McLaughlin will attend the first meeting of the Cayman Islands All Party Parliamentary Group, which will be hosted by MP Graham Brady.

By better understanding Cayman’s business regime members of the APPG can help champion Cayman’s cause in the halls of Westminster.

The Premier met with Mr. Brady and other MPs when he was in London for the November session of the Joint Ministerial Council to try to re-establish the APPG.

“This is one more opportunity to tell the good story that is Cayman’s to MPs and Peers,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Our economy continues to improve with the private sector continuing to invest in the Cayman Islands. That new investment is a direct result of the confidence of business in our country.”

Traveling with the Premier will be Attorney General Sam Bulgin, Senior Political Advisor Roy Tatum, Senior Legislative Policy Advisor in the Department of Financial Services Policy and Legislation Andre Ebanks and Press Secretary Tammie C. Chisholm.

They return to Grand Cayman on Tuesday, 8 March, 2017.

Remarks to RICS Conference

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA

8:30 a.m., Friday, 24 February, 2017

Marriot Beach Resort

Good morning and welcome to the 2017 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Cayman Islands Property and Construction Conference.

This is the third such conference and I understand it is another sell-out event.

I am pleased to have been invited to speak in support of what is the Third Pillar of our Cayman Islands economy, the Construction and Real Estate industry.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Global Real Estate and its impact on the Cayman Islands”.

In the International arena, the focus for the Cayman Islands is usually on the performance of our Financial and Tourism industries. But underpinning both of these is the quality of the infrastructure that supports them, and that comes straight down to the standards and professionalism of those who represent our Construction and Real Estate Industry.

Indeed at a conference similar to this Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was reported to have said that “You and I come by road or rail, but economists travel by infrastructure”.

As a small tri-island country, we are proud of our broad horizons and forward thinking.  We listen, and we look to see the best ways of doing things, adapting them from around the world to suit our local environment. Otherwise we risk losing our edge and falling behind our many international competitors.

From the moment we disembark our flights at the airport; the infrastructure we travel along, the quality of the hotels our visitors stay at, the standard of office buildings our world-leading financial and legal services operate from and the availability of good standard residential accommodation, which is compliant with world leading safety and energy efficient regulations.

These all represent the product of this ‘Third Pillar’ of the Cayman economy of which we are proud.

As there are no direct taxes in Cayman, a buoyant construction and real estate market provides a key source of income to our local economy, from the duty levied on building materials, the fees levied on work permit fees, right through to all the wages that buy local goods and services.

And the stronger the property market, of course, the more stamp duty is received. It is from that and our indirect taxation model that we have our income streams so that we are able to invest in our Islands’ future.

When I was addressing the Conference here two years ago, my Government was beginning to roll out our plans to develop the public infrastructure essential for encouraging and supporting new private investment.

We have embarked on that journey, and are delivering the promised infrastructure improvements, which are key to promoting and sustaining our Island’s future: 

• The Owen Roberts Terminal expansion is well under way.
• Cayman Brac Airport Terminal has been upgraded.
• Widening the Esterley Tibbetts and Linford Pearson highways in to four-lane carriageways is under way and will improve local transportation links.
• The widening of Godfrey Nixon Way and Smith Road in George Town is complete and we are looking at pedestrianizing parts of the waterfront.
• Developing a modern Integrated Solid Waste Management System is critical for the Cayman Islands and is currently out to procurement. This will include composting and recycling components as well as a waste to energy plant.

This Government is committed to investing in these infrastructure improvements and through these we are seeing corresponding investment from the private sector:

• Leading the way, Dart is constructing, in partnership with Government, the new section of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, including the upgrade to two lanes each way. The Kimpton Seafire Hotel has opened and the Dart organization has exciting new hotel plans, including niche ‘eco-friendly’ hotels that will help differentiate the Cayman Islands from many of our Caribbean competitors.
• Cayman Enterprise City has secured a large South Sound site for building its permanent base.
• Health City Hospital is set to expand.
• Of course property on the 7 Mile strip remains in high demand, but we have major schemes like Vela on South Sound working on Phase 2, the Beach Bay and the Ironwood development proposal coming nearer to fruition. On South Church Street luxury condominiums Tides and Fin-Cayman are going up.
• And Cricket Square in George Town has broken ground on a new phase of commercial development

So we understand full well the necessity for upgrading our infrastructure. Both for the public and private sector. And we also understand that these projects create needed jobs for Caymanians and help grow the economy. 

I was pleased to also hear President Donald Trump highlight a similar belief as he articulated his own thoughts on infrastructure improvements. A major project of his will apparently be a great wall that will be built along the Mexico / US border. I am not here to pass judgement on the merit or otherwise of a wall. Neither will I pass judgement on the potential effectiveness of such a wall.  But I understand that President Trump has taken note that over 2000 years ago China built a great border wall and as far anyone is aware to date no Mexicans have climbed over it!  So perhaps a wall will be built. We will see.

But let me return to the theme of this conference, “Global Real Estate and its impact on the Cayman Islands”.

For the Cayman Islands to be truly competitive we must look to the longer term, and to our continued sustainability.  We are working hard to provide a framework for this, encouraging developers to look beyond ‘making a quick buck’ and working to secure the longer-term future of our Islands.

There are three specific matters I want to touch upon:

We legislated to protect the parts of our Islands that actually make them special with the recent implementation of the final parts of the National Conservation Law.

A process is now in place for a National Conservation Council to review the impact of proposed schemes – whether by Government or the private sector – to ensure that what’s important to our heritage is not simply destroyed forever. Our Government has set aside funds to buy lands that are identified as being of critical importance so they can be protected.

We recently saved a piece of land adjacent to Smith’s Barcadere from development, ensuring that generations of Caymanians can continue to have access to that property and the beach.

Secondly, the Builders Law is being rolled out to regulate the industry. This dates back to Hurricane Ivan, which created vast amounts of work for builders, drawing in an unqualified and inexperienced workforce.

This new Law will ensure that all categories of builders are licensed as being suitably experienced and competent, and will also require them to operate within the wider framework of building codes and employee pensions and healthcare. It will provide a reviewing body for complaints. 

This will help ensure that standards of workmanship are maintained right across our construction industry so our buildings may last longer.

Thirdly, this Government is bringing forward legislative amendments in the current session of the Legislative Assembly that when implemented will facilitate the registration of Volumetric Parcels. These should be seen as three Dimensional land Parcels derived from a Base Parcel by way of subdivision, and possessing all the rights associated with absolute ownership of land in the Cayman Islands. This will facilitate significant structures that can be constructed to span public roads, and enable multiple storey construction in differing ownerships but outside the Strata Titles Registration Law. A key component of this legislation is the introduction of positive covenants that will run with the land and be enforceable. It is this Government’s view that the introduction of the Volumetric Parcel legal mechanism will provide the construction industry with the necessary framework from which it can commit further significant investment into imaginative modern real estate development projects in the Cayman Islands. By adopting these legislative proposals, the Cayman Islands shows itself to be forward thinking, competitive and willing to embrace new concepts and ideas.

The Cayman Islands may be three small dots in the vast Caribbean sea, but we attract property buyers and renters from around the globe, in both the commercial and residential sectors.  And when we are competing on this world-wide platform, we must be offering a high quality product, and we evidently are.

We recognize that the RICS members here in Cayman play an important part in the local industry, maintaining the latest standards and promoting best practice. And being a world-wide organization, the RICS members are ideally placed to observe and share this wherever they work.

This conference provides an opportunity to share knowledge and experience across the sector.

So again, thank you for allowing me to deliver these brief remarks and I hope you enjoy the conference.

LONDON, England - Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin hosted a lunch for Members of the House of Parliament Wednesday in London to discuss matters of importance to the Cayman Islands and our financial services sector.

It was an engaging conversation where Members of Parliament asked various questions on a variety of topics from financial services to public registers and immigration. They also provided their thoughts on ways to engage with UK Members of Parliament. 

“It is in the interest of the Cayman Islands to not only maintain good relations with the United Kingdom Government, but to also maintain a dialogue with UK MPs and continue to tell the good story of Cayman.” said Mr. McLaughlin.

Prior to the luncheon the Premier and Minister Wayne Panton attended Prime Minister’s question time in the House of Commons.
After the lunch, Premier McLaughlin attended 10 Downing Street for a brief visit with UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

Earlier in the day Minister Panton met with UK Security Minister Ben Wallace in regards to amendments to the Criminal Finance Bill, which is due to be debated in Parliament.

LONDON, England – Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin hosted a reception Tuesday night in London for the Friends of Cayman, which is a group of individuals in the UK who do business with or have links to the Cayman Islands.

Also attending were former Cayman Islands Governors John Owen and Bruce Dinwiddy as well as businessmen from Cayman who are visiting London and Caymanian students attending University in the UK.

The reception was held at the Cayman Islands London office. Financial Services Minister Hon. Wayne Panton was also in attendance, as well as members of the Cayman delegation.

“I enjoy connecting with business leaders here as well as our students who are studying in London,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “It is important to me that we keep in touch.” 

The Premier discussed the work of the London Office and new connections being made with head of office Eric Bush in charge. 

The Premier also mentioned the resurrection of the Cayman Islands All Party Parliamentary Group.

“The Cayman Islands Government has re-established the Cayman Islands All Party Parliamentary Group at Westminster as a body of elected parliamentarians from across parties who can assist Cayman engage with the UK Parliament,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

He also updated those present with Brexit discussions that were held with the United Kingdom Government earlier in the day at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In 20 years 70 percent of electricity generated in the Cayman Islands could come from renewable sources states a new draft energy policy on which Government is seeking public feedback.

The Planning Ministry today (Tuesday 7 February 2017) launched a two week consultation period on the document, which is available from the publications section of www.plahi.gov.ky.

The vision outlined by the new document calls for a focus on “Enhancing and embracing a sustainable lifestyle through responsible and innovative energy supply and consumption.”

It proposes to achieve this through a number of goals that range from knowledge and education, to energy security, sustainability, and the Cayman Islands becoming a centre-of-excellence in renewable energy.

Policymakers believe that success will hinge in large part on the implementation of strategies relevant to the electricity sector.

Officials say the document updates the work of the 2010 National Energy Policy, which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly in March 2013. The new draft reflects developments such as the Paris Agreement by parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but also lower prices for oil and renewable energy.

A new committee appointed in 2016 included stakeholders from the public and private sector, including many who had served on the earlier group.

Interested persons may take the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/caymanenergypolicy. The deadline for feedback is Monday 20 February 2017 and the Ministry intends to table the final report in the Legislative Assembly shortly thereafter.

For more information, contact leah.watson@gov.ky or 244-2412.

LONDON, England - Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin and other leaders from Overseas Territories met today to discuss the approach to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

Joining Mr. McLaughlin were the Minister of Financial Services the Hon. Wayne Panton and the Cayman Islands delegation.

They participated in the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on European Negotiations. 

The meeting was co-chaired by The Rt. Hon. Baroness Anelay, Minister for the Overseas Territories, and Robin Walker, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union. They were joined at intervals by Lord Price CVO, Minister of State for International Trade and The Rt. Hon. Lord Bates, Minister of State for International Development.

Other UK Officials in attendance at the meeting were Mark Doran, Home Office’s Deputy Director for EU Exit Immigration Policy and Alex Ellis, Director General at the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Premier McLaughlin was joined by fellow OT leaders from Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St. Helena and Ascension, Tristan da Cunha, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Robin Walker opened the meeting by providing an overview, which included an update on the preparation ahead of the UK triggering Article 50 by the end of March as well as plans for future engagement between the Overseas Territories and the UK. 

The main items discussed during the meeting were international trade - including access to the EU single market and financial services - free movement within the EU by Overseas Territory citizens, and the future of the current EU funding available to OTs.  OT Leaders spoke candidly about their concerns, whether on issues important to all OTs or those specific to single jurisdictions.

During the meeting, Premier McLaughlin highlighted the need for the UK to continue to fulfil its commitment to represent and support the financial services industries within the OTs. Of particular concern was for the UK to ensure that it continued to maintain a voice within the EU as regards financial services matters until its exit.

The Premier noted that EU countries from time to time sought to place OTs with financial services businesses on ‘black or grey lists’ and it was important that the UK continues to be a moderating voice both before and after its exit from the EU when these conversations start up; particularly as Cayman and other OTs have done much to advance the cause of cooperation on matters dealing with tax avoidance and anti-money laundry initiatives.

 “This initial JMC on European negotiations was promising. The UK committed to taking under consideration the priority areas identified by the OTs during its ‘exit negotiations’ with the EU,” said Premier McLaughlin.

The Joint Ministerial Council committed to meet again in June to continue the dialogue on these and other areas of mutual interest as the UK begins to negotiate its exit from the European Union.

Tuesday’s meeting was preceded by a private dinner on Monday evening hosted by The Rt. Hon Baroness Anelay for the OT Heads of Government at Lancaster House.

Government’s Project Future portfolio aims to put the Cayman Islands on the knife’s edge of technology.

55 Caymanians have found their footing in the workforce through their participation in government’s upskilling programme, Ready2Work KY. Now, those behind the programme are dissecting its pilot year, with the aim of rolling out a refined version in February.

A media outlet erroneously reported, Wednesday, 1 February, that the Supplementary Appropriation Bill going to the Legislative Assembly next month regarding the 2015/16 Budget has taken more than $2.5 million from the Government’s social services, to increase other ministries’ funding.

The article said areas being cut were namely school lunches and uniform programmes, pre-school assistance, poor relief, housing assistance, ex-servicemen's benefits and veterans’ health insurance.

The Minister for Community Affairs, Youth & Sports, the Hon. Osbourne Bodden, refutes both this figure and the alleged rational given in last week’s inaccurate article.

He advises that during the 2015/16 financial year, his Ministry reshuffled its budget to increase funding to areas in welfare that were projected to be overspent off-setting this by decreasing funding in welfare areas that were not being fully utilised.

As a result of which, increased allocations totalling $1,386,513 (not the $2.5 million plus indicated by Cayman News Service) were given to:

• Poor Relief Vouchers (for persons in need of food) $150,000
• Rental Assistance $300,000
• Needs Assessment Support (utilities, medical equipment, medical travel, summer camp,exam fees, school shoes and supplies for persons in need)  $200,000
• Care for the Indigent, Elderly & Disabled Persons (Pines) $400,000
• The Children and Youth Services (CAYS) Foundation $336,513 (operating costs for the Phoenix House & Frances Bodden Expansion)

To facilitate the above, allocations decreases totalling $1,386,513 were made in the following areas:

• School Lunches and Uniforms $300,000
• Pre-school Assistance $100,000
• Poor Relief payments $375,000
• Housing Repairs $561,513
• Benefits to Ex-servicemen $50,000                                   

The Minister explains that the decreases in Government spending for school lunches is due to the diligent work of community organisations, such as Feed Our Future,  which are  assisting many families who have this specific need.  In addition, with the introduction of reception classes at Government primary schools, the demand for pre-school assistance has decreased.

Furthermore, a 1997 policy decision to have a cut-off point for new applications for ex-servicemen benefits and the ex-servicemen and/or their spouses passing away over the years has led to appropriation savings.

With regards to Poor Relief payments, or permanent financial assistance, the Needs Assessment Unit has a backlog of applications which it is currently processing.

Address to the Fidelity CEO Conference
By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin
9 a.m., 2 February, 2017
Seafire Kimpton

Good Morning,

And a warm Caymanian welcome to you all, especially to our guest speakers who have come to share their views with us today. I look forward to your perspectives on this year’s topic; in particular your views on finding a path to economic growth.

I mentioned to a friend that I would be speaking here today and to my surprise rather than ask what I would be speaking about asked me what I was going to tweet. I confessed I had not given it any thought. He sent me his suggestion the next day:

“I will be performing live at the Fidelity CEO Conference on February 2nd and it is going to be amazing. So if you are not here, you are a loser. Sad, so sad.”

Naturally I declined his suggestion, but as Bob Dylan once famously sang: “The times they are a-changing.” So who knows, perhaps a post conference tweet is still a possibility.

In many ways we have seen revolutionary change over the last few years – 2016 in particular with the election of Donald Trump as the president of the United States and the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom. Much of this change has proved impossible for economists and financial planners to predict and therefore difficult to counter from a policy perspective.

Globalization with its promise of the free movement of people, goods, services and capital appears to have lost its lustre among ordinary folk and there are noises about trade protectionism and nationalism being made by politicians across the globe. As has been noted at previous CEO conferences, the wealth gap between those at the top and the bottom is powering much of this disenchantment.

The proverbial ‘man on the street’ is becoming both the driver and the focus of change, with populist politicians only too happy to gain a competitive edge by falling in step. But there are other factors at play as well including the ongoing impact of the 2008 recession that have caused the loss of some types of jobs as well as a slower growth in real income.

This certainly was the case in the Cayman context. This is why my administration has focused from the beginning on providing business with an environment to grow and create new jobs.

More and more unconventional politics - perhaps even bad politics - and not rational economics are driving change and policy making. Witness the influence of UKIP, a political party rejected at the polls in the UK, but still able to create the atmosphere for, and to influence the outcome of, the Brexit referendum. Whether this is good or bad remains to be seen, but as a politician I know that you ignore the concerns of the electorate at your peril. So whilst I do not condone the politics of fear I certainly understand the impact it has on those who vote.

Fair trade relationships between countries, along with the ability to grow or attract the best talent, will be even more critical in the present swirling political climate on both sides of the Pond and will remain a key aspect of the success of western nations as globalization continues to evolve, or some would argue, disintegrate.

For Cayman, regional relationships are important too, but so is our relationship with the United Kingdom. Under the previous administration this relationship had deteriorated. I hope you will allow me a small parochial indulgence by reminding voters that this is but one of the reasons they must be careful who they choose at the polls in May. This Government has worked hard to rebuild our relationship with the United Kingdom based on mutual trust and respect because we believe the importance of good relations with the UK cannot be overstated.

So today, our relationship with the United Kingdom is strong. Indeed tomorrow I leave to attend the Joint Ministerial Council meeting on Brexit in London, along with Minister Wayne Panton, to represent the interests of the Cayman Islands.

Our relationship with the UK is not the only thing that has seen improvement on our watch. During this term we have proven that we are a government that gets things done. Government finances are stabilized, tourism arrivals are at a high, our economy is growing again, necessary infrastructure development is under way and jobs and opportunities for Caymanians are better than they have been for almost a decade. And we are poised to do even better.

As long ago as 1830, the British Whig historian Thomas Macauley observed: “In every age, everybody knows that up to his own time, progressive improvement has been taking place; yet nobody seems to reckon on any improvement in the next generation. On what principle is it that with nothing but improvement behind us, we are to expect nothing but deterioration before us?”
With Macauley’s observation in mind let me mention where the Cayman Islands is today and consider what is before us; that is what the future holds for these Islands.

I can tell you that we have already bucked the trend of economic inertia, particularly in this region, through prudent fiscal management and sound policy initiatives. Even a cursory glance at other Caribbean economies shows that we have avoided the ravages of spiraling debt, unsustainable deficits, high unemployment and economic stagnation.

To the contrary, we have grown our economy, reduced unemployment, accumulated fiscal surpluses, paid down debt and indeed are seeking repay more debt early. So under this Government, Cayman has indeed found a path to growth.

Our Minister of Finance the Hon. Marco Archer is a man who spends the Government's money carefully. He is probably the most risk-averse man I have ever had the privilege of knowing, but his cautious and methodical approach, backed up by the support of his colleagues in our Caucus, provided precisely the stability that the country needed when we came to office in 2013.

The economy of these Islands has grown steadily annually over the last 4 years from 1.5% in 2013 to a forecast high of 3% last year. For comparison, real GDP growth in the USA last year is forecast at 1.6% and Cayman was bettered only by the Dominican Republic at 5.9%, which appears to be at the end of a growth spurt.

The increase in prices of goods and services in Cayman in 2016 is expected to be in negative territory at -0.5% compared to 2.1% when we came to office. Prices increased by 1.2% in the US last year, with Trinidad & Tobago topping the inflation charts at 4.8%.

While low energy prices and a soft commodities market have undoubtedly contributed to the low rate of inflation, this Government has also assisted by reducing taxation. We reduced the import duty on diesel used by our electricity provider from 75-cents per gallon to 25 cents per gallon, which has directly benefitted every business and household – leaving at least $17M in the pockets of families and businesses annually. Over the course of the past 3- and a-half years we have also reduced the duty paid by licensed traders from 22 per cent to 20 per cent. This cost Government about $5M annually in lost revenues but it has allowed businesses the ability to provide better pricing to local consumers.

Combined, these have had the effect of increasing disposable income, reducing business costs, and helping to keep the economy ticking over.

We also significantly reduced Government fees for small businesses and have forgiven those businesses that may have fallen behind on their fees, provided they pay the current fee to reinstate them. This has allowed many small businesses to once again operate legally and to be eligible to bid on government contracts.

We have worked diligently with businesses across all of our key sectors. Tourism has made an important contribution to our growth. Along with targeted marketing campaigns in our major source markets that have yielded record increases in both cruise and air arrivals over the last four years, we knew we would have to do more to grow the numbers of tourism arrivals and make them sustainable.

Our Minister of Tourism and Deputy Premier Hon. Moses Kirkconnell has focused on increasing airlift, expanding our room stock and improving the efficiency and comfort of our air and sea ports. Let me give you a quick synopsis of his stewardship.

First, take a look around you at the wonderful surroundings of this, the brand new Seafire Kimpton. You will see before you proof positive that Cayman has turned the corner as far as investment in hotel plant goes.

The Dart Group, owner of the Kimpton, is planning another five-star resort and residences on Seven Mile Beach.

A bit further along the beach, the opening of the refurbished Margaritaville is imminent and work will start this year on an Arnold Palmer Lodge and Golf Course in Frank Sound. And we are seeing other major properties such as the Westin being renewed. All across all three Islands we are seeing development projects of all sizes, including boutique hotels.

I am especially pleased that Caymanian investors are behind many of these projects.

Those of you who are visiting for this conference, or those of you who travel regularly, will have seen that the redevelopment of the Owen Roberts International Airport is well under way. The current airport was designed to accommodate passenger traffic of 500,000 per annum. The renovated airport, when complete in 2018, will be able to accommodate 2.5 million travelers a year. Importantly this renovation is being paid entirely with cash with no added taxes or debt.

The Charles Kirkconnell Airport on Cayman Brac has also benefited from refurbishment and was named best small Caribbean airport last year.

Airlift is a key component in the tourism cog and following some hard work on both sides over the last two years, Southwest Airlines will commence a scheduled service to Grand Cayman this summer. This will open new gateways in our chief source market to fortify the sustainability of the industry.

Cayman Airways has also commenced updating its fleet and introducing new routes including Roatan, Honduras.

The impact of all of this is that with a growing economy overall unemployment in Cayman fell from 6.3% in 2013 to 4.5% in 2016. This compares to 4.9% and 14.3% in the US and the Bahamas respectively at the end of 2016. Unemployment by Caymanians fell from just under 10.5% in 2012 to 5.6% in 2016. And in the medium to long term, more Caymanians will be employed as the economy continues to grow.

Planning for growth often calls for some out of the box thinking. I am pleased to announce today that Government is close to finalizing an agreement for immigration pre-clearance at Miami International Airport for eligible passengers traveling to Grand Cayman. This will enhance the experience of passengers arriving here by avoiding local immigration lines, allowing them to go straight through to Customs baggage claim.

This will also have the added benefit of improving strategic border control cooperation between the Cayman Islands and the United States.

I am also especially pleased to announce that we will be introducing an ambassadors’ programme in which retired Caymanians interested in working will be employed at the Owen Roberts International Airport to assist arriving passengers.

While we work to improve things for passengers arriving by air, we are also looking to improve facilities for arriving and departing cruise ships.

When we took office we knew that if Cayman was to remain a competitive, desirable port of call on the Western Caribbean cruise circuit, we would have to provide the type of facilities demanded by cruise passengers as well as accommodate the new Oasis class cruise liners. In addition, our cargo port is restrained by its inability to berth larger cargo vessels with the resulting inefficiency impacting the cost of landing goods associated with small manifests.

With the previous Government’s failed attempts to build a cruise dock still fresh in people’s minds, we knew we would have to get it right. Right from an environmental perspective; right in relation to the revitalisation of George Town, the right return on investment; the right business partners and the right financial structure.

We have issued a request for proposals to assist with the financial modelling, the review process is under way and a contract is expected to be awarded soon. The RFP inviting pre-qualified contractors to submit a bid is expected in June. We anticipate the contract for construction will be awarded later this year.

The cruise dock is likely to be the largest infrastructure project Cayman will see for decades and I am certain that voters will be cognisant to whom they entrust its execution.

I have given you a broad overview of our sectoral priorities and policy direction, without mentioning the main piston of our economic engine - financial services. Financial Services account for over half of our GDP and about 40% of government revenue. Clearly we must protect its viability at all costs.

This Government has also been alert and agile in responding to threats and perceived threats to our main breadwinner. We have defended the right of the Cayman Islands to operate a sound and well-regulated industry in the face of much hypocrisy by advanced economies whose “do as I say, not as I do” dictum are, quite frankly, no longer acceptable.

We have shown the willingness and ability to fight on the international stage to defend Cayman’s business model and reputation; whether at Chatham House in London, on BBC’s HardTalk, in Brussels at the European Parliament or at the Anti-Corruption Summit in London. We will go wherever needed to fight the case for Cayman.

But fighting the case for Cayman also means that we fight to improve business alliances within the region and globally. Because of this we have negotiated and signed tax information exchange agreements with 37 countries, 30 of which are in effect.

And more recently China has agreed to grant Most Favoured Nation Status for Cayman ships entering Chinese ports. This followed a recent visit to Cayman of the Chinese Ambassador to the UK. Cayman flagged vessels will benefit from this agreement, as it provides our ship owners and charterers a preferential rate on port tonnage fees when visiting ports in China. That translates into making our shipping registry more attractive in the global market.

We have good reason to believe that our relationship with China will improve further and that more Chinese nationals seeking a Caribbean vacation or place to invest will consider the Cayman Islands.

And so to help facilitate this, I am pleased to announce that Cabinet has agreed to amend the Immigration Regulations to exempt nationals of the People’s Republic of China from the requirement to possess a visitors’ visa for the Cayman Islands for a stay of up to 30 days. This will apply where the person possesses a valid unexpired visa for Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom and they arrive in the Cayman Islands directly from the country for which they hold the visa. The latter requirement is to ensure that their US, UK or Canadian visa is authentic.

I am also pleased to announce that this new exemption will also apply to Jamaican nationals. This will facilitate not only ease of travel for our visitors from Jamaica but also assist business between our islands. Jamaica and Cayman share historic, familial and cultural ties and I am very pleased that we have been able to make this change.

To help ease the travel of our own people between the Cayman Islands and the United States, my Government has pursued, and the US Government has agreed, that Cayman can join what is known as the exclusive “Six-month Club.” This means that holders of Cayman Islands passports will be able to enter the USA so long as their passport is valid for the period of their stay in the USA. Currently the passports have to be valid for 6 months to allow entry.

This is a tremendous achievement in these uncertain days and makes travel to the US more convenient for Caymanians. This should come into force before the end of March.

These various initiatives are part of this Government’s overall strategy to draw new business and traffic to Cayman and to promote growth in the economy as well as jobs and opportunities for Caymanians.

Given the firm footing on which this Government has placed the country, the mid-term projections over the next Parliamentary term indicate year-on-year economic growth averaging 2.5%. As a politician, I will tell you that is good, solid growth. And as an economist, Minister Archer will tell you I am right.

Economists like to tell us that all growth is cyclical and the goal is to avoid the boom and bust syndrome that has characterised so much of the last 100 years or more.

So what is the one untapped resource that can hedge against external shocks and ensure sustainable growth in these islands? My answer is our people!

This Government recognizes the absolute necessity of providing our people with the skills and education that will land them jobs for their entire productive years. It is a key component in our strategy for growth and led by Education Minister Hon. Tara Rivers.

The recent World Economic Forum in Davos threw up some interesting perspectives, as I am sure our discussions will here today. When asked to identify the things most likely to impact their businesses delegates listed among others: the irreplaceability of human creativity, leadership and emotional intelligence in the workforce.

Cayman is a service driven economy – whether that service is delivered in tourism, health, technology or financial services. We therefore have a duty to ensure that future generations of Caymanians are the first choice to fill jobs in these sectors and the industries that support them. Thus we are prepared to continue to make massive investments in our people, which we believe are essential to a secure future.

We passed a new Education Law last year as a first step to achieving this goal. The law guides education policy in six strategic areas:
(1) International Competitiveness and Raising Standards;
(2) Special Education Needs and Disabilities;
(3) Conflict Resolution Training and a Crime Reduction Strategy;
(4) Technical and Vocational Education and Training ;
(5) Information, Communication and Technology as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; and
(6) Public-Private Partnerships in Education and Training.

We have also addressed the long-term issue of pay stagnation of experienced teachers and we are looking at what is needed to improve teaching and learning in general including facilities.

We have ambitious plans to continue the work of enhancing the education system. This includes completing the John Gray High School and further enhancing internship and apprenticeship programmes in partnership with the private sector using the Cayman Finance Internship Programme and the Hospitality School as models for success.

We also instituted a “Ready-to-Work” programme to upskill unemployed Caymanians and help them find and keep jobs. This pilot programme will be expanded over the next year to enable every person wishing to find employment to be able to do so.

We will also increase our support to the micro and small business sector and will work with the Small Business Association on how best to do this. We have other plans for the small business sector as well, but as we draw closer to the date of elections all I will say on this is - stay tuned.

Small business is a proven facilitator of employment and wealth accumulation and it is important that as the economy grows businesses of all sizes have the opportunity to share in that growth.

Of all of our achievements, there is one that is perhaps most satisfying to the business community. We have imposed no new fees or taxes 4 budgets in a row! There has never been another administration that has gone a full term without increasing fees and taxes but have instead has reduced them. But we have done so. And as the economy continues to improve we will look again at what taxes or fees can be further reduced. So, while I acknowledge concerns about the cost of doing business, I believe that everyone, if they are fair, will agree that this Administration has done a significant amount to address this issue.

I am proud of what we have achieved to restore confidence and provide an environment for business to flourish, which has allowed our economy to grow and provide more jobs and opportunities for Caymanians and those resident here.

But I am equally proud of what we have been able to do to help advance our social growth. This includes the introduction of a National Minimum wage as well as an increase in the retirement age to 65 to allow those who need or want to continue working past the age of 60 the opportunity to do so. And we intend in our next term to focus even more on ensuring that our social services regime is efficient and effective. The goal is to get the right people - the right help - at the right time as well as to move people from welfare back into work.

Concomitant with preparing our people for the growth and jobs of the future is a fair and transparent immigration process. As would any country that has experienced massive immigration over the past four decades, the Cayman Islands has had its share of challenges from issues with work permits to permanent residency. I have to confess that managing these issues is a task akin to walking the razor’s thin edge, but suffice it to say that we will manage it with the same resolve that has seen us rise to the top of the economic pyramid in the region.

While we prepare our people for the opportunities that await them, we will continue to protect and enhance the natural environment of these Islands for residents and visitors alike.

This includes the completion of a new, modern waste management facility, which involves composting, recycling, and a waste-to-energy component. We signed a contract last month for legal consultation and will announce the preferred bidder to deliver the project by the end of April. This is yet another major milestone for our country and further proof that we are a government that gets things done.

We are expanding our plans for the revitalisation of George Town to address issues of roads, drainage and recreational facilities. The Development and Planning law has already been amended to allow for mixed use zoning in central George Town.

More family-friendly, recreational green spaces and the protection of public beach accesses are some of our priorities. The South Sound Beach Park will be completed in the coming months and we will shortly commence enhancements to Smith’s Barcadere on the adjacent newly acquired property.

In the meantime existing Phase One road works continue at a good pace. The Esterly Tibbetts extension up to the Butterfield Roundabout is expected to be finished by the end of April. The first phase of the Linford Pierson Highway extension from Tropical Gardens down to Agnes Way will be completed by the end of May.

As you can see, and will have heard, this administration has done much and has much planned.
As we wind down this term and look to a second term in office, there are some principles that will remain constant in our administration.

Number 1 will be the continued prudent management of our financial affairs;
Other priorities will include the defence of our financial services sector;
The expansion of our hospitality industry;
Completion of key infrastructure projects such as a modern waste management facility, needed road improvements, airport and cruise and cargo facilities.

And there will be new investment in our human capital and our environment as we continue to grow our economy for the benefit of all. Benefits that must include good jobs for Caymanians, a healthy environment, first-class healthcare and safe communities,
Warren Buffett famously said that “In the business world the rear view mirror is always clearer than the windshield”. As Premier, I can tell you that the same is true in the world of politics.

But of this I am certain, we have come a long way in 3 ½ years because of the work of this Government. In the midst of political, social and economic turmoil globally, our three small Islands have performed remarkably well over the course of this political term. We have avoided the threat of economic stagnation and have found the path to sustainable growth. The best, the best, is yet to come.

One of the key projects under the portfolio creating the Office of Ombudsman is now gazetted and moving forward.

Project Future, a five-year plan to streamline the civil service, contains 53 individual projects.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work over the last year, and it’s gotten us to a really good place right now,” said Deputy Governor Franz Manderson.

44 of 53 Project Future initiatives are already underway.

Project Future, government’s five year programme to reform the public sector, enters 2017 with 44 of 53 projects in progress.

Improvements at Owen Roberts International Airport, the country’s first Integrated Solid Waste Management System, and a new cruise berthing facility in George Town. These are just three of the more than fifty projects that comprise the Project Future portfolio, based on more than 80 recommendations in 2014’s EY report.

From Cayman 27

On this episode of The Panel, we discuss the controversial Legal Practitioners Bill.  For years Caymanian lawyers have been complaining about being disadvantaged in the country and the lack of opportunities for equity partnership at local firms.  Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton joins Cayman27’s Tammi Sulliman to discuss the topic in more detail.

Click to watch video. 

From Cayman 27



Years of frustration for local attorneys clamouring for equity partnership in Cayman law firms will come to an end with the passage of the Legal Practitioners Bill.

That’s the firm belief of Financial Services Minister Hon Wayne Panton, one of the architects behind the long awaited Bill, as he spoke on Tuesday nights Big Story on Cayman 27.

Mr Panton, who is also an attorney, said contrary to comments from Independent MLA Winston Connolly on the bill he contended that Caymanian attorneys stand to benefit from the provisions in the legislation.

He pointed out that the law sets out in black and white what is expected from law firms operating here, especially as it relates to the treatment of Caymanian lawyers.

Proposed Integrated Solid Waste Management System

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A report commissioned by the Cayman Islands Government, which was prepared by environmental consultancy firm Amec Foster Wheeler, is now available to the public for review and comment. The draft outline business case can be read on www.ministryofhealth.gov.ky

Why is there an Outline Business Case (OBC)?

The OBC assesses the overall affordability, implementation and delivery options for the Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS)
project.The OBC was prepared in accordance with UK Treasury Green Book standards, which set out the guidelines by which outline business cases are compiled. The OBC builds upon the now-approved National Solid Waste Management Policy and the National Solid Waste Management Strategy (NSWMS) which were published over the last two years. This is an ongoing process in which the publication of the business case is the latest part. Inevitably, it draws heavily on the two preceding documents, as the business case represents the means by which the previously developed strategy will be delivered and implemented.

What are the recommendations of the OBC?

The OBC concludes that national solid waste management in the Cayman Islands would be best dealt with through a public private partnership (PPP) and that the PPP arrangement to “design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) contract” offers the best value for money.

What exactly is an Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS)?

According to United Nations Environmental Programme, “Integrated Solid Waste Management refers to the strategic approach to sustainable solid wastes covering all sources and aspects, covering generation, transfer, sorting, treatment, recovery and disposal in an integrated manner, with an emphasis on maximising resource use efficiency”.

What is the main objective of the ISWMS?

The main objective is to have a national system in place that will incorporate the waste hierarchy as outlined below in the following diagram:

The waste hierarchy is at the heart of the modern approach to managing waste. The hierarchy firstly focuses on waste reduction, and then examines each
subsequent option before disposal as follows:

• Reduction: Using less material in design and manufacture, keeping products longer; re-using and using less hazardous materials;

• Re-use: Checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, repair, whole items or spare parts;

• Recycling: Turning waste into a new substance or product, including composting;

• Recovery: Energy is recovered from waste through a variety of methods such as thermal treatment and gasification; and

• Disposal: Landfill

When will the George Town landfill reach maximum capacity and then, after that, will a new landfill need to be constructed elsewhere on Grand Cayman?

The existing George Town landfill is likely to run out of capacity in 5-6 years at current rates of infill. Implementing the proposed new arrangements will slow down current rates, whereby the life of the existing landfill can be extended through early implementation of recycling and composting initiatives. Thereafter, the waste-to-energy facility will reduce the landfill requirement still further as it is only necessary to landfill about 3% of the total waste it treats. Some on-going provision for landfill will still be required but the large reduction means no new site will be required and, instead, the landfill requirement will be met by the design of a new engineered landfill that can be accommodated within the present boundary of the George Town landfill.

Why was mining of waste at the George Town landfill not included in the future ISWMS project moving forward?

The potential of long-term nuisance conditions from mining waste, such as odours, outweigh the benefit of gaining back the small area of the existing landfill space.

Therefore a policy decision has been made to exclude mining of waste from the ISWMS project.

Is Government looking to partner with the private sector because it does not have the resources to pay for the construction or operation of the ISWMS project?

The OBC recommends that the project should be delivered through a partnership with the private sector and it has nothing to with whether or not the Government has the resources. Rather, it is because that approach gives better value for money than the Government seeking to deliver the project itself,
largely because it allows significant risk transfer to the private sector.

Why was this OBC report released? It seems as though it brings Cayman no nearer to solving our country’s waste management problems than we were three years ago?

The OBC report is the basis on which a permanent, sustainable solution can be procured. Following the consultation, an updated business case including proposed solutions to issues such as bridging the affordability gap will be presented to Cabinet. At that point, a request for proposals will be issued and procurement of the project will commence. The procurement process may take around a year to from commencement to ground-breaking. Three years ago, the country had no solution on the table except for a proposed new landfill site - something which was environmentally unsustainable and unacceptable to our communities. We now have a long-term, sustainable solution which has been assessed for feasibility using the UK Treasury 5-case model. This assessment has confirmed that the proposed solution is feasible,
addresses the guiding principles and goals identified in the National Solid Waste Management Policy, represents value for money, and can be delivered to
address the long-term needs of the country.

How can the ISWMS deliver up to a 95 percent diversion of waste from landfill?

With integrated waste management, recyclable and compostable materials will be treated first and then remaining waste materials will be treated at a waste to energy facility, where much of the ash left over after burning is inert and therefore can be utilised for activities such as road building. By treating waste in an integrated manner, following the approved waste hierarchy, Cayman can achieve diversion rates of up to 95 percent.

A questionnaire will be provided at the open house sessions. We invite the public to complete the questionnaire on or before 7 October 2016.

For more information visit www.ministryofhealth.gov.ky or call (345) 244-2369 or visit us on www.Faebook.com/MinistryHealthCultureCaymanIslands.

Join us for Open House sessions to learn more about the outline business case recommendations:

Tuesday, 4 October
Government Administration Building - 5p.m. to 7p.m.

Wednesday, 5 October

National Trust House - Little Cayman - 11.30a.m. to 1.30p.m.

Wednesday, 5 October
Aston Rutty Civic Centre - Cayman Brac 5p.m. to 7p.m.

Click here to view the PDF of these FAQs. 

Minister for Community Affairs, Youth & Sports

Hon. Osbourne Bodden, JP

Message - International Day of Older Persons

1st October 2016

The elderly are the nation’s conscience. They, more than any other part of the community, give us a sense of cultural continuity and self. How appropriate then for us to mark their sterling nation-building efforts by honouring them during International Day of Older Persons.

Those 60 and older have undoubtedly lived through the greatest era of change in our society. Their generation had to adapt the most rapidly to the advent of the modern world, which transformed the lives, livelihoods and physical environment of our island nation forever.

History shows that today’s senior citizen embraced this change and altered the course of the Cayman Islands forever. For this and all the many sacrifices they have made over the years, we give thanks.

The latest population statistics show that there are now 3,639 senior citizens, aged 65 and older in the Cayman Islands. Approximately 5,847 are between the ages of 55 and 64. These demographics follow an overall global trend of a growth in the elderly population. People are living longer mainly due to better healthcare, and living more of their lives in better health than before.

All of this has important implications for policymakers. The challenge is not only to maintain that trend of improvement but to spread these benefits to all our elderly regardless of gender, ethnicity or location.

The theme of International Day of Older Persons and local Older Persons Month invites us all to “Take a Stand Against Ageism”. For older people, ageism is an everyday reality. Often overlooked for employment and stereotyped in the media, ageism marginalises and excludes older people in their communities, at a time in their lives when comfort and ease should be paramount.

The Government is aware of just how prevalent ageism is and that such discrimination harms rather than helps society. My Ministry is dedicated to ensuring that older persons live with dignity, are respected and have the opportunity to fully participate in all aspects of our society. We are focused on expanding our efforts to provide strategic guidance in the delivery of quality services for older persons.

To this end, therefore, my Ministry has established a Steering Committee which is currently developing a national policy for older persons which will go far to not only support this Government’s efforts to protect the rights of older persons, but also ensure that they can contribute fully to our families and communities for many years to come.

It is anticipated that the draft Policy will be finalised by the end of this month and, following this, we plan to roll-out a series of meetings and press briefings to inform the public of the policy’s findings and recommendations. In the meantime, I encourage you to support the month-long activities that have been planned for our older persons.

This Government is dedicated to exploring ways in which the country can extend and improve the quality of life for our older persons while protecting them against the impact of ageism. Rather than marginalising and excluding older people, let’s work together to ensure that they all live a dignified life.

The final countdown has begun as there are only 10 days left to recognise pioneering tourism leaders for National Heroes Day 2017. The nomination period will conclude at the end of this month. (30 September 2016).

Leaders from the Ministries of Culture and Tourism continue to encourage all community members to put forward names for consideration before next Friday’s deadline. This year’s tourism theme will encompass the development and/or delivery of tourism pioneers throughout the history of the Cayman Islands, up to present time.

“There are many people who are extremely accomplished in the field of tourism, and who have dedicated their time and lives to this important industry,” said Premier and Minister for Culture Hon. Alden McLaughlin. “Those are people who deserve to be recognised, so I strongly encourage everyone to continue to submit nomination forms to ensure our tourism pioneers get the recognition they deserve.”

Chief Officer for the Ministry of Culture and Chairperson for the National Heroes Day Committee, Jennifer Ahearn, said they have received many nomination forms for outstanding nominees thus far.

“We greatly appreciate the community’s help and would like to thank everyone who has gotten involved with the process,” she explained. “We look forward to receiving even more nominations before the end of this month.”

There are five nomination categories for outstanding contributions to the tourism industry in the Cayman Islands:

Early Pioneer: An individual, alive or deceased, who has made significant contributions to the early development and/or delivery of tourism throughout the Cayman Islands prior to 1960. A commemorative insignia and certificate will be awarded.

Pioneer: An individual, alive or deceased, who has made significant contributions to the development and/or delivery of tourism from 1961 to 2006. A commemorative insignia and certificate will be awarded.

Emerging Pioneer: An individual who has made significant contributions to the development and/or delivery of tourism from 2007 to present. A commemorative insignia and certificate will be awarded.

Memorial Scroll:  A deceased person who was a leader or notable contributor to the development and/or delivery of tourism. This individual will be recognised with a certificate but will not receive a commemorative insignia.

Long Service Award: A living individual who may not necessarily have been a leader, but is a long-standing contributor to the development and/or delivery of tourism for 10 years or more. This individual will be recognised with a certificate but will not receive a commemorative insignia.

The National Heroes Day 2017 tourism theme is defined as:

“Tourism is travel for holiday, leisure and recreation, business, health, education, sports and other purposes. Tourism services and products include the business of attracting, accommodating, transporting, entertaining and operating tours for visitors with the support of allied services. Tourism may be international or domestic.”

To submit the names of tourism pioneers and long service individuals for recognition before the deadline on 30 September 2016, complete the forms which are available at the reception desk of the Government Administration Building, or online at www.ministryofhealth.gov.ky. Completed nomination forms or inquires can be sent to nhd@gov.ky.

The annual National Heroes Day celebration is set to take place at Heroes Square, in the centre of George Town on Monday, 23 January 2017.

CIIPO (the Cayman Islands Intellectual Property Office) recently staged training sessions with three Government agencies regarding the enforcement of The Copyright (Cayman Islands) Order 2015.
Staff members from Customs, the Department of Commerce and Investment (DCI), and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) were educated on their powers under the law, which came into effect on 30 June.

‘The new law defines the extent of copyright protection in Cayman by stating the rights of persons who create original literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works. It also provides the framework for enforcement’, Minister for Commerce Wayne Panton said.

CIIPO was created in May 2016 to register intellectual property (IP), such as trade marks, that needs to be recorded as part of its legal protection. It will also provide information to the local and global public about IP protection in Cayman, in the form of copyrights, patents, trade marks, and design rights.

In regards to enforcement, the law gives DCI and the RCIPS robust enforcement capabilities.

‘Once probable cause has been established, DCI and the RCIPS will search businesses and seize products suspected of copyright infringement’, Minister Panton said.

A copyright holder also can facilitate Customs, DCI and RCIPS investigations, and possibly other enforcement actions, by issuing written notices to the aforementioned agencies alleging the presence of infringing goods and businesses.

In addition, a copyright holder can retain legal counsel and either use civil litigation tactics such as seizures and injunctions against the infringing party, or pursue a criminal case by issuing a formal complaint to DCI.

The training sessions, which wrapped up in early August at the Government Administration Building, were presented by Abraham Thoppil, who serves on multiple subcommittees that helped draft the copyright law and additional legislation covering other areas of IP.

For more information on copyrights and IP enforcement, visit www.ciipo.gov.ky or email info@ciipo.gov.ky.

The Rt. Hon Baroness Anelay of St. Johns DBE, the British Minister for the Overseas Territories, will visit the Cayman Islands in the first week of October.

The visit takes place a month ahead of the annual Joint Ministerial Council in London and will be the Minister’s first visit to an Overseas Territory since taking responsibility for the portfolio in July. 

The Minister will spend two full days in The Cayman Islands and will become the first serving British Minister to visit all 3 islands. Her programme will include a visit to the Legislative Assembly where she will meet MLAs. She will also attend a reception hosted by the Premier. Visits to the RCIPS Marine Unit, the new Kimpton Hotel Development and a meeting with disability policy officials and volunteers are also planned. The Minister will also meet members of the Cayman Islands’ financial services industry. 

Baroness Anelay’s programme in the Sister Islands will include key environmental sites, a visit to a local school and a sports centre and will give her a chance to meet local residents and civil servants. 

Ahead of the visit Baroness Anelay said:

“I am delighted to be making my first visit to the Cayman Islands. I hope that this will help to strengthen still further the relationship with the UK. I am particularly pleased to be able to visit the Sister Islands in addition to Grand Cayman and hope that this will increase my knowledge and understanding of the territory as a whole."

The Premier said:

“We consider it a privilege to be the first Overseas Territory to host the new Minister‎. I am especially pleased that Baroness Anelay will be visiting Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. I have no doubt that her visit will allow the Baroness to see and experience firsthand what the Cayman Islands and its people have to offer."

National solid waste management in the Cayman Islands would be best dealt with through a public private partnership (PPP), a draft outline business case has recommended.

Prepared for the Cayman Islands Government by environmental consultancy company Amec Foster Wheeler, the outline business case (OBC) is now available for public review and comment.

“I am very pleased that we have gotten to this point where we are publishing the draft outline business case for the very first integrated solid waste management plan for the Cayman Islands,” said Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin.

“If you ask me do I wish we could have gotten to this phase sooner, the answer would be yes, but we have dutifully followed the steps required by the framework for fiscal responsibility, which mirrors the UK Treasury’s Green Book for managing projects such as this. The process may seem long, but it is sure and will ensure we have the best, most viable solution.

“For those who have been saying ‘fix the dump’ I will point out again that this is what this project is about. But it goes beyond fixing a dump to providing a long-term solution of waste management needs of all three Cayman Islands.

“In the interim, we have dramatically improved the operations at the current landfill by re-establishing proper practices and have spent millions of dollars on new equipment including a state-of-the-art compactor and garbage trucks. We have also increased our focus on recycling, including old tyres, and will soon be moving towards composting.”

The report assesses overall affordability and the implementation and delivery options of the proposed Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS).

It concludes that a major “design, build, finance, operate and maintain contract” - for the PPP arrangement - offers the best value for money. This is based on the results from financial analysis by consultancy firm KPMG, with estimated operational costs of the new ISWMS expected to be approximately $538 million over the 25-year PPP arrangement.

In comparison, the operational costs of a status quo-type system of just landfilling waste on the islands, is expected to cost approximately $418 million over a 25-year period. For the extra investment required for the ISWMS project of around $4.8 million per year, the proposed solution will greatly reduce the landfilling of waste, as it will be either reduced, reused, recycled or recovered with the new system.

At the time the consultation draft OBC was being drawn up, and the financial models were being run by Amec Foster Wheeler and KPMG, the potential to mine waste at the George Town landfill was considered as a possible component of the future ISWMS project for the Cayman Islands.

Since that time, a policy decision has been made to exclude mining of waste from the ISWMS project, as the potential of long-term nuisance conditions from mining, such as odours, outweigh the benefit of gaining back the small area of landfill space. Therefore, while financial information regarding the mining of waste at the George Town landfill is addressed in the draft OBC document, it is no longer under consideration for inclusion in the ISWMS project, and the final OBC will reflect this.

According to the OBC report, a public private partnership is also more likely to attract competition by major overseas companies with a robust track record of building, implementing and operating integrated waste management system solutions.

“I’m very excited that we have reached this stage in the process and I invite members of the public to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about this important project and the future of waste management in the Cayman Islands,” said Councillor for Health Roy McTaggart.

The ISWMS project includes the following system components, with the ultimate aim of reducing the amount of waste going to landfill by up to 95 per cent from current landfill amounts. The ISWMS project also includes costing for the future remediation/closing of the three existing unlined landfills on the islands:

• Waste reduction measures – including waste education and pragmatic waste minimisation initiatives (e.g. home composting/material return schemes such as bottles, plastic bag charges).

• The reuse and refurbishment of bulky waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

• Community recycling depots and household waste recycling centre facilities.

• Transfer and bulking facilities (one per island).

• The windrow composting of yard/garden waste from landscapers and household waste recycling centres in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.

• The treatment of residual waste in a waste recovery plant (waste to energy facility).

• Closure of landfills on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, with waste sent to Grand Cayman for processing.

• The potential introduction of kerbside yard and garden waste collection (post 2020).

• The potential introduction of kerbside dry recyclable collections with a materials recovery facility (post 2020).

The public can learn more about the outline business case recommendations at open house sessions at the Government Administration Building on Grand Cayman on 4 October from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the National Trust House on Little Cayman on 5 October from 11.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre on Cayman Brac on 5 October from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A questionnaire will be provided at the open house sessions and is being set up on the Ministry of Health website www.ministryofhealth.gov.ky. A copy of the consultation draft outline business case is also available on the website. Submissions should be made by 7 October, 2016.

Calling it an “immense improvement” that promotes and protects the interests of Caymanian lawyers while also addressing international compliance standards, Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton highlighted today’s gazettal of the Legal Practitioners Bill, 2016, as a defining moment for the Cayman Islands.

“The bill has taken the better part of 15 years to accomplish,’ he said. ‘I thank and congratulate both the Caymanian Bar Association and the Cayman Islands Law Society for their stellar efforts in helping this important legislation to come closer to passage than ever before.”

Referred to as the LPB, the bill will be debated during the October session of the Legislative Assembly.

In addition to its importance for legal practitioners, Minister Panton explained that the regulation of lawyers who practice Cayman law is vital to our country’s reputation and ultimately, our economic success.

“The current 16-page law that regulates legal practitioners was enacted originally in 1969. Things have changed significantly since then,” he noted.

“Today, the practice of Cayman law has become increasingly more sophisticated, complex, and international and as such, the current law is woefully inadequate,” Minister Panton said. “The LPB represents an immense improvement and is appropriate for today’s reality.”

Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin said the bill has been an issue since he was president of the Caymanian Bar Association in 1999.

“At least four government administrations have tackled this legislation,” said Ms McLaughlin. “I know that the failure to pass this legislation has been damaging to us not only as a jurisdiction but also to the interests of Caymanian lawyers. I am therefore delighted that we will be able to present the bill to the Legislative Assembly at the upcoming meeting.”

The creation of the Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association (CILPA) is one of the bill’s key features. CILPA would be a self-regulatory body of eight attorneys-at-law who are ordinarily resident in Cayman, and who practice Cayman Islands law in Cayman. At least five of these must be Caymanian and of those five, at least three must have qualified locally.

Minister Panton stated that once the bill has been passed in the LA, CILPA would have the responsibility to promote the qualification, training and development of Caymanians as attorneys; and ensure that non-Caymanian persons with foreign qualifications are suitably qualified to practice Cayman Islands law.

CILPA also will have the authority to compel law firms to comply with strict business staffing plans, including provisions to ensure that qualified Caymanian attorneys are properly considered for promotion inside and outside of Cayman.

Besides addressing longstanding issues for Caymanians, the 126-page bill includes provisions to address the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations, which are part of the global regulatory standard for the financial services industry. In 2017, the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) will assess Cayman on its adherence to the FATF Recommendations.

“Passing the bill into law during the October sitting will allow the legal profession to demonstrate adherence to the FATF Recommendations, in order for the jurisdiction to achieve a satisfactory assessment against the international standards,” Minister Panton said.

For the October LA sitting, the Ministry of Financial Services, the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General’s Chambers will all have bills before the Legislative Assembly that relate to the CFATF mutual evaluation process.

The complete list of CFATF-related bills, which are available at the Legislative Assembly and on the Cayman Islands Gazette website, is:

The Legal Practitioners Bill, 2016
Auditors Oversight (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Companies Management (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Monetary (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Non-Profit Organisations Bill, 2016
Police (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Proliferation Financing (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Judicature (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin ensured those gathered at a rally organised by the Cayman Ministers Association and the Seventh Day Adventist Church about family values on Sunday evening that his Government has no intention of changing the definition of marriage in the Cayman Islands.

Mr. McLaughlin spoke about government’s position with regard to the institution of marriage.

“The Marriage Law defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman. That is the law of the Cayman Islands. And that is also what I and the Government I have the honour to lead believe and will defend.

“I have absolutely no intention, nor any desire, to make changes to the Constitution or the Marriage Law that would alter the definition of marriage or impinge on the Christian values upon which our nation was founded.“

Section 16 of the Cayman Islands Bill of Rights, which mirrors a similar provision in the European Convention on Human Rights, protects the basic human rights by prohibiting discrimination by Government against the individual on grounds ranging from race and gender to religion and nationality and yes, sexual orientation.

Mr. McLaughlin said concern had been expressed that the decision of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal could change either the Constitution or the Marriage Law with regards to same sex marriage.

“As your Premier and as an attorney I can say that this is not the case.  We still have the right of holding fast to the Christian precept of marriage being only between a man and a woman, while allowing our Immigration Law under very narrowly defined circumstances to accommodate the dependency of one person on another,” he said. “This adheres to our Bill of Rights and our treaty obligations under international human rights law without forcing us to legally recognize same-sex marriage. I assure you that the ruling of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal was based on law and not on any policy of this Government. We certainly have no policy to introduce same sex marriage anywhere, anytime.

“As Caymanians we expect those who come to live here to respect our laws, our customs and our cultural mores. But respect is not something we can demand.  We must command it by our example. Just as I will not allow same sex marriage to be forced upon us; neither will I allow hatred and bigotry to drive divisions between our own people or those who come to work and live here. It is wrong and is it un-Christian.”

Premier McLaughlin encouraged conversations about family values, but also encouraged the county to cherish the things we have in common and that unite us to build stronger community.

Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, and that is that in a country of laws such as the Cayman Islands we are all bound by the Rule of Law. The Marriage Law defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman. Not one man and another man or one woman and another woman; one man and one woman. That is the law of the Cayman Islands. And that is also what I and the government I have the honour to lead believe and will defend. Marriage is an institution ordained by God and is reserved only for persons of the opposite sex.  Whatever relationships exist between persons of the same sex, they are not and cannot be considered as marriages under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

In 2009 for the first time in its history the Cayman Islands obtained a Bill of Rights as part of a new Constitutional Order. That Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which it contains, was the work of eight years and three administrations.  It was also the work of civic society and importantly, the churches of these Islands represented then as now, by the Cayman Ministers’ Association and the Seventh Day Adventist Conference. As an elected member I was engaged in the constitutional discussions throughout those eight long years. As a government minister I led the talks for the final four difficult years until the Constitution was finally agreed to by the United Kingdom in February 2009 and approved by the people of these Islands by referendum in May that same year.  As a result, I know intimately how much work and agonizing went into crafting our current constitution and The Bill of Rights.

I therefore want to take a moment this evening to pay tribute to my dear friend and namesake the late Pastor Al Ebanks and my equally dear friend the current President of the Seventh Day Adventist Conference, Pastor Shian O’Connor, for the significant leadership roles they both played in creating our current constitutional document. Not only were they intimately involved in the constitutional discussions in Cayman, but they also sat around the negotiating table at Lancaster House in London. Both the Bill of Rights and the Preamble to the Constitution were significantly shaped by the representations made by these God-fearing men on behalf of their respective organisations and churches and the country owes them both an enduring debt of gratitude.

With regard to the institution of marriage, it is worth noting that at the urging and with the assistance of both the Cayman Ministers Association and the Seventh Day Adventist Conference, the Cayman Bill of Rights recognizes that the right to marry is reserved only to persons of opposite sex of marriageable age.  No such right is conferred on persons of the same sex.

Section 14 of the Constitution provides:

“Government shall respect the right of every unmarried man and woman of marriageable age (as determined by law) freely to marry a person of the opposite sex and found a family.”

Thus, to repeat what I said earlier, in Cayman marriage is the exclusive province of persons of marriageable age of the opposite sex. There is no right under the Constitution or otherwise for persons of the same-sex to marry.  Further, I can confirm that I have been given the assurance by the former UK Overseas Territories minister, Minister Schapps, and as recently as this past Friday, by Her Excellency the Governor, that the United Kingdom Government will not require the Cayman Islands to adopt same-sex marriage legislation, nor will it seek to impose such legislation on these Islands.

Although I have previously explained the Government’s position in writing to the Human Rights Commission and publicly, including on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, I want to repeat it here this evening and to continue to assure the country that the Government and the Party that I have the privilege to lead have absolutely no intention, nor any desire, to make changes to the Constitution or the Marriage Law that would alter the definition of marriage or impinge on the Christian values upon which our nation was founded.

I equally want to make it clear that no matter what my own religious beliefs, or indeed the beliefs of the other members of my Government, as your Premier I also have an obligation under the law and the Constitution, and indeed given my religious upbringing under the teachings of Christ, to ensure that all people, but especially any minority group, regardless of differences, receive fair treatment and respect under the law and constitution of our Islands.

Those of you who know my family, especially the Adventists among you, may know that my great-grandfather Gilbert Madgdaly McLaughlin was the founder of the Adventist faith here more than 125 years ago. Others of you will know that my dear, departed mother Althea was a devout Christian and an Elder of the United Church. l grew up in a Christian household.  So I am well aware how the Christian teachings of love, faith and charity have helped to build this nation.

But I also recall the stories of the challenges my great-grandfather and others faced when bringing the teachings of the Adventist movement to Cayman.  Challenges compounded because there were those of other faith communities back then who quite frankly did not want the Adventist movement to exist here.  But with the assistance of God and fair protection under the law the Adventist movement has thrived.  And today in our Islands we have an interfaith community where we respect one another -  both for the things we have in common as well as for our differences.  And because of this we are here today, people of differing faiths and from different lands, of differing ages and different perspectives – yet all are able to worship freely together and discuss our views peacefully.  We are able to exist respecting our basic humanity and the teachings of Christ to love each other as he has loved us.

Section 16 of the Cayman Islands Bill of Rights, which mirrors a similar provision in the European Convention on Human Rights, protects the basic human rights by prohibiting discrimination by Government against the individual on grounds ranging from race and gender to religion and nationality and yes, sexual orientation.

There has been concern expressed by some that the recent decision of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal will have the effect of somehow changing either the Constitution or the Marriage Law with regards to same sex marriage.  As your Premier and as an attorney I can say that this is not the case.  We still have the right of holding fast to the Christian precept of marriage being only between a man and a woman, while allowing our Immigration Law under very narrowly defined circumstances to accommodate the dependency of one person on another. This adheres to our Bill of Rights and our treaty obligations under international human rights law without forcing us to legally recognize same-sex marriage. I assure you that the ruling of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal was based on law and not on any policy of this Government. We certainly have no policy to introduce same sex marriage anywhere, anytime.

As a people we have to be careful of losing the very thing we cherish by being intolerant and inflexible. I am not here to try to change anybody’s beliefs – on either side of the issue.  What I would urge is that we consider Christ’s teachings of tolerance with regards to how we treat each other.

I believe that we have a great opportunity to unite the country as a result of this issue. Pause and take a step back and ask ourselves what would Jesus have done. I am no theologian, but some of the earliest lessons I learnt at Sunday School were of Jesus’ teaching of love, grace and acceptance.

As Caymanians we expect those who come to live here to respect our laws, our customs and our cultural mores. But respect is not something we can demand.  We must command it by our example. Just as I will not allow same sex marriage to be forced upon us; neither will I allow hatred and bigotry to drive divisions between our own people or those who come to work and live here. It is wrong and is it un-Christian.

So my message today is to cherish and build on the things that we have in common and that unite us – not divide us – for what unites us far outweighs our differences. I have every confidence that through gatherings such as this we will use the opportunity to build a stronger, more caring community. I ask you in turn to have confidence that your Government is not going to allow the rights and freedoms enshrined in our Constitution and our laws, to be undermined.

I will conclude with an excerpt from the opening words of the Preamble to the Constitution of the Cayman Islands, which was crafted in large part by the churches of these Islands:

“The people of the Cayman Islands, recalling the events that have shaped their history and made them what they are, and acknowledging their distinct history, culture and Christian heritage and its enduring influence and contribution in shaping the spiritual, moral and social values that have guided their development and brought peace, prosperity and stability to those Islands, through the vision, forbearance and leadership of their people, who are loyal to Her Majesty the Queen:

Affirm their intention to be-

• A God-fearing country based on traditional Christian values, tolerant of other religions and beliefs.
• A country in which religion finds its expression in moral living and social justice.
•  A caring community based on mutual respect for all individuals and their basic human rights.
• A country committed to the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.
• A community that practices honest and open dialogue to ensure mutual understanding and social harmony.

The Constitution of these Islands was adopted by our people by an overwhelming majority in a referendum. There is therefore no doubt in my mind as to where the people of these Islands stand with respect to a bible based system of values and our acknowledgment as a community that such a system is entirely consistent with respect for the basic human rights of the individual. Long may it remain so.

I thank you again for the opportunity to address you on this important occasion.

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands Government is pushing on in its efforts to legalise the importation and dispensing of cannabis oil for medical use but acknowledges that questions loom about how it would be sourced and dispensed.

Proposed legislation will be ready for debate when the Legislative Assembly reconvenes in late September or early October.

Cabinet has approved the most recent versions of amendments to the Customs Law, the Misuse of Drugs Law and Pharmacy Regulations, which will soon be published, and ready for debate in the Legislative Assembly. A multi-sectoral stakeholder committee has also reviewed the proposed Bills as part of the policy development process.

“We have moved swiftly from a policy decision in May to being able to publish the bills shortly and then taking them to the next meeting of the House,” said Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin. “But there are still real and serious practical hurdles to obtaining and importing this drug because it remains illegal in many jurisdictions, including nearby Jamaica.”

With the passage of this law registered medical importers will be allowed to legally import cannabis oil, doctors will be able to prescribe and pharmacists will be able dispense the drug.

However, potential challenges remain as there is no agreed medical body of evidence that cannabis oil is curative for serious diseases such as cancer. There are also no agreed prescribed levels of the drug that can be used to treat such diseases.

It remains for local doctors and pharmacists to use their own medical experience, judgement and research on how best to prescribe and dispense cannabis oil.

Also given its continued illegality in both the United States and Jamaica, there are concerns around how cannabis oil would be sourced. On Thursday the Drug Enforcement Agency in the United States denied a bid to reconsider how it treats marijuana under federal drug control laws, keeping the drug in the most restrictive category for US law enforcement purposes.

Just last week the Jamaican Government reminded the public in that country that marijuana in any form remains illegal.

Despite the challenges, Government continues to believe, as the Premier stated in late May, that Government favours hope over fear and therefore is pressing ahead as fast as possible but in a responsible manner.

“In many respects we are a pioneer in this field,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “We have moved from investigation to policy approval to legislative amendments and will soon go to the Legislative Assembly over the course of a few short months. However, at all times we have appreciated that we must proceed responsibly ensuring that what is brought forward has the best possibility for effective outcomes without causing unexpected consequences.”

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA
9 August, 2016

Unfortunately, in addition to the imported six cases of Zika, the Acting Medical Officer has confirmed that there are at least two cases of locally transmitted Zika Virus.

However, what is fortunate is that Government and the Mosquito Research and Control Unit have been proactive with measures to counter the spread of the virus by killing the Aedes aegypti mosquito host.
In addition to enhanced spraying and inspection of yards and increased public education, Government and the MRCU contracted with Oxitec for the use of genetically modified non-biting male mosquitos.

On 28 July, 2016, Government and the MRCU released 20,000 genetically modified male Aedes aegypti mosquitos with a kick-off to a campaign to eradicate the dangerous mosquitos from Grand Cayman. This after a Grand Court Judge ruled against any further injunction to prevent the release of the genetically modified mosquitos.

To date approximately 300,000 modified mosquitoes have been released in West Bay as part of the long-term MRCU-Oxitec project.

It should be noted that the locally infected patients are residents of George Town and became ill days before the MRCU released genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitos on Grand Cayman. As such spraying efforts have been ramped up with even more sprayers going out as of Monday night on the streets of George Town.

It is regrettable that despite the very clear public health risks caused from Zika, some in the community chose to try and stop the release of the genetically modified mosquitos.

Their attempt to prevent the release of the modified mosquitos fortunately did not succeed but if it had would have put Caymanians, residents and our visitors at further risk of contracting the diseases carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito – chikungunya, dengue and now Zika.

This Government did not act out of ignorance when we approved the release of the modified mosquitos. We had the backing of the World Health Organisation, the MRCU and approval from the National Conservation Council.

Just yesterday we learned that the Food and Drug Administration in the United States determined that the modified mosquitos can be released in Florida where cases of locally transmitted Zika have occurred. That is just further evidence that we were right in our decision to allow the MRCU to take pre-emptory measures to help prevent the scourge of vector-borne diseases.

Many of those who opposed the release of the mosquitos here are already politicians or are political aspirants; people who should be taking public health seriously, not using it as a political platform to grandstand.
Anyone who has ambitions to be a community leader or a Member of the Legislative Assembly must be more objective and thoughtful regarding the stances they take.

They also need to adopt this Government’s mantra of transparency. The leader of the campaign to stop the release has yet to openly confirm who or what entity funded the campaign. The public deserves to know the full truth to understand the motives behind the ill-advised and dangerous campaign.

I am especially disappointed in the Leader of the Opposition Hon. McKeeva Bush who as a longstanding member of the Legislative Assembly, former Cabinet member and former Premier is all too familiar with the good work that the MRCU does and that it is the true expert in mosquito control. The MRCU is a major part of Cayman’s success story and I have no doubt in my mind that it would not do anything to endanger our people or our country; quite the contrary, as it has demonstrated over and over again.

Instead of continuing to support MRCU in its work to prevent several harmful vector-borne illnesses, the Opposition Leader chose to pull his party colleagues onto the alarmist train in an attempt to stop what may be the best hope for controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito and the dangerous diseases that the breed carries.

The increasing numbers of imported cases – six as of yesterday – combined with the locally transmitted cases are proof that the work MRCU, along with Oxitec and this Government are doing is important to the health and wellbeing of all in these Islands.

I want to reassure the public that MRCU, with the unflinching support of this Government, will continue its eradication efforts.

We are working at making it easy to get around Cayman, widening roads, eliminating congestion and reducing drive times.  We are also working hard to drive business back into George Town, with our Revitalisation Project. All of this means some temporary pain, but be patient – the results are going to make everyone’s lives easier.

This government has been able to accomplish this without any borrowing because we are responsible with finances and because we have been able to provide an economic environment that has brought back all the investor confidence that was lost.  Businesses are employing people and investing in the future and we are making sure that we have the infrastructure ready to support them.

The United Kingdom remains committed to the Cayman Islands and other Overseas Territories as the process for Britain to exit the European Union evolves.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin discussed the Brexit move with Overseas Territories Minister Mr. James Duddridge on 29 June, 2016.

In a letter dated 5 July, 2016, to Mr. McLaughlin, Mr. Duddridge acknowledged the conversation and assured the Cayman Islands that the outcome of the referendum does not change the Constitutional relationship between the UK and the Territories.

“We will continue to closely follow the political and economic discussions and developments as the United Kingdom divorces itself from the European Union,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “We now have the verbal and written assurance Minister Duddridge that he will continue to actively represent the interests of the Overseas Territories across the UK Government and ensure they are fully considered.”

In his letter Mr. Duddridge wrote, “We will fully involve the Overseas Territories, the Devolved Administrations and the Crown Dependencies in accordance with their various constitutional relationships with the UK to ensure that all of their interests are taken properly into account”.

Mr. Duddridge also wrote that the process to exit the European Union presents several challenges, but those will take place against the background of a strong UK economy with the affirmed backing of the Bank of England.

Mr. McLaughlin said that the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom will continue to maintain the excellent relationship that has been forged between the two countries since the Progressives-led Government took office in 2013. It is because of that connection that he and Mr. Duddridge are able to have frank, honest discussions about Brexit.

“We will continue to have discussions with the United Kingdom as the leave progresses,” said Mr. McLaughlin.

He will also discuss the issue with other Overseas Territories leaders during the week of 19 July, 2016, at the pre Joint Ministerial Council Meeting in Turks and Caicos.

Letter to the Premier PDF.

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA 24 June, 2016

Mister Speaker as you would be aware our friends in the United Kingdom have cast their votes to leave the European Union.

Mister Speaker, this referendum was a question for the United Kingdom and its voters but we all expected that the impact of a decision to leave would be felt far beyond the shores of the United Kingdom and would have had political consequences within the UK. It was also expected that there would be uncertainty within financial markets.

This has certainly proved to be the case with Prime Minister Cameron advising today that he will be stepping down as Prime Minister by October and a no confidence motion being brought against the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.

And as we have seen, the world markets are now trying to come to grips with the implications of the referendum. There are also other ramifications that will continue to flow from this decision in the weeks and months ahead.

Mister Speaker, it is not clear whether the transition to a new Prime Minister will be an internal matter for the Conservative Party or whether the UK will face fresh elections in a few months.
There is the distinct likelihood of another Scottish independence referendum. Additionally, Northern Ireland, which voted to stay, will no doubt consider its options. These all point tothe possibility of a breakup of the United Kingdom.

Mister Speaker, Cayman has certainly benefited from the United Kingdom’s link to the European Union in tangible and intangible ways. For example we have been eligible for EU passports, which provided the ability to live, work and travel freely within the EU.

Cayman and all of the Overseas Territories will need to follow closely the political and economic discussions and developments over the course of the coming days, weeks and months.

Of immediate concern though is the question of how any new UK government will view the Overseas Territories, particularly in a new construct of a United Kingdom that is no longer united.

Over in the United States a presidential election looms with the possibility of a radically different kind of political figure becoming the leader of the most powerful nation on earth.  Without question, the world is in for a period of great uncertainty over the course of the next year and perhaps beyond.   

There will no doubt be some stormy waters to navigate before the new reality emerges and political and economic calm returns.

In this sea of uncertainty Cayman is an increasingly attractive place to live, work, invest and do business.

Mister Speaker, the sound financial position of the Cayman Islands Government and the growing strength of our economy make us an excellent option for businesses and investors looking for a safe haven amid the current political and economic turmoil.

Even as we watch carefully the developments, we intend to seize the opportunities created by the current uncertainties to build on the economic success this Government has already achieved.
I am confident in the continued success of Cayman’s economy.

We have for years engaged with the world on matters relating to our financial services industry and we will continue to do so. Our voice will be heard as we have strong links with many partner jurisdictions as well as international institutions.

Businesses based in the Cayman Islands will continue to benefit from that and they, like us, can remain confident in our future.

There will be much to be done as the UK and EU begin to determine a timeframe to unwind their existing relationship and work toward putting in place new arrangements for future cooperation, trade, migration and security.

Some have said this process could take as much as two years to complete and so for us in the Cayman Islands the full impact of the leave decision will not be immediately known, as much will depend on what new arrangements will be made between the UK and EU.  I expect to speak to the Minister for Overseas Territories, James Duddridge, early next week to get an indication on the  immediate way forward and the perceived impact the decision will have on the Overseas Territories.

In addition, I will attend the pre-JMC meeting in TCI next month with the Overseas Territories to discuss this issue in detail.

Mister Speaker, it is too early to make predictions or to be able to say what the full impact of the leave decision will be. But certainly it will be profound. It will impact not just the UK and its citizens resident there, but the Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and indeed the wider world.

I will continue to monitor developments and engage with the UK Government over the coming days and as soon as the way ahead becomes clear, I will make a further statement.

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA
8 June, 2016

Madam Speaker, I wish to lay a copy of the third amendment to the agreement between Dart Realty, the National Roads Authority and Government, as well as provide the House with a report on the main improvements to the original agreement.

Madam Speaker, the original NRA Agreement was executed in December 2011 under the UDP administration led by the now Leader of the Opposition and in the main included the extension of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway to West Bay, the development of Kimpton’s Seafire Resort and Spa on the property of the former Courtyard Marriott, which had been closed since 2008, as well as various other developments by Dart Realty and the closure of a section of West Bay Road, as well as the realignment of the old Barkers Road. It also included various concessions for the development of new hotels as well as amenities for government and Cayman residents. And lastly it included the 50 per cent of the hotel room tax concession with all Dart hotels. This final aspect of the agreement was contentious.

A subsequent amendment in April 2012, which was termed the first amendment, extended the period for the completion of an independent value for money review of the agreement, which was required under the law.

A second amendment was executed in July 2012 and did the following things:

• It brought in the concept of a new public beach in place of future public rights of way through Dart properties to the beach, such rights arising by law upon the grant of Planning consent. This will ensure that Dart can develop its beachfront land without having to facilitate providing public beach access from the public road.

• It removed from the agreement the realignment of the gazetted corridor from Pappagallo to the head of Barkers, which was included in the original agreement. This has been deferred until and if Dart gains consent to develop its land in Barkers, should it wish to.

• It set aside three acres for the future development of a new Sunrise Adult Training Centre and 20 acres in West Bay for educational and community use.

To meet the legal requirements under the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility, Price Waterhouse Coopers was selected through tendering as the independent consultant to conduct a value for money review on the original agreement and the second amendment. This review concluded that value for money in the agreement was a mixed bag and specifically pointed out that while it did provide some value for money, it also proposed several concessions, especially the sharing of the hotel room tax, which could lead to significant competitive disadvantages for others in the local hotel and tourism market.

Before going further, it is important to note that however bad a deal we and others may believe the original agreement was, it and the two subsequent amendments to the agreement were legally binding and committed the UDP government of the day and all future governments to its terms.

Madam Speaker, I want the country to understand that this was the starting point when this Government took office.

Be that as it may, we campaigned on re-negotiating certain aspects of the agreement and we also advised Dart of this in meetings with them prior to the elections. In particular we were unhappy with the 50 per cent hotel tax concession aspect of the agreement. The PWC value for money report indicated that we were right to be concerned.

We understood then and indeed still do understand the value and importance to the Cayman Islands of the development done by Dart. However, we could not allow the 50 per cent tourism tax and various other aspects of the agreement to remain because of the harm to government revenues and distortions it created in the market.

We explained this to Dart Realty and invited them to sit down with us to negotiate a third amendment. They were agreeable because they, like us, appreciated that the relationship between Dart and Government had to be mutually beneficial and congenial. Ours is a relationship for the long term and compromise was important as it is in all relationships.
The broad goals we were determined to achieve with a third amendment were to:

• Remove the 50 per cent hotel tax sharing concession;
• For Dart to provide alternative access through Dart property in the event of the closure of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway for any emergency;
• Maintain the future public rights of way access to the sea along developed Dart properties. This also left control of such public rights of way with the CPA rather than allowing Cabinet to make these changes.

The following were also considered desirable to encourage Dart to complete its development sooner rather than later:

• Allow Dart Realty to do its development over a shorter time frame than the original 30 years;
• Allow Dart to construct different types of development beyond hotels and tourism related businesses.

In 2014 Government contracted with PwC to provide consulting services during the negotiation period. Negotiations were carried out with the benefit of their advice and guidance and technocrats in government managed the process.

The National Roads Authority Board of Directors was kept apprised during the negotiation period and provided its feedback to the process – and it has reviewed and accepted the final amendment. Indeed, the board was a signatory to this third amendment.

The improvements that comprise this third amendment are in the main aspects the following:

1. The removal of the sharing of Hotel Room Tax concession is one of the major achievements of the third amendment.

2. Broadens the development mechanism to include residential and commercial developments. The original agreement focused predominantly on hotel and tourism development; however, broadening the mechanism had several advantages:

      a. Incentivize and focus development for the first 10 years;

      b. Potentially utilize the concessions more effectively and efficiently;

      c. Of note: the divestiture of the freehold of the Dragon Bay lands for potential residential development was seen as part-and-parcel of this objective, as this property, which was formerly known asSafehaven, had over the past 25 years proven unattractive to residential developers and purchasers because it was leasehold.

     d. Redefined the Net Present Value Abatement to include the value of the Hotel Tourism tax for the Kimpton. This is part of the revised arrangement to have Dart Realty agree to remove the hotel concession   tax from the agreement.

I must note, Madam Speaker, that the sale of the freehold interest in the Dragon Bay lands will be done in accordance with the Governor (Vesting of Lands) Law (2005 Revision). This is the law that governs the sale of Crown property.

The law calls for three valuations to be done on the property including two independent evaluations and one by Lands and Survey. These came in between US$12.448 million dollars at the low end and US$16.686 million dollars on the high end. Negotiations were carried out on the sale by senior ministry and department staff and the final agreed price was US$14.574 million dollars. In determining the sale price a number of factors were taken into consideration

Dart already owned the leasehold on the property parallel to a 99 year lease, which still had about 75 years to run. There were no other parties that would have been able to develop the property unless Dart wanted to sell. Further, it needs to be appreciated that few buyers were attracted to the already developed condominiums or to build houses on the lands for at least the last 25 years because the property was leasehold. Why should they buy leasehold when a stone’s throw away there are many options that are freehold?

At the end of the day the value of any property is what a willing buyer and a willing seller agree.

So the sale of the Dragon Bay lands will be carried out according to law and a price was obtained that was within the expectations of the various evaluations.

In exchange for the freehold interest in these lands Government will receive US$14.574 million dollars, and as Dart develops and sells the property, Government will receive millions of dollars in stamp duty and development fees and jobs will be created for our people during the development phase.

So the sale of the Dragon Bay lands is a win-win for Dart and Cayman and Cayman will continue to receive benefits for decades to come.

I would add that as we negotiated the sale, we ensured that the rights of all stakeholders were considered, including those who now own leasehold rights to condominiums on the property, as well as access to waterways passing through the property. Sorting through these types of issues is another reason the third amendment took all this time to complete.

Continuing with the main improvements to the agreement:

3. The third amendment commits Dart to US$400 million dollars of development (excluding the Kimpton and infrastructure costs) over 10 years versus the original agreement that spread the development over 30 years. This change recognised the preference by Government to have Dart start and complete development projects sooner rather than later. This also recognised that it was difficult to predict or truly commit to the magnitude of development over several decades as called for in the original agreement.

4. It should be noted that the current works on the Kimpton and infrastructure will on completion be worth at least an additional US$400 million dollars. Thus, all combined over the 10 years, Dart will have spent around US$800 million dollars.

5. It was thought that the original agreement was too wide reaching with regard to waivers and allowed Dart to receive concessions on new infrastructure works or development. Therefore this third amendment does not allow for much of the infrastructure costs being undertaken by Dart Realty to be included in the US$400 million dollars. Of particular importance, the realignment and upgrading of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway from a new roundabout just south of Camana Bay (ACR1) to the Century 21 Roundabout is not included in the US$400 million dollar investment package.

6. In fact, these road works are being undertaken and paid for at significant costs by Dart Realty after being approved by and through the National Roads Authority. They will benefit Dart properties but will also benefit the Cayman Islands as it will allow for the creation of an additional two lanes in either direction. This is work the Government would not have been able to afford and that Dart is doing out if its own pocket. It is also work they have in fact already commenced on their own land.

7. These roads built by Dart will be gazetted as a public road. This gives the added assurance that:

     a. This portion of the road, which is paid for privately by Dart Realty will become a public road, or Crown Property; and

     b. Costs associated with the expansion can receive a waiver under the existing agreement, which again assists in utilizing the concession quicker. Dart has agreed to waive rights to compensation under the Roads Law in respect of its land required for the new corridor.

8. Government has agreed to sell Dart the remaining property known as part of ‘the Soto Land’, comprising approximately 4.2 acres of undeveloped Crown land located east of the car park at Seven Mile Public Beach. Dart holds the remaining term of a 99 year lease of most of this land from the Crown, Dart having acquired the lease from the Sotos. The sale will be carried out in accordance with the Governor (Vesting of Lands) Law and will be sold for a price still to be negotiated, but based on market value, in the same fashion as the Dragon Bay lands. Dart will also surrender the remainder portion of this lease of the Soto lands, being the area on which is located the children’s play area, public beach car park, beach football pitch and beach volleyball courts, collectively known now as the Public Beach Park.

9. Dart agreed to remove the provision in the second amendment that allowed them to relocate future public rights of access to the sea into a new public beach. This means that whilst there may be no new public beach, the public will maintain future rights of access to the sea through Dart beach front lands that are developed in the future, and importantly, the CPA will maintain control over such public rights of way, and not Cabinet.

10. Madam Speaker, for the benefit of the House and the listening public, let me try to explain briefly the purpose of the Net Present Value and the change introduced by the third amendment. The original NRA Agreement sought to recognize that Dart would be making significant investment in the Islands with the building of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway extension, as well the monies extended to the UDP Government to be used for community purposes – such as the Save the Mortgage scheme. In other words, it recognized the value of money spent now verses what is spent later by way of a discount rate – in this case 10 per cent, compounded annually. It is regrettable that the original agreement had such a high discount rate. But that is the rate we were bound by.

11. Madam Speaker, we recognized from the outset as did PwC, that Dart Realty would be looking to replace any value lost when giving up a concession in this third amendment. This included the hotel room tax rebate for the Kimpton Hotel, which had an estimated value of US$13.1 million dollars. It should be noted that Government sought hard to reduce the discount rate of 10 per cent agreed by the previous Government in the original agreement, but was not successful in doing so. Therefore, we sought to widen and encourage Dart to greater development so as to utilize this abatement as quickly and effectively as possible. And Madam Speaker, this inclusion of US$13.1 million dollars to the NPV cap, in place of the hotel tax rebate, is certainly more preferable than leaving the status quo as this would have cost Government much more over the long term. PwC in its original value for money review noted that the hotel tax rebate could potentially provide Dart Realty with a tax rebate until 2052 under the terms of the second amendment agreement. It also estimated that a total rebate given to Dart on their developments proposed at the time could amount to as much as US$62.3 million. Compared to this amount, the US$13.1 million included for the Kimpton alone under the third amendment is a huge win.

12. Government has the option to accept three acres of lands to build a new Sunrise Adult Training Centre or accept US$1.35 million dollars as a cash payment. In addition Government also has the option to accept 20 acres of land for education and community purposes in West Bay or receive US$1.85 million dollars as a cash payment. Government has up to six months following the signing this agreement on the 30th of May to decide on an option.

13. Dart Realty will construct the expansion of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway between ACR1 and the Butterfield Roundabout at a cost to the Government that has been negotiated by the National Roads Authority and which has been deemed to be commercially competitive.

14. Government will enact new legislation that covers volumetric parcels as well as the concept of positive covenants. The work on this is ongoing and when complete will benefit Dart as well as all developers, facilitate new types of land development above public roads and make the development of land more efficient.

15. The Government has also been cognizant of the procedures for negotiation and Ministry staff and relevant Government technocrats have endeavoured to participate fully in the process. All meetings were held at the Government Administration Building with senior Ministry staff present.

16. The Ministry of Planning is liaising with the Planning Department and the Financial Secretary’s Office to track development spend and concession waivers by and for Dart to inform Cabinet of Dart’s spend within the $400 million dollars 10 years commitment.

Prior to signing this third amendment, the Ministry requested that PWC review the third amendment and compare it to the earlier amendments that were the focus of their value for money review. They were asked to give an assessment as to whether this third amendment provided improvements over the earlier versions. They concluded in the following terms follows:

“In general, the provisions of the draft third amendment reflect the goals of CIG and perhaps most importantly the removal of the hotel tax rebate.”

The letter went on to recognise that even with the third amendment the deal remains imperfect but it recognised the benefits brought in by the third amendment coupled with the substantial investment undertaken by Dart, which was not included in the original value for money review.

PWC noted, “In light of the above, CIG can have some confidence that the objectives of supporting economic growth through encouraging significant private sector investment will be achieved through this draft third amendment.”

It concluded, “We believe that it would be to CIG’s advantage to conclude negotiations of the NRA Agreement and not seek further changes than those foreseen by the draft third amendment. Future development agreements or other transactions with Dart Realty should be negotiated on their own merits and without reference to the NRA Agreement, as amended.”

That is sound advice indeed.

The third agreement was signed on the 30th May, 2016. Government will now move forward and request that Cabinet consider the closure of the remainder of part of the West Bay Road so as to complete our obligation in that regard.

We also wish to recognise the ongoing commitment to the Cayman Islands shown by Dart and I extend our appreciation to Dart for working with this Government and for having the confidence to start the agreed works even though we have only now been able to complete the signing.

I thank this Honourable House.

By the Mosquito Research and Control Unit and Oxitec

A local group opposed to the Friendly Aedes aegypti Project have made a series of public statements. Many of these assertions are false or misleading. This briefing is designed to facilitate accurate information.

The project is being carried out by the Cayman Islands Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) in collaboration with biotechnology company Oxitec.

The first section of this document addresses some common questions about the project. The second part addresses points from an advert published in the Cayman Compass on Friday June 3, 2016. At the end are MRCU and Oxitec contact details.

Responses to common questions:

Q. Why is this project being done? What is the need/benefit?
A. The aim of the project is to better control Aedes aegypti in an area of West Bay in Grand Cayman. This mosquito is able to transmit dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever and potentially additional viral diseases, so an improved method of control is in the public health interest as existing methods are not effective enough.

Q. How long will the project last?
A. The first phase has 9 months of releases after a period of community engagement.

Q. Why was West Bay chosen for the project?
A. It is a ‘hot spot’ for Aedes aegypti. It may subsequently be expanded to other areas, subject to regulatory approval.

Q. Has there been a proper approval process in Cayman?
A. Yes. The project was firstly approved by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment. Following the implementation of the National Conservation Law, the project then was also approved by the National Conservation Council.

Q. Was the public consulted?
A. The choice of mosquito suppression tool is a matter for government and has been made in the public health interest, based on the most appropriate interventions available. The regulatory process is transparent and included public sessions. We are actively engaging in education of the public.

Q. Is this a tested technology?
A. Yes. The project in Cayman comes after several successful trials of the technology in Cayman and elsewhere, such as deployment in Brazil. Furthermore it is consistent with the World Health Organization’s recent recommendation for operational use of Oxitec’s mosquitoes in response to the international emergency related to Zika virus.

Q. Is microcephaly caused by Oxitec mosquitoes?
A. No. Microcephaly is related to Zika virus, not mosquitoes. Clusters of microcephaly occurred in French Polynesia in 2007 where there were never any genetically modified mosquitoes. The World Health Organization has confirmed there is no evidence that Zika virus disease or microcephaly in Brazil is caused by genetically modified mosquitoes.

Responses to points raised by the advert

The ad says: “Oxitec obtained approval from FDA in South Florida. Why has the FDA now rescinded that approval and stopped the release pending further assessment and a country-wide vote?”

In fact: The FDA published in March 2016 a preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact, which concluded that the planned Florida trial would not have a negative impact on human health or the environment. The public consultation phase on this preliminary finding has recently finished and the final position of US FDA will be issued in due course. Nothing has been rescinded; the FDA does not put their decisions to a vote. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District has decided to conduct a non-binding poll of its residents regarding their support for use of the Oxitec solution under the FDA approval.

The ad says: “Do you know over 3 million GM Mosquitoes were released in the Cayman Islands in 2009 & 2010 with no widespread public awareness?”

In fact: There were community engagement activities in East End before releasing mosquitoes in the area in 2009 and 2010. Oxitec and MRCU are engaged in a full communication programme to ensure the public is aware of the control programme, the technology, and the goal.

The ad says: “What is the current prevalence of the Zika, dengue and chikungunya virus in the Cayman Islands and what are the risks of those virus types manifesting in the Cayman Islands in the future?”

In fact: Dengue and chikungunya have previously appeared in Cayman at low levels. The first Zika case was recently confirmed in a visitor from Amsterdam and is presumed to have been sexually transmitted, while the visitor was in the Cayman Islands, from her boyfriend who resides in St. Maarten where the Zika virus is prevalent and who had joined her on vacation. The control of Aedes aegypti is the primary way to prevent transmission of these diseases.

The ad says: “What are the risks of spreading diseases by biting females?”

In fact: Oxitec’s protocols are designed to minimize the likelihood of female release. In the event female mosquitos were released, it is extremely unlikely that a released female of the Oxitec GM mosquitoes could survive long enough in the environment to spread disease because they only live 2-4 days and it takes 5-10 days to contract these viruses.

The ad says: “What are the risks of releasing 22 million genetically modified, non-native strain mosquitoes?”

In fact: The Cayman Islands National Conservation Commission (NCC) has reached the conclusion that the risks are insignificant. The expected outcome is a reduction in the wild, non-native strain mosquitoes, which can transmit Zika, dengue and chikungunya.

The ad says: “What is the risk that wild type Aedes aegypti mosquitoes migrate to surrounding areas in response to the releases?”

In fact: This has not been observed in any previous projects and is highly improbable as mosquitoes travel less than 200 yards on average in their lifetime.

The ad says: “What are the risks of increasing other mosquito strains if the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are suppressed?”

In fact: This has not been observed in any previous project. Even if it did occur, the other mosquitoes are far less dangerous than Aedes aegypti which is the primary vector for a number of dangerous arboviruses including Zika, dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya.

The ad says: “What is the potential impact on the Cayman Islands ecosystem and what independent assessments have been conducted?”

In fact: Suppressing or even eradicating the non-native species Aedes aegypti will not have a harmful impact on the Cayman Islands ecosystem. In Cayman, assessments were conducted by the Departments of Agriculture and Environment. Since the implementation of the National Conservation Law it has been further reviewed by the National Conservation Council.

The ad says: “What would be the impact in the event of the failure of the killing mechanism due to tetracycline in the environment and/or evolution of resistance or other reasons as yet undiscovered.”

In fact: There is not enough tetracycline in the environment to inhibit the killing mechanism of the self-limiting gene. Any hypothetical localized contamination would mean diminished efficacy of this tool just in that local area. There is no evidence to date of resistance; if this arose the releases would have diminishing efficacy. Whether for these reasons or the hypothetical undiscovered reasons for reduced efficacy, the releases would still be safe, the field monitoring would detect the problem and if releases stopped, the GM mosquitoes would disappear from the environment.

Further information

Diseases spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito

 Dengue fever infects an estimated 400 million people globally every year with about half of the world’s population at risk.

 Chikungunya swept into Central America and the Caribbean in 2014 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within only a year.

 Zika virus is rapidly spreading into new countries and has caused a state of emergency in Brazil where it has been linked to a sudden increase in birth defects (microcephaly) and nervous system disorders (Guillain-Barré syndrome).

 Yellow fever remains a major health threat. Globally, there are an estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever, causing 30,000 deaths each year, with 90% cases occurring in Africa.
About MRCU

The Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) was established in 1965 to suppress mosquito populations so as to minimize discomfort from mosquito biting, to protect residents and visitors from mosquito-borne disease, and thereby enhance the quality of life and promote the economy of the Cayman Islands. The department has many years’ experience in utilizing integrated control to reduce the risk of local transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.

About Oxitec
Oxitec is a pioneer in using genetic engineering to control insect pests that spread disease and damage crops, and was founded in 2002 as a spinout from Oxford University (UK). Oxitec is a subsidiary of Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), which engineers biology to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

Contacts:
For more information:
MRCU:
Dr. Bill Petrie
MRCU Director
Site: www.mrcu.ky
+1 345 949 2557

Oxitec:
Dr. Renaud Lacroix
Oxitec Project Manager
renaud.lacroix@oxitec.com
+1 345 925 8728
Site: www.oxitec.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/oxitec
Twitter: www.twitter.com/oxitec

By Hon. Marco S. Archer, JP, MLA
Minister for Finance and Economic Development

Madam Speaker, I thank God for the privilege to rise today to speak to The Appropriation (July 2016 to December 2017) Bill, 2016 and for the success that He has bestowed upon us.

The 2016/17 Budget is my fourth Budget as Minister for Finance and Economic Development and represents yet another steady step in our progress toward long term fiscal stability, economic growth and ensuring a sound financial future for our Islands.Madam Speaker when I presented this Administration’s first Budget on 7th October 2013 my Budget Address was entitled “Economic Growth through Fiscal Prudence” and I put forward the sound reasoning that if the Government would practice fiscal prudence, economic growth would follow due to investors’ and business entities’ having increased confidence in the Cayman Islands.

Over the past three fiscal years this Government has worked to do just that, improving the state of public sector finances, restoring investor confidence, lowering the cost of doing business, lowering the cost of living in certain circumstances, and bringing back national pride and optimism for our people. 

View the complete address here. 

By Hon. Moses Kirkconnell, JP

Madam Speaker, I rise to offer my contribution to the 2016-2017 Budget. Before I begin, I would like to congratulate the Governor, Her Excellency, Mrs. Helen Kilpatrick, CB, on her Throne Speech; the Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughlin, on his Budget Policy Statement, “Delivering on Our Promises”; and the Minister of Finance, Hon. Marco Archer, on his Budget Address, “Securing Cayman’s Future.”

View the complete address here. 

Highlighting Cayman’s ‘lead on global transparency as a cooperative jurisdiction’, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has written to the Minister of Financial Services, Wayne Panton, welcoming Cayman’s participation in the discussion for the development and subsequent implementation of a global standard for  the sharing of beneficial ownership information.

‘Cayman has taken a lead on global transparency as a cooperative jurisdiction, including through your early commitment to the Common Reporting Standard, your joining the Multilateral Convention and the important role that you have played and continue to play in the Global Forum for Tax Transparency’, Mr Osborne wrote in his letter, which was dated 10 May and received by the Ministry today (Wednesday, 18 May).

‘This has been influential in helping achieve rapid global uptake of these standards and a step- change in global tax transparency’.

Mr Osborne also wrote that he has asked officials to ensure that arrangements are put in place so that the Cayman Islands, along with other committed jurisdictions, will be able to participate in discussions as the global standard is developed.

‘It will be important, as you say, to ensure that the new standard respects the confidentiality and security of data and that appropriate legal gateways are in place. I also very much agree with your comments about the importance of a level playing field and hope that we can work together to convince all countries and jurisdictions to join this important initiative’, he wrote.

On behalf of Government, Minister Panton wrote to Mr Osborne on 6 May in order to agree to participate in the discussions. In addition to raising the points regarding confidentiality and data security, in his letter he noted that having a level playing field is vitally important in order for global mechanisms to be effective and that as such, he looked forward to other jurisdictions making similar commitments to the initiative.

Chancellor to Hon. Wayne Panton

Cayman's letter to UK regarding Beneficial Ownership initiative - 6 May 2016

Good morning,

Honourable Speaker, Premier, Honourable Ministers, Leader of the Opposition, Members of the Legislative Assembly, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to be with you in this honourable House to outline the Government’s plans for the 2016-2017 budget year.

I congratulate this Government on its careful stewardship and adherence to the principles of good governance. Much has happened since I delivered my first Throne Speech in 2013.

Since then, I have developed a strong affection for the people of the Cayman Islands.  As you know, I hope to continue to serve as Governor until September 2017. I look forward to what the next year holds.

As I said in my first address, good governance, which I am charged to promote, involves the careful and planned management of resources, so that we all benefit in a sustainable way. This Government has worked hard to achieve the goals it set at the beginning of its term – to strengthen the economy, improve government finances, and enhance the lives of those who live on these islands.

Because of this hard work, the initiatives set out in last year’s Throne Speech are either under way or have been accomplished.

In addition, with this budget, the Government will have met all the targets required by the Public Management and Finance Law and the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility and thus within the time span agreed with the United Kingdom Government.  This budget should, therefore, be the last that requires advance approval from the United Kingdom.

This achievement is the result of a disciplined approach to governance that has created a substantial surplus. It has helped boost business confidence and investment. The surplus has allowed the Government to reduce import duties and fees, as well as to continue addressing the problem of civil service pay stagnation.

Individuals and businesses have felt the benefits of both this increased economic activity, and of lower taxes across the economy.

We have seen the average prices of goods fall, helped by the reductions in import duty on most goods.  Electricity costs are also lower because of falling oil prices, but also because of the lowering of import duty on the diesel used to generate electricity.

Importantly, because of the growing economy, employment – particularly of Caymanians – has improved significantly. The past year has seen the best employment figures since 2007.

To help Caymanians who have challenges getting, and keeping employment, the Government has collaborated with the private sector in the “Ready 2 Work” programme.  This important initiative seeks to give individuals the dignity of work as well as to provide economic benefits for employees and employers.

The Government is also continuing with major capital works that will enhance air and cruise tourism, modernise waste management, improve roads and revitalise George Town. Work has begun on a new boardwalk and park in South Sound, and other new public parks are expected to be completed in the coming year.  Work will also continue to make a Long Term Residential Mental Health Facility for Caymanians a reality.

The National Solid Waste Management Strategy has been finalised, and work is progressing on the Integrated Solid Waste Management System.  The Government will be making announcements about recycling, and the removal of old tyres at the landfill, soon.

The Government maintains a strong and clear determination to meet international standards across its wide range of operations. I refer not only to regulation of the Cayman Islands international financial services sector, but also to procurement standards, gender equality, and improvements to intellectual property and copyright laws.

All of these matter to Cayman’s economy and to providing for a fairer society for all.  The introduction of a National Minimum Wage, just two months ago, along with pending amendments to the Labour Law, will contribute to this aim.

The Government’s commitment to international standards was evident from the Cayman Islands participation at the recent anti-corruption summit in London. At the summit, the Government stated, and the UK Government agreed, that the Cayman Islands has proven its commitment to transparency and should have a seat at the table when decisions are made. The relationship between the United Kingdom and Cayman Islands governments remains strong, and both are committed to working together for the good of the global community.

In addition to new initiatives around beneficial ownership, the Ministry of Financial Services is preparing for several important international assessments in the year ahead.

The Ministry is also prioritising enhancements to mechanisms for the exchange of beneficial ownership information, ahead of the June 2017 deadline agreed with the UK.  The Government will also enact and amend legislation dealing with financial services and data protection.

Importantly, the Ministry of Financial Services, and the financial services industry, continue to maintain a high level of cooperation and partnership. To highlight this, Cayman Finance supported the Government’s position, and assisted the Government’s efforts, at the conference in London.

The public sector is committed to providing a level of service that is on par with competing jurisdictions. The Deputy Governor is leading on the professionalisation and effectiveness of the civil service. The first item from the Project Future programme that Cabinet has approved, is the creation of an Office of the Ombudsman.  This will combine the functions of the Complaints and Information commissions, as well as the new Police Complaints Commission.  This should be in place by the end of this calendar year. Other projects are in development and the Government will speak to these in due course.

In addition, the Public Authorities Bill will be introduced in the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year, and will aim to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the public sector more widely.

To facilitate a more modern approach to doing business, the Cabinet Office will coordinate public sector efforts to make improvements in cyber security and strategic communications during the next financial year. There will be continued focus on the use of technology to deliver and improve services.

The Government knows that innovation is necessary to ensure a vibrant public sector, as well as a thriving and sustainable economy. It continues to encourage and support businesses of all sizes.

Economic sustainability is, of course, a particular concern to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.  The Ministry of District Administration has plans for projects that will help to meet its goal of job creation.

The Ministry of Finance, meanwhile, is working to develop tools that will provide more up-to-date and detailed information about all areas of our economy. This kind of evidence based decision making will be a model for the public sector.

The Ministry of Health will continue its efforts to eradicate the aedes aegypti mosquito, and thus help keep residents safe from harmful mosquito borne illness such as the Zika virus.

This September, the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs, will launch a second action plan focussing on targets for improvement in schools. Labour and pensions legislative reform will clarify the law and increase compliance. The Government is also working to improve the care for those most in need through better social policy, programmes and services. Work will continue on improvements to school infrastructure.

In addition to introducing a national policy for older people, the Ministry of Community Affairs will streamline the processing of applications from those most in need.

Caymanians, and residents of all ages, rightly place great importance on personal security. I will be asking the new Commissioner of Police to review the operations of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and to put forward recommendations for improvements.

In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs will develop interdisciplinary approaches to crime reduction and child protection between the agencies responsible for criminal justice, public safety and national security. Capacity-building, standard setting and, as elsewhere, the use of technology will be prioritised.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will upgrade its electronic case management system, in order to collect performance data more reliably and improve the link between the Police and Courts.

The Judicial Department will introduce mediation for family proceedings in both the Grand and Summary courts, to help parties reach settlements and avoid protracted legal proceedings.

We will also see change with the introduction of the new electoral system. The civil service will ensure that the electorate is educated about the new system, as well as ensuring that everything goes smoothly on Election Day.

Ladies and gentlemen, while the agenda that I have outlined today highlights the plans for the current political administration over the coming year, the civil service, oversight bodies, private sector and civil society all play important roles in supporting our thriving democracy.

As we address the demands of today, we must also consider the new opportunities and challenges of the future, and follow a course that will benefit future generations.

It will be important that all of us who are lucky enough to call the Cayman Islands home, work together to deliver a strong, safe and stable environment for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you for your attention.

much at stake to go any other way than forward. We are too strong in our hearts, too innovative in our minds and too firm in our beliefs to retreat from our goals”.

In closing it only remains for me to thank my team, Ministers and Councillors, for their commitment, dedication, and discipline in adhering to our philosophy of fiscal responsibility and caring government.

Thanks also to the team in the Office of the Premier that provides support to me and the Government Caucus.

I also wish to thank the Deputy Governor and the Attorney General as well as the Cabinet Secretary for all their hard work and support.

And I thank you, Madam Speaker, for your commitment and for the wisdom and patience you display as you chair meetings of this Honourable House.

As I did last year, I urge the House to remain focused on those things that are good, those things that are right, and those things that are in the best interest of the people of the Cayman Islands. After all, that is why they accorded us the great privilege of being here.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

From the beginning of June 2016, government will take over responsibility for the collection depots located at major supermarkets for the recycling of household and small business waste.

This service is currently provided by local company, Junk, through private contracts with the supermarkets, with no government involvement. Junk recently advised the supermarket management that its company will no longer provide the service and that it will close the recycling depots on 31 May for business reasons.

A request for proposals (RFP) for enhanced recycling was advertised earlier this year and there was only one bidder. The RFP covered a two-year interim period as there will be a subsequent RFP that covers the entire Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS), including recycling. The amount proposed by the bidder in its tender was considerably more than government thought reasonable at this juncture, and the bidder indicated that the price it offered was the best the company could do for a two-year contract. Consequently, the decision was made that the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) would temporarily take over the recycling programme until the new RFP is awarded.  It is projected that the costs of managing the programme will be less than those that were in the tender. Government stresses that this is a temporary fix based purely on costs, and that Junk, along with any other interested parties, will have an opportunity to bid on the larger contract, which should be advertised by year-end.

Director of DEH, Roydell Carter, commented: “The DEH will immediately step in to take over management of the various depots so customers can continue to deliver their recyclable materials to bins located at Foster’s Food Fair stores by the Airport, Strand, Countryside, and Republix as well as to Kirk Market, Hurley’s supermarket, and Chisholm’s Supermarket in North Side.”

At each depot location, there will also be some changes to the programme. There will be new, separate bins in these locations for clean paper (including shredded paper, newspapers and magazines, boxboard and old corrugated cardboard), aluminum cans, and totes for glass/ceramics. Metal cans, such as food and pet food containers, can now be recycled at all of these locations. The expanded recycling programme will no longer accept all plastics as the higher number plastics are not viable; it will continue to accept #1 PET plastics (such as plastic beverage and water containers) and #2 HDPE plastics (such as milk jugs and detergent containers) in separate bins as part of the programme. These plastics can easily be identified by the above numbers that are stamped onto the bottom of the plastic containers.

“Taking household and small business waste to be recycled helps divert waste out of the landfill,” said Jim Schubert, Senior Project Manager for ISWMS. “It helps us all to play our part in the management of an ever-increasing amount of waste materials on the island.”

The government’s recycling project will be spearheaded by the DEH’s Assistant Director of Solid Waste, Mark Rowlands, who asks that everyone please respect the depots by removing plastic bags, ensuring the recyclables are clean, and avoiding contaminating the bins with garbage or containers not currently being recycled.  “If everyone does their part, the costs for running the system will be minimised with a more efficient system,” he said.

DEH will also be developing further educational and promotional programmes to help customers understand the new system and to encourage the public to engage in recycling.

For more information, please contact the DEH’s office at 949-6696 or 949-8796 or dehcustomerservice@gov.ky.

The National Pensions (Amendment) Bill 2016, which was tabled last week in the Legislative Assembly by Minister for Employment Hon. Tara Rivers, received unanimous approval by all elected representatives that were present for the vote.   This is the first time the National Pensions Law (“NPL”) has been substantively reviewed and modified since it was enacted and came into effect in 1998.

Over 50 amendments have been made to the Law, including increasing the age at which persons become entitled to access their pension (formerly known as the ‘normal retirement age’), how often members receive statements about the performance of their pensions, when non-Caymanian employees become pensionable, when pensioners can transfer their pensions to an overseas pensions plan, and when pension administrators should notify employees that their employer is in arrears.

“Given the multitude of issues which have plagued the system since inception, this is an important piece of legislation which aims to address to a large extent some of the long standing concerns such as a culture of non-compliance and a limited attention to the regulation of pension plans and plan providers,” said Minister Rivers.  “Even though this is the first major review of and amendments to the National Pensions Law in roughly 20 years, this by no means represents the ‘end’ of the journey to improve the pensions regime for the benefit of pensioners, the hard working men and women of this country.  Progress has certainly been made with the adoption of this Bill, but we all recognise that more work needs to be done, and the Ministry is already working on amending key supporting pension regulations which are also outdated.”  Once complete, those Regulations will also be tabled in the Legislative Assembly for affirmative resolution.

In her presentation Minister Rivers explained that the key objectives of the proposed amendments to the National Pensions Law are:

• To remove the notion of a ‘normal retirement age’ and to increase the age (from 60 to 65) at which persons become entitled to access their pension, recognizing the longevity of people in today’s society and, in many instances, their willingness and ability to work longer to contribute to their own independence;
  
  
• To introduce more requirements for pension plans to educate and inform members including the requirement for annual general meetings and an increase in the availability of pension statements as well as notification from the administrator if their employer becomes delinquent;
  
  
• To introduce new and enhanced mechanisms to improve compliance with the National Pensions Law,  especially the strengthening and broadening of the Department of Labour & Pensions (“DLP”) powers and the introduction of a administrative fine regime as well as a verification of compliance provision; and
  
  
• To align the National Pensions Law with the re-organisation of Labour and Pensions Services in the Cayman Islands, by including in legislation the establishment of the DLP.

Of the 50-plus changes made to the law, many of which were based on recommendations from reports produced by Mercer Human Resources Consulting in 2007 (“Mercer Report”) and the Office of the Complaints Commissioner in 2010 (“OCC Report”), the most notable include:

• Changing the definition from ‘normal retirement age’ to ‘normal age of pension entitlement’ and increasing the normal age of pension entitlement from 60 to 65.  This age is simply the time when a member may access their pension benefits under the NPL. It is not the age at which employees must retire. The Law does retain the ability to access pensions earlier under certain conditions.
  
  
• Changing the eligibility of who is mandated to contribute to a pension plan. Employers will be required to pay pensions for non-Caymanian employees who have continuously worked in the Islands for more than six months instead of nine months as it currently stands.  This 6 month threshold is in line with the immigration policy that temporary work permits are not normally granted for more than 6 months; thus, the change in eligibility continues to provide administrative ease for employers who are hiring truly temporary employees.  Additionally, there will be new exemptions for Caymanians who are under the age of twenty-three and pursuing full time education.  In an effort to decrease any potential barriers to employment for young Caymanians, employers will not be mandated to pay pension contributions for those who are pursuing full time education. Currently non-Caymanians and non-permanent residents who are employed to do housework in private residences are not pensionable.  However, the Law did not contain a clear definition as to who falls into that category. In order to align the National Pensions Law with the current definition of “household domestic” in the Labour Law, the term household domestic has been incorporated into the Pensions Law which means that non-Caymanians and  persons who do not have permanent residence employed in a private home as a maid or a gardener are not required to pay pensions.   
  
  
• Changing the requirements for pensioners transferring their pensions overseas.  Under the National Pensions Law (2012 Revision), the only requirement for a transfer is the termination of employment. The new Law mandates that the member’s employment must be terminated, there must be no contributions to his/her pension account for two years and the member must be absent from the Islands for two years before he/she can transfer pension funds overseas.  This change was made to ensure that persons who leave the Islands can transfer their funds to another pensions related fund, while making provisions for those who leave but may return after a short period of time (e.g. at the end of their ‘Roll Over’ period) to resume working in the country.
  
  
• Changing the requirements for refunds. Under the National Pensions Law (2012 Revision), refunds are permitted once the member meets the requirements of terminated employment; no contribution for two years; and ceasing to be resident for 6 months. The new Law allows for Cabinet to determine a date at which pension plan members will no longer be allowed to obtain a refund. Following that date (which is to be determined), refunds will only be available under two circumstances: at the administrators discretion for commuted values of less than CI$5,000 and where a member reaches age 65 and wants to but is unable to transfer their pension benefit to an approved pension plan, retirement savings account or similar arrangement, or a life annuity. This policy shift was deemed necessary in order to minimize the possibility of persons accessing and depleting their pension benefits prior to retirement, and then subsequently  becoming wards of the country later in life.
  
  
• Increasing the year’s maximum pensionable earnings from the current amount of CI$60,000 to CI$87,000.  This figure represents the inflation adjusted amount recommended in the Mercer Report.  It also represents the maximum amount that employees and employers are statutorily required to pay in pension contributions annually.  However, there is nothing in the Law to prohibit the payment of contributions on earnings above this amount, known as Additional Voluntary Contributions.
  
  
• Increasing the flexibility of accessing Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC).  In an effort to encourage members to build additional savings in their pension plans, the amended Law allows members to access AVCs if they are needed prior to reaching the normal age of pension entitlement. Members are permitted, within defined criteria, to access their AVCs in the following four categories: housing, medical, temporary unemployment and educational needs.
  
  
• Increasing the level of fines under the NPL as well as adding new fines.  The fines currently in the NPL have not been amended since its implementation in 1998.  The new fines give the NPL more teeth and are another step in the process of building the culture of compliance.  Some of the fines will also now include the possibility of imprisonment periods. 
  
  
• Expanding the duties and functions of the pensions administrators to include providing members with semi-annual statements as opposed to only annual statements; submitting evidence of yearly administrator training to the Director of the DLP; holding annual general meetings for members which create an opportunity for members to hear directly from their pension plan administrator and key service providers about the activities of the pension plan; and publishing investment returns and expense ratios of their pension plans to ensure the general public is aware of these key performance figures of each pension plan and to enable the public to equitably compare pension plans.
  
  
• Legally requiring employers to keep proper books and comprehensive records in relation to their pensionable employees, and making those documents available for employees to obtain information.  The DLP will continue to conduct inspections of employers to monitor compliance with the Law and to act accordingly..

Although the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2016 has passed in the LA, for the changes to take effect the Law must first be assented to by the Governor and then Cabinet must issue an Order to bring each section into force. It is anticipated that several of the sections will come into effect together, whereas other sections will require a longer transition phase to allow for public education, and for the administrators and the DLP to amend their systems or procedures.

Minister Rivers stated, “There is much that these amendments to the NPL achieve by way of improvements to the current system. However, given the feedback received during the highly participatory and consultative legislative reform process undertaken over the past year, it is clear that there is still much to be addressed and that the refinement of the pensions regime must be a regular work in progress.”  She went on to say that, “It is unfortunate that almost 20 years have elapsed since the private sector pensions legislation has been revised in earnest to address the long standing issues. Nonetheless, as promised, this Government is committed to tackling the tough issues facing the country in an attempt to do more than just talk about them.  This is one major step forward in this regard.”  Rivers says that an education campaign will be developed to help increase the public’s knowledge of the private sector pension regime.

The Cayman Islands has confirmed to the UK that it will join the initiative for the development of a global standard for the sharing of beneficial ownership information.

Furthermore, Cayman has informed HM Treasury that, in order to foster greater collaboration between law enforcement and tax authorities in the fight against corruption and tax evasion, it is welcoming jurisdictions that are participating in the initiative for the exchange of beneficial ownership information to enter agreements with Cayman that are similar to the Exchange of Notes currently in place with the UK.

The Premier, the Hon. Alden McLaughlin, said Cayman’s invitation to participating jurisdictions is one of a number of current, significant measures that it is taking to promote global tax compliance, and also to collaborate with other countries that are engaged in global anti-corruption initiatives.

‘For many years Cayman has had in place a strong anti-corruption framework, as evidenced by the extension in 2010 of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention; and the expected extension of the UN Convention against Corruption, for which Cayman was favourably assessed in 2014’, he said.

Cayman’s measures include the repeal, by this September, of The Confidential Relationships (Preservation) Law, which often has been misrepresented as Cayman’s ‘secrecy law’. It will be replaced with The Confidential Information Disclosure Law, which will better clarify the mechanisms through which confidential information may be shared with appropriate authorities. Furthermore, acknowledging privacy as a basic human right, in September new data protection legislation will also be introduced that is on par with what is in place in the European Union.

While bearer shares in the Cayman Islands have been immobilised since April 2000, Cayman recently passed legislation to completely abolish bearer shares by 13 July this year.

Cayman’s commitment to global transparency is well documented, through the range of instruments and protocols that already are in effect. These include tax information exchange agreements with 36 jurisdictions; the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, which allows tax information exchange with more than 90 countries; automatic data exchange as part of the European Union Savings Directive; and legislation relating to US FATCA, UK FATCA and the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard.

Cayman operates under a system of indirect taxation. This, however, has no bearing on the taxation that is due, or that is collected, by the home jurisdictions of foreign investors. Investors are responsible for tax liabilities in accordance with the laws of their home jurisdictions. Cayman’s transparency supports the efforts to ensure tax compliance with other countries’ tax authorities.

Minister of Financial Services Wayne Panton said that for nearly 20 years, Cayman’s system has helped to fight serious crimes globally, including money laundering, tax evasion and illicit finance; and that the current initiatives are reinforcing that foundation.

"We recognise the need for closer collaboration, in line with international standards.  We support current initiatives in this regard, and will do our part to promote transparency in order to encourage global tax compliance," he said.

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA
Thursday, 5 May, 2016
Legislative Assembly

Madam Speaker,

I am pleased to announce today that the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) has partnered with United Kingdom (UK)-based biotechnology company Oxitec to undertake new mosquito control measures.

Using pioneering science, the project is designed to fight the dangerous Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads Zika, dengue and chikungunya.

Oxitec is a world-leader in the fight against this breed of mosquito and is currently implementing its control solution in Brazil which is, of course, at the epicentre of the present Zika outbreak.

I am very proud to say that the Cayman Islands is the only other country in the world where this programme will be taking place outside of Brazil, and we are once again leading the way in the advancement of mosquito control measures.

While we are no strangers to the occasional case of dengue, and last year we had a few imported cases of chikungunya, we so far remain free of Zika,
Nonetheless, our Public Health Department continues to be vigilant, monitoring the situation regarding Zika and all other infectious diseases.

Zika is of particular concern because of its links to birth defects, including microcephaly, and other medical conditions that are currently being monitored and researched.

Zika has spread rapidly across the Americas and is now in many of our neighbouring countries. On 1st February, the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency.

Then in March, it recommended the implementation of Oxitec’s solution to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito, as part of the global response to the Zika crisis.

We have had an ongoing relationship with Oxitec since 2010 as MRCU has been at the forefront of mosquito-control research. Trials successfully reduced the Aedes aegypti by 96 percent in an area of the island where the study was taking place, so we are happy to have now signed an agreement with Oxitec for a new project, which we envisage being the first step in a multi-phase roll-out across Grand Cayman. The timing could not be better as the world faces the Zika epidemic and continued outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya.

Oxitec’s pioneering technology produces a genetically engineered non-biting male mosquito that breeds with the disease-transmitting Aedes aegypti females. This, in turn, means that offspring inherit a gene which causes them to die before reaching adulthood, ensuring that they do not reproduce.

This is an environmentally friendly approach to curtailing the breed, as no insecticides are necessary.

The control progamme will begin in West Bay before being expanded throughout the island, subject to the appropriate approvals and funding.

As part of public education about this important project, staff from MRCU and Oxitec will have an information booth at West Bay dock from now until Saturday, as well as an information desk at a location in West Bay to be announced. Staff will also conduct house-to-house visits in West Bay to inform residents about what is happening. Updated information will be available to residents in the coming weeks.

Madam Speaker, I take this opportunity to acknowledge the continued efforts of the team at MRCU. They sometimes have to work in very difficult conditions but they do an amazing and very important job in helping to control all mosquito species, including our main disease vector, the Aedes aegypti.

I also recognise and applaud the teamwork that takes place between MRCU and Public Health at the Health Services Authority.
As a result of the long-standing pioneering work by MRCU, the Cayman Islands has benefitted from outstanding mosquito control, and the MRCU has a well-deserved reputation of excellence in mosquito control throughout the region.

As we head into CARPHA Mosquito Awareness Week from 9th -15th May, it is a good time for us all to remember to play our part, too, by ensuring that we do not leave any standing water in our yards. It is very important that we empty buckets and drums and clean our gutters to eliminate possible breeding areas for mosquitoes.

It is our collective responsibility to unite in the fight against this dangerous insect, which for so many generations past, was the scourge of these islands.

I end by thanking Oxitec for partnering with MRCU on this exciting development in mosquito control which has the potential for far-reaching and long-lasting consquences for world health.

Advertisements are to appear in local and international media on Wednesday, 27 April, 2016, seeking proposals for civil engineering design works of the proposed cruise berthing facility.

Successful tenders will pre-qualify with the Ministry of District Administration, Tourism and Transport to take part in the full tender process scheduled next month.

The Ministry is continuing to act on orders from Cabinet to move forward with discussions on the strategy with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, engage cruise lines on the commercial terms regarding the proposed cruise berthing facility and review plans for the least possible environmental impact of the facility including repositioning of the piers. Cabinet has already accepted the Environmental Impact Statement for the project.

In order to negotiate with the cruise lines for a financing model, the Ministry must obtain detailed civil engineering designs that include costs to construct the cruise berthing facility.

“My Ministry continues to have productive discussions with cruise lines in relation to their involvement in the berthing facility and contact has been made with the FCO,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Hon. Moses Kirkconnell. “This next step of civil engineering design works represents significant progress and is needed for the financing model of the cruise lines.

“The construction of a cruise berthing facility is a project that the Progressives campaigned on and pledged in our election manifesto to deliver for the people of the Cayman Islands,” said Mr. Kirkconnell. “Government believes it has the mandate of the people to deliver on that pledge and this project is considered a priority.”

The Ministry remains committed to keeping the country informed as the cruise berthing project progresses.

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA

Madam Speaker, in accordance with Section 8 (a) of the Mental Health Commission Law, 2013, I am pleased today to place before this Honourable House the Annual Report of the Mental Health Commission for the calendar year 2015.

Madam Speaker, the Mental Health Commission was established in January 2014 under the Mental Health Commission Law, 2013.  Madam Speaker, the members of the Mental Health Commission are as follows:

Dr Marc Lockhart, Chair

Dr Taylor Burrowes, Deputy Chair

Olivaire Watler, Deputy Chair

Julene Banks, Member

Kimberly Voaden, Member

Faylene Ebanks-Suckoo, Member

Pastor Dale Forbes, Member

Dr Enoka Richens, Member

Vanessa Gilman, Member

Madam Speaker, the members are stakeholders from various sectors representing legal, health care practitioners with training in mental health, and advocates/laypersons.

Madam Speaker, the functions of the Mental Health Commission are divided into three sections

The quasi-judicial section is set up to hear and determine appeals under various sections of the Law and conduct reviews where a patient has been detained and released under an emergency detention order three or more times in 30 days.

The recommendations to the Health Practice Commission and Councils section includes submitting an annual report to the Minister with responsibility for health, reviewing and advising on scopes of practice and codes of ethics for practitioners, providing policy advice to the relevant registering Councils and advising the Health Practice Commission regarding mental health facilities, medical research, and clinical trials in mental health.

The general functions section includes the following:

• Obtain and compile statistics on mental health
• Oversee and deliver mental health training for constables, prison officers and any other persons expected to deal with mental health patients in the performance of their functions
• Approve a list of overseas mental health facilities
• Research and establish protocols and guidelines for mental health advocacy and approve persons to act as advocates
• Establish and maintain a programme that provides information to the general public concerning mental illness and co-occurring disorders and related conditions
• Review the progress of patients transferred overseas
• Review every six months the progress of remand prisoners deemed unfit to plead and submit it to the Chief Officer, Judicial Administration
• Give policy advice to the Minister responsible for health on any aspect of the local mental health system

Madam Speaker, I will now speak to the contents of the report:

Mental health services are delivered through the Health Services Authority, local private facilities, and mental health care facilities located overseas.

The Behavioural Health and Psychiatric Unit, which was formerly Mental Health Unit, at the Health Services Authority is an eight bed unit that was designed as an adult facility for acute care of patients suffering from serious mental illnesses. There is also a facility providing treatment for patients suffering from alcohol and substance abuse, while Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service accommodates mentally ill persons who have been incarcerated.

There is no inpatient facility for children and adolescents, but if necessary they are admitted to the unit, where they are treated.  Madam Speaker, as stated in the first report of the Mental Health Commission last year, there is an adequate number of mental health practitioners employed in public and private sectors; however, the distribution of practitioners among the three Islands is disproportionate as there is no psychiatrist, psychologist or occupational therapist present on the Sister Islands. Madam Speaker, we are committed to improving our outpatient services so that the care that is needed is accessible in a timely manner to all.

Madam Speaker, as you may be aware in February 2015, Cabinet granted approval of the Policy Guidance for the development of a Long-Term Residential Mental Health Facility. This document outlines the broad policy direction to be followed by the steering committee, which was charged with the procurement process for the development of the facility.

Subsequently, the Strategic Outline Case was finalised and a request for proposals was advertised. Madam Speaker, the successful bidder was KPMG, which was awarded the contract in October 2015 to prepare an Outline Business Case for a proposed Long-Term Residential Mental Health Facility.

Madam Speaker, the training on the mental health legislation provided by the Mental Health Commission has been in high demand. Madam Speaker, you may recall that in 2014 the Mental Health Commission provided two training sessions; in 2015 Madam Speaker, the Mental Health Commission conducted six training sessions – to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Department of Community Rehabilitation, Prison Services, staff of the Health Services Authority including members of the support group and the community, and the Department of Education Services allied health professionals/specialists teachers. Madam Speaker, training sessions will continue on a regular basis in 2016.

Madam Speaker, it is a requirement under the Mental Health Law, 2013, for all detention forms to be sent to the Secretary of the Mental Health Commission for storage and filing.  The forms are reviewed by the secretary to determine whether the members of the Mental Health Commission need to be notified of any outstanding issues or observations. Madam Speaker, for the year 2015 there were 43 patients admitted for various types and degrees of mental illness, with over 75 detention forms received. During this period no request for an appeal was received by the Commission.

Madam Speaker, in order to assist the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service with understanding their roles and responsibilities under the mental health legislation, the Mental Health Commission developed a one page flyer that can be distributed among the three Islands. Madam Speaker, the flyer was officially hander over by the Chief Officer and the Chair of the Mental Health Commission to the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Madam Speaker, in November 2015, the Chair of the Mental Health Commission presented at the annual health care conference on the topic “Bridging the Gap: The State of Mental Health in theCayman Islands”. There were more than 700 participants in attendance. As well, a workshop was held focusing on “Mental health – Let’s talk about it”. Madam Speaker, the annual health care conference has helped to highlight the importance of mental illness and health within the community among friends, families and caregivers. It has given new meaning to mental health as people have become more knowledgeable, acceptable and tolerant to those persons who suffer from a mental illness.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry with technical and financial assistance provided by the Pan American Health Organization convened a stakeholder meeting for one and a half days to develop a National Mental Health Policy. Consultant Psychiatrist Professor Wendel Abel from Jamaica facilitated the meetings. The Ministry is awaiting the final draft of the policy.

Madam Speaker, other work of the Mental Health Commission during 2015  involved participation in World Mental Health Day activities celebrated each year on 10^th October; participation at the second Caribbean Regional Symposium on Suicide Prevention hosted in the Cayman Islands; collaborating with the Health Services Authority Ethics Committee to ensure that persons conducting research on mental health fulfill established criteria; and working with the Councils for Professions Allied with Medicine to develop scopes of practice for mental health practitioners registered under Councils for Professions Allied with Medicine.

Madam Speaker, before I take my seat I would like to acknowledge the work of Deputy Chair Dr. Taylor Burrowes who was accepted by the Caribbean Public Health Agency to present the findings of her doctoral research in a poster presentation at the annual scientific conference held in June 2015. I would like to congratulate her on being selected and to encourage her to continue to raise the awareness on mental health in the wider community.

Madam Speaker, in order to mitigate many of the problems in our society that we currently face, I believe we must facilitate early recognition and treatment of common mental illnesses by enhancing access to mental health care through an integrated approach. The Mental Health Commission will continue to educate, inform and empower those individuals who require our assistance.

Madam Speaker, we have a Mental Health Commission that is committed and has been working diligently since its formation, and the MHC continues to advocate and promote mental wellness for all in the community. We are one step closer since our last report in addressing the need for a long-term residential mental health facility for our chronically ill mental health patients.

Madam Speaker, in closing I would like to thank my Chief Officer and Ministry staff, and the members of the Mental Health Commission for their hard work, dedication and commitment to a subject that affects all of us. Indeed, the World Health Organization notes: “there is no health without mental health."

Thank you Madam Speaker.

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA

Madam Speaker, I would like to move the proposed amendments to the Health Insurance Regulations. As is outlined in the motion, section 25(2) of the Health Insurance Law (2013 Revision) provides that regulations made under the Law are subject to affirmative resolution by the Legislative Assembly.  Madam Speaker, I am therefore tabling the proposed Health Insurance (Amendment) Regulations, 2016, to be affirmed by this honourable House.

The proposed amendments are made up of two clauses, Madam Speaker.  Clause 1 on page 3 provides the citation and the commencement. Members will note that the proposed commencement of the amended regulations is after the Health Insurance (Amendment) Law, 2016, comes into force. I have spoken / will be speaking to these amendments to the Health Insurance Law when we deal with bills later today.

Madam Speaker, Clause 2 on page 3 repeals sub-regulation (1) of regulation 5 and substitutes a new sub-regulation. Under the new provision, the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company will pay $10 dollars per month of each premium charged under each standard health insurance contract in respect of an insured person with no dependents, and $20 dollars per month of each premium charged under each standard health insurance contract in respect of an insured person with dependents. However, Madam Speaker, with these amendments this contribution to the contributions outlined above will not apply to persons in the following categories for whom Government affects a contract of health insurance:

• Each officer in a pensionable office or on probation to such an office;
• Each officer serving under a local or an overseas contract;
• Each officer in a  temporary office;
• Each public office pensioner;
• Each indigent person;
• Each elected member of the Legislated Assembly and, where the Speaker is not a member of the LA, the Speaker;
• Each past elected member of the Legislative Assembly who is a public office pensioner;
• The dependents of any persons specified above;
• A seaman 55 years of age or older and his dependents;
• A widow of a seaman;
• A veteran and his dependents;
• A widow of a veteran;
• Any other person approved by Cabinet;

All other approved health insurance providers will continue to pay $10 dollars per month of each premium charged under each standard health insurance contract for individual policy holders with no dependents, and $20 dollars per month of each premium charged under each standard health insurance contract for individual policy holders with dependents. Members of this Honourable House are likely aware that these funds are collected into the Segregated Insurance Fund, and that fund is used by the Government towards the cost of healthcare for indigent persons.

Madam Speaker during the preparation of the 2014/15 budget it was necessary for the Government to reduce operating expenditure in order to meet the operating expenditure targets mandated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Officer. In light of this, the Honourable Minister for Finance and Economic Development decided that CINICO should be exempt from paying the Segregated Insurance Fund fees for Civil Servants, Retired Civil Servants, Seafarers and Veterans retroactive to 1^st July, 2014. However, CINICO will continue to pay the Segregated Insurance Fund fees for members, or policy holders, under the Standard Health Insurance Contract plans and for members employed with Statutory Authorities and Government Companies.

This policy decision was made to eliminate the “right pocket to left pocket” transfer of funds back and forth between the Government and CINICO – Government would pay the premiums for civil servants, pensioners, and seafarers and veterans inclusive of the Segregated Insurance Fund contribution over to CINICO, and CINICO would remit the Government’s Segregated Insurance Fund contributions to the Ministry of Health. The effect was to “artificially” inflate Government’s expenditure, even though the funds were re-collected and reflected in revenue.  When the funds collected were then spent on indigent health care they were effectively “double counted” in the expenditure.

Removing this contribution for which the individuals that Government pays health insurance premiums will result in a more accurate reflection of expenditure, only counting the funds once – when they are spent on indigent care.

Madam Speaker, as every member sitting here will be aware, with this change, the revenue for the Segregated Insurance Fund will decrease with no guarantee of a corresponding decrease in premiums paid by the Government to CINICO on behalf of its members. However, I want to re-emphasize, Madam Speaker that CINICO will continue to collect and remit the Segregated Insurance Fund contributions for its “non-government” clients, including the elderly, health-impaired, and lower-income insured groups.

Madam Speaker, these amendments   are the results of consultation with the Superintendent of Health Insurance, the Ministry of Finance and CINICO. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Health and Culture staff and the staff of the Legislative Drafting Department for their dedication and support.

I look forward to receiving the support of my colleagues in this Honourable House so that the amendments can be brought into effect.

“I and my Government, and in particular the Minister of Financial Services, continue to engage in constructive discussions with the United Kingdom Government regarding the effective and efficient provision of beneficial ownership information to the United Kingdom law enforcement and tax regulatory authorities in furtherance of the Cayman Islands’ commitment to fighting serious crime and tax fraud,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

“I am confident from those discussions, as recently as today, that the UK Government does not share Mr. Corbyn’s misconceived views,” he said. “However, I wish to be very clear that the Government of the Cayman Islands takes the threat of ‘direct rule’ carried by Mr.

Corbyn’s words most seriously. Indeed we have engaged top constitutional counsel in the United Kingdom to defend the interests of these Islands through legal challenge and representations to the United Nations, should that become necessary.”

The Government will not agree to the “Emergency Meeting” called by the Opposition on 13 April to discuss two Private Members’ Motions, one of which seeks that the House declares a lack of confidence in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and in its governance and the other seeking an inquiry into the handling of the recent tragic case of five Caymanians, including two children, being lost at sea. While both motions raise very serious issues, neither is so urgent that they cannot wait until the

Meeting of the House scheduled for 25th April is held.

“Instead of the Opposition Leader and other opposition members accusing the Government Members of dereliction of duty if we do not attend the “Emergency Meeting” on 13th April, they should be pledging their solidarity with the government and agreeing to work with the government as we navigate the present challenges,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “To do otherwise – to disrupt and distract the government at this critical point – is the very thing that constitutes dereliction of duty. There is just too much at stake for opposition politics to be played at this point.”

Press Conference

By Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA

11 AM, Monday 11 April, 2016

Good morning and thank you for joining us today.

Before we begin, on behalf of the entire Government and the Progressives I offer condolences to the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. McKeeva Bush and his family on the passing of his mother Ms Faith after a long illness. The loss of one’s mother is certainly profound and something with which many of us, including myself, are regrettably familiar. Our thoughts, prayers and considerations are with Mr. Bush and his family during this very difficult time.

This morning I must also make apologies for Financial Services Minister Hon. Wayne Panton who is out of the country attending the RIMS Conference with the Insurance Managers Association of Cayman.

We are here today to update you regarding the results of discussions concerning beneficial ownership between the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom. I want to thank the Minister for Financial Services, his Chief Officer and Ministry staff for all the hard work they have committed to this effort. I also wish to thank the UK Government officials and the UK Government for their work and for acknowledging what the Cayman Islands has done regarding beneficial ownership and our consistent cooperation in the fight against serious crime.

Today I am pleased to announce that following months of discussions the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom have signed an agreement on the enhanced sharing of beneficial ownership information – an agreement that the UK Prime Minister announced minutes ago in the House of Commons.

This agreement adds to the number of commitments that Cayman has made previously, all of which build on our capacity to engage in the global fight against serious crimes. This agreement is reciprocal and holds the UK to the same standards in cases where our law enforcement officials may need information on companies incorporated in the UK.

This agreement confirms that the Cayman Islands will implement, as we have said for some time, a central platform that will allow designated Cayman Islands officials to directly obtain and provide details of beneficial ownership of companies incorporated in Cayman to the UK, as required by law and treaty.    As previously indicated this is not a central registry as beneficial ownership details will remain with the service providers managing them, but rather information will be accessed via a central technical platform. And it certainly will not be available publically or available directly by any UK or non-Cayman Islands agency.

I must tell you that these matters have occupied the Government for some time. It is part of the reason we cannot spend time in the Legislative Assembly this week.

Before I speak to this latest agreement, allow me to give you the background to our ongoing efforts and demonstrate that from the very beginning of this process we have remained clear, consistent, cooperative and committed:

Since 2013 – the year this Government took office – Cayman and the UK have been discussing the form in which the sharing of beneficial ownership information could take between our respective law enforcement and tax authorities. And from the moment the UK’s plans for a publicly accessible central register of beneficial ownership was raised during the run-up to the G8 summit in June of that year, we have been absolutely clear that we support the global fight against serious crimes, including tax evasion and corruption.

We have also been very clear and consistent in emphasising that we already have a robust system for sharing beneficial ownership information, which has been in place for more than 15 years – far longer than that of many countries, including many of the G20 economies and that of the UK.

As we have explained previously, Cayman’s laws require our corporate service providers to verify the beneficial owners of corporate and legal entities incorporated in the Cayman Islands. And perhaps there is no greater example of our consistency in maintaining the highest standards, cooperation with international partners and commitment to upholding global standards than the decades of engagement with international initiatives against serious crimes, including anti money-laundering and tax evasion, through our multiple mechanisms for exchanges of information on tax and beneficial ownership information.

While they have not received as much media attention in comparison with the cases of criminality, these mechanisms include tax information exchange agreements, the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard, the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, the European Union Savings Directive, US FATCA and specifically with the UK, a double tax arrangement and UK FATCA. In all, these mechanisms allow for the sharing of information with more than 90 jurisdictions, including the majority of the G20 countries.

These multiple mechanisms assist other countries with whom we partner in realising the full amount of taxes where they are due. Cayman takes these steps, which are wholly in support of other jurisdictions’ law enforcement and tax regimes, in order to ensure that criminals are not attracted to use our financial services system for illicit means. In other words, we don’t just acknowledge that there is a morality element in fighting global crime. We have been acting on it for years, before it became a global rallying cry.

Rather than allowing illegal activity to take place, then, Cayman’s record on transparency and global law enforcement cooperation is clear to anyone who is willing to recognise our efforts to collaborate globally with law enforcement and tax authorities in the fight against serious crime.

Speaking now of today’s announcement: Cayman’s beneficial ownership regime initially was not understood by our colleagues in the United Kingdom, particularly in light of their preference that we adopt a public, central register. While we always remained clear and consistent in our position during the ongoing discussions, and especially during meetings of the Joint Ministerial Council, it was not until there were several visits to Cayman by UK Ministers and Officials – some at our own request – that they appreciated that our regime already did what they are trying to do.

This all came to a head during the Joint Ministerial Council in December 2015, when it was finally acknowledged that beneficial ownership could be held in our respective j