PPM on track for $48M surplus

| 27/04/2017 | 128 Comments

(CNS): 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%.

Government’s overall debt, which once stood at around three-quarter of a billion dollars, is now forecast to fall to just over half a billion. Core government debt, without the burden from entities such as the Cayman Turtle Centre and Cayman Airways, has already fallen to $451.1 million and it is predicted to be down to $420.7 million at the end of the 2018 financial year.

The pre-election fiscal report, overseen by the financial secretary, is a requirement of the Public Management and Finance Law so that the public can see on paper the details of government finances before they go to the polls. As well as showing how well, or badly, an incumbent administration is managing the public finances, it gives candidates an opportunity to understand what they might inherit and to tell voters how the fiscal situation will fit with their election promises.

Alongside a healthy balance sheet for the public purse, the document reveals that government remains and is on track to continue to be in compliance with all of the principles of responsible financial management throughout the forecast period. The economy is also forecast to grow by at least 2.5% by December increasing to 2.6% in 2018. That growth and a number of other factors, however, will lead to an expected increase in inflation from 0.6% this year to 2.3% in 2018. This will present a challenge for minimum wage workers, which any new government will have to prepared to deal with when taking up office.

The figure that government will be pleased to hammer home, however, is the unemployment rate. According to the government’s bean counters, the unemployment rate is estimated to fall from 4.2% in 2016/17 to 3.6% by December 2018. The document, which is compiled by civil servants, also states that the demand for labour is expected to grow due to development projects and changes to the pension law. Unemployed locals are expected to replace departing expat workers likely to leave before the opportunity to cash in pensions at the end of this year. In contrast, the supply of local labour is expected to grow because of the increase in the working age.

The report reveals that the government surplus is largely down to a higher than expected operating performance, with the duty on alcohol and cars as well as other imported goods growing due to increased demand. While foreclosures have been a controversial topic on the campaign trail, the fiscal report shows a boost in stamp duty and building fees of some $7.3 million more than budgeted.

The increase in the government surplus would have been even greater had overall public spending not increased by more than $20 million. Among other things, personnel costs are expected to be $4.2 million higher than the original budget this fiscal year because of civil service pay rises and an increase in staff for education, the Commissions Secretariat and the Mosquito Research and Control Unit. Government also spent $7.2 million more than forecast because of its ever-growing overseas medical costs and Cuban migrants.

Likely to be seen as a positive increase in costs was scholarships, as an extra $2.6 million was spent on local students studying abroad. Expected gains on foreign exchange was around $1 million less than expected and statutory authorities and government companies made an overall loss of some $1.2 million in 2016/17 rather than the half million profit the finance minister had hoped to reap.

But whoever takes over the helm of central government on the morning of 25 May, they can expect to have around $353.5 million in the bank at the end of the year, which is $12.3 million more than original budgeted.

The document, which paints a detailed and positive economic picture for the Cayman Islands, is bound to be welcomed by the Progressives as they hit the campaign trail, though perceptions that some local people are still being left behind as the economy improves could still prove difficult for the PPM to shake. Nevertheless, it will allow the party to continue championing their finance minister.

However, Marco Archer’s popularity was shaken this week after the video of his angry and unexpected response to his opponent calling in a radio show went viral on social media.

In the already well publicised footage, Archer refused to engage with Kenneth Bryan, who is running against him in George Town Central, when the independent candidate called in to ask him some questions.

While it would not be unexpected for a candidate to want to engage with voters rather than his challenger on such a forum, it was his angry and threatening response to the host of the show and the production team after Bryan’s call was cut off that attracted significant criticisms. The owners of Rooster confirmed that Archer had not paid for the air time and was an invited guest.

See the pre-election document on the CNS Library

The video of the Archer/Bryan exchange is below, courtesy of Hurley’s Media.

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Category: 2017 General Elections, Economy, Elections, Politics

Comments (128)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The other paper reports this morning that there is a shortfall of $500m for future healthcare funding…go figure

  2. Anonymous says:

    Kenneth votes in GTE. Not central. That post was purely antagonistic.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Now we know why there is so much crime, unemployment, and hungry bellies around. Anything for a wote, folks.

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  4. Unison says:

    @ 12:50 p.m. commenter –

    Despite this small episode, I think Marco will still get elected. Overall, I think folks see him as the better choice.

    Don’t forget, it wasnt too long ago that I understand Kenneth came across as arrogant and condescending with police officers. This wasnt too long ago. Luckily escaped another conviction –

    See link:
    caymannewsservice.com/2016/02/bryan-guilty-of-assault-but-no-conviction-recorded/

    With such shady incident hanging over Kenneth plus the cocaine episode, do you see why folks can forgive Marco for this little reactionary incedent

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  5. Anonymous says:

    This type of posturing in nothing new. People are suffering, banks taking their homes and the government all of a sudden has this wonderful surplus. Who do they think they are fooling? It is an election year and we expect this type of playing with numbers.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Marco came across as arrogant and condescending. I may disagree with virtually everything he has said and would not want him in office but Kenneth is a member of the public and a voter himself and as entitled to call in as anyone else. Shame on Marco, I hope he has learned a valuable lesson from this and conducts himself with more statesmanship in future, especially if he is re-elected.

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    • frangipani says:

      Marco arrogant and condescending!! How dare you?! Just be thankful we have Marco. He is a true statesman and behaves himself with decorum. Wish we had a few more like him.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Kenneth is a candidate. Period.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah, and he shouldn’t be a candidate. He IS arrogant and ignorant.

        Terrible combination if you ask me; Marco Archer is neither!

  7. Crystal Ball says:

    Kenneth’s past has nothing to do with this election. Looks very bad on the PPM and their supporters. You must have known about his past when you all had him hugged and up and down with him in 2013 during your election runs. To do this now to smear him let all bunch of you look very desperate. It is obvious that Kenneth is a threat against Marco and that is why Kenneth’s past was posted with an aim to destroy trust among-st the voters. WRONG move, this has only drawn the voters and outsiders closer to Kenneth and make you look like a bunch of desperate people without any solutions to convince voters to not vote for Kenneth. Therefore, you decided to use Kenneth’s past and which will now come back to haunt every PPM members now leading up to election and after May 24, 2017. Peace out.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Actually, I didn’t vote for him then and I won’t vote for him now. Irrespective of party affiliation he is not a viable candidate.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Does anyone REALLY believe that “the central government operating surplus will be $48.1 million by the end of this year” ?

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Maybe you should use this for social programs for the poor you created with your mentally challenged economic policy of giving away the country to foreign interest. Hope Alden and Marco are looking for work in May…good luck in real world where expatriates are the the entitled and your people are beggars!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well all is can say is this. My CUC Bill is the lowest it has been in 4 years and my wife and I who are both Civil Servants earn a combined $600 more per month.

      So my family of 4 is voting PPM. They have done what others are promising to do.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah Marco and alden did a great job keeping global oil price down….and the cross the board cs raise seems to have bought the votes it was intended to.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Wait until they start making you pay for CINICO! That $600 will be gone and then some.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    What is really insulting is the fact that they are once again making promises yet while they had the chance to assist the constituents from each district they passed the buck to someone else. They acted as though they didn’t have the authority to assist yet if it was a friend of theirs, phone calls were made and they got the assistance they needed.

    I do believe that the people of Cayman are wiser this term around when voting.

    What part of “people are hurting” don’t you all understand!!!

    Know that “the people” will speak loudly by their silent votes on election day! A lot of people will be surprised when they hear “the results are in” in each district!

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  11. Anthony says:

    The PPM was a great party but Alden made Wayne Panton push through the most bills in the house to destroyed medium and small businesses because he was the man funding the party. I don’t care who is smarter or have more experience but one thing for sure is that the PPM will pay dearly for that error at the polls on May 24th, 2017.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The PPM IS the BEST GOVERNMENT for this country and small and medium sized businesses have been doing much better despite your nonsense!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Such a truer statement was never made. Don’t worry Alden we will rid you of that burden.

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    • Anonymous says:

      2.53pm Stop the hating ,just because Wayne is a successful Caymanian; with hard work , education and determination you can be successful too,try it.

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  12. Unison says:

    Regarding the video of Archer / Bryan exchange, I think Archer’s reply was a reasonable one. However, when he started attacking Hurley’s Media, I think he went too far. 🙂

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Summed up in two words – ‘Creative accounting!’

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  14. Anonymous says:

    They bringing up Kenneth’s past, yet he was a consultant to the Premier and had full PPM backing, not 4 years ago. Bunch of snakes.

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    • Anonymous says:

      And the premier should have known better.

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    • Double Jeopardy says:

      If Kenneth was so aligned with PPM and their policies and plans 4 years ago, what has changed so drastically since that all of a sudden he things they are so dreadful?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Double. The thing that changed is that Kenneth was arrested and convicted for obstructing police.

        Do you see a pattern here. Do we really want someone with this kind of record running our islands. Hell no.

        4 years ago we proudly voted out a government that shamed us.

        On May 24 we will vote back in the government that made us proud again.

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      • Anonymous says:

        …ask the PPM nah!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Kenneth was given a second chance, and the leopard showed he could not change his spots.

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    • Anonymous says:

      PPM used Kenneth when it was convenient to do so.

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    • Anonymous says:

      mmm I didn’t know that an assistant was the equivalent of a “consultant”?? Doesn’t matter anyway if you are too busy running around at night saying “Do you know who I am?” to show up to work in the day.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Okay but the same principle applies if a Caymanian doctor went to work in India. If you are not a citizen of that country you cannot run for office. Why do expat feel that the rules should be amended for them stationed here? If that same principle applied in your home, there would be an uproar. C’mon man we need to work collectively together.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    they taxing us to death y not paying? so of course they gonna have huge surplus???

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    • Unison says:

      I wish they could lower the taxes and reach for surpluses at the same time …

      Do we need McKeeva/Dart to take charge and show them how its done???

      gulp … :/

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      • Anonymous says:

        I think you have your eyes and ears closed – taxes have been reduced at the same time that surpluses have been produced!

        CUC fuel duty reduction – $17 million per year
        Small business fee reductions – $1.6 million per year
        Licensed traders import duty reduction – $4 million per year
        Building materials duty reduction – $20 million per year

        These examples reduce the cost of living and reduce the cost of doing business.

        The progressives have showed you how it is done. #CaymanStrong

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        • Anonymous says:

          Seriously???

          Food, gas and CUC are still way beyond affordability for the majority; get out of your very expensive hole and look around.

  17. Anthony says:

    The PPM is over. The majority of voters will prove this. What are you PPM supporters going to do about? NOTHING!!!!!!

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Did they find the lost billion?

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    • Anonymous says:

      10:47. They did as both Ministries now have unqualified accounts. How did you miss this historic achievement.?

  19. Anonymous says:

    I find this insulting to those people with an IQ of under 70.

  20. Anonymous says:

    It is scary that people would still be prepared to vote for someone they “like” rather than vote for someone who is best qualified to hold a ministry.

    As I say – you don’t decided today to be a doctor and preform surgery on someone tomorrow, but judging by some people who decided to stand for election, it seems that’s how the cookie crumbles around here.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    Its a shame that the best people for the ministries isn’t considered more closely. Even if we thought Kenneth deserved a chance at being elected, Marco is the best qualified for finance ministry. Remove the politics, if each were applying to be CFO of a company who would likely be hired based on skill, education and experience directly related to the role?

    Each ministry should be headed up by people who possess the relevant skills and qualifications otherwise you have random people trying to manage huge responsibilities. I have no doubt Tara is a good lawyer but that doesn’t automatically translate to the ministry of education. If we removed the politics and were hiring for head of education as an independent role, would she be the best qualified person for the role?

    The ministries have to be headed by those best qualified to run them.

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    • Unison says:

      The problem arises, when they all get elected, from amongst themselves, they have to form the Cabinet. Then how you know body will select Marco this time round??? Its all about who gets in and who has say! :/

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    • Anonymous says:

      Marco is not the only candidate that can perform the job. The list will be confirmed on 25th May 2017

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  22. The Movement says:

    Yes Julie my dear at least we know what he is, unlike the so call men of respect running around here these days who have been involved with shipping tons of cocaine in the “Good Ole Days” which have afforded them today to buy titles and respectability in our so called decent society and as for the other transplanted pirates who have acquire wealth on the backs of innocent people’s lives and their misery, who by fraudulent business means and practices who have now made our little island and jewel their Lair and thus setting a standard of living fit only for them. Oh well you get my point my dear he infact fits right in quite nicely in this gangsta’s paradise and from the amount crime or so called over paid over staff police department cannot seem to solve. I think a change might just do us some good Julie dearest!

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    • Anonymous says:

      I think you are a movement of 1. Substance abuse can make one very paranoid so don’t over do it.

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    • Anonymous says:

      A major road side clean going on in the Brac, i wonder if it is vote buying. before the clean up were always been at the end of the year. Even one of biggest supporters was giving the clean up crew free soft drinks, that is on heard off, for they never give away anything, nor have a sale or support anthing in the community.

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  23. Julie says:

    Honestly Kenneth Bryan was a drug dealer , he got caught selling COCAINE to a police officer. How many youths and others did he sell this harmful evil to before he got caught

    https://www.caymancompass.com/2007/02/23/two-jailed-for-supplying-cocaine/

    Kenneth Bryan probably had one half decent job in his life, as reporter, what experience does he have to run government, to represent these Islands.

    Why would I put the future of my country into the hands of a money seeking, unemployed, uneducated drug dealer.

    Him and the rest like him need to GO.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yup – it is scary. People who would never hand their personal finances over to some of those running for election are quite comfortable to hand over the keys to the country’s finances. It makes no sense!

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s strange that he didn’t mention his cocaine dealing past on the campaign trail. I had thought he had no business experience at all…..

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      • Anthony says:

        Why should he mentioned his cocaine dealings when he ran with the PPM in 2013 and the drug offences took place in 2004. Why should he? Did the PPM knew about it? Sure they did. What is the difference between 2013 and 2017? You all need to go fly kites or tan your asses.

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    • Anthony says:

      People don’t give two shit what Kenneth done or didn’t do in his past. What matters now is how he is going to get us out of this mess and rough life. PPM always bragging about surplus and the Caymanian people are suffering. The PPM is nothing else but the biggest elite group of politicians around here. The PPM have destroyed medium and small businesses for Caymanians and expect to come around now looking votes now so they can finish destroying us. One thing I know for sure is that the PPM will never run this Cayman Islands again……..Not for now. This I promise you.

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      • Unison says:

        What?!!! Are you serious! I know that once people get involved in drug activities like the heavy drug cocaine (worse taking it), it is pretty much a 90% chance they are prone to getting back on it, or entangled with the associations they had before …

        I think it would be daring (taking chances) to place such a person in a position of trust over your country! Very serious thing. And this wasn’t too long ago. Just several years ago and he was before the Court.

        I do give a shit! :/

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      • Unison says:

        CORRECTION: It was way back 2004. That’s about 13 years ago. But still … in this case, the past should not be ignored just because someone claims to reform or was too young.

    • Bob says:

      To be fair he did attend UCCI so I wouldn’t go as far to say “uneducated”. But good point nonetheless.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I thought felons couldn’t run?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Doesn’t make much sense that “Candidate X” was ruled out for a dishonesty conviction and yet someone with a drug dealing conviction is allowed to run. Also this makes a mockery of all the challenges over citizenship, residency etc when someone like this is allowed to run for public office.

    • K. Loggins says:

      Now I like cocaine as much as the next guy but I certainly won’t be voting for some street level dealer.

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    • S345 says:

      Thank you for sharing that link. That is the first time I’m seeing this. I look at him differently now. I saw first hand what cocaine can do. It ruined my family as my mother is an addict, crack cocaine. I suffered horribly my whole childhood and drug dealers played a big part in that as well as my mother’s habit. I have 0 respect for drug dealers. Yeah, the users play a big part in the cycle but you would be shocked and saddened at what drug dealers are capable of. They are a different level of evil and not to be trusted period, let a lone to help run a country. Vote wisely.

  24. Anonymous says:

    I like Kenneth’s renegade attitude. He’s not part of the well oiled (greasy) machine.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    Cayman wake up. Can we really picture a Cabinet made of

    Kenneth
    Austin
    Follio
    Tibbetts
    Jefferson
    Mac
    Adams

    Talk show hosts woman beater can’t pay bets can’t manage credit cards gambler and incompetence. I am so scared.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Thank you 8:15.

      I watched the debate last evening. Tibbetts was a total disaster. Complained that the questions were hard and totally failed to answer even one question.

      I mean it was a total embarrassment of course (gun shot) McField was right behind him. I can’t believe either of these two will get more than 10 votes.

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    • Anthony says:

      I would rather die than to have the PPM back running these Islands.

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    • Anthony says:

      I would rather have anybody else except the PPM.

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  26. Anonymous says:

    I just can’t believe that the Cayman people would consider voting for anyone else than the PPM.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The financial position the country was in when PPM took over was a disaster. The current government has worked very hard to get the country’s finances back on track. It is shocking how many people fail to realize how this had an indirect impact on their lives.

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    • Anthony says:

      What type of drugs are you on?

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  27. Veritas says:

    The video tells me that Kenneyh Bryan has difficulty in understanding plain English, amongst many other shortcomings.

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  28. Anonymous says:

    The man who got us out from under FFR deserves credit. That man is Marco Archer. Give him his props.

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    • Fact Checker says:

      Cayman is not out from under the FFR. Please understand the issues and stop posting alternative facts. The FFR is now law in the Cayman Islands.

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  29. Observer says:

    I said it also that Marco is one of the most educated arrogant person I have ever known. In his last speech in the LA he proclaimed to have been sent by God to do this job. He sounded just like what he is arrogant

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    • Anonymous says:

      The Hon Marco Archer is a humble, competent and qualified individual and one who is God fearing as well.

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      • Totally Exhausted of PPM emptiness & pretenses says:

        IF Marco was truly God fearing he would have taken a firm stand against the very thing the Word states is an abomination unto God, and in like or similar manner of Alva Sukoo and Anthony Eden we would have witnessed his actions in keeping with his self proclamation of his christian faith.
        Instead he took a firm stand for the almighty Alden, PPM and self.

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        • Anonymous says:

          3.39pm Why don’t you ask Suckoo and Eden if they are going to take any action to prevent gay persons from staying here on their partners work permit. In fact some of those who criticized Alden and the PPM are now satisfied with what is now in place. So please do not believe that all that fuss was about christian principles. I bet they are not send home the lawyer who is staying here as a dependent of his partner. It is not going to happen ,all politics.

      • Unison says:

        Oh pleeease … humble???
        lol :))))

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  30. Anonymous says:

    Well I just watched the video and Marco Archer went up in my estimation.

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  31. Anonymous says:

    Typical Lodge attitude. “It’s MY time!”
    I hope they all get voted out.
    I am not a fan of Kenneth but if he gets in, he will not tolerate the bullshit from the Permanent Secretaries that have had this nation in a quagmire since they were appointed.
    Go Independents. Make sure that the wote watchers are watched themselves.

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  32. Anonymous says:

    Marco is the most competent Finance Minister since the late Sir Vessel Johnson – who was Financial Secretary back in the days.

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  33. Anonymous says:

    There is no such thing as tangible cash. This is wrong for PPM to try and fool the general public that the country has a surplus in cash waiting to be use. If that’s the case why so many people are still facing foreclosure on their homes?? This is a result of the many services they have cut, the many pay raises they have deprived the civil servants, the many items and materials they have deprived the hospital, the many scholarships they have deprived our children . This is the difference it would cost to run the country good and compare to the way the country is at present during their reign. Politicians stop misleading the people. There is no such this as tangible cash.

    Help the people recover their homes.

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    • Anonymous says:

      What the bleep does the Government’s surplus have to do with people’s houses being foreclosed???? Why is it Government’s responsibility to educate YOUR child? That is exactly the thinking that Caymanians need to change!!!! It is not for the Government to provide you with housing or pay off your mortgage or get your kids through school – That’s YOUR job!

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      • Fun bring bun says:

        Exactly! Maybe if these half ass parents had to pay school fees similar to those at the private schools, they would invest the time and effort to reinforce and drive their kids education.

        As for housing? Many if these issues arise from poor money management. Going to Miami instead of paying their bills, running to the bank whenever a promotion is on…..You can give some of these people a million dollars today and they’ll be broke tomorrow. But oh yeah, it’s the governments fault.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You know why so many people are facing foreclosure on homes??? I’ll tell you! They’re facing foreclosure because THEY are not paying THEIR mortgage. That is nobody’s fault but the borrower.

      In most cases, it is simply due to poor management of their money. Priorities are jacked up (luxury cars, trips to Miami, and $500 per month cell phone bills).

      Everybody thinks they’re ENTITLED to a grand mansion whether they can afford it or not. Guess what! Homeownership, of any size/style, is not a right….it is a privilege. If you can’t afford to own, rent.

      It is NOT the Government’s responsibility to pay mortgages. End of story!

  34. Anonymous says:

    they must be very proud of their short sighted permits for everyone policy….this was on the back of every un and under employed Caymanian. We have Mr Marco Magoo and Aldumb to thank.

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  35. Anonymous says:

    I said it here before and I’ll say it again, the public persona people often see of Marco Archer is not who he really is, I work with him and can tell you what you saw on rooster was just a glimpse of the real personality. The performance of the economy and the credit that he has taken for it has served to inflate his ego, good luck putting that genie back in the bottle.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I also have the benefit of having worked with Minister Archer and he is a humble, principled man who gives and expects respect…if someone (Kenneth) doesn’t give him due respect then he will put them in their place. Marco will not be walked over.

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    • Ambidextrous says:

      I suspect that your comment is deeply political versus fair assessment. Let me ask you this, if he was not competent in his job, but he was a real nice guy as you think he is not, then you would have said to keep him in the position because he is nice? I suspect you would have gone after him along the lines of incompetence. I bet you have learnt something good from Marco but you would not dare mention it. I guess he also got Caribbean wide recognition for his performance because he is not nice.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Spot on! People can’t seem to realize that in politics it’s not who you personally like, it’s the one who is best for the coutnry

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        • Anonymous says:

          And people don’t seem to realize the ministers responsibility is policy, what policy has marco effected that improved the economy?

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          • Anonymous says:

            Well for one, eliminating duty on most school supplies. Plus revising and reducing duty rates on essentials so that we aren’t being unduly taxed on things we need to live.

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  36. Anonymous says:

    How should we evaluate the news that the increase is just $1.5mln more than “originally budgeted” in a Billion-dollar budget, after we read that $3mln was stolen from various departments in January: $500,000 from the school lunch and uniform programmes and pre-school assistance, $375,000 from poor relief, over $800,000 from housing assistance and more than $850,000 in various benefits for veterans and servicemen. Another $3mln was sitting in the George Town Revitalization Fund – representing another unfulfilled campaign promise from 2013.

    It surely could have been more if the Fire Service and Prison hadn’t been paid millions in overtime for longstanding staffing deficiencies in each of the last four years ($1.7mln just in fire service overtime in 2015, presumably the same for 2016/7). Just this January, Cabinet redirected $2.4mln to the much-ballyhooed “profitable” Cayman Airways. Presumably to address traditionally unpaid CAL landing fees – a large unpaid airport reno receivable for CIAA – we can only guess that the contractors finally needed to be paid!

    Do we know if this Cabinet declined DART’s Sunrise Adult Training Centre [§18] or Educational and Community Purposes Land [§20] donations from the NRA Agreement to receive the respective USD$1.35mln and USD$1.85mln cash offset payments from DBFL?

    There was also $11mln conveniently siphoned from the Environmental Protection Fund in last 9 mos. These are all just “bean shuffles” to puff the balance sheet for this election. If the public or media actually kept track and called out how bad it is, we’d all be better off.

    Note that from Alden’s own budgetary address, that PMFL requires us to achieve surpluses for the foreseeable future, to pay down looming debt maturities and provide 90 days of working capital for a Civil Service close to the brink (not counting the looming unpaid pension and heath care liabilities). It’s not a strong position right now. We haven’t been able to pay for our own roads without asking DART for help.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Leak, leak, leak, someone plug this leak quick. Lol glad to see it nah only McKeeva alone Civil Servants leak about

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  37. Anonymous says:

    With $350 million in the bank McKeeva can put $250 million in the Nation Building Fund for the first year.

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  38. Anonymous says:

    What is the estimated liability of the PR lawsuits, settlements, and future class actions?

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  39. Double Down says:

    I say lets give Mac that $353 million and let it all ride on black.

    40
    6
    • Anonymous says:

      Big Mac says most of his losses on the roulette wheel were because he couldn’t find it within himself to bet on anything red.

  40. Anonymous says:

    Good job Marco and the PPM. Just think what it would be like is Kenneth was in Marco’s position. Chance are that the picture would not be so bright.

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    • wow says:

      Thank the UK and the FFR not Marco

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      • Anonymous says:

        Marco did better than what was stipulated in the FFR by the UK…so no, you’re wrong, it is Marco who deserves all the thanks.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Just because they are running against each other does not mean Kenneth would be Minister of Finance. Please stop comparing the two in this aspect. A MLA is given a ministry that is best suited to them and in some cases that means none!!

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      • Anonymous says:

        You should only vote for someone who you feel would also be competent to be a minister. You can’t rely that other districts will vote in someone who is competent. What if their thinking is the same as your – voting for someone they like? At the end of the day, someone gotta have a ministry and run the country…

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    • Anonymous says:

      Everyone know that Kenneth will not be the finance minister. I don’t think he has ever said he is trying to be. There are many others who can be finance minister. Roy mctaggart, chris Saunders, and many others. But I see its a good strategy by the PPM to compare Kenneth to a finance minister to undermine him knowing his strong skills are in human capital development and not finance.

      With the FFR in place and a Governor with accounting back ground to keep an eye on the government, I think any other finance minister will have and would have had the same result.

      Marco is not as great as the PPM is trying to fool us to believe. Besides numbers, can anyone name 1 thing else he has done to make Caymanians lives better?

      Accountants count money, leaders make our lives better.

      Accounts are a dime a dozen, leaders with heart are far and few between.

      I’m a GTC voter marco and if all you can offer is counting money, that is not enough to get my vote.

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      • Anonymous says:

        No sure if you can be helped 7:16 but it’s not about “counting money”. Marco and his colleagues reversed the dangerous direction that Cayman was heading. And yes Marco did his part in controlling the budget. I don’t think George Town needs any more drug dealers (retired or not) or any more blowhards. Cayman needs professionals like Marco and the rest of the PPM

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        • Anonymous says:

          Did you even take a look at the PPM lineup? Nothing short of desperate. You sound like a special interest benefactor.

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      • Anonymous says:

        So you want to be able to vote in someone you personally “like” and rely on others to vote in who is competent to be a minister. Classy! What if your plan doesn’t work out?

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      • Anonymous says:

        @ 7.16, Consider if there’s no ‘money’ to count, ‘societal-ills’ will exponentially increase. So, yes…It’s important to have MONEY to count!!

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      • Anonymous says:

        The Christian story not going win this election. Basing your opponent and wearing a red shirt not going do it either. Wake up.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Please share with us some example of Kenneth’s human capital skills and experience. We would love to hear.

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