UK’s BOT minister to make first trip to Cayman
Minister Tara Rivers, Premier Alden McLaughlin, BOT Minister at the FCO Lord Ahmad, and Minister Roy McTaggart
(CNS): The UK’s minister with responsibility for the British Overseas Territories will be visiting the Cayman Islands for the first time next week as part of a regional tour to discuss hurricane preparedness and the controversial move to impose public registers of beneficial ownership on the territories. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon will be here for a day on 30 May to discuss the issues with the premier and Cabinet, as well as the opposition leader and other senior officials. He will also check in on the RCIPS Air Operations to thank them for their work in Turks and Caicos Islands.
“The UK has provided critical aid and support across the region to assist in recovery from last year’s widespread devastation, and we can already see this help from the UK has made a real difference on the ground,” Lord Ahmad said in a release from the governor’s office. “However, there’s more that needs to be done. We will continue to work extremely closely with the British Overseas Territories, as well as the rest of the Caribbean, to make sure that the region has plans in place to prepare for, and better withstand, future hurricanes.”
The real reason for his visit, however, is the stormy controversy over the passage in the British parliament of the recent Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill, which imposes public registers on the territories — something the British government had previously said would not happen until it was the global standard.
“We strongly value the relationship between the UK and the overseas territories and will work closely with the overseas territories governments to find a solution which works for everyone,” the Conservative peer said.
According to a Downing Street spokesperson in a release from the UK government, Lord Ahmad and Prime Minister Theresa May engaged in a conference call Thursday with the premier and other leaders of the BOTs to discuss the company ownership transparency.
“The prime minister spoke about the recent passage of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act. She said that she understood that the cross-party amendment to this legislation that would require the overseas territories to create public registers was a matter of great concern for the leaders and that she was conscious of the strong reactions the issue had provoked in their territories,” the UK official stated.
The PM plans to promote public registers as the global standard and said she expected other major financial centres, including the Crown Dependencies, to adopt public registers at that point. May also invited the leaders on the call to share their positions and opinions on the issue but those opinions were not documented. She said that the UK’s aim is to secure the best possible outcome in a way that minimises any possible risks to the economies of the BOTs.
Category: Business, Financial Services
Why should Brexit have to die?
The proud, intelligent and strong British people stood out well before their traitorous leaders led them into the Common Market.
If you are less than 50 years old, you can yack and moan and whine all you like, but those of us who were there know why Britain was called Great.
Alas, the days of “Great” are over now. To my brothers and sisters of the UK who remember those days, peace, love and respect.
I am sure that our Caymanian brethren remember similar days in their own islands.
The world has changed. Evil rears it’s ugly head. Good is called evil and evil is called good.
May the Living God stand strong on behalf of the meek who continue to look to Him.
Oh Lord, my God. Hear the groans of your people as you heard the groans of the Israelites in the days of your servant, Moses.
Send Your Word of judgement from Your Holy sanctuary. Judge our leaders by your truth for they have forsaken your ways.
We patiently wait for your verdict, but oh God, do not delay.
Restore justice and righteousness to us your people. Deliver us from evil. Forgive us our sins as we unconditionally forgive all those who have wronged us.
We ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
This is funny. One has to laugh. As the other option is to be terrified that someone who wrote this has the vote.
Well why would you say that?Please elaborate.
Is the OP not entitled to an opinion and a quiet life?
Better just to leave well alone.
Get your own house in order and then look to others.
Thanks for the attention.
Kudos to the BVI at least they trying to make a showing and a stand not here mama ever loyal cows too worried about who is going feed them and lead them to slaughter! How truly sad for these islands. What if our leaders had a little grit and integrity for once.
I agree that Cayman’s response is more tempered, that is, less heated than the BVI’s, and I actually feel more comfortable with our position. We are not seeking to cut ties entirely with the UK, at least not at this time, but we are anticipating court action if and when the Order in Council becomes a reality, and we are talking about a moderate level of constitutional advancement.
And while we are doing this, we are maintaining a calm posture that will likely be reassuring to investors, as opposed to a bunch of people parading through the streets, which presents a much different picture to the outside world.
I am content with a calm, deliberate, thoughtful approach–and in the course of which avoiding throwing out the baby with the bathwater and possibly creating other unintended consequences.
Carry on Premier and Opposition Leader– most of us are behind you.
Tempered, calm posture, good luck when they come for you i hope you and yours display all the values you are spouting on here. Those just like you who simply will not stand for nothing will fall for anything so long as your gut is full. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.
Amen 10.29 am a voice of calm and reason not poisoned with micro political bile for a change. This is a tactical and legal battle, not a bar fight, which many fail to comprehend.
Visits by the OT Minister are a complete waste of time. They view their visits as a PR exercise, in which they act like royalty who graciously come to wave at the natives. Notice he will only be here for a day. That might as well be a layover in an airport. If a reshuffle doesn’t move the OT Minister on a year or two after he or she is appointed, a change in government will. There is basically no point to us negotiating anything with the UK. It cannot be trusted and is currently dealing exclusively in dishonest hot air. Not just with us but everyone, including the EU. It is a shocking display of self-harm and incompetence that we never expected and may well have to do something drastic about. If this is how Little England wants to get rid of the territories that make the sun never fall on the Empire, it’s on the right track.
My guess is that he is scouting out the opposition to see how we intend to fight the issue. After he has done the rounds, he will report back and they will formulate a tactic or back off. It’s a tactical battle for now.
I agree. That’s a different point I chose not to touch on. They come with agendas and try to let as little on of their own plans as possible. We cooperate in good faith and then find we’ve been outfoxed in a few years. We should start saying ‘by all means, please come to visit your Governor at his office and his house. We are all very busy though. Terribly sorry’.
Wahhhhh.
240 cases out of 500,000 none of whom could be bothered to sort out their citizenship for 40 years…
Exactly. Everyone in the UK was too scared to speak up to the moaning lefties about this just because the so-called victims were black.
How much did they help us after Hurricane Ivan???
Anon 8:48pm the same amount we going to get now!
Mac refused the help offer. Try sticking to facts.
336 pm: I don’t recall any offer of help from the UK being declined in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.
We had a bunch of technocrats here briefly, though I don’t think it amounted to help of any real substance.
From what I recall, the political directorate in the UK at the time felt that helping us would not sit well with the voters.
The UK felt Cayman was too rich to need help.
Anonymous at 12:18 — I think that is essentially what the conclusion was.
336: Remember that the Governor (then Dinwiddy) was in charge during the state of emergency declared during the critical period after Hurricane Ivan — not Mac.
No those like you who are trying to erase or distort the facts The comments by the HMS Richmond Commander Mike McCartain are matter for public record old boy! Yes many like you here with you false propaganda.
8.48am You forget that your own Government mimimised any damage in press releases to avoid wholesale desertion by tourists.
11:02: Let me tell you what happened — it was not the government here — the information was going to the Tourism Department’s Office in NY and to the Finance PR outfit in London. I am telling you what I know.
If there was any withholding it was done by those two offices — they were getting the unvarnished truth!! I think the Archive here should have all the press releases that were issued.
All media who contacted GIS were responded to with full information.
Because of the chaos that we were undergoing, Tourism and Finance began to act unilaterally — as I said if the information they were being sent — and they were sent — was being withheld it was not on the direction of the government.
NOTHING WAS MINIMIZED FROM COMMUNICATORS ON THE GROUND, and that included the issue of press releases detailing what was happening here.
The offer of help was there. The delightful Mr Bush rejected that help.
Theresa May has to go!!!…Bring on the next Election..She has been the worst Prime Minister ever!!!
Any Prime Minister who has to make an economic positive out of BREXIT will look bad. Tory, Labour or Liberal Democrat.
Until BREXIT dies, the economic problems for the U.K. will multiply but all will have no choice but to accept a drop in the UK standard of living.
Who do these people think they are using the title “lords”. There is only one lord in my book and that’s Voldemort!
Come to the dark side
Aren’t conservatives always the ones going on and on about carrying on unique traditions and preserving cultures and identities, I do believe these titles and practices fall under those areas, do they not?
Many Caymanians make those very same points about preserving Cayman.
But then we Caymanians then ridicule the UK’s honours and titles until they offer them to us personally, how many would turn down knighthood, or a peerage?
How many would love to have MBE behind their name?
We have no issues with slapping “Honourable” on almost any person who can fool 300 people into voting for them though and then refer to them as that for the rest of their lives in some cases
Did, good try, but we are British. Always right, even when wrong. It’s a tradition.
What else can we expect from the UK after the recent Windrush scandal revelations. Many of the colonies sent their young men to war for the mother country and others in turn heeded call to help Britain rebuild after the devastations of World War II, only to be told decades later that their entry into Britain was a farce. This is simply called USE and ABUSE, cant seem to find another description.
This was all a media generated storm cynical timed to embarrass May when Labour were on the back foot of allegations of anti-Semitism. A handful of people suffered in the alleged Windrush “scandal” and to be frank if people lived in the UK for 40+ years and never bothered to take up citizenship, quite frankly I don’t see why we should all be so concerned for them.
3.02pm How many young expatriate couples who had a baby here were kicked out as it was not “allowed on their work permits”?. How many Jamaicans were kicked out by not renewing or cancelling their work permits, after they compalined about exploitation by their Caymanian slavemasters?.
That is hardly comparable. People who come on a Work Permit cannot come with an expectation to stay. A permit is like a license, it confers no rights or ownership.
9.38pm. Only Cayman kicks out couples who have permission to work, if they have a baby. Are you also saying that a permit offers no rights to the holder if his employer expects him to work all hours including weekends for a mere pittance and has him kicked out if he has the nerve to complain. This has gone on for many, many years and is known as exploitation.
This has nothing to do with an expectation to stay, it has everything to do with human rights.
Then don’t apply. I knew the rules when I went to Canada for a summer job too… don’t mix immigration laws with human rights (as you break the law?)
Newsflash. Whilst it’s true that many colonial troops joined the fight against Imperial and Nazi Germany, they did so because this was a world wide conflict, total war. If the Nazis thought killing millions of Jews, gays, mental patients, gypsies and anyone else considered inferior to the Germanic race, what do you think they would have done to you?
Those brave soldiers fought for all civilised humanity, not just for the mother country.
The Windrush debacle wasn’t just about the UK government treatment of Caribbean immigrants, it is also about the immigrants lack of motivation to ensure they were properly documented when new legislation was introduced in the 70’s. But ain’t that the Caribbean way, it’s everyone else’s fault but your own.
Ringing any bells?
If they thought you were inferior, what would they have done to us? Are you manically and psychotically ill? Whatever right this person has to be in Cayman or even talk about it should be revoked with immediate effect. You should be sent back to wherever you came from in the hold of the plane. Disgusting.
3.02 you are such a drama queen…a handful of cases where the people involved didn’t get their own life and papers in order but still complained, got an apology and compensation. That’s why you here no more about it.
Oops “hear”, sorry. Long week.
The truth always hurts.
That stupid rant just demonstrates your complete inability to grasp the facts. The Windrush saga was a few hundred people who failed themselves and their families by not conforming to the law and getting their citizenship properly documented.
It was an illustration of how lazy and complacent some immigrants are when getting their feet under someone else’s table. The UK gave these people a new beginning, the least they could have done was fill out a few forms and properly intergrate instead of forming the ghettos of Toxteth, St Paul’s, and Brixton, to name a few. That mentality only served to galvanise their sense of persecution and give birth to the subsequent generations of losers that wouldn’t be out of place in Kingston or Mo Bay, or West Bay for that matter. Many hundreds of thousands of former Caribbean nationals have made a good life, are law abiding, are integrated and consider themselves British, they are fine people who have enriched Britain. But many haven’t, (especially those descendants of the Windrush generation who find conspiracy around every corner) and still revert to whining about their self imposed disadvantage whilst using any opportunity to use their race as a stick to beat anyone who points out the obvious.
But then your own citizenship records aren’t exactly up to scratch, and you only have a few thousand to deal with.
So when you can confidently call yourselves a citizen of the Cayman Islands, and most important of all, prove it with legal documentation, and not discriminate against those who work hard but live in virtual indentured slavery for Caymanian business owners and landlords, then we’ll listen to your viewpoint.
Lord Ahmad – best to postpone the trip until you convince your peers to BACK THE HELL OFF!!
Too late bobo.
Coming to drop the hammer on Cayman or apologize for overtly discriminating against the BOT’s in favor of the Crown Dependent territories?
Yawn. Different constitutional regimes, not discrimination. Parliament can do what it wants with the BOTs. Go away and moan about the status grants.
Big Mac: Well unnah takin pictures with Lord Ahmad but wouldn’t inwite me as Speaker. Unnah forgets unnah only in gowermint cos of McKeeva or wha?
Joey: Yeah me too. I need the publicity if I’m going to be the next leader of the party?
Big Mac: Who?
Joey: Wha? Me?
Big Mac: Boy tryso hush talking foolishness in my head. You’z barely a minister now and ga less education than me! Sus crise if you think I letting you pretend to be the leader you mussa lick your head!
Joey: Don’t speak to me like that I’m a party member. I’m next in line. KT promised my daddy!
Big Mac: Well you and your daddy mussa lick unnah head the same time. I runs this unity party and Alden tolerates your foppishness but this nah no ppm anymore bobo. Understand dat! You nor your pa ever supported me so don’t fool yourself that you ever going run anyting round ya while I am the leader! Tell me Alden.
Moses: Mac come on now relax.
Big Mac: Mose tryso hush and focus on getting the dock started. I got CHEC waiting.
Joey: Alden you gonna make him talk to like that? This is BS I going call my daddy and make KT call you. (Storms off mumped up)
Alden: I don’t have time for this you don’t understand politics my boy. I’m an old soldier in this game so you can go call whoever.
Big Mac: Sus crise he worse than Bernie!
Alden: Guys you think with Ezzard and Chris on board supporting me I might get my knighthood?
LOL If it wasn’t true it would be hilarious!
@ 2:20pm
Love it keep the reports from hq coming
Who gas dem? that last line! …
Lord Ahmad, I do not consent to my company ownership data to shared in a public register.
Tough. Sell your shares then buster.
Live with it.
I do. Why do you care?
If the past is any indiction of the future than it will not stop at simple ownership stakes. It will go further and further. Eroding the right to privacy and unjustified search.
That is the thing about libertarians, selfish to the core when it comes down to it.
The Surveillance State is alive and strong in this one. We are from the Government we are your friend. We are hear to help you. Lordy Lordy.
Well beneficiaries of private registers include the corrupt, criminals or those hiding assets from enforcement mechanisms….
All of the information on beneficial ownership is currently available to law enforcement.
Ah, the refrain of the apologist for the corrupt and the tax dodgers. Funnily enough when the leaders corrupt regime funnel money through associates or family they do not tend to get the law enforcement bodies they control to go looking for it. Oh, and governments have limited resources, in part because the rich dodge taxes by hiding it offshore. But journalists are very good at finding this sort of thing out. Sunshine, my dear, is the best disinfectant.
I think lord Ahmad should have visited and had this conversation before he mumbled jumbled crap about valuing the relation between the overseas territories and the U.K. , before he voted yes on such an unfair piece of legislation. What relationship is he going on about? He is taking away our ability to feed our children, to pay school fees, to keep a roof over our heads and he really has the nerve to talk rubbish about valuing the relation. As many times as Premier Alden McLaughlin travelled to the U.K., and met with members of the government he is (ahmad) is still acting as if he don’t understand how what he and the rest of the guppies have done will effect us. What is it exactly they plan to do for us? We want the same standard of living or better than we have now. Is he prepared to give us the same amount of money that we would lose by this unfair ridiculous law passed by the British government?. Any thing less is not acceptable. Alden don’t you dare backdown!! Tell him to go back to Theresa May and tell her they have to rescind that spiteful piece of legislation. Lord Ahmad in case you happen to see this post the effects of hurricane Ivan on these Cayman Islands pales in comparision to whst you and your cronies are doing. Heck the island had major damage but it was just for a time, whst you and your cronies are doing will last forever. Oh by the way, you government didn’t even send us a generator , as far as I can remember all we got was some tarpaulins. My roof was not damaged so I got nothing, nods,zilch!!! The Premier will have to be nice to you for protocol sake but the regular run of the mill folks don’t even have to nod your way.
The thing that I find most depressing about all of this is that so many people in Cayman seem to think that the only way that Cayman can be successful is by hiding dirty money. Public registers may well drive out dirty money, but many people don’t use Cayman for financial transactions specifically because of that reputation (which, in historical terms, was well deserved). Once the dirty money has been driven out, however, Cayman will be in a position to market it’s tax-neutral position with the stamp of approval of all the major financial centres. There may be a few rough years, but this should be seen as an opportunity to demonstrate just how clean we really are (and yes, it will probably shock a few people whats hiding) and get some payback for the last ten years of effort in complying with international standards
Of course, it may also have the effect of revealing a lot of the dirty “on-island” money, which is, I suspect, why so many people are upset about this.
As for Ivan, talk to Mac – he refused the aid.