Premier: Governor first to endorse financial sector

Premier McLaughlin and Governor Roper

(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin has said he is pleased by the formal appointment by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of Martyn Roper as governor of the Cayman Islands for the next four years and described the UK’s latest representative as “helpful”. He said that since his arrival, Roper had worked closely with the Government of National Unity, including a first for any governor, which was to publicly endorse the Cayman Islands’ financial sector on the world stage. Congratulating him on his confirmation to the job, McLaughlin said he was looking forward to working with him during these challenging times and welcomed his help so far.

“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,” the premier said in a short statement from his office.

“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,” McLaughlin added.

He noted that Roper has arrived as Cayman is, once 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,” the premier stated.