Premier makes most of NY trip

| 24/01/2020 | 57 Comments
Cayman News Service
Inside the Culinary Institute of America

(CNS): As Grand Cayman’s dump ignited with one of its worst blazes in years and government’s lawyers were in court arguing that the cruise port referendum law was fine, Premier Alden McLaughlin and his delegation were enjoying a visit to New York this week. The trip to Manhattan was to promote the offshore services sector and meet with bankers and members of the insurance sector. The premier also visited the Culinary Institute of America, with a view to opening a campus in Cayman, a release claimed.

What appears to have been a week-long trip, though officials have not confirmed when the delegation returns, started with the premier delivering the opening remarks at the 7th Annual Cayman Finance New York Breakfast Briefing on Tuesday.

The goal was to promote the Cayman Islands’ commitment to support the financial sector and assure the audience that the government is doing everything needed to protect the jurisdiction’s reputation as a quality international financial services centre.

Later that afternoon the premier, Financial Services Minister Tara Rivers, Attorney General Sam Bulgin and Cayman Finance members met with senior managers from the Bank of New York Mellon and from Citibank to talk about the recent legislative changes on economic substance and other regulatory matters here. Both banks provide correspondent banking services to the Cayman Islands.

In the evening the delegation attended the Cayman Finance New York Reinsurance Round Table with representatives from some 600 captive insurance and reinsurance companies and several large reinsurance companies domiciled here, where Governor Martyn Roper also spoke.

Then on Wednesday the premier led his delegation to the Culinary Institute, which offers masters, bachelors and associate degree programmes in related studies. McLaughlin said he was delighted to meet with its president, Tim Ryan, to talk about the possibility of establishing a campus in the Cayman Islands.

“They have four campuses already established outside of New York, including one in Singapore. We believe that there is an opportunity to complement the role that the Cayman Islands is now playing as the culinary capital of the Caribbean by having one of the premier culinary institutes in the world with a campus in Cayman,” he said.

“Not only will this increase the image of Cayman and complement our tourism product, but will also create opportunities for Caymanians to attend this facility, as well as the opportunity to attract students from all over the world, but in particular from the Caribbean and Latin America,” the premier added.

Ryan has now been invited to Cayman to see the opportunities that exist and to explore a possible collaboration.


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Category: Business, Financial Services, Politics

Comments (57)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    “In the evening the delegation attended the Cayman Finance New York Reinsurance Round Table with representatives from some 600 captive insurance and reinsurance companies and several large reinsurance companies domiciled here, where Governor Martyn Roper also spoke.”

    Can we expect any relief in the already announced hike in the home insurance premiums, or was this just another puff meeting?

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  2. Anonymous says:

    When asked about the fire on Grand Cayman, the Premier said “Let them eat cake mmm..this is good.”

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Brass neck will be broken. Just a matter of time. The cries of the people have been heard by the Ear of the Almighty.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    CFATF highlighted local corruption in the 5th of 6 Recommended Action points…how can this regime say it is doing everything it can when it refuses to take appropriate action to address the corruption cited, or enact the Standards in Public Life law? As if to illustrate the vacuous moral standard, we can actually see the rented barge with backhoes loitering as if commencement of harbour dredging were just a phone call away as a foregone conclusion. Someone okayed that decision, signed off on engagements, prior to an outcome on judicial review. This is the level of contempt for due process that exists here.

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    • Anonymous says:

      9.04pm You say’ Someone okayed that decision, signed off on engagements, prior to an outcome on judicial review. This is the level of contempt for due process that exists here.” So that is the only concluson you can reach, you’ve got a one track mind full of negativity. Maybe that equipment will be used as part of the EIA assessment.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah, because Verdant has a crystal ball that can forsee what the DOE will say in regard to the scoping exercise (and in what universe do you do dredging to decide if dredging is harmful?). You are either very naive, or bought and paid for.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Ignorance is bliss isn’t it? Psst please how much of the cut are you getting huh?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Or … they’re not for the Port at all.
      (Unloading aggregate for the airport. Now there’s a story and a half.)

  5. Anonymous says:

    What a lame excuse for leadership. Are you sure this is really a democracy?

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    • Anonymous says:

      The biggest trouble with a democracy is that it is run by humans, and human beings can be easily swayed by wealth.

  6. Ipso facto says:

    The Camana Bay mafia will gladly construct the building for chef school after lots of promises, more concessions and begging by Premier McLaughlin, Minister Hew, Deputy Moses Kirkonnell and Chief Officer Eric Bush.

    I wonder what they all have in common beyond being controlled by the true owners and kings of Cayman?

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    • David Shibli says:

      There is only one King of Kings.
      I have already bowed my knee to the Lord Jesus Christ.
      I fear none of those Freemasons and their puppet master, Satan himself.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Fiddle while Rome is burning

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Get with it. We already have a Culinary program at UCCI! How about supporting what’s already in Cayman?

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Counting the day for elections! Get can’t here quick enough! Must make a change. Enough is enough! We must elect a representative who genuinely cares about his/her country and it’s people.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You might struggle with that. I see no group of young people emerging who will front a new green opposition party

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  10. Anonymous says:

    When is the next trip to Monaco?
    What has visiting Monaco accomplished?
    What is expected after this NY trip?
    Next – Hollywood?

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  11. Anonymous says:

    The Premier couldn’t predict the fire but what’s the benefit of the junket, so as to make him be off-island in the first place? Worthless public travel.

    In any case, hope he demands a report from DEH and all services involved in dealing with this fire, and releases it to the public. I experienced the descending smoke in Kirk’s parking lot this morning and it immediately felt unhealthy for my lungs. This fire could likely have long term health effects on people who were exposed for any significant time, including the tourists I saw walking along North Church Street.

    Government should take the proposed $200+ million from the Port and spend it on fixing the dump once and for all – whatever the workable option is!

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Cayman is literally on fire and our leader is in New York reviewing food at a culinary school. You would think a state of emergency like this would have him on the first flight home but no.. he’s busy stuffing his face with caviar in a 5-star hotel. Next elections can’t come soon enough!

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    • Anonymous says:

      10.49pm Cayman is not on fire literally or otherwise. Stop spreading rumours against our island.The group was doing a lot more than reviewing food . Obviously you didn’t read the whole article or you read but did not understand. FYI they were promoting the Financial Services Industry which happens to be one of the two main pillars of the Cayman economy. Glad you are not the Premier.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Well done to the government! Hope your trip was a success whilst your country burns and the citizens are breathing in this toxic fume. Parents of the CIIS, your children are breathing in this everyday fire or not. You have been forewarned.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well done indeed. Constantly trying to keep us on top.Are you really a Caymanian ptting out yhis mis information against your home country? Are you trying to kill the tourist industry? There is a fire near the landfill but the COUNTRY is not burning.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yep. Lets not deal in misinformation. So should we tell the tourists the truth? That we had a major dump fire that lasted 2 days and resulted in a huge smoke plume, with government authorities warning people to keep out of the smoke and close doors and windows and turn as AC, as it was hazardous to health. Or do you mean we should simply lie to them or pretend it didn’t happen (although the ones that were here might just have noticed!)

        • Anonymous says:

          9.36pm Yes we tell them the truth that the car recycling section at the landfill had a this fire that you describe. However we should not lie and tell them that the island is burning.

  14. Anonymous says:

    So they make no trips and the country makes less money so we cannot buy a replacement fire engin when needed. How does that make sense???????????

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  15. Anonymous says:

    As we burn…they are off on a junket. Must be nice to be so removed!

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Because the premier should have anticipated for the dump catching on fire, and cancelled his trip in his planning of a potential dumpster fire.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Dumb reply. When other REAL politicians realise that things are going South at home, they cancel their trip and take control. Not on this pebble though. There’s expense accounts to kick the ass out of.

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      • Right ya so says:

        Not in Australia either, until called out by the press and public!

      • Anonymous says:

        What would the Premier have done? Stood around at the dump and watched the fire officers spray water on it? – Get serious.

    • Anonymous says:

      Dumpster fire? Not to try and underplay the seriousness eh…

  17. Anonymous says:

    What’s the old quote about Nero fiddling whilst Rome burned?

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Glad he has got his priorities right. Alden you are an arrogant, pompous prat. Cayman is literally burning and this man is worrying about culinary courses? You cant make this S#%t up… SMH

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    • Anonymous says:

      Say what you will, the possibility of having a campus of the culinary institute here is good news. We definitely need more trades/hands on learning opportunities for our kids. Hope it pans out.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Silly 4.45 , did he know the dump would catch fire..?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yes.

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        • Anonymous says:

          To 8.32pm Just in case you had any doubts about the mentality of persons supporting 4.45 . Here is your answer 8 out of 8 commenters believe Alden can foretell the future. How dumb.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Well, dang, maybe he is a good pick for premiere then. I mean precognition must useful for a politician.

      • Anonymous says:

        @ 8.32pm They are too filled with hate to figure that out. What is worse is that dumb comment at 4.45pm attracting 26 thumbs up at this time. Just a brief sampling of the hate out there.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Given the number of times it has caught fire already? If you have a leak, and each time you just stick some duct tape over it, its not exactly a complete surprise when it leaks again. In this case Alden has appointed Dwayne as his plumber – just be grateful the whole house hasnt flooded. .

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