Dart refunded over $1M in stamp duty and fees
(CNS): The Dart-led consortium currently negotiating the contract with the government to deliver the Cayman Islands’ solid waste management system has received a refund from the public purse of over C$1 million for stamp duty and land registry charges. The refund was noted in the summary of the Cabinet meeting held on 29 November but no details were provided over why the consortium received such a significant refund on what appears to be a land purchase, or which land was acquired in relation to the stalled project.
The government selected Dart as the preferred bidder for the waste management contract more than five years ago in October 2017. However, after more than three years of talks, in March 2021, on the eve of the general election, the PPM administration signed an agreement that turned out to fall far short of a completed deal. More than 20 months after that was signed, the current administration is still struggling to strike a final deal.
Just last week, Premier Wayne Panton, who has taken on the responsibility for the project, said that he didn’t expect to settle with the Dart consortium until early next year. He said the administration was working to keep costs down, in spite of global supply chain issues and procurement challenges.
“Our goal is to ensure ReGen represents a financially viable, long-term solution for sustainable solid waste management… My administration is committed to seeing these negotiations through,” Panton said in his statement.
CNS has contacted officials to find out why Dart is receiving a duty concession in relation to land connected to a contract that is excepted to be worth more than a quarter of a million dollars. We are awaiting a response.
Even without a secured deal, Dart has already benefited from the capping of the old landfill site that sits on the edge of land owned by Dart Enterprises. The developer has also received well over $25 million for the work of capping and remediating what was once known as Mount Trashmore as part of the pre-contract agreement and will benefit from the increase in the value of land the company owns around the landfill.
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Category: Environmental Health, Health, Politics
If I were Dart I would pack up and leave the island. Cayman does not care how much taxes( duty) Dart brings in. Cayman does not care what Dart has built for the island or anything he has done for free. They hate him because he has not given them jobs they can’t do and handouts they don’t deserve. They hate him for being successful at everything he does. What does that tell you about Cayman Islands?
I wonder how many millions of dollars Dart has given our leaders to get what he wanted.
So, if we know that DART submitted the weakest, lowest points scoring proposal, and was awarded a blank cheque contract anyway – details, terms, costs and other gotchas, to be negotiated later: how is this not under investigation by the ACC? The awarding of meritless contracts and blank cheque deals is literally the definition of political corruption. What does it take to get on the ACC’s radar, if not this?!? Scary.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/10/india/india-bhalswa-landfill-pollution-climate-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
Doesn’t look much different than ours except we hide it with marl
Consider India’s population
It would be great if there was a safe Police or an anti-corruption portal where recordings of incriminating exclamations and admissions evidence could be submitted. These recordings are out there. NDA or not, those that escaped DART need to come forward and absolve themselves of what they witnessed, with protection. They know it.
I am not a fan of Dart, but everyone must admit that CIG, left to their own devices, ar never going to sort the dump out. It’s a national disgrace and poisoning us all.
Let the grown ups take it over and do it right
Perhaps true if Dart could offer waste management experience, or spare managerial talent, and we can see that isn’t the case, over and over again. Dart only seem like a better option in comparison to ambient low performance of CIG. We pay them talent cost plus premium, when DEH might just as easily recruit actual seasoned WM professionals from around the world and blend them in to their strategy. Suggesting Dart’s revolving door of permit hires will offer continuity of service is also an assumption laced with elitism, and cultural bias, fully discounting the opposite reality.
I’m not fan of Dart, or anything that he has ever done, but nobody has a greater interest in finding a remedy for a stinking pile than the person nearest to it downwind.
Just imagine if Public Works had been given the task of capping the Dump – they would still be hard at it half way through this century. This was a towering eyesore visible to every cruise ship and a revolting blot on our country. It will soon be grassed over and landscaped, an immense achievement which we should all be proud of regardless of any perceived self interest from the Dart family benefitting by the increased value of their adjacent landholdings. Already we have a major asset in our bid for upmarket tourism through the beautifully designed and landscaped Camana Bay deveopment.Give credit where it’s due.
What beach bar, access or property rights can Dart buy next? So nice we fund our own demise. Put a duty tax on stupid and we will self-fund forever.
you can’t really say too much about this except its another golden example of why is it so difficult to get the story and even more difficult to get anyone to respond.
Govt of Transparency, right 🙄
So they signed a contract and now they are negotiating the terms. Nothing unusual about that.
I guess we have to get used to it – Dart demands & CIG toes the line and pays. NO argument!!
Ah, so in other words; an agreement had been reached and CIG is holding up it’s end as Dart has met the conditions agreed.
Noted.
The headline states that this is a refund of stamp duty fees. As with any refund CIG makes there are protocols in place at ministry level and Cabinet does not need to approve a refund. So what is so special about this refund?
Literally nothing.
It’s a slow news day.
Thanks Dart employees. Now go back to plotting what to buy next.
What you selling?
i payed Government nearly 15,000 ci $ a few months ago,for Land Stamp Duties and for Block and Parcels I am 5th. generation Caymanian. DO I GET A REFUND ?
No. You didn’t negotiate it prior to your purchase, your purchase which does nothing to benefit anyone except yourself.
By this time next year Wayne’s dump will be in the middle of the ETH. It’s inching closer every day.
More disgusting news. Just give this company all of our money. They are laughing at all the stupid island people all the way to the bank.
All too easy.
Beggars belief the CI government is giving Dart money back but then it is Cayman after all or should I say The Dart Islands
Never underestimate the power of the Dart Side.
Correct Dart Islands – lock, stock & politicians!
It is very generous of Cayman to pay Dart millions to increase the value of his other properties.
Right! It’s just too easy for them.
Ok this is sad and frustrating
Mr. Dart took over running the Cayman Islands very quickly after he came here. It seemed the leaders of the Cayman Islands liked Mr. Darts money. Mr. Dart was a millionaire when he came here. It is believed that he is now a billionaire.
He was a billionaire before he came here — about 6.2 billion. Since then, he has built many monuments to himself, and increased his wealth to about 6.6 billion.
As an aside, I would have loved to have reported that his wealth has grown to a beastly 6.66 million, but alas, I could not find supportive data.
You are as clumsy as you are stupid.
I have brought peace, freedom, justice and security to my new Empire.
as a contractor I’ve seen cost of materials rise 20-65% year over year since since 2020. I promise you whatever cost saving Wayne team has been working on since taking over has evaporated.
I thought Dart had most all of our “leadership” in his pocket right after he came here. None of them came out against him! Money Talks, you know.
Appears easy for Cayman governments to keep making some richer, laughing all the way and keep pensioners who did honestly work for their money poorer on $1,000 a month.
Time to start annual taxing of landholders greater that 2 Acres!
Great. As if farmers don’t have it hard enough already, then there’s folk like you. This is about as sensible (stupid) as Kennys plans for Governors beach.
Best part is, the longer Wayne deliberately stalls the project, the easier it becomes for Dart to simply walk away with a nicely capped and remediated landfill.
Boy our political leaders are fool bad.
The rich get richer. How come everything is going up in price except my wages?
wages across the island are poor unless you work directly with Dart or CIG. people who keep the industry alive get nada! Last year in South sound a condo was available to rent for between 1800 kyd and 3500kyd. Today it’s more like 3500kyd and 7000.
what is the percentage of islanders (native and industry workers) that can pay this amount! NONE!
History will not be kind to Pirates and tyrants living on the backs of good people!
You should check out Dart salaries, they aren’t anywhere near industry standard
This is an honest question: Why don’t you wait for the information you’ve requested before running a story? So many stories mention that you don’t have all the information and have requested it/asked questions and are awaiting a response, but it seems like the article goes up the same day as the press release. Is it that government doesn’t respond? Even if they aren’t really fast with the response, it would seem better to have the article appear a few days later but with more information.
CNS: Ignoring journalists’ questions indefinitely is the traditional way in the Cayman Islands to stifle a story or at least the aspect of the story that is the most inconvenient. We ask questions and wait for answers constantly, and will wait longer if there is any sign that they are coming, such as a simple acknowledgment of the questions and a promise to send answers. We’re always keen to work with government or whoever, but we have learned from experience not to wait forever.
Sorry 10:01, – I’m with team CNS here.
Oh dear! “That is how getting out the news works”. Just imagine news outlets worldwide waiting on complete confirmation /information which might not come out for days or might not come out at all. I look forward to how the PACK will spin this though. On the campaign trail they were cussing the PPM up, left, right and center for letting DART do one thing or the other but now that the shoe is on the other foot I guess they are realizing that negotiating is a 2-way street and usually both sides have to pay to play!
This pleases our Overlord and he will allow the scum to inhabit his island a little longer.
But all politicians get to stay in his special economic zone!