CIG on the ‘right track’, says premier
(CNS): The government is on the “right track”, Premier Alden McLaughlin said in his New Year message. He said that as 2016 came to an end there was hope for the future, as he recapped what he said were the achievements of government this year. With a growing economy and improvements in the public purse, McLaughlin said this had helped hundreds of Caymanians find jobs. “Unemployment amongst Caymanians has fallen from a high of 10.5% in 2012 to 5.6% in early 2016. This is the lowest Caymanian unemployment has been since 2007,” he said.
But heading into an election year, he said he knew that despite the improvements there are still families finding it hard to make ends meet. “We pledge to continue our efforts in the remaining months of this term to ensure that every Caymanian willing and able to work has the opportunity to do so,” he said.
He acknowledged that as well as the numerous successes there had been challenges in 2016, as he turned his attention to crime and the recent spate of gang related shootings.
“These incidents are very concerning and have been so for over a decade,” the premier said. “I know that the Royal Cayman Island Police Service is working hard to apprehend those involved and government will continue to support the police in their efforts. Government can do its part and the RCIPS can seek to prevent and arrest.”
He also called on the community to help, as he said a response was needed by society as a whole, including churches and civil society, to protect young people from the gang culture. “And I am certain that the policies and leadership of a Progressives government offer the best opportunity to help resolve our social ills,” McLaughlin added.
In a message that focused mainly on what he said were the achievements of the current administration and its plans for the future, should the people re-elect the Progressives, he also acknowledged the significant problem his government faces on the immigration front. McLaughlin said he would have more to say on the issue of the stalled permanent residency application soon.
“Given recent concerns about aspects of our immigration law, particularly those arising in the courts regarding permanent residency, we are working urgently to resolve the issues with the permanent residency points system that are creating difficulties. I expect to be able to say more about this early in the New Year,” he said
Category: Politics
I JUST HAVE TO WONDER –
BEFORE ALL YOU CRITICS ATTACK ALDEN, who will replace him when you start making a vacuum for MCKEEVA BUSH to win????
🙁 … Alden I think is way better than Bush! So critics here be careful what you ask for! There is no such thing as a “perfect” political candidate!
Mr. Premier. May I suggest that you and your Govt start obtaining qualifications for your next set of employment jobs. You certainly will be needing them as I confidently say that it will be a cold day in hell before you and your bunch of followers ever get back into th LA.
The LA is for Honourable persons of which you all are not. The truth hurts and I just slapped all of you like a father would a red headed stepchild.
I like this guy!! The Cayman Islands has been on the wrong track for a very long time. And conveniently, JUST before elections!! We are amazingly on the right track!! Can we push back the elections till the following year, so we can stay on the right track for at least a year? Cause only then we will be on the right track! SO Imagine after elections, lol … we going back to the wrong track again sam!! We going be in a mess bo bo
Anonymousir
Cayman is becoming like the rest of the Caribbean. Lawlessness seems to be on the increase and tolerated by those in power from top to bottom. Look at the attempted bank robberies, gun crimes, shootings, rogue bikers, white collar crimes, CPA decisions and acceptance of conflicts of interests just to name a few examples by this and other governments.
Well since our leaders wanted to be more like the Caribbean islands around us they were successful with one plan.
That is because they are trying to please all the people all the time, which is not possible. We have laws, like them or not they are our laws and they should be followed. If they don’t like the laws, then they need to change them. Until that time the laws we have should be enforced!!!! SIMPLE!
Really Really….
So, we have an attempted bank robbery. Is that the first we have had? I remember many and we have one and we are now lawless?? Pulease. Let’s stop being stupid for a moment. Yes we still have problems no doubt to that but to make this bigger than it truly is is not helping anyone.
When something happens we are like OMG Cayman coming to an end. NOT!! We have done and seen this before. Murders by gang members!! Seen it. Bank robberies!! Seen it (Ask CNB!!!) Robberies in general!! Seen it too much. Nothing you can say right now shocks me. Until we have someone commit a terrorist act we have pretty much seen it. Even heinous murders and rapes. We need get out of this sky is falling crap and start doing our part to bring forward innovative ideas to help move this country forward.
What needs to happen is for some of the cost of living items need to be reversed to make it easier on locals. Things such as duties as it relates to food products.
We need constructive ways in which to help Caymanians move forward. One of the things I have noticed and it’s been a long standing problem. Our kids today think about sports and fancy cars before they think about getting a piece of land or buying a home. We need a way to bring that in line. Getting a “car” to get you to work is fine but taking out a car loan for 5 to 7 years and spending $20k or more is not sensible in the long run.
This year we need to have a government focused on stabilizing cost of living and return some of the hikes we made previously.
So stop chatting crap and start offering solutions.
You sound accepting of the new cayman or indifferent to its demise for all to see
LOL, isn’t that what the Captain of the Titanic said in 1912 just before it hit the iceberg?
mr. premier you and your click may think everything is just fine . I wonder for who ?It sure is not for the Caymanian people you were elected to represent. You can fool Some people Some of the time but you can’t fool All the people All of the time.
Seriously. For who?
Not Caymanians. Great for Jamaicans.
Bingo!! All the parties are focused on helping the Jamaicans, people who are only interested in money no sense of integration all about their independence day, putting their people to work and no respect for our laws or our people, headed straight to destruction. Thanks Mac & Kurt. Why don’t you both go back to your beloved Jamaica and see if they’ll vote for you there.
Sure they are……
Sorry…boom boom boom…..cant read..boom boom boom….your…boom boom boom..news story….because my wonderful neighbors…..do not….boom boom boom…read…unless its the lyrics to a … boom boom boom …song. The future and concentration…boom boom boom… of this nations is right on track…boom boom boom…I guess…what could go…boom boom boom…wrong…when the people…boom boom boom…can not think for more than…boom boom boom boom…..3 minutes…Boom Boom Boom… at a sing time.
Looks like moving / closing the dump is a low priority for the future. Very sad considering what was proposed and said four years ago.
The dump is a ticking health and environmental time bomb. Wonder when that will be finally recognized and action taken?
The short foresight or should I say lack of. The dump, unemployment, gang activity, education, immigration and heck even the situation with the iguanas have been problematic for a long time and just like most things they feel like ignoring the problems or sweeping them under the rug will solve the issues.
Sad – so so sad.
Four years with no solutions to the social ills that plague us, continued high cost of living, and Caymanians becoming further disenfranchised third class citizens in our own country.
Now that’s Progressive. Thanks for nothing Alden and PPM
What else would you expect them to say!
He does not have to say more on the immigration issue early in the new year. He needs to release the report our tax dollars paid for. If he does not; PPM will not get my vote!
Alden we are on the right track but you and your party are definately on the wrong train?
Although I voted for the Progressives in the last election, I did so with some reservations. I must confess that I have been pleasantly surprised by the excellent job they have done in managing the affairs of our country on the whole.
Everything is not perfect, but they have demonstrated that they are more than capable of taking our Islands to another level. I will therefore be voting for the Progressives candidate in my district in May.
My advice to everyone who loves the Cayman Islands is to do the same. We cannot go back to bluster and scheming as a way to run the country. Nor can we risk voting for a hodge-podge of so called Independents with no national policy or the means of achieving it. The world is a very different place today and those days are long gone.
Happy 2017 to everyone and God’s blessings on you and your family.
Exactly what are you smoking?
It now takes up to 2 hours just to make a payment at Customs, when it used to take less than 10 mins before these clowns spent millions of $ to re-invent the wheel.
All the PPM has managed to achieve is the humongous waste of 100’s of millions of our $ on poorly concieved projects and in creating additional layers of the useless burocracy that stagnates real growth in our economy!
There isn’t one real businessman in the entire Govt and it shows!
They spend all of their time jumping through hoops to appease the great bully to the north in a fruitless attempt to ‘lead the way’ in financial reform … which = drive foriegn investors out of CAYMAN and back to the US and EU.
It took me 20 mins to open a new bank A/C in the US w only my ID & CASH & I’m NOT a US resident … but it took me more than 3 weeks at a local bank that I’ve already been banking with for 34 years!
It is almost impossible to do any form of business in CAYMAN now … and GOD forbid that you should ever have to deal with a Govt department like Planning who seem to be a Law unto themselves!
The job of Govt is to CREATE opportunity in our country so that our people can prosper … these jokers are doing just the opposite of that.
Here lies the PPM Goat name Smithy chewing his great big cod the other level you talking about must be eating local bush to UK turds and it no way on GOd’s green Earth that is right so he not going to bless anyone for that type stupid behavior.
pure waffle…. and you are very lucky dart is pumping billions into the local economy….nothing to do with the do-nothing ppm….
just look at your ‘progress’ on the following:
port
dump
immigration
cost of doing business
civil service reform
How can he say Caymanians are employed , when unemployed Caymanians were hired just for the Christmas clean up , and some 24,000 work permits are active .
Sharkey you are being really clever with words so let me clarify. Alden did not say or even imply that all Caymanians are employed. which is what you imply .In fact he said unemployment has fallen to 5.6% which means that there are still Caymanians who are unemployed.Did you miss the part where he pledged to work towards getting all employable Caymanians an opportunity to work? Come on Sharkey give the man credit when he deserves it.
Sharkey its sad to have to say this but someone needs to. Unfortunately those doing the clean up are only qualified to do that type of work and there is only so much of it.
One question Dear leader if we are on the right track,why are top officials calling meetings to tell other senior officials who to support in the next election? Which is a volation and breach of a number of laws the PPM themselves put in place. But we know absolutely nothing will be done by the ACC who appear oblivious to PPM and their gov’t minions unlawful behaviour or election tactics. No surprise here because they too along with Madam Killjoy are SAFE and SECURE with the current Status Quo!
Count your Blessings.com are you suggesting that it is somehow wrong for elected politicians to campaign? Should this be reserved for only those who are currently out of office? There is absolutely nothing wrong with elected officials holding political meetings which you seem to think is a crime. .It is also quite ok for senior elected officials to suggest to any registered voter who to vote for.(whether that voter is employed in the private sector or the public sector). What would be wrong if this was done in such a way as to suggest a threat ,such as loss of a job etc for not complying. However if a political meeting is held and those who attend are encouraged to vote for a certain individual and to recruit others to do so, then there is nothing wrong with that.
Deputy Governor allows it so that shows his political preference and leanings. Directly against General Orders
LOL
Why every fly that pitches on the Cayman Islands falls on the Crazy Glue trap? What is a work permit? I thought a work permit was the same as a contract. Isn’t for a specific time? Why does every work permit holder have to have extended time, to be able to apply for permanent residence? Why? Why? We need answers, not changing laws to suit work permit holders.
Can we have some syrup to go with all that waffle?
The permanent residency issue was raised when the Govt first took office. They have failed to address the significant social and economic problems locally and now they want another term to do what? NOTHING!!!!!!
No Alden retire along with Kurt and let a real Government take over, you have forgotten from whence you came bro!
A real Government like what we had to replace four years ago? McKeeva has been in Government since 1984 (37years) and look at the mess West Bay is in. Is that the real leader that you are longing for? Really?
I am the original poster @ 11.56pm and it should read 33 years, not 37.
Hey, look while I self-endorse my own leadership ahead of the elections. Zzzzzzzz.
The dump Alden…what about the dump?
What about releasing the Ritch Report that WE paid for?
Recent concerns about the immigration law, it is only a matter of time that a class action is taken against the Cayman Islands. That will make us look good.
Oh my God. Lies and more lies. Election much?