Government Administration
CO moves ministries against backdrop of controversy
(CNS): Chief Officer Eric Bush is moving from the Ministry of Investment, Innovation and Social Development (IISD) to the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure (PAHI). Bush has been in the spotlight recently over controversies relating to his role in the previous government’s plans to open offices overseas and Cayman’s participation in the Dubai […]
Customs boss to face MPs on failures over improvements
(CNS): Customs and Border Control Director Charles Clifford is one of several senior government officials due to face the Public Accounts Committee today (Wednesday) to explain why many of the recommendations made by the Office of the Auditor General have not been implemented. A report published in February highlighted the fact that the CBC has […]
Tourism stipend phases out with $106M pricetag
(CNS): Today the government issued what is likely to be the penultimate payment to displaced workers who were registered for the tourism stipend programme, as it transitions those who have still not returned to jobs in the sector onto different grants or other support initiatives through the Needs Assessment Unit. By the end of June […]
WORC rolls out zero tolerance application policy
(CNS): Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) is announcing that from now on incomplete applications will not be accepted. Customers are required to provide all of the required information for work permit and other applications in order for those applications to be processed. Labour Minister Chris Saunders has announced a policy to fully automate the […]
Water Authority asked to justify rate increase
(CNS): The utilities regulator, OfReg, has deferred an application by the Water Authority for a rate increase asking the government-owned company’s management for more information to justify the increase. During last week’s OfReg board meeting the directors reviewed the request for a hike in prices but found that the 2020 year’s financial statements supporting the […]
Bernie Bush scandal pushed CO to resign early
(CNS): Michael Ebanks, the acting chief officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, has resigned from the civil service over the Bush scandal, and Julian Lewis, one of the two deputy COs in the ministry, is now acting in the post until the top job is filled, officials have confirmed. The news of Ebanks’ resignation […]
Mail’s two-year journey to Canada finally over
(CNS): The inability of the Cayman Islands Postal Service to find an airline to transport mail to Canada for two years came to an end last month when recipients began receiving piles of mail, some of which was sent more than 24 months ago. One former Cayman resident who now lives back in his native […]
Minister cut funds for fire chief’s training bonus
(CNS): Home Affairs Minister Bernie Bush has told CNS that when he took up office, he was surprised to learn that the current chief fire officer had been paid extra cash each month to train Caymanians. Bush said he had done what he could within the law to ensure the funding was cut off.
Port board embroiled in new HR turmoil
(CNS): The long-running problems impacting human resources at the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands (PACI) appear to be lingering, as CNS has learned that an internal audit is now underway into various appointments made directly by PACI’s board in relation to numerous vacancies. Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon the board announced the appointment of Brac […]
Ministry PR dept seeks marketing consultants
(CNS): A new government PR and marketing department within the innovation ministry, created to promote investment in the Cayman Islands, has issued a request for proposals from marketing consultants. InvestCayman was launched last year, describing itself as an investment promotion agency headed up by marketing professional Jane Scaletta, who was appointed to the top job […]
Civil service still failing to manage the people’s cash
(CNS): The auditor general has once again called out the public sector management on its continued failure to implement recommendations made by her office and the Public Accounts Committee for better management of the people’s money. In the latest report, which followed up on past findings going back as far as 2017, Sue Winspear said […]
