Government oversight
Committee falls apart over merger of OCC and ICO
(CNS): MLA Ezzard Miller has resigned as chair of the parliamentary oversight committee that deals with the Office of the Complaints Commissioner as a result of government’s plan to merge the OCC with the Information Commissioner’s Office and a new police complaints commission. He also revealed that most of the other committee members had followed […]
Figures reveal speedier FOI requests
(CNS): The latest statistics from the Information Commissioner’s office have revealed a 42% drop in the number of freedom of information requests being made by members of the public. But the numbers published to mark this year’s Right to Know week have also revealed that government is getting much quicker at responding to the requests. […]
CIG seeks more control over hospital with board change
(CNS): One of the many pieces of legislation that government plans to steer through the Legislative Assembly next month is a small but nevertheless significant change that government hopes will help it keep a tighter rein on the hospital. The Health Services Authority Law (2016) Revision, which was published on the government gazette earlier this […]
Expertise needed to make procurement bill work
(CNS): Government’s new procurement bill, which is expected to be debated in the Legislative Assembly next month will depend on the development of expertise in the civil service to make it work, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has stated. The draft legislation introduces what has been described as a comprehensive and accountable regime for the purchase of goods and […]
New law aims to protect public purse from abuse
(CNS): After many years of inadequate management of the public procurement process that has led to both waste and abuse of taxpayers’ cash, government will finally be bringing the long-awaited Procurement Bill to the Legislative Assembly at the next sitting. The proposed law is now open for public comment ahead of the debate in the […]
CAL’s US$21M subsidy keeps airline flying
(CNS Business): The latest audit of the national flag carrier has reinforced the fact that while Cayman Airways Ltd is turning its financial losses around, it is still very heavily dependent on a government subsidy of around US$21 million per year and would not be a viable entity without it. But the management team has […]
HSA to clean up $90M bad debt trouble
(CNS): The local hospital will be focusing on resolving its more than $90 million old and bad debt problems over the coming year by trying to collect around $10 million of its oldest debt, writing off what can’t ever be recovered, focusing on reducing the recent debt and stopping it from mounting in future. Speaking […]
Airline CEO defends board chair over PAC mix-up
(CNS): The chief executive officer of Cayman Airways Ltd (CAL) has defended the chairman of the airline’s board, Phillip Rankin, after he was criticized by the Public Accounts Committee chair for failing to attend the latest meeting. Ezzard Miller claimed that the committee had rearranged the schedule to accommodate Rankin, but CAL CEO Fabian Whorms […]
PAC chair berates witnesses over excuses
(CNS): The chair of the Public Accounts Committee has issued a warning to senior public servants in core government as well as its statutory authorities and government companies that when they are asked to attend PAC as witnesses, this is not a frivolous invitation that they can ignore. When the committee met last week, Ezzard […]
Ex-CAL directors get free ride for life
(CNS): Many of Cayman Airways’ former directors are getting free unlimited flights for themselves and their immediate family as a reward for serving voluntarily on the airline’s board. Paul Tibbetts, the airline’s chief financial officer, told the Public Accounts Committee last week that around 100 former directors who served before 2009 are able to fly […]
Coles to chair new civilian-loaded ACC
(CNS): Following changes to the law paving the way for the Anti-Corruption Commission to be made up of civilians rather than public officials, which the legislation was designed to keep in line, the governor has finally appointed a new commission. The group of lawyers and finance experts will be chaired by Richard Coles and include […]
