Policy
Millionaire condo tower gets $8.2M waiver deal
(CNS): The developer behind the WaterMark condo tower on Seven Mile Beach currently under construction, where units sell for close to US$10 million, has been granted CI$8.2 million in import duty waivers on all construction materials and equipment for its development until February 2023. Fraser Wellon is the developer behind this latest luxury development, which […]
Closed resort was granted bundle of waivers
(CNS): Developers behind the remodeling of the old Treasure Island resort into Margaritaville on the West Bay Road were granted a bundle of waivers, according to documents obtained by CNS in an ongoing freedom of information battle. HHG Cayman Ltd was granted over CI$1.7 million in duty concessions for building materials, furniture, fixtures, operating equipment […]
Gov’t rejects MLA review of pension regime
(CNS): Problems with the Cayman Islands private sector pension regime became a political football on Thursday, when the government rejected a call to establish a committee to take a deeper a look at what can be done with it. Opposition MLA Chris Saunders (BTW) had presented a motion to the Legislative Assembly calling for members […]
Health insurance failings roll on
(CNS): The multiple problems associated with the failing health insurance system in Cayman was recently raised again in Finance Committee, but there are still no policy solutions on offer from the health minister. The original budget to cover tertiary healthcare costs for indigents and those with inadequate health cover for 2019 was CI$9.9 million but […]
Port petition ‘dead’ along with project
(CNS): The petition requesting a people’s referendum on the construction of the cruise berthing facilities in George Town harbour is “dead” along with the project itself, Premier Alden McLaughlin has told CNS. Despite calls from the Cruise Port Referendum campaign that they want the vote to go ahead on Election Day, McLaughlin does not believe […]
School day to be extended
(CNS): When Cayman students return to government schools in August and September they will be facing a school day that will be longer than they are used to. Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly has confirmed that to help students catch up on missing time because of the COVID-19 shutdown, at least 30 minutes, possibly even an […]
Development deals to remain secret
(CNS): Planning Minister Joey Hew has said that government has no intention at present of making agreements it has made with developers public because most contain commercially sensitive information. The minster claimed that government was looking at forming a policy framework that would be public but he did not think it was currently justified to […]
New committee to manage border reopening
(CNS): A new government committee has been created to manage the process for eventually opening Cayman’s borders. As the coronavirus continues to rage around the world, especially in the US, and after so much work here to reach near elimination, opening the borders is a major challenge. Premier Alden McLaughlin said Friday that with a […]
QC stresses untruths over port marine damage
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government engaged in what was “little short of a propaganda campaign”, misleading the public about the impact the proposed cruise port development would have on the marine environment, a lawyer representing the National Trust argued last week. Tom Lowe QC told the appeal court that the Trust “was shocked” by this […]
CPR lawyers defend judge’s ruling
(CNS): The judge presiding over the successful legal challenge by Shirley Roulstone, a member of the Cruise Port Referendum campaign, to the bill government passed last year paving the way for a people’s vote did not get it wrong when he found it was unconstitutional, lawyer Chris Butler said Thursday.
Plan warns climate change poses tourism risk
(CNS): The National Tourism Management Plan (NTMP), which was unveiled by Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell last week, makes it clear that climate change poses a serious risk to the tourism sector. The NTMP, which is designed to guide tourism development until 2023, points to a list of things government needs to do to mitigate its […]
