Tag: Dwayne Seymour
Private pensioners get access to more of their cash
(CNS): Residents living on private sector pensions can now access marginally more of their own money this year as the Department of Labour, in consultation with the National Pensions Board, approved an increase in the 2024 Retirement Savings Arrangements (RSA) disbursement figure from CI$14,125, the current maximum annual payout, to CI$15,000, effective 1 June.
New security body scanners installed at airports
(CNS): Customs and Border Control has installed new “state-of-the-art non-intrusive body scanners” to look for drugs and contraband at both Owen Roberts and Charles Kirkconnell airports to bolster national security and ensure the safety of residents and visitors. The scanners are designed to detect individuals attempting to smuggle illicit drugs and other illegal goods into […]
New rules planned to curb sham marriages
(CNS): In a move the Cayman Islands Government has described as “upholding the sanctity” of marriage and civil partnerships, Cabinet has approved the drafting of new immigration regulations. Officials said the Immigration (Arrangements of Convenience) Regulations 2024, which aim to prevent sham marriages, show that government is committed to ensuring marriages or civil partnerships are […]
Growth in WPs undermining economic growth
(CNS): Recent revelations from the 2023 Fall Labour Force Survey about the size of the workforce and the increase in local unemployment to over 5% from just over 3% last year while work permit numbers remain high raise questions about the health and sustainability of Cayman’s economy. Last year, the economy grew by about 4% […]
CBC arrests 26 at ORIA with drugs and guns
(CNS): In the two-month period between 15 December and 15 February, Customs and Border Control arrested 26 people at the Owen Roberts International Airport entering or exiting the Cayman Islands carrying drugs or weapons, plus one person for smoking on a plane. Officials said the interceptions, which included ganja, ecstasy, ammunition and guns, were based […]
CIG asks public to review $8.75/hour basic pay
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government is seeking public comment on the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee’s long-awaited report, made public this week, and the recommendation to implement a new basic national minimum wage of just CI$8.75. No one from the elected arm of government has indicated whether or not the MWAC’s recommendations will be accepted and […]
Committee advises minimum wage should be $8.75/hour
(CNS): Almost six months after the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee finished its work and handed its report over to the government, the document has finally been made public ahead of a press briefing scheduled for Wednesday. The report reveals a recommended new rate of CI$8.75 per hour — a 46% increase on the current CI$6. […]
MPs mislead the country about conservation law
(CNS): The National Conservation Act was targeted by several MPs in parliament over the course of the Finance Committee hearings last week, some of whom misled the public and other members of the House by suggesting, incorrectly, that it has hampered development. Some MPs, including McKeeva Bush (WBW) and Chris Saunders (BTW), as well as […]
Minister warns minimum wage increase at risk
(CNS): Increasing the minimum wage will not help many Caymanians, and so the long-awaited uplift from the current inadequate rate has been delayed and may not happen at all across some sectors, Labour Minister Dwayne Seymour has implied. Given that 77% of workers on the basic rate of just $6 per hour are permit holders […]
Conservation law marks 10yrs as MPs attack environmentalists
(CNS): Wednesday was the tenth anniversary of the National Conservation Act passing into law, despite the continuing opposition to the legislation and the misrepresentation of how it has impacted development. With former premier Wayne Panton, the architect of the law, laid up after breaking his ribs, there has been no one in parliament this week […]
New line-ups for immigration boards and tribunal
(CNS): Cabinet has approved the appointment of numerous new members to the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board (CSPR), the Business Staffing Plan Board (BSP), and the Immigration Appeals Tribunal (IAT). The processing of PR and status applications, in particular, has been delayed significantly because these boards barely met this year, and then their terms […]
