Tag: Eric Bush
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 […]
UK rep’s troubles stir up long-running status issues
(CNS): Questions surrounding Dr Tasha Ebanks-Garcia’s legal situation as a Cayman Islands Government employee in the UK have served to reignite long-running concerns over the battles Caymanians have in some circumstances with their immigration status. Ebanks-Garcia is unquestionably Caymanian, but speculation about her official status in London apparently came to light last year when she […]
OAG stands by report on Dubai and o’seas office failings
(CNS): Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has found no breach of the Public Management and Finance Act (PMFA) following an investigation into a report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG). But Sue Winspear told CNS she stands by the special audit she was asked to conduct on how the former administration and civil servants […]
OAG: MITAMA broke law re CI$6M spent on o’seas promos
(CNS): The former administration broke the law when it committed the current government to around $6 million in spending over the next five years on overseas promotion. The former premier’s ministry signed agreements and contracts to open overseas offices and attend an Expo in Dubai just days before and after the election. The breaches of […]
New welfare law will mandate need to work
(CNS): A government policy maker has indicated that when the new law dealing with financial support for those in need finally reaches Parliament next year, it will include a mandatory requirement for able bodied people to enter the workforce and find a job. At a Public Accounts Committee hearing last week, the former and current […]
Ministry name change points to new ethos
(CNS): The ministry area previously named community affairs is now known as social development, which reflects the goal to “assist, enhance and socially develop the lives of the clients” at the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), according to Minister Andre Ebanks, who visited the department last week at Apollo House East on Mary […]
Quarantine boss to be new London rep
(CNS): Senior civil servant Dr Tasha Ebanks-Garcia, the current head of Travel Cayman, will be heading to London shortly to take up a new job as the Cayman Islands representative in the UK. Ebanks-Garcia, who has a doctorate in psychology and has been in public service for eight years, was appointed following a recent recruitment […]
TravelTime to tackle evacuation and quarantine
(CNS): Government’s newest department, which was created to tackle some of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, took over management of evacuation flights and quarantine for returning residents and workers on Wednesday. TravelTime is expected to streamline travel until the borders are reopened to normal commercial travel, officials said. The deputy governor has also […]
No audit planned over curfew decisions
(CNS): No official audit of the decisions made by the team that has managed curfew exemptions over the COVID-19 lockdown period is planned by the current government. Premier Alden McLaughlin said Wednesday that it was not his call to look into the fairness of the decisions, and if there were complaints, they would be handled […]
Premier heads to London to meet array of VIPs
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin is flying to London today, Friday, for what officials said was a series of very important meetings, including a first visit with Baroness Sugg, the new UK overseas territories minister, as well as the Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief of staff, among others. Issues such as this […]
KPMG to shape policy for new trade ministry
(CNS): The government has revealed that it is working with the private sector auditing and consulting firm, KPMG, to create the public policy for the new Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs (MITIAMA), which is currently part of the premier’s ever-growing portfolio. Acting Chief Officer Andrea Fa’amoe said her team met with […]
