Fuel security and cost of living dominate discussion at PPM event

At a glance

• The People’s Progressive Movement holds first event on its ‘listening tour’
• Concerns raised over cost of fuel
• Cost of living increases flagged

Concerns over the security of Cayman’s oil supply amid international conflict, the cost of living and healthcare dominated the first event held under the opposition People’s Progressive Movement ‘listening tour’ banner.

PPM leader Joey Hew and a team of four party MPs heard from the public in a two-hour Q and A session designed to improve communication with the electorate.

Hew said afterwards, “People are starting to feel the impact of the cost of living, and healthcare continues to be a major focus for our people.

“A lot of people are just one major health issue away from bankruptcy – that’s something we need to fix and fix quickly.”

He was speaking after the meeting, held in central George Town’s Constitution Hall on Tuesday, 3 March, where the public expressed concerns over how Cayman would cope if conflict and tension in the Middle East disrupted the flow of oil.

Fuel security worries

Hew said, “The main issue we’re going to face is the cost of the oil, not necessarily a shortage.”

He highlighted that oil prices had gone up since the US and Israel launched air attacks on Iran and that prices would “continue to rise” as long the conflict continued.

Hew said, “That is a concern we’re going to continue to have getting into the hotter months of the year and our utility bills are going to increase exponentially as the price of oil continues to go up.

“And so that will make for a very long, hot and expensive summer.”

Hew added, “This also affects the fuel for your cars, it affects small businesses, those who rely heavily on transportation, or your landscaping companies, the delivery companies, all those sorts of things.

“And so you could see costs increasing there again. We’ve already seen major cost increases over the last couple of months here, so that is a concern we have.”

Hew said the then-PPM government during COVID-19 had faced similar fuel security problems and the fuel companies had said there was several months’ supply in reserve or en route to Cayman.

Cost of living

The panel featured MPs Roy McTaggart, Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden, Kenneth Bryan and Roy Tatum.

Bryan, the deputy opposition leader, said he and McTaggart, the shadow finance minister, would raise worries over “the very slim margin” for surpluses in 2026 and 2027 in Parliament.

He said they wanted an economic impact assessment prepared on the “recent fee structure and tax implementation plan” from the coalition government.

Bryan said, “Even without most of these fees being implemented, we’re already starting to feel the pinch at the various supermarkets.

“I can’t say the gas prices yet, but I don’t think that’s going to be for very much longer. Businesses are starting to increase the cost of services and goods, and this is going to make it worse.”

Healthcare concerns

Another question involved the quality of care provided by the Health Services Authority and the use of private providers to cut pressure on the Anthony S. Eden Hospital.

Hew said the PPM had plans in its last administration to build a satellite Bodden Town hospital to share the workload and also provide locally based care in the area.

He added, “We understood then that was a shortage of hospital beds and that something had to be done.”

Hew said problems in the Health Services Authority had been “widely publicised” and included a board of directors, since changed, that was meeting twice a day sometimes and “literally micro-managing the hospital”.

He added that the PPM was also aware of problems with the pharmacy and shortages of medication, with some forced to get their prescriptions at private pharmacies.

Hew said, “These are all issues that board should have been dealing with.”