Opposition member Roy McTaggart has filed a private member’s motion, calling on government to temporarily waive import duty on fuel, as prices at gas pumps across the islands rise.
McTaggart’s motion requests that government reduce to zero the import duty on diesel imported by CUC to generate electricity; diesel and petrol used by car users; and cooking gas fuels for an initial period of three months.
Import duty for diesel and petrol in Cayman is between 22% and 27%.
Last week, the average price of premium gas at petrol stations was $6.11 per gallon, which had risen 3% compared to the week before, while the average price of diesel had risen 11%, from $5.89 to $6.56 over the previous week. By Tuesday, 28 April, some gas stations were selling full-serve premium petrol for more than $6.80, and diesel prices at some stations were over $7.
In his motion, McTaggart notes that, over the past five years, the cost of most goods imported into Cayman has increased due to the impacts of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and now the war in Iran. He points out that the cost of essentials, like groceries, utilities and fuel, has increased locally increased by over 25%, “helping create a severe cost-of-living crisis”.
Asking for the government to grant the temporary financial relief, the motion continues, “the Cayman Islands Government has benefited and continues to benefit from a windfall in additional import duties because of the significantly increased cost of goods and freight”.
This motion and others are expected to be debated during the upcoming session of parliament, which begins on Wednesday, 29 April.
Other private members’ motions
Several other private members’ motions from other opposition members have also been filed.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Kenneth Bryan is calling for government to add a parcel of land, and consolidate it with seven other parcels, for the completion of the Central Scranton Park, a project Bryan spearheaded while he was a government minister in the last administration.
Opposition member Dwayne Seymour’s motion calls for the establishment of an early-life savings or investment programme to help support future educational, housing, entrepreneurial or other developmental needs of Caymanian children. He is asking government to consider setting up a ‘Newborn investment sovereign fund’, in which an initial sum of $5,000 would be allocated for each child born in the Cayman Islands, who is Caymanian at birth.
Another motion by Seymour recommends the reintroduction of a civil service home ownership programme, to help civil servants who own land but cannot afford to build due to high construction costs and mortgage financing that does not extend to cover construction, planning permit and approval fees.
Chris Saunders, opposition MP for Bodden Town West, in a private member’s motion, is requesting Parliament establish a Financial Services and Banking Oversight Committee, chaired by the speaker of the house and consisting of up to seven MPs. The move, the motion states, would help affirms Cayman’s commitment “to being a country that manages growth and maintains prosperity, while protecting its social and natural environment”.
Saunders has also filed a motion calling for an amnesty for after-the-fact planning fees for Caymanians who have made renovations to their homes prior to 30 April 2026, without the approval from the Department of Planning. The motion also urges government to consider amending legislation and regulations to allow homeowners to increase their approved home size by 10% without requiring approval from planning.
Related Videos
