Following his visit here last week, Sir Michael Jay, the top civil servant in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said he will pressure the European Commission for a prompt payment of Hurricane Ivan relief funds.
Mr. Jay was here last Wednesday and Thursday. He toured parts of Cayman with Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts to see some of the remaining damage caused by Hurricane Ivan.
‘The most important part of his short stay was allowing him the ability to see first hand where we are with respect to Ivan,’ Mr. Tibbetts said at the Cabinet press briefing on Friday. ‘He was able to see what still needs to be done.’
Mr. Jay saw for himself some of the remaining damage as he toured places like South Sound, Spotts and the George Town neighbourhoods known as the Swamp and Rock Hole.
‘I have seen the damage caused by Ivan,’ Mr. Jay said. ‘I’m also impressed at the extent to which the damage done is being repaired. I am impressed with the resilience of the islands.’
The topic of relief funds from the European Commission was discussed. Cabinet Minister Alden McLaughlin had stressed the need for hurricane relief from the European Development Fund at the Overseas Countries and Territories Forum lat November in Brussels.
After the meetings, Mr. McLaughlin said he was confident Cayman would receive at least the equivalent of US$5 million in aid, and possibly as much as twice that amount.
The EDF was not meeting again until this month and it is hoped the aid money could be approved and paid over quickly afterwards.
Mr. Jay promised to urge the EU to release the funds.
‘I want… to put further pressure on the European Commission to provide quickly the money to help with reconstruction after Hurricane Ivan,’ he said.
‘What we need to do is cut through some of the bureaucracy and make sure that money gets here so we can help the people who need it now.’
Governor Stuart Jack supported Mr. Jay’s stance.
‘It’s much easier to go ahead and press for that money when you have actually seen on the ground the problems that still remain and what can be done with the money,’ he said.
Mr. Tibbetts said Mr. Jay ‘quite readily understands’ the potential benefits of Cayman getting the lump sum of relief money.
‘Hopefully, the funding will be forthcoming in short order,’ he said. ‘It is very important to us. The National Recovery Fund could really go forward and do what needs to be done.’
Mr. Tibbetts said the topic of disaster preparedness and disaster management was also discussed with Mr. Jay.
Mr. Jay said the UK had learned from Cayman’s experiences after Ivan.
‘One of the lessons we’ve learned is that there needs to be greater coordination and a closer partnership between the UK and the Cayman Islands Government on disaster management,’ he said.
Mr. Tibbetts said Mr. Jay indicated the UK wanted to be more in a state of readiness in its approach to disasters in the Overseas Territories.
‘They’re working towards being able to respond much more quickly and efficiently,’ he said.
Mr. Jay dismissed the opinion in some circles that Cayman does not need external disaster assistance because of the international standing of its financial industry.
‘The fact that it is the fifth largest financial centre is a tribute to the people of the Cayman Islands, but that does not absolve us of our responsibility to provide help to the Cayman Islands in the wake of a disaster such as Hurricane Ivan,’ he said.
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