Cayman’s PPM government would require at least two terms in office to begin to realise its goals, leader Kurt Tibbetts told the party conference.
‘We are in this for the long haul,’ said Leader of Government Business Mr. Tibbetts.
There would be no quick fixes and the reforms under way would take time, he said on Saturday evening.
When they took over, the country’s fortunes and morale were at a low ebb, with crime on the increase and the education system and health service in a mess, claimed Mr. Tibbetts.
But they have addressed the issues vigorously and he is confident they have inspired the people to dream again.
In a rallying call to the party faithful at the Mary Miller Hall, Mr. Tibbetts urged people to never underestimate the transformation that has taken place in the nine months since they came into office.
They have taken measures and given new resources to the police and have begun to turn the tide in the war against crime.
They are presently considering legislation which would provide the courts with a wide range of alternative sentences. And in the longer term they would make sure the prison service had the right level of resources, he said.
Large amounts have been spent on the post-Hurricane Ivan recovery. Efforts will continue and they are optimistic they will receive some EU funding, he said.
Housing is a critically important issue and is being addressed as quickly as possible.
Mr. Tibbetts said they have been criticised for their borrowing proposals for capital projects. But they understood that securing the economic future required addressing social and economic infrastructural needs which had been neglected in the past.
They have an ambitious programme, which includes the construction of three new high schools and significant improvements to roads, he said.
It is essential and affordable, he told the conference.
The projects they are working on are critically needed. Funding has to be sought and they are looking at revenue sources, he said.
On work permit issues, Mr. Tibbetts said they are working to deal with the mess created by legislation passed by the previous administration.
There were 22,000 work permits in operation and when they came into office the Board was 14 months behind in dealing with applications, he said.
The backlog has now been reduced to about six months and it is expected to be current by the end of March.
A review of immigration law is also under way and they would soon be able to bring legislation, he said.
The tourism industry is steadily recovering, said Mr. Tibbetts.
An initiative has been launched to provide tourism training and job opportunities for Caymanians and a tourism authority would become a reality, he said.
The PPM administration has addressed the issues with speed and energy, said Mr. Tibbetts.
But he urged those at the conference – which was also addressed by guest speaker W. Alexander Scott, Premier of Bermuda – never to become complacent.
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