Topic: Alden McLaughlin
Cayman delegation meets with yachting elite
Premier Alden McLaughlin and Financial Services and Home Affairs Minister Tara Rivers, along with representatives from the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, spent last week rubbing elbows with yachting’s elite at the Monaco Yacht Show.
Premier, Minister Rivers visiting Monaco Yacht Show
Premier Alden McLaughlin and Minister of Financial Services Tara Rivers will join representatives from the Maritime Authority at the Monaco Yacht Show this week in an effort to promote Cayman’s service offering for yacht owners.
Premier: Cayman ‘will not be bullied’
Premier Alden McLaughlin has criticized the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) as being “disingenuous” in regard to the Cayman Islands’ cooperation with British law enforcement, in a statement issued Monday afternoon.
Full statement from Premier Alden McLaughlin
It is correct that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Cayman Islands Government continue to have a difference of opinion on parts of the agreement termed the ‘Exchange of Notes’, but it is disingenuous for the FCO to say that the Cayman Islands is not cooperating with the UK with regards to investigating serious crimes.
Civil service pay increase: Bigger paychecks, no healthcare costs
Cayman’s civil servants have welcomed the news that they will be receiving larger paychecks next month after Premier Alden McLaughlin announced a 5 percent pay increase backdated to July 1.
EDITORIAL – An easy call: Deal directly with the media
Decades ago, the editor in chief of “D” (Dallas) Magazine, who now holds the same title at the Compass (talk about a career stall), answered the phone at his desk. He regretted it immediately.
Government revising labor bill
Government will seek to revisit the controversial Labour Relations Bill within the next year, Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed Thursday.
Duty-free allowance to rise to $500
Returning from a trip abroad and clearing customs has not only become quicker after the scrapping of customs forms for passengers who have nothing to declare; it will also become cheaper following an increase of the personal duty allowance from $350 to $500 per person.
Brac celebrates 60th anniversary of coat of arms
Around 200 people, including schoolchildren, turned out in Cayman Brac Thursday for a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Cayman’s coat of arms.
Cayman to create new trade ministry
Premier Alden McLaughlin revealed plans to create a new ministry to fight for Cayman’s interests overseas, saying the territory could no longer rely on the United Kingdom to defend the islands’ economic interests.
Premier defends cruise ship dock plan
Premier Alden McLaughlin reaffirmed his government’s commitment to press ahead with plans for a cruise berthing facility in George Town harbor in the face of increasingly vocal opposition to the project.
Brackers invited to coat of arms ceremony
The government is inviting members of the public to take part in a celebration on Cayman Brac of the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Islands coat of arms this week.
EDITORIAL – Boxing Day: Sorry, not this year
The Bodden Town boxing gym has been KO’d without a single punch being thrown or a competitor entering the ring … which, of course, raises a serious question: Has anyone yet notified Manny?
Bodden Town boxing gym plan shelved
Plans for a Bodden Town boxing gym, announced amid significant publicity during the visit of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao last year, have been quietly shelved.
6 weeks of silence: No word on Gov. Choudhury’s fate
Six weeks after the surprise “temporary removal” of Cayman Islands Governor Anwar Choudhury, there is still no word from British authorities of his fate or the reasons for his sudden departure to the U.K.
Cayman gets support from Caricom on UK issues
Member states of the Caribbean Community, also called Caricom, have given full support to Cayman and the other British Overseas Territories in their ongoing battle against a move to force public company ownership registers upon those territories.
More money provided for poor relief
The Cayman Islands government is plugging an additional $2 million into the poor relief budget this year, fearing the current funding provided for some of the public welfare efforts will run out by next month if more money is not provided.
Minister: Beach access in every district
Cayman Islands lawmakers agreed this week to set aside $10 million to purchase land, including beachfront properties and beach access pathways, for future public use.
Police: A dozen ‘fake premiers’ on Instagram
Scammers are falsely using the names of Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin and Attorney General Sam Bulgin in bogus fundraising efforts, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service reported Tuesday.
EDITORIAL – Cayman’s success depends on growth and diversity
It is good that Premier McLaughlin has correctly recognized the increasingly cosmopolitan makeup of our growing society, and the growing diversity among the Caymanian half of our population.
Premier: Caymanian population grows by 70% in 20 years
The number of Caymanians living here has increased by 70 percent within the past two decades, with the majority of those being “new” Caymanians, Premier Alden McLaughlin told a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference Tuesday.
Commonwealth conference comes to Cayman
The 43rd Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association began on Monday at the Marriott Beach Resort.
Governor Choudhury ‘temporarily withdrawn’ from post, UK confirms investigation is under way
Cayman Islands Governor Anwar Choudhury’s appointment has been “temporarily withdrawn” for at least the next several weeks while an unspecified investigation proceeds against him, officials with the U.K.’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed via the governor’s office Wednesday.
Statement from Premier Alden McLaughlin
“[Tuesday] evening, June 12, I was invited to the House of Lords to meet with Lord Ahmad, Minister of State for the Overseas Territories.
Cayman’s leaders seek constitutional reform
Cayman Islands leaders continued to push for constitutional reform in a series of meetings in London following the U.K.’s decision to impose public beneficial ownership registries on its overseas territories.
Premier in London to discuss constitutional reform issues
Premier Alden McLaughlin is in London this week to take part in meetings with British officials about constitutional reform and public beneficial ownership registers.
Boards, public workers to be protected from ‘negligence’
The Cayman Islands government will seek to change the law to protect both appointed members of statutory authority boards and government workers who serve those agencies from legal liability arising from certain negligent actions.
Premier: Changes ‘not a first step’ to independence
Although Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin did lobby British Prime Minister Theresa May last week about changing the governing relationship between Cayman and the U.K., the premier said this week that his proposals should not be taken as “a first step toward independence.”
Premier: UK orders on beneficial ownership will be fought in Cayman
If the United Kingdom decides to mandate a public beneficial ownership registry for Cayman companies, the Mother Country will face a legal challenge in the Cayman Islands courts, Premier Alden McLaughlin said Wednesday.
Premier meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May
Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed Thursday that he participated in a series of private meetings this week with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and her “de-facto deputy” MP David Lidington to discuss matters surrounding Cayman’s financial services industry and its constitutional arrangement with Britain.
Legislature pushed back to June 27
The Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly will reconvene at the end of June, about a month later than first planned.
Government to challenge order in council by UK
The Cayman Islands government is retaining legal advisers to challenge the threat of an order in council by the U.K. government forcing Cayman to implement a public register of beneficial ownership.
Autism Society advocates for better coverage
Premier Alden McLaughlin threw his weight behind a new society set up to support families impacted by autism, during a launch event at Camana Bay Monday night.
New Autism Society launched in Cayman
A new nonprofit organization, launching Monday, aims to provide support for families impacted by autism.
Premier attends Commonwealth forum
Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin spent the week at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London.
Security council backs creation of Cayman coast guard service
Cayman’s National Security Council agreed on a number of measures Tuesday to boost border protection and marine patrols.
Premier to represent Overseas Territories at Commonwealth summit
Premier Alden McLaughlin will represent the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.
Mail Call: Fake Premier
Premier Alden McLaughlin says that over the years, “hundreds” of fake social media profiles have been opened using his name. Use these expert tips to spot fake profiles online.
EDITORIAL – Will the evolution of ‘local content’ be televised?
Who says Cayman doesn’t get “snow”? When it comes to government’s regulation of the country’s television market, the picture is full of static.
‘Hundreds’ of instances of fake online profiles of Premier McLaughlin
Premier Alden McLaughlin responded to a report about a fraudulent Facebook profile purporting to be him on Tuesday with a mix of resignation and alarm.
‘Futile’ to enforce public access TV
Television regulators consider it “futile” to attempt to enforce a licensing requirement for cable companies to provide a “free-to-air” public channel.
Officials head back from Hong Kong to greet new governor
The Cayman Islands delegation attending the U.K.-sponsored Great Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong last week headed back home a bit early in order to greet new Governor Anwar Choudhury.
Subsea cables: Another means of improving internet service
To improve internet services in the Cayman Islands, government is largely focusing on improving local fixed-line networks, with Premier Alden McLaughlin announcing earlier this month that his administration intends to install its own fiber-optic cables in the under-served eastern districts.
Premier: Government plans to expand fiber-optic network
Dissatisfied with the speed in which local telecommunications companies are expanding their fiber-optic cable networks to the island’s under-served eastern districts, Premier Alden McLaughlin has announced government’s intention to have the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) build its own network throughout that area.
Premier seeks commission to deal with ‘fair employment’
An independently appointed commission will be created to field complaints made by Caymanian job-seekers who feel they have been unfairly discriminated against during the hiring process, Premier Alden McLaughlin said last week.
Border control: Premier: Immigration-Customs to merge
The border enforcement duties now being performed by the Cayman Islands Immigration Department will be merged with Her Majesty’s Customs service as part of an overall crime-fighting strategy being pursued by the Progressives-led government, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced Wednesday.
Convicted track coach leaves Cayman
Former Cayman Islands track coach Ato Modibo Stephens left the Cayman Islands Sunday following his criminal conviction last year for convincing a 14-year-old girl to send him topless photos of herself.
Plates and praise for Governor Kilpatrick
Governor Helen Kilpatrick was honored Friday, March 2, at an evening farewell reception on the lawn in front of Government House.
Parting message from Governor Helen Kilpatrick
It is with great sadness that I leave the Cayman Islands. From the moment I arrived in September 2013 – on the Honorable Premier’s birthday no less – I have felt welcome and happy here.
EDITORIAL – Enterprise City: Home of Cayman’s growing tech industry
Guests at last week’s Alternative Investment Summit got a preview of the future as experts shared insights about artificial intelligence and other radical changes to be expected as we approach “The Augmented Age.”
Premier weighs in on track coach deportation
Premier Alden McLaughlin on Wednesday sought to address the controversy over the legal status of a track coach who was convicted and sentenced last year for convincing a 14-year-old girl to send the coach topless pictures of herself.
Cayman closes in on 26,000 work permits
There were 25,870 work permits and government contracts for non-Caymanian workers active in the Cayman Islands as of Tuesday, according to records from the Immigration Department.
New Bodden Town affordable housing breaks ground
The fastest growing district in Cayman is about to get a housing boost from government.
Premier: Crackdown coming for business staffing plans, job ads
Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin has promised stricter enforcement against local businesses’ hiring and promotion practices that are designed to skirt immigration rules.
Blockchain conference comes to Cayman
One of the world’s most prominent blockchain conferences, “d10e,” is taking place in Cayman this week, with dozens of people in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry coming to the island to network and share ideas about how the technology can influence all aspects of society.
EDITORIAL: The need for clarity – and candor – on immigration issues
In his annual speech to the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce last week, Premier Alden McLaughlin promised “radical” changes to local immigration and labor policies.
Premier foreshadows more immigration changes
Although his annual speech to the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce Thursday was short on specifics, Premier Alden McLaughlin said further “radical” changes to local immigration and labor policies would be forthcoming during his national unity government’s term in office.
New pilot program allows passengers to Cayman to pre-clear in Miami
United States border control officials were in Grand Cayman this week to sign a first-of-its-kind agreement that will enable passengers arriving from Miami to clear customs and immigration pre-flight.
South Sound boardwalk construction to begin next month, government says
Some four months after laying out cones and changing the alignment of a roughly 0.7-mile stretch of South Sound Road to allow for the development of a boardwalk and other amenities in the area, government announced this week that construction on the project will begin on Feb. 19.
2017 editorials: The Compass’s voice on significant issues
Today we feature highlights from some of what we consider to be the most compelling and important editorials that appeared in the Cayman Compass in 2017, dealing with some of the most pressing matters facing our country.
Election puts Progressives back in power
May 24, 2017 might have been Cayman’s “independents’ day,” but by May 29 a group of independent candidates – with a couple of exceptions – found themselves on the outside looking in at a second term for Premier Alden McLaughlin and his Progressives-led coalition.
Headstones laid on graves of Miss Lassie and Aunt Julia
Two cultural icons were honored on Dec. 15, when the government unveiled specially crafted headstones on the graves of Gladwyn Klosking Bush and Julia Almeria Hydes.
Premier Alden McLaughlin: Merry Christmas, Cayman
These are exciting times for our Islands and we have a bright future ahead of us. So yes on this Christmas day, as a country, we have much to be thankful for.
UK experts to help set up Cayman coastguard
Two senior U.K. officers have been drafted to help the Cayman Islands create a new coastguard and border protection agency.
Conservation Council chairwoman quits
The chairwoman of the National Conservation Council has resigned from the position amid increasing uncertainty about the future of the environmental law.
Residents clean up Prospect roadsides
Members of the Prospect Community Group cleaned up roadsides in an area of their district recently.
McLaughlin and other leaders meet with May
Premier Alden McLaughlin took the opportunity during a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May at London’s 10 Downing Street to plead his case for keeping the Cayman Islands off a blacklist of countries engaged in questionable financial practices.
EDITORIAL – Memo to the EU: Love us or leave us alone
Cayman’s top officials are not passively awaiting European leaders’ upcoming vote on a proposed financial services “blacklist.” To the contrary, they appear to be fighting to the finish, armed with indisputable truths about Cayman’s economy and how it benefits global commerce.
McLaughlin: Economic growth has consequences
Persistent traffic jams on the eastern and southern ends of Grand Cayman will not ultimately be fixed by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Premier Alden McLaughlin acknowledged last week.
Thousands receive ‘right to be Caymanian’ since 2009
More than 3,700 people have received grants of Caymanian status via either the naturalization (citizenship) process or through marriage to a Caymanian since January 2009, according to records presented to the Legislative Assembly by Premier Alden McLaughlin last week.
Legislative Assembly wraps up with committee appointment, private motions
Before adjourning on Thursday, Legislative Assembly members appointed an oversight committee for the Ombudsman Office.
Thriving Cayman represents EU’s worst nightmare
There comes a point in every failed negotiation where the words used should indicate that there is no possibility whatsoever of reaching an agreement with the negotiating party. In the present case, this is because the negotiating party, here the European Union, has no intention whatsoever of doing so.
