Topic: Public Accounts Committee
Deputy governor promises faster responses to civil service audits
The Deputy Governor has promised “a new strategy” following an Auditor General report that highlighted a growing backlog of outstanding government recommendations and minutes.
Hikes to immigration and stamp duty fees considered as new revenue measures
Higher immigration and stamp duty fees could be key ways of increasing revenues to strengthen Cayman's finances on top of measures already working their way through Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee was told.
Public Accounts Committee told there could be a budget surplus after all
Government's top financial advisor has told MPs that there is unlikely to be a $60 million deficit at the end of the year as previously predicted and that there could be a small surplus instead.
CIMA warns of ‘brain drain’ if new salary scale enforced
CIMA leaders have expressed concern that a salary provision could put the jurisdiction at risk of receiving an adverse FATF rating.
Auditor general: WORC has no power to reject job ads
Ten of thousands of jobs are advertised each year in the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman employment portal, but the agency has no power to reject ads that are written specifically to exclude certain candidates, lawmakers have heard.
Labour ministry drawing up national employment strategy
The labour ministry is working on drawing up a policy to address unemployment among Caymanians which it says should be ready for a new government to review following next year’s general election.
Blame shifting and questions follow ReGen project collapse
Progressives leaders have acknowledged ‘deficiencies’ in their handling of the multi-million dollar deal to fix Cayman’s landfill problem, while seeking to shift scrutiny for the failure to the PACT and UPM governments that inherited the deal.
Public Accounts Committee hearing moved to September
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has moved its hearings to September following conflicts with witnesses' schedule and the upcoming sitting of Parliament.
Lack of quorum prompts PAC postponement
Cayman will have wait until next week to hear what plans government has in place to address Caymanian employment issues, as an insufficient number of Public Accounts Committee members led to the postponement of Thursday's hearing.
Cost of Cayman Airways’ Barbados route remains under wraps
Cayman Airways President and CEO Fabian Whorms has declined to publicly release Barbados revenue due to "commercial sensitivity".
Auditor General Sue Winspear to leave office this year
Sue Winspear, Cayman's first female auditor general, will be leaving office later this year after eight years of service to the people and government of the Cayman Islands.
Public Accounts Committee flags 5-year backlog in audits
Audited financial accounts for the Ministry of Health and the Cayman Islands Airports Authority have been outstanding since 2019 and it may be some time before they are brought up to date, the Public Accounts Committee has heard.
Absent MPs force postponement of accounts hearing
A shortage of Public Accounts Committee members prompted the postponement of Thursday's planned hearing which was set to look into the auditor general’s report on government's financial reporting.
Government responds seven months late to accountability report
The government’s formal response to a Public Accounts Committee report on improving accountability and transparency was delivered months later than it should have been.
Infrequent meetings of parliament hinder financial transparency
A lack of regular parliamentary sessions has consistently led to late tabling of the government’s annual reports, financial statements and minutes.
Deputy auditor general calls gov’t inaction ‘disappointing’
The government’s lack of action on dozens of recommendations on budgeting, financial management and reporting is “disappointing”, according to the deputy auditor general.
McKeeva Bush voted back into Public Accounts Committee
During a special sitting of Parliament Friday, legislators voted for former Speaker of the House and West Bay West MP McKeeva Bush to become a member of the Public Accounts Committee, which reviews government audit reports.
Parliament expected to consider national ID card bill in December
Legislation to enable the establishment of a national identity card system is expected to be debated by members of Parliament in December.
PAC examines lack of government policy on duty concessions
Members of the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday questioned officials on why government still does not have an official policy in place for granting duty waivers and concessions.
HSA’s pharmacy services under the microscope in accounts committee hearing
The Public Accounts Committee will hear testimony in relation to an auditor general’s report on the Health Services Authority’s outpatient pharmacy services, on Wednesday and Thursday.
PAC probes health ministry’s inaction on recommendations
The Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday continued with its investigation why government has not implemented recommendations made by committee reports.
PAC questions government’s inaction on social assistance programmes
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, in a hearing on Wednesday, 22 Sept., has queried why government has not implemented a host of recommendations made by several of its reports.
Financial secretary clears up ‘row’ over government deficit
Financial secretary Kenneth Jefferson explained the $50 million gap between the 2020 budget deficit estimates of the former and the new government in Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday.
First Public Accounts Committee hearing postponed
The first hearing of the new Public Accounts Committee has been deferred for one week to allow Ministry of Finance staff to complete their work on the PACT government's inaugural strategic policy statement, PAC chairman Roy McTaggart has said.
McTaggart heads up Public Accounts Committee
Leader of the Opposition Roy McTaggart has been named chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
Government finances: Updating budgeting process will take time
Government needs to introduce new performance measures and move to an outcome-based budgeting system to improve transparency.
PAC queries airport expansion costs, delays
Members of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday quizzed airport officials and project managers on why the expansion of the Owen Roberts International Airport terminal cost $23 million more than originally budgeted.
Turtle Centre senior staff to pay back erroneous salary hike
Executives and staff of the Cayman Turtle Centre who, due to a “misunderstanding” of a new pay policy at the facility, received unwarranted salary increases, will be given the option of voluntarily paying back the money, the Public Accounts Committee heard Tuesday.
Blocked OfReg report: No requirement for Speaker to verify findings
The Public Accounts Committee has voted to resubmit to the Legislative Assembly its findings on an Auditor General’s report into the operations of telecoms regulator OfReg, after Attorney General Samuel Bulgin found Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush had no grounds to block the information
PAC commends government entities’ account keeping
The Public Accounts Committee has lauded the 39 out of 41 government entities that received unqualified audit opinions.
Wholesalers defend fuel pricing in Public Accounts Committee
Fuel suppliers have defended their pricing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that wholesale margins are slim and high local costs are largely...
Pierson comments struck from PAC record
The Public Accounts Committee has voted to strike from the record statements made by OfReg Chairman Linford Pierson questioning the accuracy of the auditor general’s report into the operations of the regulator.
OfReg executives grilled on fuel prices, broadband quality
OfReg’s ICT executive Alee Fa’amoe has said, based the regulator's current operational trajectory, it will be not be able to meet its mandate of getting better prices at the gas pump nor fasater internet speeds and prices within the next year or two.
OfReg energy boss: Electricity bills are dropping
Consumers using 1,000 kilowatts monthly have been paying less on their electricity bills since March, OfReg’s executive director of energy and utilities, Gregg Anderson, has said.
OfReg to appear before PAC
The Public Accounts Committee will resume its hearing Wednesday as its inquires into the operations of OfReg and the findings of the Auditor General’s audit into the local utilities regulator.
More Caymanians opt for private schools
Enrolment in private schools is increasing as more local parents opt out of placing their children in Cayman’s government-run public schools, the Public Accounts Committee heard last week.
Cayman joins public finance discussions
Local leaders tasked with oversight of Cayman’s public finances and governance structure joined international counterparts this week in the UK.
Procurement law under review
Cayman’s Public Procurement Law and its accompanying regulations are under review, according to director of the Cayman Islands Procurement Office Taraq Bashir.
PAC: Official policy for import duty concessions in the works
The Cayman Islands government is drawing up a formal framework that it says will bring transparency and accountability to the granting of concessions and waivers on import duty.
Customs comes under the microscope
Operations at Cayman’s new Customs and Border Control department will be examined Wednesday as the Public Accounts Committee resumes hearings.
Miller remains as Public Accounts Committee chairman
Former Leader of the Opposition Ezzard Miller is returning as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee following an afternoon of political wrangling in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, during which the Opposition accused the government of attempting to stack the PAC with its members.
EDITORIAL – No harm in an independent opposition
Whether they do so by aligning themselves with the Premier or with the Opposition, there is no reason independent candidates cannot work together to do the job.
Miller resigns as leader of PAC
About a week after resigning from his role as the official Opposition leader, MLA Ezzard Miller has also resigned from the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee.
EDITORIAL – Building trust in public boards
The Central Planning Authority, in particular, wields considerable power and influence. Appropriately, it has taken meaningful steps toward transparency in recent years, but as an Auditor General’s report released early this year also noted, the work is far from over.
Commission: Despite promises, no update on anti-corruption law
At a January Public Accounts Committee hearing, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose both promised that reintroducing the long-dormant Standards in Public Life Law is a priority for government.
Planning director: CPA board interests will be public
In response to an audit report calling for more transparency, the Central Planning Authority is making public a registry of business, property, financial and other interests for its board members and employees.
Miller to attend public accounts forum
Public Accounts Committee Chairman Ezzard Miller is this week attending the Oversight of Public Finances Forum, a gathering of accounts committee officials from the United Kingdom and its various overseas territories and Crown dependencies.
Cayman bracing for negative Financial Action Task Force review
A report on the Financial Action Task Force’s recent review of Cayman’s defenses against terrorist financing and money laundering will likely be released next month, and the results will not be positive, according to Premier Alden McLaughlin.
Opposition raises questions over cruise ship port financing
Opposition leader Ezzard Miller claims government’s negotiations with cruise lines to finance the new port have compromised the entire procurement process for the controversial project.
Financial Reporting Authority needs more staff for growing caseload
The Financial Reporting Authority is looking for additional staff to handle a skyrocketing load of suspicious activity reports of potential money laundering and other financial crimes connected to Cayman.
Government: Long-dormant anti-corruption law a ‘priority’
Government officials promised Wednesday in a Public Accounts Committee hearing that government will soon reintroduce the long-dormant Standards of Public Life Law, a piece of legislation designed to prevent conflicts of interests in government.
Needs Assessment Unit challenged by influx of elderly
An aging population and rising rental costs have been blamed for the growing cost of welfare in the Cayman Islands.
More consultation planned on welfare reform
With the Public Accounts Committee poised to review an Auditor General’s report highlighting lack of action on welfare reform, officials have released details of plans for another round of consultation on the issue.
Clerk from Isle of Man seconded to Cayman
The Cayman Islands Public Accounts Committee has a new clerk from the Isle of Man on a 10-day secondment which started this week.
EDITORIAL – Let’s get the kids of North Side their ‘Field of Dreams’
It’s impossible to say with precision when the relationship between North Side representative Ezzard Miller and this newspaper began to deteriorate.
House Speaker blocks attempt to bring perjury charge against civil servant
Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush on Wednesday blocked an attempt by political opposition members to bring a contempt of parliament action against government chief officer Jennifer Ahearn.
Traffic, immigration, liquor law changes ahead
Cayman Islands lawmakers have a busy schedule ahead in the next two weeks, with more than a dozen bills on the table affecting issues such as immigration, traffic rules, when and where liquor can be sold, and employees who report wrongdoing.
OfReg to commission study on internet speeds
The Utility Regulation and Competition Office has signed a memorandum of understanding with U.K. researcher SamKnows to study local internet speeds, OfReg telecommunications regulator Alee Fa’amoe told the Public Accounts Committee Wednesday.
Government telecom licensees not paying fees
Some government entities that are licensed to provide telecommunications services by the territory’s regulator are not paying their annual licensing fees, a senior official at the agency confirmed Wednesday.
EDITORIAL – Health insurance: A product divorced from market reality
Already burdensome health insurance costs are spiraling out of control – as many readers know from personal experience. Last week’s Public Accounts Committee review of recent Cayman Islands Monetary Authority reports quantifies just how out of control it is.
Private health costs, insurer earnings soar
Earnings for Cayman’s private sector health insurers nearly quadrupled in one year following changes made to the islands’ standard health insurance contract rules, members of the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee heard Wednesday.
Investment body dormant for 15 years
A government committee that has the job of reviewing capital projects and making sure government can afford them has been dormant for some 15 years, according to statements made during Thursday’s hearing of the Public Accounts Committee.
Speaker questions PAC role
Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush noted a “concern” Wednesday that the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee had overstepped its role in recent months, wading into areas such as employment within the government service.
‘Pay attention’ to land sales, MLAs warn
The Cayman Islands government is now in the process of selling off an estimated $38 million worth of what it considers surplus properties, opposition politicians said Wednesday.
Health Services Authority short 60 staff, overtime up 300%
The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority has nearly 60 vacant positions which are either being covered through overtime expenses or left vacant, according to the authority’s chief executive.
Public health board ‘reluctant’ to forego unpaid patient debts
The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Board has been “reluctant” to write off tens of millions of dollars in uncollected debts during recent years, leading to the accumulation of $94.5 million in bills that are unlikely to be paid but which remain on the government’s books, legislators heard Tuesday.
No anti-fraud policy yet for public hospital
Recommendations that the Cayman Islands public hospital system implement an anti-fraud policy have not been fully followed several years after the investigation into the CarePay hospital swipe-card system.
MLAs question need for government land sales
The Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee last week questioned government’s reasons for selling off Crown-owned properties determined to be “surplus” in a five-year-old review by the Lands and Survey Department.
Government to redraw ‘willy-nilly’ national development plans
The “willy-nilly” development of Grand Cayman properties and roads – as some lawmakers described it Wednesday – may soon end as government redraws zoning plans for the first time in more than 20 years.
Work permits: A confusing jumble of job categories
Eighteen months after Cayman’s legislative Public Accounts Committee said the territory’s work permits job category system must be simplified, more than 1,100 job categories remain, along with more than 5,000 sub-categories of positions within the larger job groupings.
2 years later, no development plan
Senior Cayman Islands government managers ignored or actively opposed the majority of the recommendations made in a controversial 2015 audit that revealed opaqueness, “unlawful” acts and allegations of corruption in the management of public properties.
Ghost of CarePay haunts collections
The lack of real-time electronic verification of and authorization for health insurance coverage in the Cayman Islands is driving up costs and “the frustration level” for everyone involved, lawmakers heard Monday afternoon.
