sports | page 18 pioneer flag bearer Kevin Solomon on flag and American football ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday ocTober 1, 2015 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. High of 90 Low of 80 editorial | page 4 for The record: does governmenT supporT foi? Personal Insurance Pay less for more cover with BritCay! insurance, health, pensions, life Low deductibles and generous benefits are standard cover with BritCay. Ask for a quote and start paying less for more cover now! BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp government gives green light to george Town cruise dock James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Plans for a new cruise port in George Town harbor will move forward, Premier Alden Mclaughlin announced Wednesday afternoon. Mr. McLaughlin said government had consid- ered the environmental and economic implica- tions and agreed to allow the project to proceed to the next stage. “The decision to be made is not whether we want to build cruise berthing, it is whether we want to remain in the cruise business in any sig- nificant way,” he said. “The decision is whether many hundreds of people and families who today rely on jobs cre- ated as a result of cruise tourism have those jobs next year and in the years to come.” He said negotiations would now take place with cruise lines and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to agree on designs for the port, as well as a financing model for the project, which has an esti- mated minimum cost of $150 million. Mr. McLaughlin said the financing model would seek to ensure cruise lines have “major skin in the game” to guarantee passenger volumes over the financing period. The announcement, at the Chamber of Commerce’s legislative luncheon, follows months of public debate in the wake of an environmental impact assessment highlighting the level of de- struction of coral reefs in the proposed construc- tion area, as well as the knock-on effect on adja- cent reefs. Keith Sahm, one of the leaders of the Save Cayman anti-port campaign, said the decision was disappointing. “It was not unexpected, but I think it is a sad charles duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Venting frustration and looking for so- lutions, hundreds of workers from over- seas, mainly from Jamaica, packed into the town hall in George Town on Tuesday night, looking for solutions to the problem of sending cash home. Standing in the midst of a packed room, one man said, “People are waiting. People are hungry.” Some in the crowd told of families back home waiting on money for school tuition and other financial support. Hundreds crowded into the town hall and hundreds more stood just outside the door and windows to hear what represen- tatives from government, money transfer companies and the Jamaican Consulate had to say about the problematic situation with cash transfers and the shortage of U.S. cash. “We are trying to find a workable so- lution,” Financial Services Councilor Roy McTaggart said. “We are not there yet.” Since late August, there remains no so- lution to the problems that have plagued Entire government audited for first time Auditor general issues ‘adverse’ opinion on public finances brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com For the first time since the Cayman Islands government began using ac- crual accounting in 2004, the financial statements of the entire public sector have provided enough information to undergo an audit. Outgoing Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick said Wednesday that he was forced to issue an “adverse” opinion for those statements from the government’s 2013/14 financial year on Sept. 22. That means the informa- tion provided was seriously deficient in a number of areas. Prior to that, public sector finances for the last decade were not complete enough for auditors to review. Compared to five years ago, when close to half of the government min- istries, portfolios and statutory agencies were submitting largely Frustration, confusion over cash transfers Outgoing Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick, right, and Acting Auditor General Garnet Harrison banter with members of the local press Wednesday. Mr. Swarbrick is leaving the islands Thursday. – Photo: Brent Fuller PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Premier Alden McLaughlin announces that the Cayman Islands government intends to move ahead with plans to build a cruise ship dock in George Town harbor. – Photo: Brent Fuller PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday OcTOber 1, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - $8.00 * UPCOMING RUGBY MATCHES AT THE CINEMA –THURS * VISIT WWW.BIGSCREEN.KY FOR MORE INFORMATION. 18 YEARS & OVER HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 3D (PG) 12.30 I 2:50 I 5:05 2D I 7:20 9:35 2D EVEREST 3D (PG13) 12:50 I 3:35 2D I 7:10 I 9:55 THE PERFECT GUY (PG13) 7:00 10:00 SICARIO (R) 12:30 I 3:15 I 6:50 I 9:45 MAZE RUNNER 2 3D (PG13) 12:40 I 3:40 2D I 6:40 I 9:40 2D THE TRANSPORTER (PG13) 7:30 BLACK MASS (R) 9:50 RUGBY CINEMA AT THE WALES v FIJI: 10:45 FRANCE v CANADA: 2:00 Cameron provides Caribbean aid, rejects slavery reparations KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) – U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday re- jected the Caribbean’s push for slavery reparations during his first official visit to Jamaica, a once-profit- able British colony that be- came independent just over 50 years ago. In Jamaica’s capital of Kingston, Cameron promised a roughly $455 million aid package to upgrade bridges, ports and other infrastruc- ture across the Caribbean and reinvigorate Britain’s re- lationship with the region dotted with U.K. dependen- cies and former colonies. He said it would make the U.K. the largest bilateral donor to the region. The British leader said he wanted to focus on the fu- ture, not historical wrongs, and the United Kingdom’s longstanding position was “that we do not believe repa- rations is the right approach.” In a speech before Jamaica’s Parliament on Wednesday morning, Cameron said he believed the Caribbean has emerged from the “long shadow” of slavery. However, he acknowl- edged that “these wounds run very deep indeed” from the brutal system that brought riches to Britain and other colonial powers. “But I do hope that, as friends who have gone through so much together since those darkest of times, we can move on from this painful legacy and continue to build for the future,” he said, and noted that Britain eventually led the effort that abolished the slave trade in the mid-19th century. Jamaica and other Caribbean governments are pushing for reparations from Britain and two other European nations. Caricom, a political grouping of 15 coun- tries and dependencies, an- nounced in 2013 that it in- tended to seek reparations for slavery and the genocide of native peoples. In an open letter to Cameron, Hilary Beckles, chairman of the Caribbean Community’s Reparations Commission and a scholar who has written several books on the history of re- gional slavery, said repara- tions was “not an issue that can be further ignored, re- main under the rug, or placed on back burners.” Backers of reparations note that Britain was respon- sible for the forced relocation of millions of Africans via the Atlantic slave trade and they say grants and trade agree- ments “are not replacements for reparation.” They also point out that Cameron’s an- cestors benefited financially from slavery. Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said she raised the reparations issue with her British coun- terpart, but Jamaica was also focused on the aid package and boosting bilateral ties. During his visit, Cameron pledged to help build a new 1,500-bed prison in Kingston that would enable the United Kingdom to return Jamaica- born convicts to their home- land and resolve a dispute over a prisoner transfer deal between the two nations. Carnival announces ports of call for planned Cuba cruise NEW YORK (AP) – Carnival’s proposed cruises to Cuba will include two colonial cities outside Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, in addition to the Cuban cap- ital, the cruise company said Wednesday. Carnival is working to fi- nalize approval from the Cuban government for the planned seven-day trips from Miami on a ship from the new Carnival brand, Fathom. The cruises have already been approved by the United States. Americans cannot travel as ordinary tourists to Cuba under current U.S. regulations, but they may participate in certain types of trips, including people-to-people trips that foster cultural exchanges. Carnival said the trips will “focus on supporting cul- tural exchange and economic development for the Cuban people and include a variety of artistic, educational and humanitarian activities.” The preliminary itin- erary includes meetings with artists, entrepreneurs, schoolchildren and others in settings ranging from the Afro-Cuban community in Havana’s Muraleando neigh- borhood to an organic farm to colonial heritage sites. Carnival says the Cuba cruises will begin in May. All trips offered by the Fathom brand will have a focus on volunteering in a destination. The brand is also selling service trips to the Dominican Republic. Hurricane Joaquin forms near tHe BaHamas MIAMI (AP) – The Bahamas was bracing Wednesday for a brush with Hurricane Joaquin, which was on a projected track that would take it near the East Coast of the U.S. early next week. The hurricane was ex- pected to pass near the is- lands of San Salvador, Cat Island, Eleuthera and Rum Cay late Thursday and early Friday, close enough that it could bring tropical- storm-force winds, coastal flooding and 5-10 inches of rain, said Geoffrey Greene, a senior forecaster with the Bahamas Meteorology Department. “We would be very con- cerned about them,” Greene said of the small, lightly populated islands in the far east of the Bahamas. The center of the storm was expected to be closest to land in the Bahamas about 2 p.m. Thursday, passing east of San Salvador, Greene said. Schools were ordered closed as of noon Wednesday in pasts of the eastern and central Bahamas. Forecasters expected the storm to drop about 3-5 inches in the cen- tral Bahamas, including Long Island and Exuma. The effects are projected to be minimal on New Providence, which includes the capital of Nassau, with scattered showers and thunderstorms. The U.S. National Hurricane Center long-term forecast showed the storm could near the U.S. East Coast above North Carolina early next week, but said it was too soon to say what areas would feel the effects of the storm. “Residents of the Carolinas north should be paying attention and moni- toring the storm. There’s no question,” said Eric Blake, a hurricane specialist with the center. Joaquin had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, extending outward up to 35 miles from the center. The Hurricane Center says additional strength- ening is expected over the next two days. The center of the storm early Wednesday was about 215 miles east-northeast of the central Bahamas and moving toward the south- west at 6 mph. The storm currently poses no threat to the Cayman Islands, according to the National Weather Service. The center of the storm was expected to be closest to land in the Bahamas about 2 p.m. Thursday. UK Prime Minister David Cameron Carnival’s 710-passenger ship Adonia will begin making trips to Cuba in May 2016, under the cruise company’s Fathom brand. PoPe: cuBa-us fligHt symBolic of Bridge Being Built VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis has said his recent flight from Cuba to the United States was symbolic of the bridge that is being built be- tween the two countries. Reflecting on his just-ended 10-day pilgrimage, Francis told his weekly general audience Wednesday that “God always wants to build bridges. It is we who build walls. And walls fall down, always!” Francis said his flight from Havana to Washington was “an emblematic passage, a bridge which, thanks be to God, is being rebuilt.” He praised the U.S. as having never renounced its religious roots despite its economic development. He said, “These same roots require us to go back to the family to think about and change our model of develop- ment for the good of the en- tire human family.” Pope Francis waves to the faithful Wednesday as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 1, 2015 Exclusively at The Mansion and Island Jewellers The Island Plaza, Harbour Drive 345-949-7098 Town Centre, Camana Bay 345-640-5337 FRIDAY OCTOBER 9TH 5PM -10PM OPEN MONDAY OCTOBER 5TH Chamber of Commerce pans proposed labor legislation Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce will not back the current draft of revamped labor legis- lation due to what the or- ganization’s president de- scribed Wednesday as the “potential economic fallout” it could cause. “We cannot support [the bill] in its current form,” Chamber President Barry Bodden told a lunchtime crowd of hundreds gath- ered for the Chamber’s an- nual legislative luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Mr. Bodden noted that the business group had suggested 16 changes to the law that it would discuss with Employment Minister Tara Rivers shortly. “Are we drafting leg- islation or policies to ap- pease the concerns of a small minority or are we addressing wider issues that actually require fixing to grow our economy?” Mr. Bodden asked. Mr. Bodden said Chamber members remain concerned about the high cost of op- erating businesses in the Cayman islands, including high work permit fees, lim- ited access to skilled local labor, increasing bureau- cracy and regulation, as well as unfair competition in the local market from rogue companies. The Labour Relations Bill, which represents a complete rewrite of the cur- rent Labour Law, would create a number of signifi- cant changes, particularly in the area of employment con- tracts and how dismissal of workers is to be handled. Veteran local attorney Huw Moses warned last month that local businesses could generally expect to see larger monetary awards in employee dismissal cases, more claims of unfair dis- missal and, therefore, more labor-related appeals where legal costs borne by the businesses may not be re- coverable from employees as a result of the Labour Relations Bill changes. Mr. Moses said govern- ment should make some legal “tweaks” to the cur- rent draft, particularly with an eye toward giving local companies a grace period to comply with the new legislation. “The big unknown is what the cost per em- ployer will be for a partic- ular business … to get com- pliant,” Mr. Moses said. “It will vary dramatically from business to business.” The Labour Relations Bill is just one of several pieces of legislation being considered by lawmakers over the course of the next year that will bring changes in legal compliance for local businesses, Mr. Bodden said. Others include the po- tential introduction of a $6 per hour minimum wage, the new requirements of the Trade and Business Licensing Law, pension re- form and other changes af- fecting the Cayman Islands financial services industry. “We … call on govern- ment to refrain from intro- ducing any significant leg- islation, polices or new fees that could further increase the cost of doing business,” Mr. Bodden said. In response to the Chamber president, Premier Alden McLaughlin, who ad- dressed the annual lun- cheon after Mr. Bodden spoke, noted that govern- ment has already pledged not to increase fees or taxes for the rest of its term. Mr. McLaughlin said his government welcomes the Chamber’s input on the Labour Relations Bill and has agreed to extend the public comment period for the legislation to accommo- date the widest number of views possible. In addition, the premier said government agreed to “give up” about $70 mil- lion in tax breaks and small business incentives over the past two years to stimulate the economy. Those efforts included a 2 percent reduc- tion in import duty rates for most items, a 50 cent per gallon duty reduction in diesel fuel tariffs charged to Caribbean Utilities Company and various li- censing fee cuts for small and “micro” businesses. In addition, the pre- mier said government had spent millions giving civil servants a four per- cent across-the-board pay raise this year. “This equates to a $70 million stimulus that finds its way back into the economy,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “Are we drafting legislation or policies to appease the concerns of a small minority or are we addressing wider issues that actually require fixing to grow our economy?” Barry Bodden, president, Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce President Barry Bodden speaks at the annual legislative luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on Wednesday. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLERThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Cayman Islands officials’ apparently equivocal attitude toward government transparency is troubling, perhaps even telling. According to a recent report from the Information Commissioner’s Office, during the 2014/15 fiscal year, more than half of open records requests filed with the government were not answered within the 30-day time frame required by the Freedom of Information Law. Further, for 31 percent of requests, responses did not arrive within 60 days (meaning the response was not provided even including an additional 30-day extension). Also during the 2014/15 fiscal year, only 39 percent of the time did government release in full the records that were requested. Acting Information Commissioner Jan Liebaers said, “These statistics clearly show that government at large is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to applying the Freedom of Information Law. “Applicants have to wait longer than ever before a response, and are less likely to get what they asked for in full. Although many government entities make genuine efforts to publish records proactively, this shows that the heralded ‘culture of openness’ remains an aspiration, not a reality.” In the absence of real consequences for failing to follow the FOI law, which Mr. Liebaers has assured us exist in the legislation but which we have yet to see in practice (much less in court), civil servants will only be as accountable for FOI failures as officials at the top are willing to hold them. Premier Alden McLaughlin, for one, made his feelings on FOI clear in early June, calling it “an unproductive use of time” that “doesn’t achieve anything as far as government, as delivery of services is concerned.” While we have the greatest respect for Mr. Liebaers, he — or more accurately, his title — is also indicative of our government’s attitude toward the prevailing FOI regime. For some 21 months, since the resignation of Infor- mation Commissioner Jennifer Dilbert, Mr. Liebaers — as “Acting Information Commissioner” — has been charged with leading the office, in the absence of a permanent commissioner. In the meantime, it seems that Cabinet has held off on appointing a permanent information commis- sioner — and a permanent complaints commissioner, and perhaps a new auditor general — while lawmakers consider a recommendation from Ernst and Young to amalgamate a number of government oversight entities into a single body headed by an ombudsman. We do not consider Cayman’s FOI Law to be a panacea for poor governance — or a substitute for good probative reporting. However, we believe that more proactive disclosure of government records to the public, without the requirement of a request, par- ticularly when those records obviously belong in the public domain, would constitute a more effective and efficient effort toward transparency than focusing on strictly enforcing the existing FOI law. That being said, if the current law truly is, as our premier has stated, too onerous and resource-con- suming, then he should muster the votes in the Legis- lative Assembly to change the FOI Law. It may not be a perfect law, but it is the law, and it must be respected. There’s nothing more transparent than that. For the record: Does government support FOI? Thursday OCTOber 1, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Corbyn is fighting the last (class) war Mark Gilbert A British anti-capitalism group called Class War at- tacked an eatery called the Cereal Killer Café on Saturday. The café owners’ crime, ac- cording to the protesters? “Gentrifying” London’s East End. Now, complaining that there’s not enough affordable housing in the capital is one thing; but throwing smoke bombs and paint at a small business that’s helping to en- rich an area that wasn’t safe to walk around 20 years ago? Britain’s class divisions are back on the radar be- cause of Jeremy Corbyn’s as- cent to the leadership of the Labour Party, which held its annual conference this week. I’ve been to previous Labour conferences. It’s oddly like being transported back to the 1970s, with some speakers addressing the au- dience as “comrades” and delegates applauding every “eat the rich” comment. Corbyn does seem to offer a genuinely different ap- proach to politics, at odds with his portrayal in the tab- loid press as a closet com- munist. At the regular weekly parliamentary pantomime that is Prime Minister’s Questions, he opted to ask David Cameron about sub- jects suggested by members of the public, albeit without much of a challenge to the answers. In his conference speech on Tuesday, he made a sincere argument for “politics that’s kinder, more inclusive, bottom up, not top down.” Even his dress sense – brown jacket, non-matching trousers and beard more reminiscent of a geography lecturer than a potential prime minister – strays from the current Westminster norm of sharp dark suits. So much for style; what about the substance? As the blogger Guido Fawkes points out, the practical consider- ations of being in charge typ- ically force a more pragmatic approach to policy from even the most polemic of leaders. Corbyn and his team have re- laxed their stance on a range of issues including U.K. mem- bership of the European Union, Bank of England in- dependence and how soon (though not whether) in- dustries such as the rail- ways might be taken back into public ownership. And Corbyn’s move to co-opt a team of heavyweight eco- nomic advisors including Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, best-selling author Thomas Piketty and former Bank of England policy maker Danny Blanchflower is an early recognition that his party needs to convince voters it can be trusted to run the economy. Janan Ganesh, writing in Tuesday’s Financial Times, makes a convincing and in- triguing argument that Corbyn’s ascent is evidence of how well the U.K. is doing: “A Corbyn rally is not a band of desperate workers fighting to improve their cir- cumstances, it is a com- munion of comfortable people working their way up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. They have physical health and security; they crave be- longing and self-actualisa- tion. They are in politics for the dopamine squirt that comes with total belief and immersion in like-minded company. There is no disgrace in this but nor is there any residue of Labour’s worldly origins, as a party devoted to the amelioration of working conditions through parlia- mentary means.” Margaret Thatcher’s un- forgivable crime (to my mind) was her utter indifference to the suffering of entire com- munities as she refurbished the British economy. Her ge- nius, though, was recog- nizing that what the working classes wanted was a chance to get on the housing ladder, the opportunity to send their kids to university, and a living wage that could af- ford a Ford Mondeo in the driveway as well as food on the table. There are still important pockets of poverty and de- spair in the U.K. And there are jarring aspects of the current government’s eco- nomic policies, which tend to portray every recipient of state benefits as a work-shy wastrel, ignoring the nuances of individual circumstances. But, by and large, Britons are in pretty good shape, living in a rich country that already gives workers many of the rights that Labour has fought over for a century. Corbyn’s comment that “you may be born poor but you don’t have to stay poor” is al- ready true, and has been for years; my family were poor enough for me to qualify for free school dinners, and yet here I am opining on global markets for the world’s leading financial informa- tion provider. It’s Corbyn’s reference, though, to “the many with little or nothing” that jars. Here’s the relevant passage from his speech: “Since the dawn of history in virtually every human so- ciety there are some people who are given a great deal and many more people who are given little or nothing. Some people have property and power, class and capital, status and clout which are denied to the many.” That completely ignores the concepts of aspiration and opportunity, which Labour should champion as the most obvious way for the have- nots to become have-yachts. No matter what people are “given,” a modern society is one in which it’s not where you’re from that matters, it’s where you’re at. Property, power, capital, status and clout are available to anyone with the smarts to build a good life through hard work. As for class: Seriously, in 2015, who gives a stuff about such outdated labels? The U.K. is lucky; its “many” may have had mi- serly wage increases in re- cent years, but they’re in an economy that’s growing at an annual clip of at least 2.6 percent with zero inflation and an unemployment rate that’s dropped to 5.5 percent from 8.5 percent in fewer than four years. Corbyn’s comment is at best disingen- uous, at worst a throwback to old-style Labour religion that will appeal to the party faithful but not beyond. I remember sparring about politics with people who used to put up Class War posters at my university three decades ago; hipsters and trustafarians dominated the ranks of the self-pro- claimed anarchists in their brand new Timberland boots, their wrists adorned with woven friendship bracelets picked up while summering in India or Thailand. The point they and their present-day descendants are unable (or unwilling) to grasp is that working-class people – however hard the subgroup is to classify – want to live and work in nice areas with posh cafes and safe streets just as much as the middle class does. If Corbyn can’t acknowl- edge those aspirations and tailor his policies to the many, he’ll squander an opportu- nity to build a credible alter- native to the Conservatives by the time the next election rolls around in 2020. Mark Gilbert is a Bloomberg View columnist and a member of the Bloomberg View editorial board. © 2015, Bloomberg View [W]orking-class people – however hard the subgroup is to classify – want to live and work in nice areas with posh cafes and safe streets just as much as the middle class does. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, centre, is greeted by supporters prior to the start of the annual Labour party conference Saturday in Brighton, England. - Photo: AP5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 1, 2015 www.CaymanLuxuryProperty.com | 945.6000 | 7 Mile Beach & Cayman Kai Offices | Buying & Selling Real Estate, Contact Us. Personalised, not franchised. M ember of CIREBA MP: Brits should be ready to assist Cayman FIFA investigations James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A British MP and FIFA reform campaigner has called on the U.K. Serious Fraud Office to take a greater role in investigating corruption in the game’s governing body. Damian Collins believes the U.K. should offer its as- sistance to investigators in the Overseas Territories, in- cluding the Cayman Islands. The MP – who has been pressing fraud investiga- tors to follow up suspicious payments that were routed through the U.K. – told the Cayman Compass he be- lieves British law enforce- ment should also be pre- pared to respond to requests for assistance from its over- seas territories. “I am certainly going to be asking the Serious Fraud Office if they have made contact with the British Overseas Territories,” he said. “They could support them in investigating indi- viduals or transactions.” Any assistance from the U.K. would have to involve an official request from Cayman authorities. Jurisdictional issues “The issue of jurisdiction in the Overseas Territories is an interesting area and it is a point I want to take up with the Serious Fraud Office – if they have been in touch and if they have contacts there,” said Mr. Collins. “If the Cayman Islands asks for assistance, the se- rious fraud office should provide it.” Cayman’s Anti-Corruption Commission is currently co- operating with the wider FBI investigation, as well as pur- suing its own inquiries into a matter involving the Cayman Islands Football Association. Cayman football boss and former FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb was among a number of past and present senior officials ar- rested in Switzerland ear- lier this year as American prosecutors revealed wide- ranging allegations of bribery and corruption. Costas Takkas, Webb’s at- taché at FIFA, a former gen- eral secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association and a U.K. citizen, was also arrested and is facing crim- inal charges. Mr. Collins, a Conservative MP and member of the House of Commons Committee on Culture, Media and Sport, be- lieves the U.K. needs to get more involved. “I am grateful that the FBI has taken this up,” he said. “They have a broad jurisdic- tion to investigate payments in U.S. dollars as well as any- thing going through American banks and American servers. “However, I believe there are areas where the Serious Fraud Office in the U.K. should act. We shouldn’t just sit back and leave it to the Americans. All the authorities in the world should be sup- porting each other to try to expose and root out wrong- doing within FIFA. “Football, sadly, is very open to people abusing their positions to enrich themselves.” Mr. Collins, speaking be- fore a U.K. parliamentary select committee inquiry into the FIFA scandal last month, said a payment made by the Australian 2022 bid team to Jack Warner, the in- dicted former president of CONCACAF, was routed via the U.K. and should be in- vestigated by the SFO. At the same hearing, Deborah Unger of Transparency International urged British authorities to do more to investigate. “They could use the follow-the-money tools that are already here. Questions do have to be asked. Has any money been spent in the U.K. on luxury goods and services, property for ex- ample?” Ms. Unger said, ac- cording to U.K. press reports of the hearing. “It is very hard to go after people di- rectly without knowing if the money has come through the U.K. But you can start asking the questions.” hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak shuts Brac school School closed untill Monday keLseY JUkam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Nineteen students at West End Primary School in Cayman Brac have been diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease, ac- cording to the Department of Education Services. The school was closed Wednesday and will re- main closed until Monday so that the building can be sanitized. Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness that causes fever, painful sores on the mouth, and a skin rash that may blister on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and sometimes on other parts of the body, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. West End Primary School Principal April Tibbetts sent a letter to parents Tuesday informing them of the out- break and school closure. “The student body has been heavily affected by the hand, foot, and mouth dis- ease and we want to en- sure our environment is treated to curb/prevent fur- ther spreading,” Ms. Tibbetts said in the letter. “It is un- known how long this pro- cess will take.” The school will reopen on Monday, Oct. 5, according to a statement issued by the government Wednesday. “The Public Health Department was called in to assist with the outbreak and has advised that the school should be completely sani- tized,” the statement said, adding that in order to facil- itate this process, the school will be closed for the re- mainder of the week. According to the state- ment, there are no known cases of the illness at Creek and Spot Bay Primary School, the other primary school in Cayman Brac. The statement encour- ages parents to seek med- ical attention for children who present symptoms, and to keep them home until they recover, to minimize spreading the virus. “It’s very contagious, so we do advise parents not to send their kid to school or day care if they’ve been di- agnosed,” said Dr. Christine Chen, a pediatrician in Grand Cayman. The virus is found in nose and throat secretions, such as saliva or nasal mucus, fluid in blisters and feces. It is spread through person-to- person contact, through the air when someone coughs or sneezes, or via contact with contaminated objects and surfaces. Dr. Chen said the virus is very common. “We have outbreaks here every year,” Dr. Chen said. “Every year I see it, which means I’m going to see it here soon.” The virus typically af- fects young children, but sometimes affects adults as well. Adults with the virus will experience cold or flu- like symptoms, but do not usually have a rash like af- fected children, according to Dr. Chen. Since hand, foot, and mouth disease is a virus, antibiotics are not required for treatment. “Just give it time to run its course,” Dr. Chen said. Symptoms last for about a week. Physicians recommend treating the symptoms of the virus, taking Tylenol or similar medicines for fever and pain. Dehydration is sometimes associated with the virus, as patients may not be drinking enough fluids due to pain in the throat, so rehydration is also recommended. Dr. Dirk Belfonte, an- other pediatrician in Grand Cayman, recommends that parents give children af- fected by the virus cool beverages, Popsicles or cold milk, as hot items will exacerbate pain in the throat. He agreed with Dr. Chen that the virus is common in Cayman. Other schools in the re- gion have reported out- breaks of the virus re- cently. On Wednesday, the Jamaica Observer reported that cases of the virus had been reported in 27 schools in Jamaica. Mr. Collins “If the Cayman Islands asks for assistance, the serious fraud office should provide it.” Damian Collins, British MP The school was closed Wednesday and will remain closed until Monday so that the building can be sanitized. The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Thursday OcTOber 1, 2015 • Cayman Compass THURSDAY, OCT. 1 SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION: Annual general meeting, 6-7 p.m. at Hope Academy. Members of the Foundation and members of the public with an interest in Special Needs are welcome to attend. Contact 324-1298 or email susiebodden@ transformationscayman.com for further details. BUSINESS LICENSING: The Department of Commerce and Investment has extended its Business Licensing Counter hours in Grand Cayman from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. This gives an additional 3½ hours per week for people to submit trade and business, liquor, tobacco, and Special Economic Zone license applications. FRIDAY, OCT. 2 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: All are invited to attend seminars on domestic violence and roles of husbands and fathers this weekend at Kings SDA Church, Walkers Road. The free seminars, conducted by visiting specialists, will target both men and women in separate sessions, beginning at 7 p.m., and continuing into the weekend. SATURDAY, OCT. 3 BIG DRAW FAMILY FUN: The National Gallery invites everyone to The Big Draw Art Festival, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., a day of interactive drawing activities to celebrate the art of drawing. Admission to all Family Fun Day activities is free. Take part in teacher-led drawing stations and other DIY activities. Beverages and snacks available for purchase in the Art Café. For additional details, contact education@nationalgallery. org.ky or 945-8111. BRAC QUEEN: Miss Cayman Brac Festival Queen 2015. 7 p.m. Aston Rutty Civic Centre. Contact bracpiratesweek@gmail.com. MUSEUM ANNIVERSARY: Cayman National Museum’s 25th anniversary fundraiser. 7 p.m. at the Cayman Turtle Farm. $50 per person includes dinner with dessert and soda or iced tea. Cash bar available. Music, silent auction. Call Eziethamae at 916-1559 for tickets or visit museum gift shop. THURSDAY, OCT. 8 SALSA FIESTA: George Town Yacht Club. 7 p.m. till late. Adults only. Evening starts with a lesson courtesy of KRI and a dance performance. Tickets are $25 per person and include a raffle ticket with dozens of prizes. Fundraiser for Business and Professional Women’s Club projects. Tickets available from Yacht Club or BPW members. For more information contact info@BPWGCM.org. CHAMBER COURSE: “Giving Feedback Skills” by Xenia Goddard. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members, $250. Future members, $300. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, OCT. 9 VOICES FOR HOSPICES: An “Evening on Broadway” with champagne gala opening. Prospect Theatre. 7:30 p.m. $75. Tomorrow, 6:45 p.m., tickets $50 or $25 for under-12s. Contact 945-7447 or chc@candw.ky for tickets. SATURDAY, OCT. 10 PILATES FOR PINK: 9–11 a.m. at ARC, Camana Bay. Workout from 10 a.m. Registration $25, includes tank top and exercise band. All proceeds to Cayman Islands Cancer Society. 946-6006 or info@ energycayman.com. MONDAY, OCT. 12 CHAMBER COURSE: Basic Grammar and Writing Skills Part 1. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members, $150. Future members, $225. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. LEADERSHIP CAYMAN: Orientation Session 1. 5:30- 6:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Free. Applications for Leadership Cayman accepted until Oct. 30. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. TUESDAY, OCT. 13 CHAMBER COURSE: “Communicating Effectively” by Terry Carson. Today and tomorrow, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members, $225. Future members, $300. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14 LEADERSHIP CAYMAN: Orientation Session 2. 5:30- 6:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Free. Applications for Leadership Cayman accepted until Oct. 30. Register online at www. caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, OCT. 24 NCVO RADIO/TELETHON: Fundraiser for National Council of Voluntary Organisations, 7 p.m. till midnight at Prospect Playhouse. Live entertainment. Come by or call in to make a donation. To donate prior to the event contact Janice Wilson at ncvo@ncvo.org.ky or 949-2124. GENERAL INTEREST DRAMA SOCIETY: Cayman Drama Society presents the musical “Rent.” Show runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. Due to adult content, strictly PG 13 with parental supervision. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for students. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed as training resumes. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for Track/Field, Football and Bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. CAYMAN NATIONAL CHOIR: The choir is looking for new members. All are welcome to come and sing with the country’s national choir. No audition required. Every Monday from 7:30-9 p.m. at Cayman Prep and Primary School Hall on Smith Road. For more information, contact 923-6915 or info@caymanchoir.com. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Red Cross headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. REEF RESTORATION: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates, times and places are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. NCVO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteers are needed for various activities within the National Council of Voluntary Organizations Children Services programs. Contact Alta Solomon at 949-2124 or ncvocoordinator@ ncvo.org.ky. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. PERIPHERAL SPACES: Open Tuesday to Saturday. Noon to 8 p.m. (closed by 3 p.m. on Saturdays). Market Street across from Bay Market. Pop up working studio/art gallery with local artist works displayed for sale. Art classes Tuesday and Thursday, 6-8 p.m., plus other special events. For more information, email marymccallum@candw.ky. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society has artists displaying arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo restaurant. For more information on displaying your work, email info@visualartcayman.com. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. PINK LADIES: Coffee Shop at Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday- Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks. Takeout orders welcome, call 244-2661. Funds are donated back to the community. Contact pinkladiescayman@gmail. com. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30 to 4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@ adacayman.com. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail. com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-Step Recovery Group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at CI Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www. overcomersoutreach.org. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS CLUB: meets at George Town Public Library 6-7:15 p.m. every Thursday. This is a chapter of Toastmaster’s International, geared toward development of public speaking and leadership skills. Contact George R. Ebanks, 916- 0687/322-9369 or georger. ebanks@gmail.com for more information. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Full of Beans Cafe, Pasadora Place on Smith Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or check www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, email LionsClubGCM@ hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: meets every first and third Tuesday of the month at the Lions Centre 7:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. For more information, check website at www.rotarysunrise.ky or contact info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at Britannia Golf Course Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. For more information, email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Thursdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, George Town Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Email optimistcayman@ yahoo.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 1, 2015 OCTOBER , The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR TITLE SPONSOR PLATINUM SPONSORS to our Thank ou Joan Lunen Featuring Celebrity Keynote Speaker and Breast Cancer Survivor Cayman Islands New members for folk singers Following auditions last month, the Cayman Islands Folk Singers has seven new members. The group held its first rehearsal of the season last week, where the new singers and guitarist tried out their musical talent alongside their new colleagues. “I’m happy to announce the addition of six talented new vocalists and a gui- tarist who is also very expe- rienced in playing the har- monica, which is a sound we have never had. It will be exciting to see how audi- ences receive the group’s new dynamic,” the group’s mu- sical director, Robin Tayman, said in a press release is- sued by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. Festive season preparations With the addition of the new members, the Cayman Islands Folk Singers is now 30 strong – all ready to start preparing for the upcoming festive season, said Lorna Bush, manager of the group. “We are booked for a number of private events during this season, but we are most excited that the public will have an opportu- nity to catch our performance at this year’s Pink Ladies Christmas Bazaar,” on Nov. 28, at the ARC in Camana Bay, she said. Ms. Bush invited everyone to attend the event and listen to the group, who she de- scribed as being “storytellers who sing well.” New case management form moves wounding case along Alleged offense occurred Sept. 13; trial set for March. 30 Carol WiNker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Bail has been continued for a man who pleaded not guilty in Summary Court on Tuesday to inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man by stabbing him with a knife in the early hours of Sept. 13 near the Globe Bar in George Town. Antonio Nelson Seymour’s bail has been continued until his trial, which Magistrate Valdis Foldats set for March 30, 2016, after hearing that there was no special urgency for the matter to be heard. The magistrate first went through a list of ques- tions from the case man- agement form introduced in Summary Court on Sept. 1 by direction from Chief Justice Anthony Smellie. The form is one result of the re- view of the Cayman Islands criminal justice system by U.K. adviser Claire Wetton earlier this year. A key recommendation from the review is that all cases before Summary Court should be completed within 12 months of first hearing. Seymour was first brought to court from cus- tody on Sept. 14. Because so little time had lapsed since the incident, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was not able to give defense attorney Alice Carver any papers about the case. Magistrate Foldats, who was presiding that day, granted the application for bail. He ordered the Crown to serve copies of witness statements and interviews by Sept. 23 and said Seymour should be ready on Sept. 29 to say whether he wanted his case dealt with in Grand Court or Summary Court. On Sept. 29, Ms. Carver indicated that she had re- ceived papers in the case and had discussed them with her client and he was ready to enter his plea. Crown counsel Eleanor Fargin gave Ms. Carver the case management form which the Crown is re- quired to initiate by filling in such details as the name of the defendant, the charge against him or her, and the contact information for the Crown counsel prosecuting the matter. Ms. Carver said she could fill in the defendant’s part of the form so that prog- ress could be made. When Seymour was called back into the dock and asked which court he elected to be tried in, he chose Summary Court. The magistrate read out the charge and Seymour re- plied, “Not guilty.” Bail conditions for Seymour, 63, include no con- tact with the complainant, a prohibition from ap- proaching the Globe Bar, and a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The Cayman Islands Folk Singers at their first rehearsal with their new members last week. Six of the new members of the Cayman Islands Folk Singers are, from left, Dennom Bodden, Dorcas Watson, Krysten Martin, Marcia Cornale, Teresa Echenique-Bowen and Patrice Beersingh, with musical director Robin Tayman and manager Lorna Bush. Missing from the photo is the seventh new member, Chelsea Blake.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday OcTOber 1, 2015 • Cayman Compass Auditor ‘disappointed’ in planning board reappointments Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s outgoing Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick said he was “disappointed” to learn, after reading the Cayman Compass, the members of the Central Planning Authority and the Sister Islands Development Control Board were reappointed fol- lowing a damning audit re- leased by his office earlier this year. “I looked at that and I chuckled to myself slightly when that appeared,” Mr. Swarbrick said. “From my perspective, that creates significant challenges to good governance.” Mr. Swarbrick, whose last day in office was Wednesday, indicated that he did not seek to raise the issue with any government ministers, stating “there wasn’t any point in trying to do that.” “I was disappointed. I think the language in my office was slightly stronger than that at the time,” he said. The Compass reported last month that all serving members of the Central Planing Authority on Grand Cayman were reappointed in the wake of Mr. Swarbrick’s report that raised critical questions about the au- thority’s operations and the personal interests of board members. The one-year reappoint- ment of the authority’s 13 members was effective Aug. 1. The auditor’s office re- ported in July that the ap- pointed boards advising gov- ernment on land development decisions are not holding open meetings, often do not provide reasons for their rulings and are made up of members who have potential conflicts of interest with cer- tain development projects. Members of the Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Development Control Board were also reappointed with all currently serving mem- bers, shortly after the audi- tor’s report was released. The auditor general’s of- fice had looked into whether decision-makers on the two development boards were free from the appearance of, or actual conflicts of in- terest as part of his review of the overall planning and land use process in the Cayman Islands. The Central Planning Authority has guidelines for members of the board to de- clare any conflicts and re- cuse themselves from meet- ings until matters related to their business, or the busi- ness of a close relative, are completed. However, those guidelines do not impose sanctions if board members do not follow the rules, nor do they require members to disclose financial interests in businesses at any time, Mr. Swarbrick noted. The adoption of the Standards in Public Life Law in 2014 was due to in- troduce disclosure require- ments for appointed board members, but the law was never put into effect. Premier Alden McLaughlin said last year that concerns from various appointed board members forced government to rewrite sections of the law. Updated legislation has not been brought before the House, al- though Mr. McLaughlin has said it is a priority for his Progressives-led government. “The great majority of members of the Central Planning Authority ap- pointed since August 2013 were from the development and construction indus- tries,” Mr. Swarbrick’s re- port found. “While providing expertise to the Central Planning Authority, this cre- ates a high risk of conflicts and also adversely affects the appearance of freedom from conflict.” Corruption issues Mr. Swarbrick was asked during his final press conference in Cayman Wednesday how great a problem corruption was in the Cayman Islands. The auditor indicated that the issue was more about whether Cayman’s government had the proper systems in place to guard against corrupt acts within the public sector, as well as outside of it. “All jurisdictions have fraud and corruption, there’s no getting away from that,” he said. “Whether it’s worse or better in the Cayman Islands … I cannot provide any objective evi- dence around that. “[The audit office re- ports] keep talking about the risk of fraud and cor- ruption. Government has to do more in minimizing the opportunity for these things to happen.” day for the country,” he said. “Once they do this, there is no turning back.” Chris Kirkconnell, of rival campaign group Cayman’s Port, Cayman’s Future, wel- comed the news, saying he was pleased government had looked at the “whole picture” and decided to push ahead with the project. He said he felt the deci- sion was “touch and go” for several months. Mr. McLaughlin, in his speech at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, said govern- ment had considered the en- vironmental impact assess- ment as well as the final business case, which has yet to be publicly released. “We as a government have been called upon by the proponents and oppo- nents of the cruise dock to decide on protecting the en- vironment or protecting the economy. Life is seldom so cut and dry, but we believe our approach will find the right balance,” he said. He acknowledged that the environmental impact assessment had indicated damage to reef structures in the “immediate vicinity” of the harbor, but said the study also indicated there would be no impact on Seven Mile Beach. “That was a major con- cern that has now been put to rest,” he said. Cabinet has yet to for- malize its decision on the project, Mr. McLaughlin said. He told guests at the Chamber lunch that gov- ernment has “agreed on the merits of building a cruise port and enhanced cargo port.” Environment Minister Wayne Panton was off is- land on vacation when the announcement was made Wednesday and could not be reached for comment. Mr. McLaughlin said in his speech that government would take into account the mitigation measures put forward in the envi- ronmental report. “There will not be [dredging] in George Town harbor tomorrow or next week or next month. We will proceed carefully and seek to do whatever it takes to ensure minimum environ- mental impact.” Mr. McLaughlin added that Cayman had spent 40 years building its cruise in- dustry and had to protect it. “The project will not only help safeguard our impor- tant cruise business into the future, it will also en- large our cargo port and protect existing jobs and bring many new jobs in the project phase, leading to many hundreds of jobs well into the future.” He added, “I have heard what those who worry about the environmental impact have said, but one thing is certain in my mind, eco- nomic benefits aside, if we continue to anchor cruise ships in George Town harbor as we have done these past 40 years, in a decade or two there will be very little coral there for anybody to enjoy or argue about.” Supporters of the cruise dock have argued that it will allow larger ships, which do not use tenders, to come to Cayman and will also mean more time on shore for cruise visitors, leading to more spending. They say Cayman is the only is- land in the region without a port, and not in the process of building one, and sug- gest that unless the project goes ahead, cruise numbers will decline. Mr. Kirkconnell, also vice president of operations at Kirk Freeport, added that there are still obstacles to overcome be- fore the project is guaranteed to get off the ground. “It is a step towards a cruise berthing facility, but there is still a lot of work to be done. We need to make sure it is done in the right way and everything that can be done to protect the envi- ronment is done,” he said. Statistics from other ju- risdictions, he said, sug- gest that Cayman would see a surge in economic benefit from the port, greater than the PwC business case re- port indicated. Mr. Sahm, general man- ager of Sunset House, said he was not convinced by the economic arguments and feels the decision, prior to the release of the PwC final busi- ness case, is premature. Government gives green light to George Town cruise dock unreadable financial state- ments, the auditor general said the result represented a significant improvement. “We’ve never been able to do a proper audit on the entire public sector,” Mr. Swarbrick said Wednesday. “It’s all rela- tive. [The results] aren’t great, but it’s a lot better.” In the entire public sector audit, Mr. Swarbrick said, 18 of 26 statutory authorities and government companies re- ceived the best possible results, an unqualified opinion. Also, he noted ministries that had strug- gled with proper financial reporting in the past – in- cluding tourism and plan- ning – were given “quali- fied” opinions – meaning some deficiencies were noted, but that the finan- cial records could gener- ally be relied upon. “It’s not what you want ultimately. What your ex- pectation should be is that everybody pres- ents financial statements and they should get un- qualified opinions. That should be the norm,” Mr. Swarbrick said. Mr. Swarbrick, who left office Wednesday, said he was a bit disappointed that getting the public sector finances of the Cayman Islands to this point took five years, since his arrival in July 2010. However, the au- ditor general, who is leaving for a job with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris, said the process served to “raise expectations” about what government should be achieving with public funds. “We can see it in terms of how they’re managing projects now, the airport, the dump, they are fol- lowing a process which is more likely to deliver value for money for the citizens of the Cayman Islands,” he said. The sheer amount of time and effort spent get- ting public sector finances back in order did affect the auditor general of- fice’s ability to look into a number of other areas that Mr. Swarbrick said he once had targeted for re- view. Those included the effectiveness of health- care delivery in Cayman, the delivery of education services and the financial management of the local criminal justice system. “My biggest issue with [the government] is how long they took to respond [on financial management issues],” he said. Mr. Swarbrick said those matters would have to be left to his successor, who has not yet been named. Deputy Auditor General Garnet Harrison will serve as acting au- ditor general until someone is hired for the full-time post. Entire government audited for first time CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 US CongreSS approveS bill to keep government open WASHINGTON (AP) – Just hours before a midnight deadline, a bitterly divided Congress approved a stopgap spending bill Wednesday to keep the federal government open – but with no assur- ance there will not be yet an- other shutdown showdown in December. Democrats helped belea- guered House Republican leaders pass the mea- sure by 277-151 – a lop- sided vote shrouding deep disagreements within the GOP – after the Senate ap- proved it by a 78-20 tally earlier in the day. The votes sent the bill to President Barack Obama for his signa- ture, but not without White House carping. “The American people de- serve far better than last- minute, short-term legis- lating,” said spokesman Josh Earnest in pressing for a broader, longer-lasting budget deal. Approval of such stopgap measures used to be routine, but debate this year exposed acrimonious divisions be- tween pragmatic Republicans such as House Speaker John Boehner and more junior lawmakers in the party’s tea party wing who are less in- clined to compromise. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 1, 2015 Auditor ‘disappointed’ in planning board reappointments YCLA names athlete phenomenon Debra Searle as speaker TAD SToner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com British-born adventurer, TV presenter, author and motivational speaker Debra Searle will address the Young Caymanian Leadership Awards, recounting her 3,300- mile, 111-day solo odyssey, rowing a homemade plywood boat from Spain to Barbados. The 40-year-old from Plymouth, Devon, will address the Oct. 17 gathering at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, as the organization awards one of five candidates the top prize for local leadership and outstanding achievement among Caymanians between 20 and 35 years old. The ceremony will also mark the 15th anniver- sary of the awards, which has in the past recognized such Caymanians as Collin Anglin, Garth Arch, Jonathan Tibbetts and 2014 winner Kadi Merren-Pentney. This year’s nomi- nees are Taylor Burrowes, Robbie Cribb, Rebekah Jefferson, Kellie McGee and Stephen Watler. Past speakers have in- cluded Fox News presenter Steve Doocy and U.S. presi- dential candidate and former governor Mike Huckabee. Ms. Searle will tell the Saturday-night ballroom gathering that she and hus- band Andrew Veal in 2002 en- tered the Ward Evans Atlantic Rowing Challenge, a 3,000- mile double-handed rowing race from Spain’s Tenerife to Barbados after building their own 23-foot boat from a kit. After only a few days at sea, however, Mr. Veal was crippled by thalassophobia, a fear of open water, and had to be taken off the craft. Ms. Searle, a novice at the time, elected to continue. While the trip normally should have taken six weeks, she spent 3½ months at sea, alone, confronting 30-foot waves, sharks and force-8 squalls. “In her speech,” according to a statement from the YCLA, “Debra will reveal the strategies she used to suc- ceed, inviting the audience to experience some of the heart- breaking lows and unbeliev- able highs that were part of her journey of a lifetime.” Searle’s story was fea- tured in the film “Row Hard No Excuses,” aired on the U.S. Public Broadcasting System in 2010 and 2011. She has since gone on to participate in the Yukon River Race; sailed 7,000 miles between Buenos Aires and Wellington, New Zealand; kayak surfed in The Maldives; become a Royal Yachting Association yachtmaster; navigated “The Sisterhood” dragon boat to a world re- cord for crossing the English Channel; completed the Mont Blanc Bike Race in the French Alps and another in the Pyrenees, and the 100- mile Dartmoor Classic. In 2010, she raced an Alfa Romeo in the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. More recently, in 2014, Ms. Searle and a partner opened consultancy firm MIX Diversity Developers, which in April this year led the LeasePlan Women’s Arctic Challenge on a ski-trek across Baffin Island in the Arctic Circle. Ms. Searle reportedly has said that the attention she gained for her solo Atlantic row was “a product of a sexist agenda,” saying the story wouldn’t have “even made her local paper” had it been her husband who had continued alone and she who had been rescued. She now has a passion, she said, “for demolishing stereotypes.” Director of the Young Caymanian Leadership Foundation Chris Duggan said, “Debra Searle personi- fies many of the key attri- butes of a great leader, no- tably the determination to take on a challenge and suc- ceed against all odds, to over- come fear and rise above every obstacle. “We are delighted she will join us as we celebrate the 15-year history of the YCLA program and shine a spot- light on our five amazing fi- nalists for this year’s mile- stone award.” Debra Searle will be keynote speaker at the Young Caymanian Leadership Awards this year. the money transfer compa- nies, banks, government and the families who rely on cash transfers. Cayman National Bank, the last bank in the country working with the cash transfers, pulled out of the business on Aug. 26 and left MoneyGram, JN Money Services and the others without a bank on the island. Without a bank, JN and the others restricted cash transfers to U.S. cash only so they can ship the money directly to the U.S. without having to convert Cayman dollars to U.S. cur- rency, but the banks were caught off-guard by the cur- rency switch. Banks saw demand for U.S. currency jump overnight and, ac- cording to Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton, the shortage of U.S. dollars was “almost immediate.” “This has created a sig- nificant disruption,” Mr. McTaggart said. The cash shortage has led many banks, including Butterfield and RBC, to give U.S. currency only to ac- count holders. Other banks, like CIBC FirstCaribbean, now charge people without accounts a CI$50 fee to ex- change a maximum of US$500. Those fees, plus the roughly 9 percent fee for the transfer means it can cost more than US$100 to transfer US$500 to family overseas. “I cannot afford $46 to send $100 to Miami,” Susan Young said, addressing the panel and representing the frustrations felt by many in the crowd. Carl Brown, who mod- erated the meeting, said of Jamaicans in Cayman sending money home, “Over 90 percent are blue collar workers and send $350 or less.” The new exchange fees cut into that money people are able to send home; most people in the town hall crowd did not have bank accounts. Bankers’ Association silent on fees Cayman and Jamaican of- ficials criticized the Cayman Islands Bankers’ Association for not attending the meeting. Honorary Vice Consul for Jamaica Elaine Harris said the association had agreed to send a representative, but then canceled on the day and said they would issue a state- ment instead. “It’s a missed opportu- nity,” for the banks to explain the fees, she said. Premier Alden McLaughlin, speaking at the Chamber of Commerce legis- lative luncheon the following day, also addressed the U.S. cash shortage issue in his speech. He said, “Yesterday, the Bankers’ Association con- firmed to the Ministry of Financial Services that the retail banks are now im- porting sufficient U.S. cash to meet increased local de- mand and the U.S. cash prices should ease shortly.” He added that the issue was “seriously damaging to our economy and we have to find a way to resolve it.” The consular officials had not seen the statement, issued by the Financial Services Ministry, which was sent to a limited number of media representatives a few hours before the meeting by the Financial Services Ministry. The statement, which provided no new informa- tion from the association, noted: “CIBA President Mark McIntyre acknowledged that the banks’ adjustments, in re- lation to the [money services businesses’] decision to only accept U.S. cash, caused some initial disruptions.” It quoted Mr. McIntyre as saying “However, now that the banks have made ad- justments to their practices, those disruptions largely have been resolved.” Jamaican Honorary Consul Joseph Marzouca, speaking at the meeting, said, “We need to send the money to Jamaica. Full stop.” Clearly unhappy that the Bankers’ Association and the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority did not attend to help people understand what is going on, Mr. Marzouca said, “When CIMA and the Cayman Islands Bankers’ Association have time in the next week or two, we will bring them to you.” Mr. McTaggart, coun- cilor in the Financial Services Ministry, said, “I wish we had the bankers here tonight.” More than US$110 million last year flowed to Jamaica from cash transfer compa- nies in Cayman, the bulk of the US$180 million in remit- tances sent overseas in 2014. If remittances continued at that level, they would ac- count for US$15 million in cash transfers each month. Frustration, confusion over cash transfers Jamaican Honorary Vice Consul Elaine Harris speaks during the meeting Tuesday evening. - Photo: Charles DunCan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Debra will reveal the … heartbreaking lows and unbelievable highs … of her journey of a lifetime.” YCLA desCription of keYnote AddressNext >