ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Tuesday OcTOber 20, 2015 sports | page 15 bailey’s meTTle TO be TesTed Half-Ironman is his next challenge High of 87 Low of 79 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 cOllecTing Our ThOughTs On gOvernmenT fees 178210_PRINT-Compass-6colx1*5.pdPage 1 12/8/14 11:20:19 AM Jetways off table for airport James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Boarding ramps and portable “box tun- nels” will be used at the Owen Roberts International Airport as an alternative to the passenger boarding bridges, left out of the $55 million redevelopment plan for Grand Cayman’s airport. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said Friday there were no immediate plans to add boarding bridges, known as jetways, which he said would cost an additional $20m. Mr. Kirkconnell, answering questions the Legislative Assembly from former Premier McKeeva Bush, said the option to add jet- ways remained part of the overall master plan for Grand Cayman’s airports and may be possible at a later date. But he said the immediate priority, with the funds avail- able, was the expansion of the severely over- crowded terminal building. He acknowledged that jetways added an extra level of convenience for the elderly and for medical tourists. He said, “Given the affordability con- straints and the fact that jetways do not con- tribute to any of the needs priorities, they are not currently included in the terminal plan, al- though it is recognized they do represent ben- efit for visitors in terms of convenience.” He added, “Provision has been made to add them at a later date as funds become available.” As an interim measure, he said Cayman Airways has purchased boarding ramps for el- derly and disabled passengers and the Cayman Islands Airports Authority is looking at pur- chasing “box tunnels” – expandable, vinyl cov- erings – to protect passengers from the rain. He said the cost of the boarding ramps was $50,000 for the jets, and $25,000 for the Saab aircraft, scheduled to be used on the Cayman Brac commuter route. He said adding capacity for jetways – el- evated boarding bridges which allow pas- sengers to walk directly from the plane to the arrivals hall – would involve additional costs associated with adapting the terminal building to facilitate passenger arrivals on the upper floor. “The scale of the cost is completely dif- ferent,” he said. Another idea that remains off the agenda for the airport redevelopment, at least for now, is extending the runway to facilitate Government delays pensions review release brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government will not release a financial evaluation originally con- ducted in 2014 of its three public sector retire- ment savings plans, which include the plans that provide pensions for thousands of civil servants, until March 2016. The actuarial evaluation, completed by Mercer, details the government’s retirement savings plans for civil servants, lawmakers and the judiciary as they existed on Jan. 1, 2014, and was finished last year. The report was presented to the Progressives-led govern- ment caucus (leadership council) on Sept. 8, 2014 as a draft for review. “During the presentation to caucus, a deci- sion was made to change a number of valua- tion methods and assumptions that were used in determining the amount of the liability,” the government indicated in a response to an open records request filed by the Cayman Compass seeking the release of the report. The government’s financial assumptions used to determine the pension funds’ liability as of Jan. 1, 2014 were changed and a re-eval- uation of the retirement funds’ financial posi- tions was completed by Mercer on Aug. 5, 2015, Financial Secretary Ken Jefferson confirmed. The Compass then submitted its open re- cords request for the information. This request was “deferred” until next year, based on the fact that Cabinet members had not reviewed Construction firms sought for main airport job James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Airport bosses are seeking to pre-qualify construction firms ahead of a bidding pro- cess for the multimillion-dollar construction contract for phase two of the Owen Roberts International Airport redevelopment. The Cayman Islands Airports Authority broke ground on phase one of the $55 mil- lion project last month. Arch and Godfrey were awarded that contract, valued at $3.6 million and a relatively small slice of the larger project. Now the Cayman Islands Airports Authority is asking potential bidders on the larger work to show their credentials ahead of a planned tender process for the rest of the job. The work includes completion of the expanded terminal building, including ap- proximately 100,000 square feet of new extensions to the east, west and north, as well as renovation of the existing terminal building and additional parking. The CIAA says work is expected to begin in January and be completed in the first half of 2018. Albert Anderson, CEO of the authority, said, “One of the biggest challenges identi- fied is ensuring that the terminal building will remain fully operational throughout the construction period. Therefore, the safety and security of staff, users and the traveling public remains paramount.” He said the operational requirements of the airport mean the work must be carried out in phases, leading to the two-and-a-half year time line for construction. The authority says it is seeking applica- tions from established general contractors with experience on high value, multiphase projects, including those carried out in ex- isting facilities and with strict safety and security requirements. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » An illustration of the redesigned Owen Roberts International Airport. Work on phase two of the project is expected to begin in January and be completed in the first half of 2018. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday OcTOber 20, 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. - TUESDAY - $8.00 * UPCOMING RUGBY MATCHES AT THE CINEMA * VISIT WWW.BIGSCREEN.KY FOR MORE INFORMATION. 18 YEARS & OVER BRIDGE OF SPIES (PG13) 12:25 I 3:30 I 6:35 I 9:40 THE MARTIAN 3D (PG13) 12.20 I 3:25 2D I 6:30 I 9:35 2D THE WALK (PG) 4:00 THE INTERN (PG13) 1:05 I 4:00 I 6:55 I 9:50 PAN 3D (PG) 1:20 I 4:20 2D I 7:00 I 9:40 2D WAR ROOM (PG) 1:10 I 7:10 I 10:00 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 3D (PG) 1:00 2D I 3:34 I 6:50 2D I 9:10 Mexico health conference Progress made, but work to do in maternal, newborn health Melinda Gates addresses Global Maternal Newborn Health Conference MEXICO CITY (AP) – Eight hundred women die every day globally from causes re- lated to pregnancy and child- birth, despite great strides in that area, philanthropist Melinda Gates said Monday. Gates spoke at the first Global Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Mexico City. Public health experts from around the world were to discuss research and pol- icies that could continue to drive those numbers down. “All the data proves that helping a woman plan and space her pregnancies is the most effective way to save mothers and newborns,” Gates said. The conference aims to develop strategies to achieve development goals launched last month at the United Nations. Preventable compli- cations related to pregnancy, childbirth and other causes still claim 7,400 newborns each day. Maternal mortality has fallen almost 50 percent since 1990 globally. But the new U.N. goal is to have fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births globally by 2030, down from 210 per 100,000 in 2013. Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, said the reason they have not achieved more in the area of mothers’ health is because of a lack of empow- erment of women worldwide. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has an on- going project in southern Mexico and Central America. It is collaborating with The Carlos Slim Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as the govern- ments of Spain and Central American countries to reduce health inequities. The project is working in Mexico’s Chiapas state to in- crease access to health facil- ities with prenatal and post- natal care. “In Chiapas I think the big challenge is really meeting so many peoples’ needs who are in these communities, these remote communities, that are not easily accessible … with health services,” Gates said. She said the project did not initially achieve its goals, but was now on track and making progress. She said access to those services had increased from 3 percent to 46 percent. More prog- ress is expected in a second phase and then a final stage will measure childhood mortality reductions. Dr. Pablo Kuri Morales, Mexico’s deputy health sec- retary for preventative health and health promotion, said he considers the Chiapas project a laboratory whose lessons will be implemented throughout Mexico. “Quite frankly the whole Mesoamerica project is about different countries learning from one another,” Gates said. “And that’s why we’re making so much progress around the world.” US Navy to search for ship lost in storm MIAMI (AP) – A U.S. Navy vessel was expected to de- part Monday on a search for a missing cargo ship that was lost in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Joaquin with 33 crew members on board. The USNS Apache will be taking equipment and in- vestigators to an area near Crooked Island in the south- eastern Bahamas in an at- tempt to locate the 790-foot cargo ship El Faro and re- trieve its data recorder, said Christopher Johnson, for the Naval Sea Systems Command. The Apache was leaving from Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia and should take about two days to reach the area where teams will search for the ship in an area of about 100 square miles and a depth of 15,000 feet, Johnson said. It’s taking a towed pinger locator to locate the data re- corder as well as side scan sonar and a remotely oper- ated vehicle along with in- vestigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the American Bureau of Shipping. motorcycle crash victim transferred to health city A 25-year-old man was in serious condition at Health City Cayman Islands after suffering se- rious injuries in a motor- cycle accident on Sunday. The man, from Spotts Newlands, lost control and fell from his motorcycle on Frank Sound Road around 4 p.m. Police described his injuries as serious. correction A story on page 10 of Monday’s Cayman Compass mis- identified the committee chairwoman of 100 Women Who Care. Her name is Emma Graham-Taylor. the cayman compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com. Melinda Gates, second from left, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, listens through a translation earpiece during the opening plenary at the Global Maternal newborn health conference in Mexico city on Monday. - Photo: aP Pre-election violence flares up in Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – Officials say pre-election violence has flared up in a crowded Haitian slum and resulted in the killings of least 15 people, including two pregnant women. Precise numbers of the dead around sprawling Cite Soleil were hard to pin down. Spokespeople with the Haitian National Police and the U.N. mis- sion did not immediately provide specifics Monday. Esau Bouchard is a mayor in Cite Soleil. He says 10 people have been killed within the dis- trict’s boundaries over the last few days and another eight or nine people have been slain on the outskirts. Neighborhood orga- nizers within the slum say most of the killings were politically moti- vated and done by po- litically aligned gangs. Bouchard says gangsters were also killed in shoot- outs with police. The violence comes days ahead of presidential elections on Sunday. Puerto Rico debates fiscal control board SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico legislators are warning they will seek amendments to a bill that would create an indepen- dent fiscal control board as the U.S. territory pushes to restructure a portion of its $72 billion public debt be- fore the government runs out of money. Lawmakers said Monday they expect to hold five days of public hear- ings before voting on the 71-page measure submitted late last week. Most of the debate will likely focus on what kind of power and reach the board should have as concerns grow about whether the govern- ment would lose significant control over its finances and operations. “This project is an ad- mission that the markets and U.S. institutions have absolutely no confidence in this government,” said Sen. Maria de Lourdes Santiago. “This board would not su- pervise. It would govern.” The proposed board is part of a five-year fiscal reform plan aimed at strengthening the is- land’s economy, which has tanked for nearly a de- cade amid concern that public agencies might soon go bankrupt. Lawmakers are pushing to approve the bill be- fore the legislative session ends in mid-November. Meanwhile, the govern- ment is seeking some $700 million to stay afloat as it negotiates with bond- holders to restructure a debt that Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla has said is unpayable. He said establishing a fiscal control board would help negotiations. “We’re telling the entire world that we’re taking the debt renegotiation seriously, and we’re going to guar- antee it through an apolit- ical board,” he said Sunday at a political summit.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 20, 2015 Space is limited to 20 persons! Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky or call Trisha at 743-9123 to reserve your spot. Attention small business owners! Join us for this FREE workshop. Our facilitator will help you understand how to better manage your business finances, and options available to you for debt management. Light refreshments will be served. Strategies for Effective Debt Collection Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square 21 October WEDNESDAY 5:30- 7:30 p.m. Presented by: Kerrie Cox, attorney at Diamond Law Associates (DLA). DLA offers specialist legal advice in all areas of commercial, corporate and business law. Proudly organised by the Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Ministry of Financial Services, Commerce & Environment. Visit our website at www.caymanchamber.ky for the schedule of upcoming free micro and small business workshops. Topics Include • Brief outline on the necessity for financial management and cash flow; • The available options to improve payments; • Debt re-structuring and negotiations; • The range of options available via the litigation process. FREE Micro & Small Business Workshop New trends focus of Cayman healthcare conference Palliative care, al- lied healthcare and mental health will be the focus of this year’s Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference on Oct. 29-31 at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman. Conference presentations will look at minimally in- vasive robotic surgery tech- niques, new treatments for heart disease, and caring for patients at the end of their lives. Dr. Jamil Bashir, with Regenexx Cayman, will talk about using a person’s own stem cells for treating serious ailments. “Over the next two de- cades, medical treatments will undergo a 21st cen- tury revamp equivalent to the discovery of modern day antibiotics,” he said in a press release. “As the future of healthcare continues to transform, alternative treat- ment options in regenerative medicine are becoming more prevalent. This talk will focus on the most advanced, ortho- pedic stem cell procedures available in the world today.” Several palliative care ex- perts from the United States will address end-of-life care. The conference will also have interactive workshops for discussions about making decisions about the end of life and mental health care. Cayman Islands Mental Health Commission Chairman Dr. Marc Lockhart will ad- dress the state of mental health in the Cayman Islands. James Moore of the Urban Land Institute will bring public policy and land plan- ning into the discussion with a talk on how city design and development impacts the health of the people who live and work there. New Brac commuter flights likely to start in November James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new 34-seat turboprop aircraft purchased for the Cayman Brac commuter route has yet to be put into service, more than two months after arriving on island. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said Cayman Airways flight crews were still completing their training on the new aircraft, which has also been going through the process of de-registering in the U.S. and being regis- tered in the Cayman Islands. Answering questions during Friday’s session of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Kirkconnell said the plane, a Saab 340/B plus model, would soon be flying on the scheduled routes between Grand Cayman and the Brac. Cayman Airways CEO Fabian Whorms told the Cayman Compass that the delays were due, in part, to the availability of training providers for operating crews and maintenance personnel. He said many of the hold- ups were out of Cayman Airways control and were not uncommon issues facing airlines introducing new aircraft. He now expects the plane to be in use by mid November. East End legislator Arden McLean led the questioning in the Legislative Assembly, asking why the training and regulatory requirements had not been substantially com- pleted by the time the plane arrived on Aug. 14. “That plane has been sit- ting up there for two-and-a- half months now,” he said. Cayman Airways currently uses a 30-seat Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, leased along with its crew on a temporary arrangement from Turks and Caicos-based InterCaribbean Airways, on the Brac route. Mr. Kirkconnell said four CAL pilots had completed simulator training on the air- craft in Miami but still had to go through “check-out rides” in Cayman. “It is going to be crewed by all Cayman Airways staff. That is the reason why it has not started yet,” he said. “You have seen the plane sitting there. It is not that work has not been going on since Aug. 14. They have been working to de-register and re-register, and at the same time the pilots were in Miami training.” Mr. Whorms said thou- sands of man-hours had been invested and all programs and manuals had been sub- mitted for regulatory ap- proval. He said introducing a new aircraft into ser- vice involved multiple steps and processes, the timing of which was not always within the airline’s direct control. He added, “In all hon- esty, while time is of the es- sence, we are not measuring the success of this program on time lines and we are in- stead focused on getting the job done right.” He said a final technical survey of the aircraft by the regulatory authority still needed to take place. He added, “If all goes well, we are expecting to complete our check rides and demonstration flights during the first ten days of November and launch service in mid-November.” Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the Saab 340/B plus, will soon be flying on the scheduled routes between Grand Cayman and the Brac. - Photo: taneos Ramsay Last year’s healthcare conference attracted 800 delegates, and organizers expect more this year.The 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. Tuesday OCTOber 20, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Our government’s most serious and well-docu- mented flaw is how it spends money. Coming in at a close second is how it collects money. A new report from the Office of the Auditor General — one of the parting salvos submitted to Cabinet in the final days of Alastair Swarbrick’s tenure — highlights, as the Compass noted Friday, “inefficien- cies, complicated fee structures, and a lack of risk management and performance tracking” in regard to government’s revenue collection apparatus. The good news according to the auditor general is that overall the government is collecting the revenues it’s supposed to. (We guess that qualifies as good news.) Potential troubles arise when the government doesn’t collect the revenue it’s due, in the form of fee waivers. Acting Auditor General Garnet Harrison said, “It was unclear in many cases why the waivers were granted. “Government doesn’t track how much it grants in waivers, leaving it unable to provide proper financial reports required by its own accounting policies.” Generally speaking, fee waivers amounting to less than $25,000 have been at the discretion of the finan- cial secretary, and more than $25,000 goes to Cabinet for approval. A new amendment to the Public Manage- ment and Finance Law provides at least a partial fix to that problem, by taking the responsibility for waivers out of the hands of the financial secretary and placing it with the Ministry of Finance. Strictly speaking, it may seem more appropriate to place that discretionary power in the hands of a minister, rather than a civil servant. However, we would point out that the “real” solution would be to have an equitable and obvious system of taxation that would make the exercise of that discretion a relatively rare occurrence. “Fair and transparent” taxation goes hand-in- hand with “simplified” taxation. Take, for example, work permit fees. Ponder the following sentence from Friday’s story: “There are more than 5,000 different fees listed for work permits in the Cayman Islands.” Considering there are roughly 20,000 work permit holders in Cayman, that means (if evenly distributed) there would be merely four people for each kind of work permit category. The reality is that there are very many categories that do not even have a single work permit holder. What we have here is bureaucratic bloat and unnecessary complexity. Clearly there are too many work permit categories — which, as employers and human resource professionals know, are convo- luted, confusing and whose fees vary subjectively, and oftentimes significantly, according to job titles, industry classifications and geography (whether it’s on Grand, Brac or Little). It is no stretch to declare (categorically, perhaps) that the Byzantine classification of work permits is the number one impediment to promoting valued workers in Cayman. Promoting a work permit holder from “sales representative,” to “sales manager,” for example, not only requires an increase in that person’s salary, and perhaps benefits, but the changing of that person’s job title gives rise to a governmental check- list involving the re-advertisement of the job and an increase in the relevant work permit fee — in this case, typically from $1,000 per year to $8,000 per year (but that, of course, varies by industry and location). What ends up happening often is an increase in duties and pay, but no change in title. It is too common in Cayman for people’s job titles to be designated according to work permit regulations, rather than actual responsibilities. Government auditors point out that reducing the number of work permit categories and fees would simplify and speed up the process, and “thus improve service to the public.” Simple, speedy and service-oriented. Come to think of it, that’s not a bad mantra for the entire civil service to adopt. Collecting our thoughts on government fees From CaymanCompass.Com “Bush threatens legal challenge over new voting maps,” Oct. 19 How can anyone say that this process has resulted in equal representation when we now have districts that have been left with much smaller voting populations in order to preserve what the boundary commission be- lieved was their culturally distinct heritage? If equal representation was the objec- tive then the boundary com- mission has failed to achieve its mandate. mack Boland Residents of some dis- tricts may feel that they have lost some say in creating a government, but sadly, that is because for generations they have had four times the voting power of those in some other districts. That doesn’t mean that the old system was right though, be- cause it was not. I am a little sad that the boundaries commis- sion have seen fit to have such widely varying num- bers in each district, 500 for some, 1,000 in others. I understand that there are requirements to recognize natural boundaries and communities, but I think a little more care and thought should have been given. Nevertheless, what we will have is so much more demo- cratic than what was there before, that it represents a good start. No longer will we have the ability of one vote getter garnering four seats (near 30 percent of the total) from the same voters! arthur Rank “Bridge Foundation gives residents new lease on life,” Oct. 16 Thanks to the Bridge Foundation, a lot of people and families can move on with their lives. Thank you Bud and crew for all of your time and may God bless you and your team. I know Recovery Month has just passed but take the message out to the churches and ser- vice clubs. We badly need ev- eryone’s help with this urgent matter! Again, thanks! Carol Cooper “Dart plans new office building,” Oct. 16 I have got to give the Dart company credit, they are re- ally good developers, and have done wonders for the Cayman Islands. It is such a pleasure to sit at Camana Bay, look around and enjoy so much that is available; from sun screen to ice cream. The beach hotel when completed is going to be a wow! The coconut trees and other natural Cayman trees are standing along- side the date and other palm trees on “The Island.” People from all walks of life enjoying the food and cool drinks; some sitting in hammocks and under sea grape trees, while children play at the water fountain. The theater is number one, among the best. I just love everything about this place, and I am sure the new “sister building” on Forum Lane will only complement what is already there. Twyla Vargas “Suzy Soto honored,” Oct. 16 Well deserved, Suzy. Congratulations, you are a great inspiration to young generations of hospitality workers and a great colleague. Giuseppe Gatta “PR grants: The number is still zero,” Oct. 15 “We hope the Progressives’ approach to immigration isn’t going precisely according to plan.” … I think this is going exactly to plan. It is pretty damn obvious. Or its gross incompetence on a para- lyzing scale. If I were to bet, not much will be done until after the next election. Jaffery Lupul Don’t forget about non- performance issues here. They took money in exchange for something they appear to have no intention to deliver. And as someone had men- tioned, the applicants con- tinue wasting money on an- nual police clearance reports, medical reports, etc. L. Bell I would guess that thou- sands of Caymanians have obtained the right to per- manent residence in the U.K. over the last 5 years or so, and their applications would have been processed in less than three months. Roger Davies Is there no honor in government? After all, the elected government of the people of Cayman went to great lengths to create legislation to allow for permanent residency of people of character, good nature and hard work ethic into this country to live their lives as committed members of the community. Why, after passing such legislation, does the govern- ment allow unelected bu- reaucrats to chose to not enact it? This is in effect what is happening. If the people of Cayman (through their government) choose not to allow immi- grants, so be it. However to make a false promise to people who have made a life for themselves here thinking one day it would be a perma- nent one, is just wrong. Either allow for eligible immigrants to be here or not. Just don’t lie about it and say there is an immigration policy and program if there really is not. Rodney Barnett Comments [opposing the approval of permanent res- idence applications] that represent Cayman’s people and are clearly reflected in Cayman’s immigration laws are actually welcome do me. It’s good to know where you stand. Which is why I would never bother to apply for PR nor recommend it to anyone. I know it’s in my best interest to never think of Cayman as home or ever expect I could actually be a real part of the community. My time in Cayman will never be anything more than an extended vacation so I treat it as such. I got no problem with being “driftwood.” Just don’t ask the same of me that you expect from someone that’s welcome to stay for good. michael Davis “Cruise ship dock: Business case predicts up to US$439 million benefit,” Oct. 14 Something from this re- lease that needs huge atten- tion is the fact that Minister Kirkconnell acknowledges that changes can be made and will be considered to lessen the environmental impact. They are considering moving the piers deeper to reduce the need for dredging. This idea is not far from the “sky bridge” or floating dock as moving the piers out as deep as feasible makes the most sense. Jonathon Barnes In relation to the amount of scuba diving in George Town harbor, and related mat- ters as to the possible amount of economic losses for that very specific microsegment if that is reduced etc. due to cruise berthing becoming op- erational, there are some fac- tual data available from offi- cial sources. For example: The data from the Cayman Islands’ Compendium of Statistics 2014 show that the number of air passengers stating “dive” as their “reason for visit” is significantly down for 2014 and moreover has been flat or slightly declining each year since 2010. The sta- tistic for 2014 is 32 percent below the 2012 figure (5.6 percent) used in Appendix J2 of the Baird “Environmental Statement.” Thus it is clearly obvious that the more likely economic loss would be way less than shown in the orig- inal Appendix J2. Timothy adam George Town mLas listen to voters’ views on single-member districts at a public meeting in april. - Photo: File 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”5 Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 20, 2015 REGIONAL Are Bank foreclosures a great deal? Sometimes! Usually the bank instructs a Realtor to sell the property for what is owing to the bank and lately this seems to be what the market will bear. Local banks do not take missed mortgage payments lightly, they make repeated attempts to help the homeowner to see if they can work with them. If you or your spouse has lost some income, then call your bank right away and communicate with them to avoid eviction! Capital Realty has land listed in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac from CI$24,000 CIREBA MLS 404896 Check out all our bank foreclosures on our website. type in BANK FORCES SALE for a list. FOR SALE 623.1400 capitalrealty.com.ky FOR SALE 623.1400 capitalrealty.com.ky Bank Forces Sale Suspended UEFA President Michel Platini: ‘I’m bullet-proof’ ZURICH (AP) – Complaining that he is being “dragged through the mud” in the FIFA corruption investiga- tion, Michel Platini believes he is “bullet-proof” and has not lost support in his bid to replace Sepp Blatter as the head of world soccer’s gov- erning body. The UEFA president, who has been suspended for 90 days along with Blatter, con- firmed in an interview pub- lished Monday in the French daily Le Monde that he had no written contract for the $2 million payment he received from FIFA in 2011. Risking further FIFA ethics sanctions by breaking confidentiality rules, Platini gave a detailed defense in the case that threatens to end his presidential hopes. The extra pay for his job advising Blatter from 1998- 2002 was “a thing between two men,” Platini said, giving a new version of why FIFA could not pay him in full more than a decade ago. “I think it’s shameful to be dragged through the mud,” he said, insisting the case was not a scandal. Platini submitted his FIFA election application papers before being suspended and hopes that his provisional suspension will be lifted – by the FIFA appeal committee or Court of Arbitration for Sport – to allow him to run. Platini must still pass an integrity check by FIFA’s election committee, which will scrutinize all applicants after the deadline closes next Monday. “I don’t think I’ve lost many votes and those who know me know I can look my- self in the mirror,” Platini told Le Monde. “I’m bullet-proof.” On Friday, Blatter told a Swiss broadcaster the pay- ment deal being investigated by Swiss prosecutors as a “disloyal payment” from FIFA funds was a “gentlemen’s agreement.” Platini and Blatter are ap- pealing against the suspen- sions imposed this month by the FIFA ethics committee while it investigates the case. The ethics panel has in recent cases imposed strict bans when soccer of- ficials discussed their cases in the media. “What annoys me most is to have been lumped in with the others,” said Platini, who joins a long list of past and current colleagues on the FIFA executive committee who have been implicated in corruption allegations. Platini told Le Monde that Blatter, newly elected as FIFA’s president in 1998, asked him to name his salary to work as a personal adviser. “’How much to you want?’ Blatter asks,” Platini told Le Monde. “I reply: ‘One million.’ ‘Of what?’ ‘Whatever you want, rubles, pounds, dollars.’ There was still no euro then. He replies, ‘Agreed. One mil- lion Swiss francs per year.’” The former France great has previously said FIFA did not pay him in full at the time because of the governing body’s financial problems. Platini told Le Monde that Blatter suggested that FIFA’s salary policy prevented him from having a contract that paid the Frenchman more than then secretary general Michel Zen-Ruffinen. “I worked for several months without pay,” Platini said. “After a while, I go see Blatter: ‘You have a problem paying me?’ He says: ‘Yes, I can’t pay you 1 million be- cause of the wage struc- ture. You must understand that the secretary general gets 300,000 Swiss francs. You can’t get more than three times his salary. So we’ll write you a contract for 300,000 Swiss francs and pay the rest later.’ And that’s what happened. Only later never arrived.” Platini said he invoiced FIFA for 2 million Swiss francs in 2011 because he mistakenly recalled that he had been paid 500,000 Swiss francs annually at the time, and not 300,000. FIFA paid Platini in February 2011, weeks ahead of a presidential contest be- tween Blatter and Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, who both sought Platini’s endorsement. Michel Platini US companies still targeted by Chinese hackers WASHINGTON (AP) – Chinese hacking attempts on American corporate intellec- tual property have occurred with regularity over the past three weeks, suggesting that China almost immediately began violating its newly minted cyberagreement with the United States, according to a newly published anal- ysis by a cybersecurity com- pany with close ties to the U.S. government. The Irvine, California- based company, CrowdStrike, says it documented seven Chinese cyberattacks against U.S. technology and pharma- ceuticals companies “where the primary benefit of the intrusions seems clearly aligned to facilitate theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, rather than to conduct traditional na- tional security-related intel- ligence collection.” “We’ve seen no change in behavior,” said Dmitri Alperovich, a founder of CrowdStrike who wrote one of the first public accounts of commercial cyberespionage linked to China in 2011. One attack came on Sept. 26, CrowdStrike says, the day after President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping an- nounced their deal in the White House Rose Garden. CrowdStrike, which employs former FBI and National Security Agency cyberexperts, did not name the corporate victims, citing client confi- dentiality. And the company says it detected and thwarted the attacks before any corpo- rate secrets were stolen. A senior Obama adminis- tration official, speaking on condition of anonymity be- cause he was not allowed to discuss the matter pub- licly, said officials are aware of the report but would not comment on its conclusions. The official did not dispute them, however. The U.S. will continue to directly raise concerns re- garding cybersecurity with the Chinese, monitor the country’s cyberactivities closely and press China to abide by all of its commit- ments, the official added. The U.S.-China agreement forged last month does not prohibit cyberspying for na- tional security purposes, but it bans economic espionage designed to steal trade se- crets for the benefit of com- petitors. That is something the U.S. says it does not do, but Western intelligence agencies have documented such attacks by China on a massive scale for years. China denies engaging in such behavior, but threats of U.S. sanctions led Chinese officials to conduct a flurry of last-minute negotiations which led to the deal. CrowdStrike on Monday released a timeline of recent intrusions linked to China that it says it documented against “commercial entities that fit squarely within the hacking prohibitions covered under the cyberagreement.” The intrusion attempts are continuing, the com- pany says, “with many of the China-affiliated actors per- sistently attempting to re- gain access to victim net- works even in the face of repeated failures.” CrowdStrike did not ex- plain in detail how it attri- butes the intrusions to China, an omission that is likely to draw criticism, given the ability of hackers to disguise their origins. But the com- pany has a long track record of gathering intelligence on Chinese hacking groups, and U.S. intelligence officials have often pointed to the compa- ny’s work. “We assess with a high degree of confidence that these intrusions were un- dertaken by a variety of dif- ferent Chinese actors, in- cluding Deep Panda, which CrowdStrike has tracked for many years breaking into national security tar- gets of strategic importance to China,” Alperovich wrote in a blog posting that laid out his findings. The hacking group known as Deep Panda, which has been linked to the Chinese military, is believed by many researchers to have carried out the attack on in- surer Anthem Health earlier this year. CrowdStrike and other companies have tracked Deep Panda back to China based on the malware and tech- niques it uses, its working hours and other intelligence. President Barack Obama held a joint news conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month in Washington. An analysis by a cybersecurity company finds that Chinese hacking attempts on American corporate intellectual property have occurred with regularity over the past three weeks. - Photo: AP The U.S.-China agreement forged last month does not prohibit cyberspying for national security purposes, but it bans economic espionage designed to steal trade secrets for the benefit of competitors.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. Tuesday OcTOber 20, 2015 • Cayman Compass TUESDAY, OCT. 20 GEORGE TOWN REVITALIZATION: George Town Revitalization Plan public meeting, 5:30- 8:30 p.m. George Town Town Hall. The evening will include presentations from the consultants and government representatives spearheading the project, and time for questions. Refreshments will be provided. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: Eastern District Day takes place at the Bodden Town Civic Centre 5:30-8:30 p.m. BOOK SIGNING: Books & Books. 6 p.m. Ellen Kanner will sign her book, “Feeding the Hungry Ghost.” This free event includes a presentation and group discussion. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21 SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP: “Strategies for Effective Debt Collection” for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. The one-hour free workshop will be presented by attorney Kerrie Cox, an associate with Diamond Law Attorneys. 5:30 p.m. Seating is limited to the first 20 people. Chamber of Commerce conference room, Governors Square. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky or call 743-9123. FLOETRY: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Books & Books. Join some of Cayman’s poets and performers who share their work during an open mic night of poetry and readings. Share your own work, gain creative inspiration or simply enjoy the show. Free and open to the public. THURSDAY, OCT. 22 ENERGY SAVERS MEETING: The Cayman Islands Facility Management Association aims to bring energy-saving technologies and practices to the people of Cayman. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Guests welcome. Coffee, water and juices provided. RSVP to dave.johnston@ corporate-electric.com. LEADERSHIP CAYMAN ORIENTATION: Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. 5:30- 6:30 p.m. Applications are now being accepted until Oct. 30. Free. Register online for this and all other Chamber courses and workshops at www. caymanchamber.ky/events. BRAC COURT: Aston Rutty Centre today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. POP CONCERT: Triple C School Music Department presents a concert featuring Erica Assai and Yung Fusion. The public is invited. Triple C School Multipurpose Hall, 6:30 p.m. Free admission. Refreshments on sale. For more information, contact the school office, 949-6022. BINGO & MINGLE: At Craft Food & Beverage. Tickets $15 each. Includes welcome drink and complimentary raffle ticket. Tickets available at Craft or through Business and Professional Women’s Club members. Adults only. Bingo cards sold separately, $5 per card, 5-pack for $20, 15-pack $50. Prizes from Cayman’s best restaurants, hotels and more. For more information, email info@bpwgcm.org. FRIDAY, OCT. 23 ‘OCTOBER ODYSSEY’: Festival of music, dance, poetry readings and more to raise money for Nurse Leila’s House, presented by the National Trust West Bay District Committee. Doors open at 6 p.m., show starts 7 p.m. Performers include Rico Rolando, Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, Curtis Barnett, Anika Conolly, Rupert Ackermon and Xhalecia Grayson as they tell Nurse Leila Yates’s life story through contemporary song and poetry. Adults $25, children 17 and under $15. For more information, email marketing@ nationaltrust.org.ky/amcoe@ candw.ky or call 749- 1121/925-2482. SATURDAY, OCT. 24 ISLAND ROAST: Feed our Future’s annual culinary fundraiser. Help connect hungry kids in Cayman’s community with nutritious meals. Caribbean fare is served by local chefs and leading restaurants. Shoes are optional. Coral Beach, Camana Bay (Next to Royal Palms). 6:30 p.m. to midnight. Tickets, $150, include all food and drink for the evening. Visit feedourfuturecayman. org or contact info@ feedourfuturecayman.org for more information. FISH FRY: Central Scranton Community Park breakfast. 6 a.m.All meals include breadfruit, plantain and fritters. $10 and $12. Call 914-4862 or 916-7633 for more information. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross mobile thrift shop will be in Bodden Town from 6-10 a.m. at the Rubis Gas Station compound. Great deals on linens, clothing and shoes for men, women and children, ladies’ accessories, and much more. FILIPINO CELEBRATION: Cayman Outreach Association dinner concert. Triple C School Auditorium, 7:15 p.m. Admission $15. For details, call Raphael Bodden at 925-7798. MONSTER DASH FUN RUN: Start Halloween early at the Save Our Youth Foundation inaugural Monster Dash 5K, Camana Bay Town Center. Register online at www.caymanactive.com/ monsterdash or onsite beginning at 6:15 a.m. Walkers start at 6:45 a.m. and runners start at 7 a.m. All participants are encouraged to wear costumes for the family friendly event; the race is open to all, with strollers and kids welcome. Register online at www.caymanactive. com/registrations, $20 for adults/$15 students ages 10-18. Registration on the day of the event will cost $25 for adults and $20 for students. In addition to a prize for the best costume, random spot prizes will be handed out. All proceeds benefit Save Our Youth programs. FUNDRAISER BBQ: St. Ignatius Church’s confirmation group fundraiser. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. School canteen. Tickets $10. Phone 949-6797 for information. NCVO RADIO/TELETHON: Fundraiser for National Council of Voluntary Organisations, 7 p.m.- 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. BRAC FESTIVAL: Miss Cayman Brac Festival Queen, 7 p.m., Aston Rutty Civic Centre. Contact bracpiratesweek@gmail.com. SUNDAY, OCT. 25 YOGATHON: Get Your Pink On. The Crescent Epic Day is organizing a community yoga class overlooking The Harbour, taught by the experts from Bliss Living Cayman and Anytime Fitness Grand Cayman. 10 a.m.-noon. $25, and all proceeds will be donated to the Cayman Islands Breast Cancer Foundation. CUT-A-THON: Eclipze Hair Design & Day Spa hosts its annual event for breast cancer awareness at the salon, 2-6 p.m. Volunteers from several salons and spas on island will provide services such as wet cuts for men, women and children, eyebrow threading and mini-manicures at discounted prices, and massages at $1 per minute. Some volunteers will be shaving their heads or cutting off at least 10 inches of hair and donating to Locks of Love. All proceeds go to the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens’ Breast Cancer Awareness Fund. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: On Little Cayman, a church service and luncheon at the Little Cayman Baptist Church at 11 a.m. MONDAY, OCT. 26 MID-TERM RUGBY CAMP: Hosted by Cayman Rugby Football Union, for children ages 8-16, Oct. 26-30, 8 a.m.-noon, $125 per child for the week. Coaching by members of the Cayman national rugby team. Skills, strength and conditioning, and games. Contact Edward Westin at 927-1337 or cme_westin@hotmail.com. HARVEST CAMP: Oct. 26-30, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Starfish Village, Camana Bay. Kids ages 3-12. Halloween and fall-themed arts and crafts, games, fountain play and much more. Full day 8 a.m.-3 p.m. for $80/day, or half-days 8 a.m.-noon for the week for $175, or full days, for the week for $325. For more details and to register, email info@starfish.ky. TUESDAY, OCT. 27 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Halloween Series runs Oct. 27-31 at 7 p.m., Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. First feature is “Men in Black II” (2002, PG-13). Free. BRAC SENIORS: An island tour takes place 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 MOONLIGHT AND MOVIES: Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2004, PG). 7 p.m. Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. BRAC SENIORS: A social for Brac seniors will be at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre 10 a.m.-2 p.m. THURSDAY, OCT. 29 MOONLIGHT AND MOVIES: “Casper” (1995, PG). 7 p.m. Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. UCCI COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: Commencement speaker will be Dr. Greg Weisenstein, president of West Chester University in Pennsylvania. BRAC THATCH PLAITING: 7-9 p.m., Heritage House. Cost $5. Contact simones@candw.ky. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: The Seniors Bash takes place at the Westin Casuarina Resort 6:30-10 p.m. FRIDAY, OCT. 30 MOONLIGHT AND MOVIES: “The Mummy” (1999, PG-13). Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS: Today is the deadline for submitting nominations for Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours for 2016. Nominations must be supported by a persuasive account of the outstanding, innovative or self-sacrificing services and achievements of the nominee, whether paid or unpaid, in one field or several, and what has raised them above others performing similar services. For details visit www.gov. A meeting on plans to revitalize downtown George Town starts at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the George Town Town Hall. The National Trust’s West Bay District Committee is holding a fundraiser for Nurse Leila’s House at 7 p.m. Friday at the Harquail Theatre.7 Community Calendar Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 20, 2015 uk/honours or contact the Governor’s Office at staffoff@candw.ky. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: Cayman National Cultural Foundation invites seniors to a special performance 8 p.m. at the Harquail Theatre. Limited spaces available. For more information, contact 949-0290. CaySHOP: Noon-8 p.m. today, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Arts & Recreation Centre, Camana Bay. The expo showcases a broad range of businesses on island. HaLLOwEEN SaTuRDay: RUN2ZERO 5K & 10K: Cayman AIDS Foundation walk/run, Holiday Inn Resort, SafeHaven. Registration $30. Free breakfast and post-run prizes. Register online at www.cayamanactive.com/ run2zero. HaLLOwEEN SPOOkTaCuLaR: Camana Bay Town Centre, 4-7 p.m. Kids, don your best costume and get ready to trick or treat throughout the Town Centre, get creative with Creepy Crafts, guess what’s inside the Mad Lab, watch a Spooky Creature Triple Feature, take a picture in a charity Pumpkin Patch and dance the night away at the Monster Mash Bash. Free. MOONLigHT aND MOviES: Spooky Creature Triple Feature Showings: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966, G). 6 p.m., “The Boxtrolls” (2014, PG), 6:30 p.m., “Jaws” (1975, PG), 8 p.m. Movie titles subject to change. GENERAL INTEREST 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, for people to submit trade and business, liquor, tobacco, and Special Economic Zone license applications. SPECiaL OLyMPiCS: Volunteers are needed. 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. 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. HuMaNE SOCiETy BOOk LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 5:30-7:30 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. RED CROSS THRiFT SHOP: 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 and times are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. NCvO vOLuNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteers needed for the National Council of Voluntary Organisations 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. to 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: 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 artists’ 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 artists display 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. 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. THE MODEL aiRPLaNE FLyiNg CLuB: Meets Sundays 2 p.m. at the J. Bodden Marlpit/Old Raceway. Call 916–2327 for more information. PaRENT aND TODDLER PLay gROuP: For children from 2 weeks to 4 years. Meets Mondays 9:30- 11:30 a.m. in the South Sound Community Centre. Children must be accompanied by parent or helper. Toys, activities, light refreshments provided. $6 per session per family. For information, email sspg@foxwood.ky. HEaRTS THROugH HaNDS: Meets Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon at The Family Life Centre, Room 10, Academy Way. Women make crafts for charity and missions. For information, call 946–3067 or 947–1863. THE wOMEN’S HEaLTH CENTRE: With the Breastfeeders Support Group is offering Breastfeeding Clinics every Thursday 10 a.m. to noon in the Women’s Health Centre. No appointments, no fees. Phone 244–2649. CayMaN BRiDgE CLuB: Meets Tuesdays 7:15 p.m. at Comfort Suites, West Bay Road. For further information, contact Helen Haines at 947-3217 or Jane Bird at 947-1903. BuSiNESS aND PROFESSiONaL wOMEN’S CLuB: Meets third Wednesday of every month, Governors Square Boardroom at 5:30 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/ BPWGrandCayman. BREaSTFEEDiNg SuPPORT gROuP: Holds MothertoMother meetings first Tuesday of every month, 3-4 p.m. outside Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Children welcome. Contact Women’s Health Centre at 244-2649. LiFE uNDERwRiTERS aSSOCiaTiON: Advises all members that the monthly meeting luncheon is held on the last Thursday of each month. yBPw: Meets every third Monday of each month at the Woman’s Resource Centre. SERVICES ST. gEORgE’S aNgLiCaN CHuRCH: Service times have changed. As of July 5, for the months of July and August, there will be only one service at 8 a.m. In Newlands, 10:30 a.m. EL MiNiSTERiO HiSPaNO: de la Iglesia Bautista Cayman Islands te hace una cordial invitación a nuestro culto en español cada Domingo, 6:30 p.m., Pedro Castle Road, Savannah. Para transporte, llamar al teléfono no. 946-2422, email: cibaptist@candw.ky. ST. gEORgE’S aNgLiCaN CHuRCH: Eucharist will be celebrated every Sunday at 11 a.m. at 193 Moonbeam Drive, Newlands. All living in the Eastern Districts are invited to attend. HaRBOuR LuTHERaN CHuRCH: Meets for Divine Worship and Fellowship at South Sound Community Centre, South Sound, Sundays at 10 a.m. www.safeharborlc.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar. The Cayman Rugby Football Union hosts a kids camp Oct. 26-30. The annual Island Roast on Saturday benefits the Feed Our Future children’s charity. Visit feedourfuturecayman.org.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday OcTOber 20, 2015 • Cayman Compass long haul flights. Fielding questions from Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush, Mr. Kirkconnell said there were significant environmental and logistical constraints to any runway expansion. He said the runway, at its current length, was suf- ficient for all the planes coming into the island. “No airlines have cur- rently indicated a future commitment to long haul routes, particularly out of Europe,” he added. Mr. Bush said he was unimpressed with the air- port plans. He told the Cayman Compass he did not believe that proper jet- ways would cost as much as $20 million. He believes government needs to look again at the airport plans. “I think we need to plan for the future. This town can’t be revitalized the way it should be if they don’t have a proper airport. We need to provide the same level of service as other countries are doing.” Mr. Bush believes a more radical plan is needed, in- cluding building an entirely new airport, elsewhere on the island and using the current site for the expan- sion of George Town. Jetways off table for airport and approved the informa- tion in the report. “It is anticipated the final report will be avail- able for release by March 31, 2016,” the government’s response indicated. That re- lease will occur two years and three months after the relevant period for which the report was written. According to the latest actuarial review, an evalua- tion of the funds as of Jan. 1, 2011 of Cayman’s three public retirement systems projected that liabilities were outpacing projected as- sets in the retirement funds by some $178.3 million in a 20-year rolling period. This means Cayman’s public sector retirement system has an unfunded pension liability. If the country were to continue along the existing path with pensions, the system would eventually run out of money. The 2011 public pensions evaluation noted that mas- sive increases in pension contributions would be re- quired to keep the govern- ment’s civil service retire- ment fund afloat over the next decade. At that time, the pensions board actu- aries noted that the cost of the defined benefit portion of the civil service retire- ment plan would require government to increase em- ployee contributions to the fund from the current 12 percent of salary to 44 per- cent of salary. “The actuary has deter- mined that a continuation of the current level of con- tributions to the defined benefit plan is projected to result in the depletion of the defined benefit allocated fund by the year 2026,” ac- cording to a Public Service Pensions Board annual re- port given at the time. Finance Minister Marco Archer has said on several occasions that neither the retirement plan for civil servants nor retired law- makers would be allowed to deplete. Mr. Archer has said government intended to take several steps to mit- igate the burgeoning liabil- ities in the Public Service Pension funds. Mr. Archer said govern- ment had made a “short term financial arrange- ment” that included put- ting more cash into annual past service liability pen- sion payments. Mr. Archer said government would pay $19.7 million into the civil service retirement fund in the 2013/14 budget, in- cluding civil servant salary contributions. For the 2014/15 and 2015/16 years, that payment was budgeted to increase to $23.75 mil- lion each year, including worker contributions. Plans to increase the government retirement age from 60 to 65 would also serve to reduce some of the liability estimates, but that change has not been put into effect. Government delays pensions review release CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 From phones to T-shirts, plenty of ways to launder drug cash MIAMI (AP) – From mobile phones in Miami to T-shirts in Los Angeles, drug organizations are finding ways to convert illicit U.S. dollars into pesos for cartels in Mexico and South America. Long gone are the days when it was easy to walk into a bank with a bag of drug-related cash to be de- posited. With strict federal reporting requirements for cash deposits over $10,000 and sophisticated money laundering monitoring systems, new methods had to be found to pay the drug kingpins. So cartels such as the Sinaloa and Los Zetas have turned to trade- based money laundering, in which dollars are used to purchase legiti- mate goods in the U.S. – or at least to make the transactions appear le- gitimate – which are then sold in Latin America for pesos. For example, dollars a Mexican drug cartel collects from U.S. sales could be used to buy cellphones from an American company, which knowingly participates. The phones are shipped to Mexico and sold in pesos, allowing the cartel to make the money appear legitimate. “You end up with cash you can actually spend. You end up with pesos instead of dollars,” said John Tobon, assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Miami. Earlier this year, Homeland Security and the Treasury Department issued orders requiring about 700 businesses in the Miami area, many of them dealing in cell- phones and electronic goods in Latin America, to report cash trans- actions over $3,000 rather than $10,000. That directive, which ex- pires Sunday unless extended, fol- lowed a similar “geographic tar- geting order” last fall in the Los Angeles Fashion District, where clothing was being sold to convert tens of millions of Mexican cartel dollars into pesos. “It’s import-export stuff. It can be any sort of product,” said John Byrne, executive vice president of the Association of Certified Anti- Money Laundering Specialists. The schemes often involve delivery of hundreds of thousands of dol- lars in cash, use of code names and phrases and clandestine meetings at run-of-the-mill locations such as sub- urban Starbucks or McDonald’s. In one recent case, according to court records, a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source picked up almost $290,000 at a Courtyard Marriott Hotel near a suburban mall for delivery to sev- eral Miami-area businesses. Such couriers drive around with bags of cash in the trunks of their cars and get a cut, usually up to 5 percent of the delivery amount. Sometimes businesses simply falsify invoices to make it appear the drug cash is used in legitimate sales. Jonas Belinaso, who pleaded guilty to money laundering con- spiracy, used a company called JB Wireless to help launder drug money that was to be wired to Denmark to pay for new shipments of cocaine to Europe. Court documents show that a DEA confidential source en- listed Belinaso to move $300,000 to Copenhagen for one drug deal using a shipment of cellphones to South America and wire transfer from there to Europe. Belinaso’s 42-month sentence was cut to a year and a day because of extensive cooperation. His prison term starts Oct. 30. In the Los Angeles cases, author- ities seized about $140 million in cash, bank accounts and other prop- erty following raids on dozens of clothing and textile companies sus- pected of laundering Mexican cartel money. Numerous business owners are being prosecuted. The Miami investigations may turn up some similar num- bers, but authorities aren’t sure yet of the scope among the nu- merous cellphone and electronic businesses that surround Miami International Airport. “We definitely know there is something prosecutable there,” Tobon said. “We are looking to iden- tify players who have not come on our radar yet.” T-shirts featuring fugitive Mexican drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman hang for sale inside the shrine of a faith healer in Mexico City. The government is offering a reward of about US$3.5 million for Guzman’s capture. This Feb. 22, 2014 file photo shows Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, the head of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, being escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City following his capture overnight in the beach resort town of Mazatlan. A judge in Mexico has issued a second arrest warrant to detain the escaped drug lord. – Photos: AP Cartels such as the Sinaloa and Los Zetas have turned to trade-based money laundering, in which dollars are used to purchase legitimate goods in the U.S. which are then sold in Latin America for pesos.9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 20, 2015 British bank bashing ebbs as Osborne eyes tightrope to power LONDON – On a balmy evening in early June, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne donned a tuxedo and headed to dinner in Britain’s financial district with deal- making in mind. As 350 guests enjoyed a silver- service feast of tuna, salmon and sea bass tartare, followed by canon of lamb and rhubarb and almond tart, Osborne, 44, used the annual Mansion House dinner to offer a “new settlement” to the City of London. The government would sell its stakes in banks it had bailed out, curtail “ever larger” fines for miscon- duct and work with executives to “get the balance right” on regulation. Even with taxpayers still tallying their losses after pledging about 1 trillion pounds (US$1.5 trillion) to support banks amid the 2008 crisis, Osborne is now making good on his word to pull back the state’s hand from British finance. He’s doing so as he seeks to strengthen his po- sition ahead of 2020, when Prime Minister David Cameron is set to step down. The government is selling its stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and Lloyds Banking Group Plc after diluting a bank levy earlier this year and pushing out the City’s enforcement chief. On Thursday, Osborne back- tracked on a plan to assume se- nior bank managers are guilty until proven innocent. “Some of the shackles have come off the chancellor,” said Mark Boleat, chairman of the policy and resources committee at the City of London Corporation, the local government body that runs the financial hub. “Now is the time to stand back a bit.” Behind the shift is the acknowl- edgment of how important finance is to the British economy along- side an election victory which saved Osborne’s ruling Conservative Party from having to again share power with the more interventionist Liberal Democrats. “The political room for ma- neuver has opened up,” said Chris Cummings, chief executive officer of TheCityUK, a financial services lobby group. Not everyone is happy. “Osborne, throughout his time in office has been too close to the U.K.’s biggest banks and has con- stantly been seen to do their bid- ding,” said John Mann, an opposi- tion Labour party lawmaker and member of Parliament’s Treasury Select Committee. Labour last month elected a new leader in Jeremy Corbyn, who told the Financial Times in August that bankers should “wake up to Britain’s gross inequalities.” The chancellor is not letting the City completely off the hook. He scrapped a regulatory body tainted by scandals in the financial crisis and shifted responsibility to the Bank of England and the govern- ment, while leading the way in Europe on ring-fencing, a process of splitting off retail banking from riskier operations and an expensive proposition for banks. Osborne’s own political ambi- tions mean his relationship with the financial industry is a balancing act. If he wants to succeed Cameron, he cannot embrace the City too tightly for fear of alienating voters. “He’s not stupid, he knows how important the City is, but he’s a pol- itician and he’s walked the tight- rope well,” said Martin Gilbert, CEO of Aberdeen Asset Management Plc, which oversees about $483 billion. Earlier this year, Osborne started selling the first tranche of the gov- ernment’s stake in RBS, albeit at a loss. In 2016, he plans to “fully exit” Lloyds in the biggest privatization in two decades. The government has also whit- tled down almost 50 billion pounds of mortgages the nation’s “bad bank” owned after the bail- outs of Bradford & Bingley Plc and Northern Rock Plc. Banks have won other conces- sions. Lenders HSBC Holdings Plc and Standard Chartered Plc, which had not required government help during the global turmoil, threat- ened to relocate their headquarters partly in protest against a levy on their global balance sheets imposed in 2010 and raised nine times. Osborne decided in July to re- structure the levy so it will only apply to domestic assets. HSBC will decide whether it will remain in London by the end of the year, while Standard Chartered has already sig- naled it will stay. “It would be a severe dent to London’s reputation as an interna- tional financial center if its biggest bank decided to leave,” said Boleat. At the Financial Conduct Authority, chief Martin Wheatley– under whose leadership some of the largest fines against banks were im- posed – resigned eight months be- fore his term was due to end after being told by Osborne his appoint- ment would not be renewed. Memories of the crisis years faded further this week. Barclays Plc is looking to appoint former JPMorgan Chase & Co. banker Jes Staley as its new CEO, according to a person familiar. That’s just three years after Robert Diamond, also a former Wall Street executive, left the same role amid government pres- sure, and was replaced by a British retail banker. On Thursday, the government re- moved the “reverse burden of proof” that would have forced senior exec- utives to prove they were unaware of wrongdoing at their firms, rather than the government having to prove bankers were guilty. “Bankers will of course be re- lieved, but the key point is that the government is reassuring the market that U.K. Plc is open for business and that banker-bashing has now entered the close season,” law firm CMS Cameron McKenna LLP said in a statement. As chancellor, the importance of financial services to the economy is hard to ignore. Banks paid about 31 billion pounds in taxes last year, equivalent to 5.5 percent of govern- ment receipts. They employ some 425,000 workers, or 1.5 percent of the entire workforce, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Each banker pays 35,278 pounds in em- ployment taxes, four times more than someone earning the national average wage. Osborne is also looking abroad to showcase the City, as the finan- cial district is known. Last month, he traveled to China to promote London as the potential hub for Chinese banking and yuan trading. He will get a further chance to make his case when Chinese President Xi Jinping lands for a state visit in London next week. “George has a genuine passion for China,” said Richard Holmes, CEO of Europe for Standard Chartered. “Having a government aligned with business is a good place to be.” Even more importantly, Osborne is serving as the lead U.K. negotiator with the EU over Britain’s mem- bership ahead of a referendum. He is indicating he wants changes to the region’s rule-book to prevent other members from discriminating against his financial industry, which has a 19 billion pound trade surplus with the rest of Europe. A possible exit of Britain from the EU may become the biggest threat to banks. “The most serious negotiation at the moment is that the relationship between eurozone members and non-eurozone members are properly sorted out,” former Chancellor Ken Clarke said. “That matters more to our financial services industry than anything else.” © 2015, Bloomberg News The government is selling its stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and Lloyds Banking Group Plc after diluting a bank levy earlier this year and pushing out the City’s enforcement chief. – Photo: Matthew LLoyd/BLooMBergNext >