EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 HOW RICH COUNTRIES (MIS)MANAGE TO GO BROKE Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. High of 87 Low of 75 ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 SPORTS | PAGE 19 MAN CITY WINS YOUTH FOOTBALL CUP #203 Alissta Towers, 85 North Sound Road, Grand Cayman KY1-1109, T: + 1 (345) 949-9744 E: Aleisha.Lalor@caribbeanalliance.com www.caribbeanalliance.com BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Government: US must sign first MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands will not adopt a mechanism for the exchange of beneficial ownership data that is not implemented by the United States. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Premier Alden McLaughlin called for a level playing field in terms of financial transpar- ency and stated that a standard without U.S. participation “is not a global standard.” The premier confirmed that government’s position on beneficial ownership had not changed after the Anti-Corruption Summit in the U.K. last week. Cayman’s participation in the summit was predicated on it joining an initiative for the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership data. This initiative of 40 countries aims to de- velop a global standard for the automatic ex- change of beneficial ownership data between law enforcement agencies and tax authorities of the partner countries. Premier McLaughlin said government fully supports access to beneficial ownership data by foreign law enforcement agencies to help detect and prosecute corruption, tax evasion and other serious crimes. However, Cayman has not agreed to a specific method of ex- changing this information. “For the record, Cayman has not agreed to implement a mechanism [to exchange ben- eficial ownership data]. Indeed, there is no mechanism to implement. It does not yet CAYMAN BUDGET PLAN CUTTING IT CLOSE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The next Cayman Islands government budget is tentatively scheduled to be pre- sented to the Legislative Assembly on May 27, about a month before local law requires ap- proval of the spending plan. Representatives of Premier Alden McLaughlin’s office said Tuesday that the date had been set, pending the formal approval of the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. That means, following presentation, elected officials would be left with about four-and-a- half weeks to review the plan prior to passage. The budget is expected to contain targeted pay increases for civil servants rather than an across-the-board pay hike to cover the cost of living as was done in the last fiscal year. How- ever, government officials have also contem- plated plans for an additional cost-of-living pay raise in later years to compensate for a proposed co-pay for healthcare premiums set to take effect in 2018. That pay hike, if insti- tuted, would be left in the hands of the next government administration. Finance Minister Marco Archer has warned that the budget’s operating surplus in the up- coming spending plan will be smaller than in the last two government fiscal years, largely because the 2016/17 proposal will cover 18 months, rather than the typical 12. The 18-month budget is a transition, ac- cording to the finance minister, as Cayman switches its government budgets to a two-year cycle. The next budget year will run between July 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2017. After that, the government will issue two-year budgets starting Jan. 1 of one year and ending Dec. 31 of the next. The period between July 2016 and De- cember 2017 will contain only one “high Second time’s the charm for prisons support officer BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Prisons support officer Steve Miller says he “doesn’t believe in losing.” Case in point: Mr. Miller applied for a Cayman Islands prisons job in 2014 and, by his own admission, did not do very well. He said he was nervous in the inter- view, had not really done much research about the position and generally was not ready for the job. He chalked up that first attempt into the “loss” column. “But the mere fact that I did lose the first time made me come back even stronger,” Mr. Miller said during an interview last week at Her Majesty’s Prison Northward. “My mindset changed.” He applied again in 2015, during the next round of recruitment at the prisons service, one of more than 450 applicants lo- cally and internationally for just seven open positions. While still attending business ad- ministration classes at the University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands, Mr. Miller said he studied up on the job and made sure to keep physically fit by running two miles each day, starting at 4 a.m. This time, in a recruitment process that included physical tests, interviews and a written test, Mr. Miller achieved the highest score. “This time I was more focused,” he said. “I decided that if I’m going to go for it, I’m going to do it.” Mr. Miller started as an operational sup- port grade officer, one rank below stan- dard prison officer, in October 2015. He’s still going to school for an associate de- gree at UCCI and is considering becoming PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Prisons support officer Steve Miller patrols the perimeter wall of Her Majesty’s Prison Northward. After being rejected by the prison service when he first applied in 2014, Mr. Miller reapplied in 2015 and achieved the highest score. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERS2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - BARBERSHOP 3 THE NEXT CUT (PG13) 1:20 I 4:20 I 7:00 I 9:40 CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 2:00 2D I 4:10 I 5:30 2D I 7:30 9:10 I 9:30 2D MONEY MONSTER (R) 1:40 I 4:30 I 7:20 I 10:00 THE JUNGLE BOOK 3D (PG) 1:30 I 4:00 2D I 6:40 MOTHER’S DAY (PG13) 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 9:50 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) © SATURDAY May 21st 8PM Sponsored by: Soccer mom spends night in cell over disputed bill JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A former UNICEF an- thropologist visiting Grand Cayman to watch her son play in an international youth soccer tournament was arrested at the air- port and spent the night in jail over a disputed $233 guesthouse bill. Fuambai Ahmadu said she was stunned to be locked up over what she views as a civil dispute between her and the guesthouse owner. After spending a week in Cayman watching her son play for DC United in the Cayman Airways Invitational Youth Cup, she was arrested Saturday night after checking her bags and clearing secu- rity for her return trip. “It has been so surreal for me. I didn’t expect that I would be spending the night in a prison cell,” Ms. Ahmadu said outside court Tuesday. She said she had an agree- ment to stay at a guest apart- ment in West Bay, which she had seen advertised on the Internet, from Monday through Saturday. She claims she was kicked out of the propety on Wednesday because she had insisted on paying by credit card or paying cash at the end of her stay. The guest- house owner had asked for full cash payment up front, she said. She was charged with ob- taining services by decep- tion and appeared in Sum- mary Court on Tuesday. The charges were dismissed after she paid the outstanding debt and handed over an envelope of cash through her lawyer to the prosecutor, who agreed to serve as an intermediary. Ms. Ahmadu still disputes the payment, but says she paid up to allow her to get home to her son. She said the guesthouse owner breached the contract and caused her inconvenience by forcing her to leave after three days. “Certainly I was disputing it. I think that was my prerog- ative. It is not something that I agree to even now,” she said. “It was very over the top,” she said of her airport arrest and night in custody. She said she could not un- derstand how police would be involved in debt collection. “Certainly the experience at the prison cell was fearful, I have to admit. It was nothing like I had expected,” she said. Ms. Ahmadu, an ex- pert on the subject of fe- male genital mutilation who has worked for UNICEF and the British Medical Re- search Council, said she has traveled all over the world talking about controversial issues but never expected to be locked up on a soccer trip to Grand Cayman. Police public relations of- ficer Jacqueline Carpenter told the Compass Tuesday that Ms. Ahmadu had con- firmed to police that she had not paid for her stay after officers intercepted her at the airport. “She was offered the option to pay at that time, and did not,” Ms. Carpenter said, adding that “per the legal ruling,” there had been sufficient grounds to arrest and charge Ms. Ahmadu. “The status or position of a given person, and whether he or she may be a resident or visitor, is irrelevant as to whether circumstances such as these warrant an arrest,” Ms. Carpenter added. Discovery Day holiday keeps marine rescue crews hopping Three water rescues on the Discovery Day hol- iday – one which involved a drunken man who leaped into the water from a moving vessel on five separate occa- sions – kept police marine of- ficers busy Monday. The Joint Marine Unit re- sponded after dark Monday to a report that a “highly intoxicated” 25-year-old man jumped from a boat traveling in the Rum Point area, off the coast of Grand Cayman’s North Side. It was the fifth time he had jumped out of the boat and he could not be located, police were told. About two hours later, the man re- ported via a VHF radio that he had managed to swim to another watercraft an- chored in the area. In addition to that rescue attempt, the po- lice helicopter and marine units responded Monday to reports of a paddle- boarder in distress and to rescue a vessel with six people on board that had broken down near Starfish Point in North Side. RCIPS Chief Inspector Brad Ebanks said that while no one was injured in any of these incidents, each one re- quired the use of police re- sources and personnel. “The irresponsible be- havior that prompted the re- sponse near Rum Point on Monday is something we see far too regularly,” Mr. Ebanks said, referring to the drunken man leaping into the sea and becoming lost. “It demonstrates the complete lack of consideration, not only for one’s personal safety, but also for how personal ac- tions affect the provi- sion of emergency services to the community. There are simply not enough re- sources to address the self- created problems on the water at the same time as the genuine emergencies that are bound to happen. “The sea can be very un- forgiving, and people need to be more responsible for their own safety when out at sea,” he added. COURT HEARS OF TRAVEL AGENCY OWNER’S CASH FLOW PROBLEMS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Islands travel agent blamed cash flow problems, which led to the eventual closure of the business, for sev- eral customers being left stranded without valid airline tickets. Ingrid Scott, who is accused of taking thou- sands of dollars in cash from customers without providing valid tickets for travel, took the stand in Grand Court on Tuesday. Ms. Scott, the co-owner and operator of Sea 2 Sky Travel in George Town, initially denied 29 counts of “obtaining by decep- tion” in connection with the allegations. At the conclusion of the prosecution case, Justice Richard Wil- liams indicated that he would be directing a not guilty plea on nine of those counts. She still faces allega- tions that she took money from 20 customers and never provided tickets. Ms. Scott said in many of those cases the tickets were for future travel and she would have is- sued the tickets closer to the date of travel. She said the business was experiencing cash flow problems partly because she had given credit to other customers. In some cases, trav- elers did not discover their tickets had not been booked until they arrived at the airport with their bags packed, the court heard last week. Ms. Scott said in some of these instances, she had planned to issue the tickets but the business closed be- fore she got the chance. She said all the money she had taken from cus- tomers was spent on air- line tickets, though not necessarily for the specific customer who had handed over the cash. “The money was de- posited into the bank and tickets that were for ur- gent travel were issued first,” she said. She said the business had suffered financial is- sues, in part because of her system of offering credit to customers who could not afford to pay. “Some people would re- quest assistance until they got their next paycheck. I tried to use my discretion and assist people some- times when they were in need,” she said. She said she had tried to chase up the debts but had not been very suc- cessful and eventually the business closed. Under cross-exami- nation from Crown pros- ecutor Toyin Salako, she insisted, “I didn’t de- ceive anyone. I was just trying to keep my business going.” The trial continued Tuesday afternoon. Fuambai Ahmadu outside court on Tuesday in Grand Cayman. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON STUMPS FOR WIFE IN PUERTO RICO AS PRIMARY NEARS SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Former U.S. President Bill Clinton promised Puerto Ri- cans on Tuesday that his wife Hillary Clinton will fight for equal treatment of the economically strug- gling U.S. territory if she’s elected president. He also said she backs immediate action to re- structure the island’s $70 billion public debt as the local government warns it is running out of money for essential services. “She believes that the United States has failed to provide truly equal and adequate treatment to the people of Puerto Rico,” he said to applause from a crowd clutching um- brellas under a searing sun. “This country is sup- posed to work for everyone, and that includes the people of Puerto Rico.” Clinton visited the is- land ahead of the June 5 primary, and officials say the Democratic presidential candidate herself will come before the vote. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders vis- ited on Monday. Clinton said his wife would seek to reduce Puerto Rico’s dependence on oil to lower expensive power bills and that she sup- ports the right of Puerto Ricans to vote in presiden- tial elections since they’re U.S. citizens. She also has called for a vote to decide the future of the island’s political status. “She thinks it’s time to resolve the status question once and for all with no am- biguity,” he said.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 Congratulations Wayne! Certified Ethical Hacker designation achieved Wayne Green - Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Wayne is a Director in our Enterprise Risk Services and Information Systems teams, and also serves as Deputy Chief Information Officer for Deloitte in the Caribbean and Bermuda Countries. He specializes in managed services with a concentration in Information Technology, and has 10 years’ experience working with Deloitte clients across the Americas, South East Asia, Africa and Europe. Wayne is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and recently became a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). His areas of expertise include Cyber Risk Services, enterprise-wide technologies (WAN, MAN, LAN), and unified communication solutions in production, hot sites and warm sites. He serves a large variety of clients from several industries, including Financial Services, Telecommunications and Public Sector. The partners and professionals at Deloitte are proud to congratulate our colleague Wayne Green on obtaining his CEH designation Wayne’s recent accomplishment adds to his and the many professional designations and qualifications held by our team of IT and Cyber Risk specialists in Enterprise Risk Services and Consulting in the Cayman Islands: Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a more detailed description of DTTL and its member firms. Deloitte & Touche is an affiliate of DCB Holding Ltd., a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. © 2016 DCB Holding Ltd. and its affiliates Lise Baril, Director CIA, CISA, PMP Certified Internal Auditor Certified Information Systems Auditor Certified Project Management Professional Cyndie Suitor, Senior Manager CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Alexandra Simonova, Manager CISSP, PMP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Certified Project Management Professional www.deloitte.com/ky Shawn Birkett, Senior Consultant CEH, CIA, CISSP, WCNA Certified Ethical Hacker Certified Information Systems Auditor Certified Information Systems Security Professional Wireshark Certified Network Analyst Glen Mernett, Senior Consultant CISSP, EnCE, WCNA Certified Information Systems Security Professional EnCase Certified Examiner Wireshark Certified Network Analyst John White, Senior Manager ACE, EnCE Access Data Certified Examiner EnCase Certified Examiner Certified Cellebrite UFED Mobile Device ExaminerThe 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. For our officials who are crafting the Cayman Islands’ next budget, and for our lawmakers who will vote on it, we consider the column on the opposite side of this page to be “required reading.” In it, economist Richard W. Rahn (who is a member of the editorial board for our sister publication Cayman Financial Review), outlines the origins and unfolding of “The next financial crisis.” Here’s the key paragraph: “The fundamental problem is most countries are experiencing little or no growth as a result of excessive government spending (particularly on transfer payments), and destructive regulations and tax policies. The unwillingness of the politicians (and their voters) to cut back on spending and regulation has led to an explosion of government debt, which is not sustain- able at current levels of economic growth. This, in turn, is fueling a demand for more government spending (more free stuff) and thus more debt.” The world has experienced the “tech bubble,” “housing bubble” and even the “tulip bubble” (referring to the 1630s craze, and rapid market collapse, for the flowers that had been recently introduced to Europe). Now, we have the “government bubble.” Among countries with financially failing public sectors, there is a common denominator: Governments have been consistently overspending on socialist programs using capitalist dollars. When those dollars (and the population of capitalists) run out, debt begins to pile up. We needn’t look far for prime examples. Consider our neighbors in South America: Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela – which have been experiencing tremen- dous economic struggles in spite of vast populations and abundant natural resources. Argentina, at least, appears to have shifted back onto a better track, after electing right-of-center President Mauricio Macri, coming to an agreement with the country’s creditors, and mounting a succession of criminal cases against former President Cristina Kirchner. On the other hand, Brazil’s star has been fading after years of being touted as the newest belle of the global economy. Now the nation of more than 200 million people is beset with woes, including the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and the downgrading of the country’s bonds to “junk” status. The upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, an event that was intended to be a “coming of age” celebration for Brazil as a first- world nation, has instead cast a harsh spotlight on the country’s third-world problems, such as sewage-tainted waters, Zika virus run amok and growing fears of violence – which led, of all people, Brazilian football star Rivaldo to warn tourists against visiting Rio for the Games. As for Venezuela, well … Let’s just say the country, which has some of the most vast oil reserves on the planet, is nevertheless so penurious that it cannot afford to print any more of its own virtually worthless money. Lack of food, medicine, electricity, goods – basically every- thing – is causing immense suffering across the country. While Venezuela is an extreme case, the underlying fundamentals are replicated across the globe: Greece, Puerto Rico, Detroit, Chicago … For those who believe Cayman is somehow immune from the laws of economics, consider that our govern- ment is now spending $50 million annually for welfare, $107 million for healthcare and $252 million for central government salaries. Or ponder the billions in looming liabilities for public pensions and healthcare obligations, with little or no funds being set aside to offset those upcoming expenditures. Think of our officials’ constant refrain that they do not have enough money to fund worthy initiatives – even modest ones such as Meals on Wheels, although govern- ment revenues verge on $1 billion per year. And think about the litany of “little luxuries” being packed into the election- year budget, such as health insurance for retired House Speakers, pay raises for the civil service or new pensions benefits being extended to former one-term legislators. Remember that when rich countries, such as Argen- tina, Brazil or Venezuela, become poor, it is almost always the result of government bloat, blatant corruption or chronic overspending. In Cayman, we must beware – and be wary – of those afflictions creeping into and contaminating our own public sector. How rich countries (mis)manage to go broke WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The next financial crisis The end is near – de- pending on how you define “near” and where you live. A couple of weeks ago, hedge fund legend Stanley Druckenmiller gave an im- portant talk arguing that the crisis is about to hit and investors should liquidate their equity holdings. He and others who have similar views have been the subject of much debate among econ- omists – more of it about the timing of the next global and U.S. downturn and not so much about whether it will come. The crisis has already hit many – depending on where you live and what assets you hold – and will eventually spread to billions of others, including a very large seg- ment of the U.S. population. If you live in such diverse places as Greece, Brazil and Puerto Rico, you are likely to have already seen a large reduction in your real in- come and standard of living. If you are retired and living off interest on your savings, you have seen a reduction in your income as a conse- quence of the very low in- terest rates engineered by the Federal Reserve. The fundamental problem is most countries are experi- encing little or no growth as a result of excessive govern- ment spending (particularly on transfer payments), and destructive regulations and tax policies. The unwilling- ness of the politicians (and their voters) to cut back on spending and regulation has led to an explosion of gov- ernment debt, which is not sustainable at current levels of economic growth. This, in turn, is fueling a demand for more government spending (more free stuff) and thus more debt. People buy U.S. govern- ment bonds and notes be- cause they believe they have real value. The value comes from the fact that the gov- ernment has the power to extract real wealth from the private sector, mainly through taxation, to pay the interest and principal on the debt. This issue was set- tled when the U.S. govern- ment put down the Whiskey Rebellion (1791-94), with George Washington showing that he would use force to collect the tax on whiskey. The power to tax is sup- posed to belong to Congress, but when the Fed sets in- terest rates below what the market would set and even below inflation, it is, in ef- fect, imposing a wealth tax – as all who have savings ac- counts have noticed. The U.S. government is not going to explicitly de- fault on its debt because it sells its bonds in its own currency and prints its own money – even though the real value of the principal and interest can be reduced through inflation. Countries that do not sell their bonds in their own currency, such as Greece with euro-denom- inated bonds or Argentina with U.S. dollar-denomi- nated bonds, can and do go into explicit defaults be- cause they run out of for- eign currency to pay the interest and principal. U.S. states, cities and territories, like Puerto Rico, can also default on their debt be- cause they cannot print the U.S. dollars in which their bonds are denominated. What we are seeing at the moment is a slow-mo- tion crisis where real in- comes in a number of countries are stagnant or dropping because of the fall in commodity prices and the rising cost of debt ser- vice. Debt service is “paid for” through explicit tax in- creases, inflation or implicit wealth taxes on savers as explained above. More countries are likely to ex- perience major income re- ductions due to the cost of debt service. For instance, the Italian banking sector is saddled with debt that it is unlikely to be able to ser- vice, and the government debt is well over 100 percent of gross domestic product. A small shock might well cause major Italian banks to default, which could cas- cade throughout Europe. And no one knows to what extent the German taxpayer will be willing to bail out the Italians. At the moment, many governments are eating their seed corn – that is, destroying real wealth in their economies, with far too many people consuming more than they produce and productively invest. As the Greeks, Brazilians, Rus- sians and many others are learning, the real value of the wages and government transfer payments they re- ceive will fall until the total value of their collective output once again exceeds their consumption and de- preciated capital. At that point, their economies will begin to grow again. In the United States, many of the politicians who shout most loudly about wage stagnation are the very ones who were the most aggressive in putting in the destructive spending, taxation and regulations that caused the problem. Both democracies and socialist totalitarian states are prone to cycles of excessive spending – which either leads to reform or destruction. For example, Venezuela once was a prosperous democracy and has the world’s largest oil reserves, but now the people cannot obtain basic foodstuffs or even toilet paper, as a result of their socialist experiment. No one can forecast the future with certainty. But I stand by my January pre- diction of a recession by the end of this year, be- cause those in control con- tinue with their growth-de- stroying economic policies. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2016, The Washington Times 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 find their own way” RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHNThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 1ST PRIZE: $5000 CASH PLUS A TUDOR WATCH 2nd $2000 CASH 3rd $1000 CASH KIRK SLAM TOURNAMENT DATES Learn more or download a registration form at kirkslam.ky REGISTRATION: May 19th • George Town Yacht Club • 5pm - 7pm TOURNAMENT: May 21st & 22nd • 7am - 4pm WEIGH STATION: Barcadere Marina • 4pm - 6pm PRIZE GIVING: May 23rd • George Town Yacht Club • 6pm - 8pm The only all-dolphin fishing tournament in the Cayman Islands returns with fun for the whole family. Join the excitement! The only all-dolphin fishing tournament in the Cayman Islands returns with fun for the whole family. Join the excitement! KIRK SLAM MAY 21ST + 22 ND 2016 6TH ANNUALWEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands Bolt visits the Brac Olympian Usain Bolt caused a sensation on the Brac last week as the star athlete paid a visit to the island on his way to Grand Cayman, where he was competing in a race at the Cayman Invitational. Mr. Bolt was greeted at the Brac airport on Thursday by local dignitaries including Deputy Pre- mier Moses Kirkconnell, sports minister Osbourne Bodden and Caymanian sprinter Cydonie Mother- sill. Thrilling the hundreds of schoolkids and other locals who had come out to see him, Mr. Bolt spent his time answering questions, signing autographs and posing for photos for the adoring crowd. One adorable audience question recorded on video and posted on YouTube has already netted nearly 250,000 views at the time of writing. “Mr. Bolt, what is one plus two?” was the question from one young man, eliciting peals of laughter from the sprinter, who gamely offered his (correct) answer to his fan. Mr. Bolt spent over an hour on the Brac, longer than expected due to a flight delay, giving the local children and everyone else in attendance an un- precedented chance to spend time with one of the world’s most famous and admired athletes.Usain Bolt caused a sensation when he stopped on the Brac. Schoolkids on the Brac had the chance to get their photo taken with Usain Bolt. - PHOTOS: JET PHOTO/JAMES TIBBETTS Celebrity Reading Day provided an entertaining kick start to Child Month on the Brac. A number of schools took part in the May 2 event, which had several well-known figures in the Cayman Brac community taking time to share a story with young pupils from Creek and Spot Bay Primary School, Little Cayman Learning Centre, Cayman Brac Day Care Centre and West End Primary School. A variety of age-appropriate tales were read to groups of young children, including two stories by Cayman Brac native, Lady Rabia. Readers included Ernie Scott, Roger Scott, Kerry Parchman and Bouvia Ferguson, along with Danielle Ebanks, pictured reading to students at West End Primary school. A special story time 50 YEARS AGO: Foster Dixon wedding and homecomings In the May 18, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Sister Islands correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “The community of Spot Bay and other friends gathered at the Church of God (Full) Gospel Hall for the wedding of Miss Odette Lucille Foster to Mr. Denis Emil Dixon on Saturday evening last … “Preceded by flower girls Maxine and June in pink with baskets of pink sheave, the bride en- tered on the arm of her uncle, Mr. Lunsford Hurl- stone, looking very modest and beautiful in her dress of all-over lace topped with rhinestones at the neck and hem, her veil falling to her shoul- ders and carrying a bouquet of white roses. Her maid of honour [was] Deva Hill. “Mr. Rayal Foster, the bride’s father, attended, as did the groom’s mother, Mrs. Lina Smith of the Southern Cross Club. A reception was held at the home of the bride’s adopted parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lunsford Hurlstone of Spot Bay. “Mrs. Davy Lee Tibbetts, Larry and Deryck went to Jamaica on the 8th to seek medical aid for Larry. We welcome home Mrs. Agatha Foster who was in Tampa with her daughter, Mrs. M.I. Kirkconnell, receiving medical attention, and wish her continued improvement in health. “Mr. W. Taylor Foster’s daughter Margery, Mrs. Henry Dieffenbach spent a most enjoyable 10 days renewing old friendships. Her last visit home was five years ago. She brought greetings from her sister, Carolyn, Mrs. Ernest Winslow. They both live in Los Angeles, California, Mrs. Dieffenbach’s visit to the family home is the first stop in a round trip to see the family. After seeing her sister, Mrs. Amy Kirkconnell in George Town, she will call her other sister, Quelda, Mrs. Ward- ville Lazzarri in St. Petersburg, Florida. “Visiting with his father, Capt. Theophilus Ritch and family of the Creek, was Capt. Edd Ritch of Bonita Springs, Florida. He was last home four years ago. Nearly three years ago, he retired from the sea to enter into business.”CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 7 LOCAL NEWS District Days Sister Islands Braccanal weekend lights up the Brac The music was pumping and spirits were high at Cayman Brac’s homegrown Carnival held over the long Discovery Day weekend. The festivities included par- ties and a colorful parade with hundreds of revelers, organized for the fourth year by the enthu- siastic volunteers who make up the Braccanal Committee. The weekend began on Friday with a motivational as- sembly held at the Layman E. Scott High School. Committee member Olujimi LaPierre and Fresh Carnival Com- mittee member Michael Lemay spoke to the youth about fol- lowing their dreams and re- counted personal stories of their accomplishments. “It’s not just about Carnival for us,” said committee member Nickeah Esteban. “We, as a com- mittee, want to highlight Cayman Brac as a tourist destination, give back to our community and also motivate the youth to keep pushing towards their dreams. “We firmly believe that hard work does pay off and dreams can come true!” A ‘Wet Fete’ at La Esperanza kicked off the festivities, where hundreds of revelers danced the night away to soca music from a variety of DJs. Water truck deliveries every hour kept it wet, and drinks were provided by event sponsors Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits, getting everyone in the mood for Saturday’s parade. This year the parade took a new route along the south side of the island, beginning at Cayman Brac Beach Resort and ending at Public Beach, where food ven- dors offered local dishes to hungry participants. Three floats, two for the Brac- canal Committee and the other for a local Mas band, CRAZE Carnival featuring Grand Cay- man’s DJ Omar, kept the crowd in the party mood. Organizers noted that the bright and beautiful costumes from CRAZE Carnival Mas Band were designed by Canadian designers Latoya Alis and Elka Graham, and the Cayman Is- lands AIDS Foundation show- cased their King Costume on the road, worn by Noel Cayasso- Smith, and handed out giveaways to bystanders. On the Braccanal Committee’s float, music was provided by DJ Ryan, DJ Lin, DJ Pabie and DJ Von, and the section’s more than 400 revelers flooded the streets in their orange and pink Carnival shirts. This year’s shirt design was the result of a collaboration between the Braccanal Committee and graphic artist Rachelle Rivers. A road performance by local artist Lisani Sambula, also known as “ThaDudeFeev,” reportedly took the parade to another level, as revelers sang along to the music and danced with him on the road. After the parade, the fun continued into the night at the “Rum Can’t Done” Party at Coral Isle Club. On Sunday, the Braccanal Committee hosted the annual Cooler Fete, the final fete for the Braccanal weekend. “We are so happy to see ev- eryone enjoying themselves, and this is why we as a committee work so hard,” said committee member Ventisha Conolly. “We have been getting so much posi- tive feedback from our revelers, sponsors and bystanders and we have already started working to- wards Braccanal 2017.” The committee expressed their gratitude for the support of the participants and numerous orga- nizations and sponsors. The Braccanal committee mem- bers are Caitlin Connor, Cedric Gi- darisingh, Craig Connor, Deanira Brown, Della Dilbert, Elisha McK- eever, Javen Parchman, Jeffery Parchman, Lindsey-Ann Connolly, Leanna Anderson, Mirta Walton, Nickeah Esteban, Omar Fray, Sheldon Scott, Tashara Lewis, Ventisha Conolly and Yvonne “Mousie” McField. “It’s no t just about Carnival for us. We, as a committee, want to highlight Cayman Brac as a tourist destination, give back to our community and also motivate the youth to keep pushing towards their dreams.” NICKEAH ESTEBAN, Braccanal committee member The Braccanal parade had the island awash in a sea of vibrant color. – PHOTO: KEEVON DOUGLAS Trisha Cuffy had a blast as part of the local Mas band CRAZE Carnival. - PHOTO: JET PHOTO Jamie Rodgers, Donna Panton, Shynecka Williams, Kayla Archibold and Natasha Valerio. - PHOTO: JET PHOTOThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Dr. Neeraj Prasad Consultant Cardiologist To book an appointment, please phone: 949-4309 or 623-4309 Will be at Grand Harbour Medical Center on June 6th to June 10th, 2016 an accountant, taking fur- ther classes at the Inter- national College of the Cayman Islands. The young man’s heart, however, seems to be with the prison service, a position he had never even considered until he first applied in 2014. “The post came up and I was in my associate [pro- gram] at UCCI and I thought to myself, well, I could ac- complish some more – I could work and go to school at the same time,” he said. “Where I was before, I wasn’t feeling all that accomplished. I’d probably like to become the accountant for the prison or something. I love what I do.” Duties at the prison vary in hours and shifts, but gen- erally Mr. Miller said they involve patrolling the outer fence area, checking people into and out of Northward and monitoring security cam- eras and radios from the “brain center” of the main adult men’s prison. The slender 21-year-old said some people are cu- rious about his career choice. “When I tell people what I do, they’re like ‘What? You don’t look like a prison officer.’ I guess they expect you to look a certain way.” Also, as a Caymanian who went to high school lo- cally, Mr. Miller occasion- ally runs into some of his former classmates at North- ward. He recounts one expe- rience a number of years ago during his high school days when he was invited to speak to a group of young men at the Bonaventure Boys Home during a summer camp. “Interestingly enough, some of the same guys from that camp are now in North- ward and we bonded,” he said. “When you get out [of prison], don’t look back, that’s what I tell them.” Mr. Miller said he feels it important to try to relate on some level to the inmates and treat them equally. He said it’s not easy, especially with many of the prisoners sharing the same mindset and feeling as though their situation will never change. “You have to tell them … other people have had it hard, but what you’ve done, they’re not doing,” he said. “You must have the con- fidence to deal with [the in- mates],” he said. “You have to be firm and fair. There’s one thing when I’m going in … it’s not to discrimi- nate but to ‘de-criminate’ as much as I can.” That confidence was something Mr. Miller said he lacked when first applying for the prisons job in 2014. It’s the same general lack of confidence, of belief in themselves, that Mr. Miller said he notices among some of his peers who apply for scholarships, internships or job opportunities. He said there seems to be the view that if you do not get some- thing the first time out, you have to “try something else.” “You can try again,” he said. “[A first-time failure] only means that you’re not where you thought you were when you applied for the job. Go again. I’ve failed … quite a few times and I’ve learned if you want it, go for it. You have to be serious about it.” Second time’s the charm for prisons support officer earning” revenue pe- riod between January and April. Typically, the government takes in most of its annual rev- enue during the first few months of the calendar year when tourism rev- enues are at their peak and when most financial services-related company fees are due. The 18- month budget will con- tain two “low revenue” periods – during the tourism off-season, nor- mally between August and November – when government revenues tend to shrink. “Except for the op- erational surplus, the performance [for the 18-month budget] is as good or better than in previous years,” Mr. Archer said. The 2016/17 budget plan does not include any proposals to borrow money or to add new government fees. Mr. Archer acknowl- edged there could be some difficulty for law- makers comparing this year’s 12-month budget to the upcoming 18- month spending plan. To ease that comparison process, Mr. Archer said, the current budget num- bers would be estimated on an 18-month spending timeline, including budget planners’ best guess at what another six months of spending might have looked like. Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush and in- dependent North Side MLA Ezzard Miller have objected to the change to multiyear budgeting, stating it does not allow for proper scrutiny of government accounts until it is “too late.” Co-pay concerns A number of measures to combat the ever-rising cost of health insurance for government workers are expected to be presented to lawmakers during this budget cycle and the next one, Mr. Archer said. The most immediate will be a change in the retirement age for civil servants, from 60 to 65, which officials could vote on during the May- June legislative meeting. The longer working life will equate to more pay- ments into the health- care system, easing some of the future lia- bility the government is carrying with regard to health insurance. It will not happen during the 2016/17 budget, but lawmakers are anticipating that the civil service will enact rules to require public sector employees to pay for a portion of their healthcare premiums. Exactly how much that would cost and who would pay the monthly charge is still up for dis- cussion, Mr. Archer said. Earlier this year, Min- ister Archer said an- nual healthcare costs would eventually end up overwhelming the public sector budget if no changes were made to the funding structure. exist,” the premier said. “What we have agreed to is to participate in the global discussion that will lead to the development of such a mechanism.” This was confirmed in a letter to U.K. Chan- cellor of the Exchequer George Osborne days before the conference. The letter, dated May 6, by Minister for Financial Ser- vices Wayne Panton, included several caveats for Cayman’s participation in the initiative. “Once this standard is agreed and adopted by all Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies, G-20 and OECD member states, we will participate in its global implementation,” the minister wrote. “[Along] with reciprocity, the standard must ensure the full confidentiality and secu- rity of the data exchanged, and be subject to appropriate legal gateways.” On this basis, Cayman is prepared to join the initiative for the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership data, the letter stated. “We make this commit- ment to the initiative while recognizing its iterative nature, and we reserve our position on the interlinking of registers until the dis- cussion of the point be- comes clearer.” While Cayman had not been asked to implement any standards, the premier said, it has gained for the first time “a seat at the table to develop the mechanism itself.” Cayman had to fight to get an invitation to the summit, Mr. McLaughlin noted, and “had we not hustled in that way,” the discussion would have been led to the detri- ment of Cayman without its participation. During the summit, gov- ernment extended an offer to grant countries participating in the conference the same type of access to its benefi- cial ownership data that it has negotiated with the U.K. From June 2017, U.K. au- thorities will have expe- dited access to information on who truly owns Cayman- registered companies and other entities, through a cen- tralized platform which has not yet been developed, at the Department for Interna- tional Tax Cooperation. How- ever, the data is exchanged only on the basis of indi- vidual requests rather than the wholesale automatic ex- change of all beneficial own- ership data that the global standard aims for. Cayman is pursuing both standards, the premier said, because it is committed to transparency. In this spirit, Cayman will replace its Confidential Rela- tionships (Preservation) Law, which often has been char- acterized as a “secrecy law,” with a Confidential Informa- tion Disclosure Law. In addi- tion, government has passed legislation completely abol- ishing the use of bearer shares, which could be used to conceal the beneficial owner of an entity. Bearer shares had already been im- mobilized since 2000. “Before someone says that we go too far with in- formation sharing, we are also preparing a new Data Protection Law,” the premier said. The law would clarify and safeguard legitimate privacy rights. The anti-corruption con- ference has passed the re- sponsibility for the develop- ment of the global beneficial ownership standard on to the Financial Action Task Force and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This hand-off to the in- ternational standard setters is precisely what is needed, said Minister Panton, adding that Cayman is comfortable with and has had a lot of experience in dealing with both organizations. “We know the people in- volved and they understand our position,” the minister said. “I would foresee that we will continue that track record of engagement to in- fluence the direction of a new standard.” However, government ex- pects the development of a global standard to take years. Mr. McLaughlin believes that initially the U.K. referendum on its membership in the Eu- ropean Union will create “a lull” surrounding the issue. Even when implemented, it is far from certain that all OECD and G-20 countries are going to adopt it. Most no- tably, the United States, al- though represented at the event through Secretary of State John Kerry, was not in a position to even sign the summit communique, which outlined the steps to be taken to combat cor- ruption agreed by the con- ference participants. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman budget plan cutting it close Prisons support officer Steve Miller says he ‘doesn’t believe in losing.’ – PHOTO: MATT LAMERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “The mere fact that I did lose [in the job application process] the first time made me come back even stronger.” STEVE MILLER, prisons support officer BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Government: US must sign first GEORGE TOWN MAN ARRESTED AFTER ROBBERY Police arrested a 21-year- old man on Friday in con- nection with a robbery outside the Walkers Road Burger King last week. The George Town resi- dent was released on po- lice bail. Two workers were held up by armed suspects as they left Burger King late Wednesday, May 11, police reported. The restaurant em- ployees told police that two suspects, both carrying handguns, tried to use one of the workers to get back into the restaurant after it had closed for the night. After they failed to get into the business, the robbers took the female worker’s handbag. The armed men then ran off just before midnight, police said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 ALMA CHOLLETTE achollette@pinnaclemedialtd.com To mark its first quarter- century, the Cayman Is- lands National Museum is launching a book and holding an outdoor party. On International Museum Day, Wednesday, May 18, the museum will host Big Ole’ Looky Ya festivities outside its building. In the evening, the mu- seum will celebrate the launch of “Twenty-Five Years: Piece by Piece,” a book fea- turing items from the mu- seum collection, to mark the milestone. The publication will feature 25 pieces found in the “Twenty-Five Years” ex- hibit and a timeline of the museum’s history. “We think it’s a good milestone, to look back at the last 25 years,” said museum director Peggy Leshikar- Denton. “We’re grateful to every entity [which has] helped us.” As well as using the event to mark International Mu- seum Day, the museum also intends to use the occasion to honor its founders, sup- porters and donors. As part of a team led by Debra Barnes-Tabora, cura- tions and collections man- ager at the museum, intern Shenice McField said, “It was difficult to select items [for the book] because there were so many that were relevant to our culture. Many objects in the museum are unique.” With many of the pieces having been donated to the museum, “we want to en- courage people to contribute to the [preservation] of our culture,” Ms. McField added. “It’s important to con- serve items not only from the past,” said Ms. Leshikar- Denton, “but for the future, with modern items.” During International Mu- seum Day, exhibits such as “Twenty-Five Years” “Museum Dress-Up” and “Georgette Ebanks nee Hurlston” will be open to the public. The “Twenty-Five Years” and “Museum Dress-Up” exhi- bitions were first made public last November as a commem- oration of the National Muse- um’s 25th anniversary. As part of the National Museum’s year-long anniver- sary celebrations, both ex- hibitions will continue until November 2016. The launch of the “Twenty- Five Years: Piece by Piece” book, which took just under a year to put together, will be held in the museum’s courtyard from 6-8 p.m. for invited guests. Entertainment will be pro- vided by Denom Bodden and local foods by The Caribbean Kitchen, at the Old Gaol Café. Big Ole’ Looky Ya During the Big Ole’ Looky Ya, which begins at 10 a.m., Goring Avenue will be closed. The public is invited to join in the cultural and artistic festivities. At this year’s Looky Ya, ar- tisans from Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands will feature their crafts at 20 ta- bles. The museum has hosted Looky Ya festivities for about 15 years. According to Ms. McField, this year’s International Museum Day theme, “Mu- seums and Cultural Land- scapes,” fits well, as the museum itself serves as a cultural landscape. “Our building is one of the oldest standing historic buildings in public use,” said Ms. McField, a history major at the University of North Florida. “The thing about mu- seums,” said Ms. Leshikar- Denton, “is that we’re in service of society. We don’t work for profit. We work to preserve the value of Cayman.” The book “Twenty-Five Years” will be sold exclu- sively at the museum for now. “We’re going to donate a quantity to the Ministry of Education to make sure there is a copy in every school,” said Ms. Leshikar-Denton. On the evening of the book launch, the museum will also conduct its annual peppercorn payment to the Cayman Islands government. The peppercorn payment is an annual payment of a tra- ditional coil of thatch rope in exchange for the government leasing the former Old Courts Building for museum use. Every November on its anniversary, the museum commemorates this payment, but this year it is celebrated in May, on International Mu- seum Day. Big Ole’ Looky Ya will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the waterfront. For more information, contact the National Museum at 949-8368 or info@museum.ky. Death Announcement It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father, Michael “Mike” William Weatherford, on May 13, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Iantha Maria Weatherford; mother, Josephine Weatherford; children, Pernell Bodden, Gordon Woodhouse, Dizzree Powell, Tannie Ferru no, Tia Ebanks, Theresa Grant, Mikell Weatherford, Daniel Weatherford and Michael P. Weatherford and their families; sister, Debbie Malone, brothers, Sidney Weatherford and Robert Weatherford of the Bahamas, mother-in-law, Verlie Rankin; grandchildren, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. A thanksgiving service for the life of Mike Weatherford will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 1:00p.m. at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, 163 Pedro Castle Road, Savannah. Viewing at 12:00 noon. In Lieu of owers, please make donations to Cayman Islands HospiceCare. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Parliamentary pensions plan may get new members BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands lawmakers who served only one four-year term in parliament between October 1959 and August 2004 would be eligible to receive a pension under a proposed amendment due to come before the Legislative Assembly later this year. The change, if approved by a majority of lawmakers, would add some new pensioners to a retirement plan that gov- ernment financial advisers re- cently described as “severely underfunded.” According to the Parliamen- tary Pensions [Amendment] Bill, 2016, a pension “shall be payable” to any person who served as an elected member of the House or as Speaker of the House [who was not al- ready an elected member] for one full parliamentary term at any time between Oct. 1, 1959 and Aug. 23, 2004. Government officials estimated half a dozen former lawmakers would re- ceive pension payments after being added to the plan, if the amendments were passed. The purpose of the brief proposed change, according to the bill, is to adopt the cur- rent eligibility requirements for pensions on behalf of those leg- islature members “who are oth- erwise ineligible to receive a parliamentary pension.” The legal amendment that allowed Caymanian lawmakers to receive a parliamentary pen- sion after serving just one term in the House took effect after Aug. 23, 2004 and was not ret- roactive. Previously, Cayman’s retirement plan for elected lawmakers did not provide a pension after elected officials served a single four-year term. All pension payments in the legislative retirement plan are adjusted annually for inflation. Under the old retire- ment system prior to the 2004 amendment, lawmakers would get one-third of their salary in a pension after two terms – eight years of service – in the House. After three terms, or 12 years, they would receive half pay in retirement, and after four terms – 16 years – they would get two-thirds of their ending salary in parliament as a pension. The Parliamentary Pensions Law now sets a sliding scale for retired lawmakers, with a maximum post-retirement earning of two-thirds salary after 20 years – five terms – in the House. Lawmakers serving one term now receive one-fifth of their maximum pension al- lowance [which is two-thirds of their ending salary]; a law- maker who serves two terms would receive two-fifths of the maximum two-thirds salary and so on until five terms of service provide the full two-thirds of their ending salary in retirement. The parliamentary pensions plan also allows legislators to retire at 55, which is five years earlier than the age at which civil servants are allowed to re- tire and receive full pension. The civil service retire- ment age has been proposed to increase to 65 years. Parlia- mentary pensions operate sep- arately from the main civil ser- vants retirement plan and are governed under a different law. The plan that provides re- tirement benefits to Cayman Islands legislators is now “se- verely underfunded,” according to actuaries who last reviewed the state of government’s re- tirement funds more than two years ago. As of Jan. 1, 2014, the par- liamentary pensions plan listed assets of nearly $8.5 million against liabilities of more than $22.5 million. That means the plan is only 36 per- cent funded, according to the 2014 estimates. National museum launches book to celebrate 25th anniversary The National Museum celebrates International Museum Day on May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Next >