ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 High of 84 Low of 74 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 FUEL PRICE REGULATION: IT MAY BE GOOD POLITICS, BUT IT’S BAD POLICY BUSINESS | PAGE 14 CAYMAN FINANCE HOSTS SEMINAR ON NEW UK BILL KPMG hired for port funding project JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government has hired KPMG on a US$500,000 contract to help come up with a funding formula to pay for the George Town cruise berthing facility. Though no contract for the dock it- self will be signed before the May general election, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkcon- nell said it was important to continue the “forward momentum” of the project. KPMG will provide financial and legal con- sultancy services. Mr. Kirkconnell said in a press release, “The appointment of KPMG will enable the min- istry to formalise the details of the best pos- sible framework suited to our specific needs.” “Our goal is to arrive at a formula that will not only fund construction of the piers, but will ensure that they are owned by the people of the Cayman Islands within a reasonable period of time,” he added. KPMG are the second of the “big-4” Cayman Islands accountancy and consulting firms to work on the pier project. PwC produced the business case for the piers, which envisaged that the project could be funded through a combination of the fees that currently go to tender operators, around $5 per passenger, and a share of the $14 per-passenger “head tax” charged by government for every cruise ship visitor. Part of KPMG’s role will be to finalize the development of that financial model and help prepare tender documents to attract bids from companies or consortiums of companies to design, build, finance and maintain the port. Chief Officer Stran Bodden stated in the press release, “KPMG is a highly reputable consulting firm with a long established pres- ence in the Cayman Islands. “Given their affinity with the Cayman GOV’T REMOVES 114 FROM SEAMEN/VETERANS HEALTH COVERAGE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government took 114 people out of the healthcare coverage plan for retired veterans and seamen during the last budget year. Finance Minister Marco Archer told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that 22 of those beneficiaries had died. Another 92 were either not members of the veterans or seamen associations, or were living outside the Cayman Islands. Residency and membership requirements must both be met to receive the healthcare coverage benefits, Mr. Archer said. Before the removals, more than 1,200 people were listed on the seamen and veterans benefits plan, which pays a monthly stipend as well as health insurance. The move saved the government more than $818,000 in last year’s budget, according to fig- ures made public Friday. It was done without “delaying those members who are eligible to receive the benefit from receiving the benefit,” Mr. Archer said. The funds were directed to other areas of the government budget. The costs of providing healthcare cov- erage to the group of aging seamen and ser- vicemen has been a subject of some debate over the past year. The government has budgeted more than $13 million a year to cover 1,075 retired seamen, former veterans and their widows, according to records reviewed for the current 18-month budget cycle. Government-paid premiums for the group cost $577 per member, per month. These pay- ments bring the average annual cost of the Public to cull iguanas and compete for cash JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands residents could be asked to kill green iguanas in return for raffle tickets in a new initiative to deal with the invasive pests. The Department of Environ- ment had outlined plans for a $425,000 four-month culling pro- gram targeting the exploding population of green iguanas. The plan involves hiring con- tracted hunters to cull iguanas. This will be supplemented by a “green iguana raffle” in which any Cayman Islands resident can register as a community culler and compete for cash prizes. Participants will be required to submit valid photographic ev- idence of their kills and will be given a raffle ticket for every 10 iguanas culled. The outline concept pro- posal for the Green Iguana Control Plan 2017 will be con- sidered by the National Con- servation Council at its meeting on Wednesday. It includes a $320,000 budget for payments to contracted hunters and a $50,000 allocation for the community raffle plan. Tire shredding, recycling begin Premier Alden McLaughlin throws a tire onto a shredding machine Tuesday at the George Town Landfill, where work has begun to recycle half a million tires. For more, see page 2. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) - WEDNESDAY - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (PG) 12:30 I 1:00 2D I 3:30 I 4:00 2D I 6:25 7:00 2D I 9:15 I 9:50 2D KONG: SKULL ISLAND 3D (PG13) 12:50 2D I 4:15 I 7:10 2D I 9:55 LOGAN (R) 12:30 | 3:35 | 6:40 | 9:45 FIST FIGHT (R) 12:45 I 3:50 I 7:05 I 9:50 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Tire shredding begins at George Town Landfill Half a million tires to be recycled KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Work began Tuesday at the George Town Landfill to shred and recycle half a million tires that have been stockpiled at the site for more than a decade. The processing effort, taken on by Island Recy- cling and partner com- pany Guernsey Recycling Group, is expected to take around a year, Premier Alden McLaughlin said. “We have been working tirelessly to implement a strategy that will see not only the issue of used tires resolved, but also the entire waste management system of the Cayman Islands rede- signed,” Mr. McLaughlin said during the tire-shredding inauguration. “We began working to im- prove the landfill since the start of term, implementing proper management and en- suring not just fire preven- tion, but safety for the public and those who work here.” The tire initiative comes as part of larger government efforts to handle the islands’ waste management needs, Mr. McLaughlin explained. He estimated 90 percent of trash produced in Cayman could be kept out of the land- fill through a proper, inte- grated waste-management system. Government is ex- pected to announce a pre- ferred bidder in April to de- sign and operate a waste management system for a 25-year term. As part of overall waste management efforts, Mr. McLaughlin said $1.5 million has been invested in new excavators, garbage trucks, a compactor and other equipment. Once the tires have been processed, Mr. McLaughlin said, the space they cur- rently occupy will be used for composting. The two-inch rubber chips produced by the shredder will be destined for construction projects. Is- land Recycling’s managing director, Jason Brown, said the company has signed con- tracts to source the chips to Davenport Development and Ironwood. Recycling tires repre- sents a longtime vision of government to address the public health hazard posed by the landfill, said Min- istry of Health councilor Roy McTaggart. He highlighted the prog- ress made over the past three years to reduce waste and finally implement an in- tegrated solid waste man- agement system. BRAZILIAN CORNED BEEF REMOVED FROM STORE SHELVES THROUGHOUT CAYMAN Supermarkets in the Cayman Islands have re- moved corned beef prod- ucts produced in Brazil following reports of sev- eral major Brazilian meat processors selling rotten beef and poultry. According to Brazilian authorities, the meat pro- cessors bribed auditors in exchange for fraudulent sanitary licenses. Cayman’s Department of Environmental Health, in a statement issued Tuesday, requested all importers, wholesalers and retailers who have corned beef prod- ucts originating from Brazil to withdraw the product from sale “as a precau- tionary measure until further notice.” Foster’s Food Fair IGA, Priced Right, Kirk Market and Hurley’s in Cayman confirmed Tuesday they had all stopped selling Bra- zilian corned beef. In a statement, Fos- ter’s Food Fair said, “At this time, no other information has been provided from our vendors. All corned beef produced in Brazil has been removed from our shelves until further notice.” Foster’s has put its “Eat Corned Beef!” cam- paign, in conjunction with Grace Foods, on hold due to the recall. Kirk Market also re- leased a statement on the recall, saying it had re- ceived no reports of ad- verse reactions due to consumption of these prod- ucts, but was removing the items out of an abundance of caution. The store also urged “anyone concerned about a reaction [to] con- tact a healthcare provider.” The Cayman stores are asking customers who have bought Brazilian corned beef products to dispose of them or return the item with a receipt for a refund. According to news re- ports, Brazilian investiga- tors say health inspectors were bribed to overlook the sale of expired meats. Po- lice also allege that the ap- pearance and smell of ex- pired meats was improved by using chemicals and cheaper products like water and manioc flour. On Friday, police is- sued 38 arrest war- rants related to the probe, naming several compa- nies, including giant meat- packers JBS and BRF. The Brazilian govern- ment has barred the ex- port of meat from 21 plants being investigated. Roydell Carter, director of Cayman’s Department of Environmental Health, said in the statement that his department, along with other government agencies, is investigating this matter to determine the next steps and “will keep the public informed of further de- velopments regarding the safety of this food product.” “We do not yet have all of the information but we wanted to alert the public and be proactive in this sit- uation,” he said. Tires move along a conveyor belt on the shredding machine. Visitors to the landfill site were given a demonstration of the machinery which will shred half a million tires over the next year. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY A pile of used tires await shredding Tuesday at the George Town Landfill.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 WITH INDUSTRY-LEADING 3-YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTIES SHOPS 5-6 BAY TOWN PLAZA • 36 WEST BAY ROAD T: 946 8324 | info@creativetechltd.com | www.creativetechltd.com/business-solutions IF YOU CAN DREAM IT! WE CAN PRINT IT! NEW RANGE OF ECOSYS A4 COLOUR PRINTERS & MFPS IF YOU CAN DREAM IT!IF YOU CAN DREAM IT! • Print speeds up to 22/27 Pages Per Minute • 4.3” TSI, Tablet-Like Home Screen • 1200 x 1200 dpi print output • Standard 50 Sheet Dual Scan Document Processor • Mobile printing (Apple AirPrint®, Google Cloud PrintTM, KYOCERA Mobile Print and MopriaTM ) • Standard Wireless and Wi-Fi Direct capability WITH INDUSTRY-LEADING 3-YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTIES LOW LOW PRICES NOW $ 639.00 WAS $1,095.00 M5526 NOW $ 469.00 was $795.00 M5521 IF YOU CAN DREAM IT! WE CAN PRINT IT! Deputy governor concerned about ‘politicized’ civil service BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A heated Legislative As- sembly exchange Monday over the fate of a Cayman Is- lands senior prisons manager brought warnings against “politicizing” the public ser- vice from Deputy Governor Franz Manderson. Mr. Manderson was asked repeatedly about how much the public sector had to pay to resolve the case of Deputy Prisons Director Aduke Jo- seph Caesar, whose nearly two-year saga of losing, then regaining her job, being sus- pended and then regaining her job a second time has been the subject of significant public debate and review. Mr. Manderson said the government had paid $39,000 toward Ms. Joseph-Caesar’s legal fees and has paid ad- ditional amounts in back salary and pension benefits. “The Ministry [of Home Affairs], the prisons director, have all put in place the nec- essary policies and proce- dures to ensure that [Ms. Jo- seph-Caesar] returns to work in a very structured manner,” Mr. Manderson said. During Monday’s proceed- ings, East End MLA Arden McLean sought to determine whether the government had violated any laws in dis- missing Ms. Joseph-Caesar in November 2015. Mr. McLean also asked whether the gov- ernment had attempted any other “interventions” in Ms. Joseph-Caesar’s case since her reinstatement. “I feel very strongly that we’re going down a path where we are bringing civil service matters into this House where [they] do not belong,” Mr. Manderson said. “It doesn’t help the civil ser- vice one bit.” Mr. Manderson, as he has done in recent years, cautioned against politics intruding on government’s hiring, firing and internal disciplinary matters. “Nowhere do I see that this House is mentioned as part of the appellate process … for hiring, firing, any of those matters,” he said. “We do not want … a politicized civil ser- vice where Caymanians are saying, ‘If I go to certain mem- bers of parliament, I can get this, I can do that.’ “When we started bringing certain matters … why did we hire this [person], why didn’t we do this, why didn’t we do that? …. [It’s] not how these things should be carried out.” The deputy governor said he believes MLAs do and should have a right to ques- tion, as they did last summer, why the civil service had so many workers (31 at the time) on required leave (suspen- sion with pay). “That’s what I should be held accountable for,” Mr. Manderson said. Mr. McLean said he was “amazed” by the response and indicated he had never questioned civil service man- agement issues unless those matters were raised in public forums before coming to the Legislative Assembly. Ms. Joseph-Caesar’s case has received significant cov- erage in the media for more than a year following alle- gations that she placed a hidden camera in prison cus- todial manager Nina White’s office to detect claims of Ms. White’s “inappropriate behavior” with prisoners. Ms. White has denied all such accusations. “[Ms. Joseph-Caesar’s case] was kicked from pillar to post in the public,” Mr. McLean said. “It became a public matter that I have a particular interest in. There’s no way that the deputy gov- ernor can come down here to chasten us with regard to what we can do and can’t do … in regard to the public interest.” Premier Alden McLaughlin offered some support to his political opponent, Mr. McLean, indicating that he did not believe parliamen- tary questions could be “cir- cumscribed” to preclude questions regarding certain civil service issues. West Bay MLA Bernie Bush also asked whether the deputy governor would agree to investigate Ms. Joseph-Cae- sar’s case in connection with some other complaints filed with the Gender Equality Tribunal which alleged Ms. White had received favorable treatment in her position. “Is there going to be an in- vestigation into all this that’s going on at the prison? Be- cause something is obviously wrong and it needs investiga- tion,” Mr. Bush asked. “I don’t share that opinion,” Mr. Manderson said. “I think the prisons director and his team [are] doing a great job. We owe them some grateful thanks.” POLICE INTERRUPT BURGLARY, ARREST ONE Police arrested one man and are searching for an- other after officers inter- rupted a burglary in West Bay early Monday. Around 4:15 a.m., offi- cers responded to an alarm at Tortuga Rum Company on North West Point Road in West Bay, where they spotted two men exiting the premises. The men headed toward a pickup truck with its en- gine running, police said. The officers ordered the men to stop, but they ran off. One of the men, age 22 of West Bay, was detained and arrested on suspicion of burglary and theft of a motor vehicle. The second man escaped. “Officers quickly deter- mined that the pickup truck with its engine running in the parking lot had been re- ported stolen,” police said. Nine burglaries were re- ported over the weekend, with five at commercial premises, police said. Mr. Manderson … cautioned against politics intruding on government’s hiring, firing and internal disciplinary matters.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. WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS The Progressives’ proposal to lower the price of gasoline may look good on a bumper sticker, or sound good on the campaign trail, but as a piece of legisla- tion, it’s bad policy and bad precedent. We understand the feeling of dismay our fellow motorists undergo while watching the digits on the fuel pump whirl faster than symbols on a slot machine, but that’s nothing compared to the concern and dismay all Cayman Islands residents should experience when listening to Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts talk about his Fuel Market Regulations Bill. As we reported in Tuesday’s Compass: “The utility regulatory office will be given ‘significant market power’ under the provisions of the bill to determine whether competition among distributors and retailers ‘truly exists in the fuel market.’ If the market is not determined to be competitive, the regulator is autho- rized to ensure there is ‘suitable competition,’ Mr. Tibbetts said. “‘If these measures fail, then the next step, in con- sultation with Cabinet, will be outright market price regulation,’ the minister said. ‘These various steps … must be taken before taking the nuclear option. That option will be used when it is determined … that collu- sion is taking place.’” In brief, the legislation would appoint a group of government bureaucrats as the official arbiters of competition and enable them, in collusion with a cadre of elected politicians (whose hold on power depends on their popularity among the citizenry) to dictate to private businesses what they are allowed to charge for their product. We understand the May elections are looming, but lawmakers ought to think very carefully before threat- ening multinational companies such as Rubis and Sol who can quite easily resort to a “nuclear option” of their own – instructing their fuel tankers to bypass Cayman altogether. (We like equestrian sports and spaghetti Westerns as much as anyone … but riding a horse or donkey to work isn’t very appealing.) In regard to the government’s bullying of our local fuel retailers – i.e., Cayman’s gas stations – the bill should be interpreted as a warning to every other business in this country that if lawmakers someday deem the prices of anything are too high, they have assumed the imprimatur of intervention in those areas as well … and, of all the absurdities, in the name of “competition.” What if future politicians decide they can score votes by promising to lower the price of milk? Mangoes? Athletic shoes? Janitorial services? Accounting? Or, gasp, newspapers? (The 50 cents this particular newspaper costs, by the way, is the best money you’ll spend all day.) Assuming lawmakers really do want to lower the cost of living for their constituents, the far more effi- cient, effective and principled way would be to lower the cost of government. Think: What do you think would have the biggest impact on your bottom line – the government setting up an apparatus to try to “control” the price of gasoline; the government revising downward the standard 22 percent import duty on goods; or the government eliminating the 75 cents per gallon duty it levies on gasoline? Some countries aggressively regulate fuel prices or even subsidize prices at the pump. Most are oil- producing states, such as Iran, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Setting aside the fact the only oil Cayman produces comes from coconuts and neem trees, are those the countries whose lead Cayman should be following? To paraphrase Voltaire biographer Evelyn Beatrice Hall: We may not agree with the prices the gas stations are offering. But we will defend to the death their right to set them. Fuel price regulation: It may be good politics, but it’s bad policy LETTER TO THE EDITOR How did lawmakers pass the wrong bill? It was dismaying to read in your edition of Friday, March 19, that, “it appears lawmakers approved an in- correct, outdated version of the Non-Profit Organ- isations Bill, 2016, during a Legislative Assembly meeting last fall.” You also reported that Attorney General Sam Bulgin explained that, “while lawmakers had ap- parently voted through the correct version of the Non- Profit Organisations Bill on second reading in October, that version of the bill was inexplicably replaced by an older version of the leg- islation when lawmakers reviewed it during the committee stages.” (Actu- ally there is only one com- mittee stage.) He is reported as also having said that, “The older version of the law was ap- proved in a third vote of the assembly later in the meeting.” For a start, in terms of the general procedure for the passage of bills, it is unclear how this could have happened. Once the proposed legislation is published in the Gazette in the form of a Green Bill, it is the Green Bill that is used throughout the legislative process in the LA. The MLAs have in their hands the same bill from first reading all the way up to third reading. When changes are approved at committee stage, no new version of the bill is pre- pared for purposes of third reading. The suggested tex- tual amendments (if there are any) are merely agreed and compiled by the office of the clerk of the LA.. Thereafter, the clerk sends a copy of the bill (with the amendments passed at committee stage) to the government drafters so that they can finalize the bill for signature by the speaker and clerk, and ul- timately send to the gov- ernor for assent. Barring any departure from the established proce- dure or further explanation, and considering that the governor is now involved, it seems that what happened is that the drafters sent an old office version. Perhaps the fact that MLA McLean stated that, “I do not know what is wrong with the bill” may be confirmation of this. However all that may be, this is a major embar- rassment for the governor, speaker, attorney general, clerk and, above all, the drafters, though it is really the drafters who have to answer for this. But this is emblematic of a number of systemic problems with the legisla- tive process on the exec- utive side of government as managed by govern- ment drafters. In this regard, one need only look at, among many published pieces of legislation, the Conditional Release of Prisoners Reg- ulations 2016, Confiden- tial Information Disclosure Bill 2016 and Justice of the Peace Regulations 2015. Whereas there are other laws, especially recently, that are remarkably well- drafted, the conceptual, drafting and even simple editorial problems with the named pieces of legislation makes one wonder whether the published versions were the final or correct ones. As to how to correct the problem, only a word of caution should suffice: Gov- ernment drafters have to ensure that the procedure followed can pass legal and constitutional probity. It has to be ensured that the provisions of the Constitu- tion, the LA Standing Or- ders or other relevant par- liamentary practices are followed. If not, there could be a challenge to the va- lidity of the legislation, even after it has been assented to and brought into force. What is more, problem regarding the Non-Profit Or- ganisations Bill is emblem- atic of a larger problem: The legislative processes in Cayman needs to be up- graded to minimize the in- cidence of such problems. This is an opportune time to undertake an inquiry into the processes and make rec- ommendations for change, before something really di- sastrous comes to pass. Bilika Simamba, consultant legislative counsel and attorney at law 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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” [T]his is a major embarrassment for the governor, speaker, attorney general, clerk and, above all, the drafters, though it is really the drafters who have to answer for this.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 Finance minister warns against imposing petrol price controls BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Warning that govern- ment overreach can “cause more harm than good” in certain instances, Cayman Islands Finance Minister Marco Archer warned op- position MLAs against the rush to implement fuel price controls in the local pe- troleum market. Mr. Archer’s comments came during the Legisla- tive Assembly debate of the Fuel Market Regula- tions Bill, 2016, which was passed Monday afternoon by a majority of assembly members – including oppo- sition groups. However, several MLAs opined during their de- bates that the legislation “didn’t go far enough” and that the time for govern- ment to set direct price con- trols had come. Mr. Archer told mem- bers to be careful what they wished for. “Whilst we want to ensure that we prevent collusion … if there is such a thing going on,” Mr. Archer said, “the im- portant thing is everyone that establishes a business or [who] invests in a business makes a profit. “The government is not in the business of supplying fuels,” the minister said. “We do a bad enough job at the government department of vehicles [referring to the De- partment of Vehicle and Equipment Services].” Mr. Archer’s comments referenced a scandal that was revealed at the gov- ernment fuel depot in 2010 where a number of question- able transactions occurred on public sector-issued fuel cards. It was later deter- mined that some of those purchases were fraudulent. If government reached the point where price controls made it unprofitable for pri- vate sector companies to op- erate and they subsequently “closed up shop,” Mr. Ar- cher said, Cayman would es- sentially have just two op- tions to service its energy requirements. The first option, he said, would be government get- ting into the fuel supply business, in which it cur- rently has little experience. “The government will not be an efficient supplier of fuels,” Mr. Archer said. The second option would be another private sector fuel supplier entering the market to fill the void left by the de- parted suppliers. “[That supplier] now has the government between a rock and a hard place,” Mr. Archer said. “Who is in the stronger position then?” It was mainly for those reasons that the Progres- sives-led administration de- cided against the imme- diate enactment of price controls in the fuel market, Mr. Archer said. Under the fuel regula- tion bill, the newly created Utility Regulation and Com- petition Office will be given “significant market power” to determine whether com- petition among distribu- tors and retailers “truly ex- ists in the fuel market.” If the market is not determined to be competitive, the regu- lator is authorized to ensure there is “suitable competi- tion,” Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts said. “If these measures fail, then the next step, in con- sultation with Cabinet, will be outright market price reg- ulation,” Mr. Tibbetts said. “These various steps … must be taken before taking the nuclear option. That option will be used when it is de- termined … that collusion is taking place.” During 2015, when debate over Cayman’s gas- oline prices reached fever pitch, local petrol dis- tributors also warned the government about taking unsustainable control of the fuel market. “Government’s attempt to limit profit margins may limit Esso’s availability to make necessary investments and could be detrimental for the country dealers and ul- timately consumers,” Esso Standard Oil Ltd. Country Manager Alan Neesome said. “Many people assume wholesale or retail regu- lations protect consumers from higher prices,” Mr. Neesome added. “More often, however, such market dis- tortions undermine service, supply and reliability by encouraging gasoline con- sumption and discouraging investment. Moreover, the government, through a reg- ulation, will not prevent in- ternational price variations from influencing or im- pacting local prices.” SECOND ARREST OVER COSMETIC INJECTIONS A woman who was ar- rested in January in con- nection with the unlicensed performing of cosmetic in- jections was arrested again Friday on suspicion of the same activities. The suspect, 51, from Colombia, is a resident in the islands, according to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. She is suspected of en- gaging in reckless and neg- ligent acts in the course of cosmetic procedures in January, and she has con- tinued to perform those procedures after her re- lease on bail without a li- cense from the Health Prac- tice Commission. The woman is also sus- pected of various immigra- tion-related offenses. The RCIPS warns res- idents to check with the health commission on 946-2084 to confirm that healthcare practitioners are licensed to perform their services. Several MLAs opined during their debates that the legislation “didn’t go far enough” and that the time for government to set direct price controls had come.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER FROM CAYMAN BRAC Moving back home to the Brac Bracker Alta Solomon moved to Grand Cayman in 1998 after returning from college in the U.S., and re- turned home to Cayman Brac with her family in De- cember 2016. Here, she shares a letter on her decision to move back to the Brac and how it’s going so far. While untangling dry fever grass, my phone rings, it’s my sister Mia, I’m so glad to hear her voice but we, (Gordon, Ari and I) are cleaning – the leaves are piling up, limbs brittle and the yesteryear fever grass planted by a tenant needs to be uprooted and replanted. Our conversation is short, but I get the point, and [now] here I am writing about life on the Brac. How is it? Is the quality of life better? How do I feel? Do you regret it? Do you miss “Grand?” I’m sure to some this move we’ve made would make no sense: Why? Why move back to the Brac, to less progress, fewer miles, fewer social out- lets, fewer stores, entertain- ment, things to do, life? Well, truthfully, for the last two weeks I’ve been pining away the fact that there are so few restaurants that have farm-to-table foods, fresh vegetables, salads – and by salads I mean something, anything more or other than lettuce and tomatoes … kale, spinach, arugula, bib lettuce, crispy lettuce! Less daily entertainment spots [and] “things to do.” But, having said that, our garden is coming along fabulously and my seeds bought from Vigoro before our move have sprouted. Cucum- bers, silver beets, jalapenos, beets, tomatoes, callaloo, spinach (from my dear friend Heather), and the weekly Backyard Farmers’ Market (check it out on Facebook) is a one-minute walk from our home and can fill that void of fresh veggies and fruits. It’s a petty thing really, this annoyance of not get- ting what I want. My plants are entertainment enough, keeping me busy, and the sunrise and sunset in the yard while watering them never gets boring. What else is missing? The need to rush, to get on the road before the dreaded 7:16 a.m. traffic starts (yes, that one minute means a lot!), the bumper-to-bumper, do- not-put-my-windows-down for fear of the choking muf- fler smog from the car in front or the car crossing. It’s a rarity for it to happen here – the smoggy yuck that is – because there are never traffic jams! What’s missing is the anxiety of being, or al- most being, late …. That is what’s missing. (I don’t know if it is like this for anyone else here on the Brac, but time slows down.) Obstructed views, that is what’s missing. No high-rise, sky-reaching condos, hotels, [or] homes blocking me from seeing the beauty [of the] ocean. “Oh sea of palest em- erald merging to darkest blue ….” Just little Cayman-style homes dotting the roadside or tucked away in the bushes. Clean swept yards, bright flowers, conch shells, chairs to relax [in]. The highest thing here is, well, you know – the Bluff. It rides along with me when I’m driving to work, growing higher each mile; I love my drive into work. The sun is racing me, trying to get over at me while the shadow of the Bluff keeps me hidden. I look forward to my morning drives. I put the windows down and the music up, Sarah Groves and I have a date most mornings. The rays of sun start stretching over the ridge of the Bluff and the rock moves further and fur- ther away from the road the more easterly I get. What’s missing is the longing to see my family (al- though I miss those left in Grand Cayman). I can, in three minutes out of my front door, be sitting beside my mother and father, enjoying daddy’s stories, or advice, or arguments that are unnec- essary at times, but full of well-meaning, mostly always. I can sit with them and gaze out at Frenchman’s Fort’s rolling seas and windswept clouds reflecting those deep blues I swam in as a child (and got the worst case of sea itch in as an adult, with my sister Gina while looking [for] conchs.) This is what I missed in Cayman; and as we Brackers know when we say “Cayman,” it means Grand Cayman. What I’d been missing was enjoying a meal from mommy’s kitchen – Brackers are awesome cooks – there’s no better pot to get food from than my mother and my sisters. What was missing was time to talk about my day with my parents, and shar[ing] plans and enjoying my mother’s hand on mine and a kiss on my forehead. Time stands still a little while we sit on the edge of the low end of the Bluff enjoying the ever-blowing sea breeze. What’s missing is the lack of support. Now family is all around, below the bluff, on the bluff beside our house. Support from sis- ters, mother, cousins (Che- vala, Josh and Dean, I know I’ve told you already but I, we, are so grateful for all your help bussing the chil- dren back and forth to their activities). The children are free to come and go as they please (within reason) riding their bikes, scattering about, “scootering,” playing ball, fishing, visiting friends and family, spending time with their nanny and papa when- ever they please, invading Gaga’s house for sleep-overs (thank you, Rosa!). I can see/ talk to a family member face to face every day (that means a lot to me). Lack of space: Yep, I’m not missing that one bit. Some- times it seems like there’s no room in Cayman. Here I feel like I can, at any given time, plop down on the beach/bay/ side-a-road and be alone, have lunch with the ocean, and not worry about sun- bathers and loud music and passersby. That makes me sound like a hermit, does it not? Or unsocial. But I’m not, I just enjoy my alone time, with the sky, sea and sand, or Bluff … with one of those. Time to breathe. And although I miss my job in Cayman at the NCVO terribly, I do not miss the rush. The push and pull of being responsible for so much, the after-work dinging of emails and phone calls, fretting that I forgot to do something that was due, call someone back – that feeling that I have to respond right away, even at midnight. I do not miss the anxiety, but I must mention that I do miss the staff that became friends; those in need that were helped who became friends; those who helped/ volunteered in one way or the other that became friends. I miss them all. But, I am not missing the interruptions to my family time. There is so much less distraction; and for every- thing else that is “missing” from Cayman Brac, there is so much more that we are gaining. Tonight, I’m tired from preparing and orga- nizing plant pots, raking leaves and sowing seeds; but I’m happy. And right now, the only thing that’s missing are my husband and son who are out enjoying watching a football match on the Bluff, a cool 15-minute, traffic- less drive away. Come visit the Brac, you will not regret it – but there will be something missing – in a good way! Ms. Solomon and her family live in West End, Cayman Brac at Frenchman’s Fort. She works for the Ministry of Education and assists her husband Gordon, an artist, with his business, Solomon Studio. The couple has two children, son Layish, 10, and daughter Ari-Mae, 8. A drive along the Brac Bluff lifts the spirits. 50 years ago: Administrator John A. Cumber talks Brac issues In the March 22, 1967 edition of the Cayma- nian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Cayman Brac correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “His Honor the Adminis- trator, Mr. J.A. Cumber … and Mrs. Cumber visited the Brac from March 15th to 17th. “A public meeting was held in the Secondary Modern School on Wednesday evening. The District Commissioner, Mr. D.H. Foster presided, giving a gracious welcome to His Honour and his wife and thanking the representative audience for attending. “His Honour expressed his pleasure to be speaking in the building symbolizing an improvement long hoped for; his hopes for money for playing fields, which are a need in all three schools; in his delight in seeing the school really operative. He was particularly impressed with the attendance of over 80 scholars. The problem in education, which is true of the Caribbean as well as other parts of the world, is staff, and government is looking, if necessary, even beyond Jamaica for teachers. From these sec- ondary schools, our children will be enabled to go on to prepare for professions and qualified positions. “Communications: Air travel is developing in the islands – LACSA has given good service over nine years. The annual subsidy is 4,000 pounds. Though it took time they put a DC-3 in first class order to operate an international airline – now it is up to us to sup- port it. The extension of the flight eastward to Kingston is an improvement …. “Telephones: There is a temporary VHF link from Grand Cayman to Ja- maica, through to Kingston, London and New York. “Shipping: Mr. Dant- zler’s plan for harbour de- velopment in Cayman Brac is a promising venture for these islands. “Broadcasting: Technical advisors for a sound broad- casting station will be here the first week in April. Gov- ernment has received ap- plications for broadcasting licences. It will, in all prob- ability, be operated under a corporation. The prospects of television are being explored. “Agriculture: With Mr. C.D. Hutchings and Mr. Mc- Namee in the lead we are beginning to get somewhere. The dairy and meat produc- tion centre for the island is on the Cayman Brac bluff. The possibilities of water supply are being examined. “Medical: The new dentist has arrived and will soon visit Cayman Brac. The plans for the new health centre or public hospital are going ahead. Government’s plans and the hospital committee plans can be put together and we can build with a de- sign to start with a nucleus and leave room for additions. “Tourism: Although non fulfilment of bookings has been disappointing, in the overall figures there has been an increase of 8 per- cent, not including visiting businessmen.”DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Sister Islands CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 Canopy donation benefits school Money raised from last year’s Spooktacular fun run in Little Cayman, organized by the Little Cayman Sports Association, went toward a new playground canopy for the kids attending school at Little Cayman Education Service. Teachers Veronica Khan and Maxine Moore, along with the students, joined Jorge Castellanos representing Little Cayman Social Sports, far left, and Xiomara Lopez, representing Iguana Crossing Liquor Store and Little Cayman Wholesale, far right, on March 3 to thank them for the donation. – PHOTO: DACIA HENRIQUEZ Brac bike-a-thon a community affair The Rotary Club of Cayman Brac held its 35th annual Bike-a-Thon fund- raiser with the route taking cyclists from Spot Bay to the West End community park. At the event on March 11, approximately 20 en- thusiastic riders of all ages headed for the finish line just over 11 miles away. The first finisher was Norman Joseph, who clocked a time of 28 minutes, 38 sec- onds, followed by Inspector of Police for Cayman Brac, Andre Tahal, who finished in 28:58, and high school stu- dent Sean Valentine in 34:41. Finishers of note also in- cluded top-place female Dr. Trudy Harper Smith, Wallace Platts, the oldest rider at 77, and Zane Smith, the youngest rider at age 9. The participant who raised the most money was Janae Scott. All of the local partici- pants welcomed Norman Jo- seph, a member of the Grand Cayman Cycle Club, who came over for the event. “Thanks to former Ro- tarian Eddylee Martin for do- nation of pizza for all, and to Popo Jebs for two gift certif- icates to the family with the most family members riding,” said Brac Rotary President Lauriese Ashman, who noted the event was started by the Rotary Club of Cayman Brac as a fun way to promote health and fitness. The bike-a-thon was one of several Rotary events this year on the Brac. “Most of our events are geared towards the family, especially the kids, and to healthy living and exercise,” said Ms. Ashman. Rotary on the Brac “Our club was formed with the help of members of … the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, and we were officially chartered by Ro- tary International on Dec. 29, 1981,” she noted. “Since then, one of the club’s major projects was the funding and construction of the one and only public li- brary on the island, which was completed in 1995 and then handed over to the government,” she said. “We have since funded some up- grading with shelves and other items.” Club members were happy to lend a hand to a resident in need. “In January, [we got to- gether] to repaint a senior citizen’s home who had dif- ficulty getting around,” said Ms. Ashman. She said the club had built a ramp at the home the previous year with Vander Built Contractors. Over the years, the club has had a hand in various other projects, including the construction of the first set of cabanas, recreational slabs and the bandstand at the Brac public beach, and the first water fountains at the public library and hospital. With its focus on health issues, the club also pur- chased the first ultrasound machine at Faith Hospital, and held the first major health fair on the island. More recently, the club estab- lished and outfitted a 20-sta- tion Life Course exercise trail at West End community park. Upcoming events this year are a kids’ reading and poison prevention day at the public library on April 8, and in the fall, the Fry Jack Bo- nanza Fishing Tournament with the theme, “Get Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs.” Among the club’s most pop- ular events are the an- nual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and senior cit- izens’ dinner. Riders make their way along the bike-a-thon course. The top bike-a-thon finishers: Norman Joseph (first), Sean Valentine (third), and Andre Tahal (second). Janae Scott, right, pictured with Brac Rotary President Lauriese Ashman, collected the most donations for the bike-a-thon. Top female bike-a-thon finisher Dr. Trudy Harper Smith with PP Dhal.Rotary members paint the home of an elderly person.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Doughmoore Spencer Bodden, of Bodden Town, Grand Cayman, who passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 4:00p.m. at Savannah United Church, Astral Way, off Shamrock Road. Viewing will be from 3:00-3:45p.m. Interment follows at New Pease Bay Cemetery. In lieu of owers, please make donations to Cayman Islands Hospice Care. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Doughmoore Spencer Bodden, of Bodden Town, Grand Cayman, who passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 4:00p.m. at Savannah United Church, Astral Way, off Shamrock Road. Viewing will be from 3:00-3:45p.m. Interment follows at New Pease Bay Cemetery. In lieu of owers, please make donations to Cayman Islands Hospice Care. In lieu of owers, please make donations to Cayman Islands Hospice Care. at Savannah United Church, Astral Way, off Shamrock Road. at Savannah United Church, Astral Way, off Shamrock Road. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com Islands, KPMG understands the strategic context of this project and its importance to the cruise industry as well as our islands’ economy. We look forward to working with them and benefitting from their analytical exper- tise as we move forward with the berthing facility negotiations.” Mr. Kirkconnell acknowl- edged in January that the project would not go out to tender before the May 24 election. He said the Progres- sives government remained committed to delivering a “world-class cruise fa- cility” and said he hoped any future government would follow through with the plan after the election. He attributed delays in the project to government’s desire to follow best prac- tice for major projects, which include a business case and environmental impact as- sessment report, as well as later attempts to alter the design to address commu- nity concerns about damage to coral reefs in the harbor. Former port director Paul Hurlston, speaking on social media after the announce- ment, expressed skepticism that a viable funding for- mula could be found. Mr. Hurlston, a likely candidate in the upcoming election, wrote that PwC, which won an earlier con- tract to produce a business case for the project, had found it challenging to come up with a financing model that could work for Cayman. He said, “KPMG had been previously employed by Cayman on several occa- sions to do the same thing and the results have been the same. I wonder what is different now and why at the 11th hour before the gen- eral election? “This is the seventh at- tempt to finance and build cruise berthing piers and many many millions dollars have been spent on var- ious consultancy services over the years. “It is important to un- derstand that consultants do not make decisions but rather analyze the data and provide options for the Gov- ernment to use in making the decisions. They take our wristwatch and tell us the time.” He said if government had analyzed previous reports on the project, as he claims to have advised in 2013 in his role at the Port Authority, they would have seen they were going down “a road that has been explored be- fore and it was a dead end.” premiums to just under $7.5 million. In the event that a retired seaman or former serviceman requires healthcare overseas, govern- ment has a separate fund to pay for that. Budget esti- mates show Cayman plans to spend more than $17 mil- lion during the upcoming 18-month budget on those types of healthcare expen- ditures for seamen, veterans and Caymanians who have no healthcare coverage. The 12-month budgeted amount for the expenditure in the 2016/17 spending plan is $11.4 million. About 55 percent of that ($6.3 mil- lion) is earmarked for ter- tiary healthcare coverage for seamen and veterans, according to government fi- nancial estimates. Combining the $7.5 mil- lion for standard healthcare coverage with the $6.3 mil- lion spent on overseas (ter- tiary) healthcare coverage, government is expected to spend $13.8 million in 12 months for seamen and veterans health needs. The vast majority of those receiving that healthcare coverage are seamen; fewer than two dozen veterans are receiving those benefits. In addition to the health- care coverage, seamen and veterans receive a govern- ment monthly stipend of $550 to cover living expenses. According to budget re- cords, more than $20 mil- lion a year is spent on healthcare and monthly stipends paid to retired seamen, veterans and their dependents. Mr. Archer said the gov- ernment began a review during the last budget year after a report from the au- ditor general’s office that sought to determine which active members of the vet- erans and seamen’s as- sociations remained. The exercise led to the re- moval of the 114 names from the lists. According to the docu- ment, “It is unlikely that the culling business community is anywhere near the scale that would be needed to make a significant impact on the green iguana population growth trajectory. “Extensive commu- nity involvement could, if successful, reach the nec- essary scale.” The more iguanas people cull, the more tickets they will receive to compete for the raffle prize money. Cullers must photograph the iguanas and use a Sharpie pen to mark the animals with a unique personal identity number to register the kill, according to the proposal. Batches of 10 iguanas with consecu- tive numbers must be lined up side by side and photo- graphed with some evidence of the date, before payment or raffle tickets are issued. Participants will be re- sponsible for proper disposal of the marked iguanas. The concept also includes a proposal for contractors to be hired full time for the four- month period to cull iguanas at a rate of $2 per head. It suggests the rate – de- creased from the $5 per head offered in a two-week trial cull last year – is justifiable given the longer duration of the project. Any firm contracted as part of the project must have a relevant trade and busi- ness license and will be is- sued special licenses to allow them to operate air rifles close to public roads. The proposal also includes plans for a “short sharp hit” on the emerging green iguana population on Cayman Brac. “We propose a short in- tensive operation in late March 2017 using night searches with spotlights to locate iguanas and to capture them if accessible, backed by licensed gun operators to shoot iguanas in locations that cannot be reached by the searchers.” The document warns of a rapid growth in the Spot Bay area of Cayman Brac and rec- ommends swift action before the problem escalates. “Work to establish a sus- tainable control operation in both of the sister isles will be essential to preventing the rapid population growth we have seen in Grand Cayman. For these efforts to be ef- fective, measures are also needed to reduce the fre- quency of accidental imports of green iguanas from Grand Cayman to the sister isles, and between the sister isles.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Businessman sentenced for forgery Defendant pleads guilty, must do community service CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com George Roberto Ebanks, doing business as George Ebanks Consultancy and Bookkeeping, was sentenced on Monday to perform 120 hours of community service for the offenses of forgery and making a false representation. The forgery was the changing of a date on a Trade and Business License, which Ebanks submitted along with a work permit appli- cation to the Immigration Board. He submitted the docu- ments on behalf of a client on June 22, 2016. Ebanks first appeared in Summary Court on Nov. 22, 2016. At the time, he was charged with forgery of a judi- cial or official document. At his next appearance, on Dec. 13, the Crown amended the charge to forgery of a doc- ument, leaving out the words “judicial or official.” The defen- dant pleaded guilty and the matter was adjourned for a social inquiry report. As Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats noted this week, Cay- man’s Penal Code lists various offenses of forgery, with dif- ferent maximum sentences. Forgery is the making of a false document with in- tent to defraud or deceive. A person who forges any doc- ument commits an offense and is liable to imprisonment for three years. A person who forges any judicial or official document commits an offense and is liable to imprisonment for 10 years. Crown counsel Neil Kumar told the court that a work permit administrator was pro- cessing a work permit applica- tion submitted on behalf of the owner of a landscaping com- pany. The administrator be- came suspicious because the Trade and Business License submitted with it showed a grant of two years, with an ex- piration date in 2017. This caused the Immigra- tion Department to contact the Department of Commerce and Investment for clarifica- tion. This department con- firmed that such a license is issued for one year only and never for two years at a time. Based on this informa- tion, the owner of the busi- ness was invited to visit the Immigration Department. He told officers that Ebanks han- dled all his company’s work permit and license applica- tions. He denied knowledge of any impropriety in relation to any documents. Mr. Kumar said the defen- dant was interviewed under caution in September and he admitted changing the date. His explanation was that he was trying to facilitate his cli- ent’s application. Defense attorney Prathna Bodden said Ebanks was known for helping others and it was this wanting to help that led to the offense. The de- fendant had helped a lot of people in many service clubs, including those with youth leadership programs. He had no previous conviction and several excellent references. “It was not a matter of money,” Ms. Bodden pointed out. “The only person who would have benefitted was his client.” She noted that Ebanks would have been paid for his work regardless of the outcome. In the end, everything went well for the client, she added. She said Ebanks had made early admissions, he never re- quired the evidence of a hand- writing expert, he entered his guilty pleas at the ear- liest opportunity. The magistrate agreed in typical cases of forgery, one thinks of a person creating documents that give him some advantage; a concern for the court would be – what is the damage done when someone forges a document? In this case, there was no immediate benefit to Ebanks, whose in- tention was to help someone get through the system. “It was a foolish decision on your part,” he told the defendant. There must be a convic- tion recorded, the magistrate continued. That itself would be devastating for a business person working with various agencies, he observed. Sentencing options in- cluded a fine, a suspended sentence or community ser- vice. The magistrate opted for the third and imposed 120 hours community service. He imposed a concurrent sen- tence for making a false repre- sentation – the act of submit- ting the forged document. The defendant initially faced a third charge of using an endorsement on a docu- ment which has been forged or altered. That charge was left on file in December and the magistrate dismissed it this week. Public to cull iguanas and compete for cash Gov’t removes 114 from seamen/veterans health coverage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Before the removals, more than 1,200 people were listed on the seamen and veterans benefits plan, which pays a monthly stipend as well as health insurance. KPMG hired for port funding project Certified community iguana cullers could be offered $2 per head for each green iguana they kill. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 Next >