ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 High of 90 Low of 78 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 SARGASSUM SUMMER: CAYMAN’S LOYAL BUT UNPOPULAR GUEST BUSINESS | PAGE 10 COURT DISMISSES DISHONESTY CLAIM AGAINST BUTTERFIELD BANK Hotels a last resort for homeless families NAU spends $50,000 at resorts for clients JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Social services are increasingly using Grand Cayman hotels as emergency housing for homeless families. The Needs Assessment Unit spent more than $50,000 on hotel bills last year – a seven- fold increase from the previous year. Officials say the number of people unable to find affordable housing has spiked sharply in tandem with rising rental costs in Grand Cayman over the past 18 months. Matthew Hylton, deputy director of the unit, said hotels are used as a last resort when its clients have nowhere else to stay. Over the past two years, social services has funded rooms for 68 clients in five dif- ferent hotels, according to data released to the Compass under the Freedom of In- formation Law. In many cases the hotels are used for a couple of nights until alternatives are found. But some families are housed for consid- erably longer. The data includes an $11,660 bill – equiv- alent to 85 nights – for one family from the Sunshine Suites. There is also a $5,300 bill from the Wyndham resort for one client, and a $2,665 bill from the Comfort Suites. The exact length of the stay is not revealed in the data, and Mr. Hylton said that in some cases it was necessary to book more than one room for larger families. The FOI, which covers the past two years and the early part of 2018, shows a dramatic jump in expenditure from $7,525 in 2016 to $52,776 last year. Just over $6,000 was spent on hotels in the first four months of 2018. CUSTOMS FORM SCRAPPED FOR MOST CAYMAN TRAVELERS BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Her Majesty’s Customs in the Cayman Is- lands will scrap a requirement to fill out bu- reaucratic forms for the majority of travelers to the British Overseas Territory. Starting June 30, customs will no longer require a goods declaration form for inbound travelers as long as those travelers do not ex- ceed the $350 allowance for bringing goods into the country. The change applies to in- bound passengers at both Owen Roberts In- ternational Airport on Grand Cayman and Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac. If arriving passengers are bringing in more than $350 of dutiable goods ($700 for fami- lies), they will still be required to fill out goods declarations and pay duty as normal. Established allowances for alcohol and tobacco products will also be monitored as per normal, but as long as the arrivals keep Business owners have until end of June to file beneficial ownership details Local business owners, who do not use registered office providers, will need to file their beneficial ownership information with General Registry by Saturday, June 30. Once filed, the information will be stored on the Cayman Islands Government’s central- ized beneficial ownership platform. By storing it centrally, government will be able to more quickly provide it, through appropriate legal mechanisms, to international law enforce- ment, tax and regulatory authorities. The filing requirement applies to busi- nesses that do not use a licensed service pro- vider, such as a law firm or a corporate admin- istration company, as their registered office. The information can only be filed through registry’s secure online system, the Cayman Business Portal. “For businesses that use service pro- viders, your service providers should already be aware of their responsibility to file ben- eficial ownership information on your be- half, by June 30,” Registrar General Cindy Jefferson-Bulgin said. Under Cayman law a beneficial owner holds, directly or indirectly, more than 25 per- cent of the shares or voting rights in a com- pany; or has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors of the com- pany. If no individual in the company meets these conditions, the beneficial owner is the Fire Service vehicle collides with SUV PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » A woman was slightly injured Tuesday afternoon when her Honda CR-V collided with an emergency fire vehicle at the intersection of Shedden and North Sound roads. The accident snarled traffic at the busy intersection. Police officials said the fire vehicle, a pickup truck, was traveling westbound on Shedden Road, responding to a medical emergency when it struck the Honda, which was heading northbound through the intersection. The Honda struck a light pole on the northwest corner of the intersection and flipped onto its side. The injured driver was transported to the hospital in a police vehicle. - PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER FLETCHER2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 12:40 I 3:25 I 6:30 I 9:15 AVENGERS INFINITY WAR PART 1 (PG-13) 12:35 I 4:00 I 6:50 I 9:55 BREAKING IN (PG-13) 1:30 I 3:50 I 7:20 I 10:00 SUPERFLY (R) 12:30 VIP I 1:10 I 3:50 I 6:35 VIP 7:10 I 9:50 OCEANS 8 (PG-13) 1:15 I 3:20 VIP I 7:15 I 9:25 VIP SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (PG-13) 3:50 I 9:35 Magistrate orders temporary driving disqualification CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man accused of “pop- ping a wheelie” while riding a dirt bike has been charged with committing a reckless and negligent act. Courtney Lambardo Wisdom Jr., appeared in Summary Court on Monday, when he also faced six traffic charges in connection with the same incident. That incident occurred on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, when police set up a roadblock on Bodden Town Road in the area of Breakers. Mr. Wisdom, 26, is charged with riding a dirt bike on Bodden Town Road, in a public place, in a manner so rash as to endanger the life of police officers. Crown counsel Darlene Oko said the allegation was that Mr. Wisdom had put a police officer at risk by driving through the road- block, popping a wheelie, driving away and coming back. She said his behavior was threatening to the officer. Ms. Oko pointed out that driving is a privilege not a right, and a driver has that privilege when he con- ducts himself properly. In this case, the public in- terest outweighed Mr. Wis- dom’s driving privileges, she submitted. Magistrate Valdis Foldats said popping wheelies with people around put others at risk. The behavior alleged showed complete and utter disdain for the norms of so- ciety, he commented. He cited a section of the Traffic Law that allows the court to impose a temporary disqualification even before a verdict has been returned or a plea entered. He had re- viewed the matter and deter- mined that this was a clear case for invoking that power. He ordered the defen- dant to turn in his driver’s li- cense within 24 hours. If Mr. Wisdom drives during this temporary disqualification, he will be looking at custody, the magistrate warned. The traffic charges include driving without insurance, using a vehicle without a cer- tificate of roadworthiness, using a vehicle with no reg- istration, dangerous driving, failing to comply with an order by a police office to stop, and riding a motorcycle without a crash helmet. Defense attorney Jona- thon Hughes agreed to have the matter mentioned again on Tuesday, June 26. Magistrate Valdis Foldats said popping wheelies with people around put others at risk. The behavior alleged showed complete and utter disdain for the norms of society, he commented. Dirt bike rider charged with reckless act Cashier stole from customer’s gift card CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A young woman on a work permit asked that no convic- tion be recorded against her on Monday, but Magistrate Valdis Foldats decided that her offense was too serious for him to grant that request. Jamaica Caballero, 21, had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft at her workplace. Crown counsel Darlene Oko said Ms. Caballero was a cashier at Foster’s Food Fair on Dorcy Drive when a customer wanted to use a gift card she had received in the amount of $300. She had used it previously, but only for small purchases. On Sept. 8, 2017, when the woman wanted to use the gift card again, she was told she had only $25 left on it. She spoke with the store manager, who checked point- of-sale records and CCTV. Investigation showed that Ms. Caballero had transferred $225 from the customer’s gift card to her own card. When interviewed, she admitted the offense and was terminated from her employment. Ms. Oko said the offense was a breach of trust that affected both the store and the customer. In terms of culpability, which is generally catego- rized as being high, medium or low, Ms. Oko suggested the defendant’s culpability was medium. She reached this conclusion because the offense had required a de- gree of planning; it was not impulsive. She had to ma- nipulate the gift card to transfer the money and then make her own purchases knowing she was using stolen funds, the prose- cutor pointed out. Defense attorney Lee Hal- liday-Davis said her client admitted the facts, but was asking for a special dis- posal. She described Ms. Ca- ballero’s personal circum- stances as “quite significant.” The date of the offending was the defendant’s 21st birthday, she noted. Growing up in the Philip- pines, Ms. Caballero had been separated a long time from her mother, who had to leave the islands in order to find work. Her mother eventually came to Cayman, where she married a Caymanian. Ms. Caballero then came here and for the first time was living with her mother, along with a brother and her stepfather. She felt ashamed after she committed the offense, the attorney continued. When asked about it, Ms. Cabal- lero admitted it right away and offered to pay the money back. “If she thought about it, she would have realized that what she did could po- tentially change her life,” Ms. Halliday-Davis said. The magistrate asked – Shouldn’t people who come here on work permit know not to break the law so they will not jeopardize their right to be here? Asked her opinion, Ms. Oko suggested there was some public interest in the matter. She pointed out that, if no conviction were re- corded, there was no way for a future employer to know what degree of trust the de- fendant could be given. The magistrate postponed his decision to the after- noon so that he could con- sider the request. He agreed there were sig- nificant mitigating factors, including the impact a con- viction would have on Ms. Caballero’s family life and immigration status. He de- termined, however, that the offense did not allow for no conviction to be recorded. Although the amount stolen was relatively small, it was a planned theft and not impul- sive, he indicated. Foreign nationals who work here must be aware of the consequences of crime, the magistrate said. Their of- fenses may have an effect on their work permit status, but if that happens it will be as a consequence of their own ac- tion, he pointed out. The sentence imposed was 80 hours of community service and payment of $225 in compensation. The magistrate said he had no idea what would happen to Ms. Caballero’s work permit status when it came up for renewal. Anti-Corruption Commission makes two arrests Anti-Corruption Com- mission investigators working with the assis- tance of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service ar- rested two public officials Tuesday morning as part of an ongoing investigation. The two men – ages 48 and 57 – are both George Town residents. They were arrested on suspi- cion of committing mul- tiple offenses, including bribery of a police of- ficer, committing fraud on the government, breach of trust, and false claims by public officers, according to a news release from the commission. The men were detained for questioning at the Pris- oner Detention Centre at Fairbanks. According to the commission’s state- ment, the investigation is ongoing and no further in- formation will be released at this time. ELECTRICAL OUTAGE PLANNED FRIDAY IN WEST BAY The Caribbean Utili- ties Company has advised customers in the Mount Pleasant and The Shores areas of West Bay that they will experience a service in- terruption on Friday. The planned interruption will start around 9 a.m. and continue until 2:30 p.m. Customers in the fol- lowing areas will be im- pacted: Meadow Avenue; Brockah Close; Up the Hill Road; Coppice Lane; Glade Drive; Adonis Drive; Shore- link Terrace; Bayshore Drive; Shorescape Lane; Shorewinds Trail; Shore- view Point; Shoreline Drive; and Shoreline Circle. The utility company will have several vehicles and service people in the area on Friday, so residents and passing motorists are ad- vised to proceed with all due caution. CUC will use the interruption to facili- tate the upgrading of lines and poles to provide access for high-speed fiber to cus- tomers in the area. Concerned individuals can contact CUC’s customer service team at 949-5200 or by emailing service@cuc.ky for detailed information on the outage and the areas affected. U.S., AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR JUSTICE IN HONDURAS TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – The United States’ top diplomat and a global human rights group called on the Honduran government Monday to hold members of its security forces responsible for alleged abuses after November’s elections. State Department spokes- woman Heather Nauert said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed with Hon- duran President Juan Or- lando Hernandez the need to pursue those responsible. Her- nandez, who was re-elected to a second term in elections that opponents called fraudulent, visited Pompeo in Washington. That meeting followed Amnesty International’s re- lease of a report on the postelection protests. Amnesty said 118 people face charges related to the pro- tests, but no member of the se- curity forces has been charged in any of the 32 deaths. “The security forces em- ployed excessive force to re- press peaceful demonstra- tors, they were locked up in deplorable conditions for months and denied their right to due process and adequate defense,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty Internation- al’s Americas director. She said that by imposing harsh sentences on those ar- rested the government is trying to intimidate them against exercising their right to freedom of expression. Residents and passing motorists are advised to proceed with all due caution.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 Ensure you are up to speed with Cayman’s rapidly evolving digital economy with presentations and expert panels on Cryptocurrency, e-Government, digital IDs and the future of Cayman’s financial services. Kimpton Seafire | Resort & Spa CI$300 21 JUNE REGISTER NOW AT WWW.CYDEC.KY * Delegate pass includes full access to the conference, breakfast, lunch and a cocktail reception. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, PLANNING & INFRASTRUCTURE S YWEP Summer Youth Work Experience Programme MINISTRY OF FINANCIAL SERVICES & HOME AFFAIRS MINISTRY OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, TOURISM & TRANSPORT LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER by Cayman Enterprise City Hospital adds 3-D mammography machine SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Healthcare in the Cayman Islands has taken a signifi- cant step forward with the acquisition of a new mam- mography machine, located at the Cayman Islands Hospital. The machine, known as the Selenia Dimensions 3-D Mammography System, cost more than $500,000 and al- lows doctors to capture con- toured images in fine detail. Multiple studies have indi- cated that 3-D imaging al- lows a 10 to 30 percent in- crease in cancer detection over the old technology. The new machine went into service May 23, and med- ical professionals hope it will aid in the early detection of cancer. The Cayman Islands Hospital conducted more than 16,000 mammograms with the old machine and di- agnosed nearly 800 cases of cancer between October of 2006 and April of 2018. “Through the support of our partners, we continue to acquire state-of-the-art equipment to provide better clinical diagnosis and patient outcomes,” said Dr. Elaine Bogle-Taylor. “This is another example of the outstanding partnership forged over many years between the Health Services Authority and the Cancer Society in support of our commitment to meeting the healthcare services of our community.” The first mammography machine arrived at Cayman Islands Hospital in 2006 thanks to a fund drive spon- sored by a number of local charities. An early pioneer, Women Helping Women, was founded in 1982, and four years later, it evolved into an entity called the Cancer Support Group. That charity in turn de- veloped into the Cayman Is- lands Cancer Society in 1988. Women routinely had to leave the island for mammo- grams back in the 1980s and ’90s, and a large fundraising drive was put into operation to bring the Cayman Islands Hospital its first mammog- raphy machine in 2005. The Cayman Islands Cancer Society started the fundraising with a donation of $100,000 from a variety of events, and a total of 74 do- nors helped to make the pur- chase possible. The machine arrived in October of 2006, and the Health Services Au- thority set aside a percentage of fees from every mammo- gram it performed into a fund designed to support pur- chases of future technology. That philanthropy and foresight allowed the hos- pital to purchase a digital microscope that allowed doctors to quickly access electronic images. Another key purchase was a suros vacuum stereotactic attach- ment that enabled doctors to make smaller incisions when performing biopsies. The fund – along with contributions from The Ritz- Carlton, Jacques Scott and 100 Men Who Give a Damn – helped secure the neces- sary support to purchase the new machine. “The Health Services Au- thority is very grateful to all those who contributed to the initiatives that led to the pur- chase of the previous digital mammogram machine. And we’re extremely excited about the new … mammography machine,” said Lizzette Year- wood, chief executive officer of the Health Services Authority. “The Cancer Society and the HSA have been partners in the fight against cancer for a long time,” said Guy Man- ning, chairman of the Cancer Society Board of Directors. “We know the public hos- pital needs support to en- sure high quality care acces- sible to all people in Cayman. We are extremely pleased to have partnered with the HSA in bringing this technology to the Cayman Islands, be- cause it will improve breast cancer detection and provide patients who are diagnosed early with optimal outcomes.” Physicians can access ex- ceptionally sharp images with the new machine, which should allow them to see le- sions more clearly and to cut down on the number of unnecessary biopsies they perform. Hologic, the company that makes the machine, says it can make a highly accu- rate mammography scan in 3.7 seconds. Doctors can also access the results of a prior mammography scan and analyze it side-by-side with the new scan, making it easier to compare and con- trast any changes. Hologic also describes its new ergonomic design as the “FAST Paddle System,” which conforms to the natural con- tours of the breast for a more comfortable fit for the pa- tient. It also provides a more even compression across the entire breast when com- pared to the old two-dimen- sional scanners. “Breast tissue must be compressed in mammog- raphy examinations to re- duce radiation dose and ac- quire high quality images to aid in the diagnostic process during screening, which may be uncomfortable,” said HSA radiology manager Pamela Vaughn-Duncan of the way the new system differs from the old. “For some women, the discomfort may be such that they avoid mammo- grams altogether.” “The new 3-D mammo- gram machine is one of the most innovative technologies in breast cancer detection and the HSA is the first facility in the Cayman Islands to utilize this advanced breast cancer imaging modality,” said Dr. Delroy Jefferson, medical di- rector of the HSA. “This is the future. When we talk about saving lives, this is just an- other example of how our hospitals can save the lives of women right here at home without the need for them to travel elsewhere for clinical diagnosis and care.” Mammograms are also performed at MedLab and at CTMH/Doctors Hospital. CTMH/Doctors Hospital has performed just over 4,000 mammograms since 2015, while MedLab has conducted nearly 1,000 tests in that span. A large group of donors and medical health professionals combined their efforts to fund the new mammography machine.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. 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 findtheirownway” “Fish and visitors smell after three days.” – Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, January 1736 Since 2011, sargassum seaweed has become one of Cayman’s most faithful visitors – as reliable as the tides themselves. A few times each year, the ugly and odoriferous vegetation piles up on the beaches for all to see and smell. This time, beaches from Bodden Town to East End are being inundated with the stinky, unsightly stuff, but sargassum invasions can affect any part of Cayman’s coastline with a simple shift of the winds. Sargassum is more than a nuisance; the flotillas of flora pose a real threat to our tourism economy. In terms of public health, sargassum is harmless (even delicious to some birds and invertebrates), but try telling that to tourists whose vacations are marred by the unattractive piles, pungent with the smell of decomposing fish and tiny organisms. The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association sums up the potential economic impact of beached sar- gassum thusly: “When experienced in large, continuous amounts, sargassum poses serious threats to the tourism sector when education about sargassum is lacking and limited resources for mitigation are available. This results in lack of beach access, increased cost for consistent removal, inability to operate tours and ocean-based activi- ties near the beach shores/coastlines. In severe cases, vacation cancellations and beachfront room closures have occurred, leading to staff layoffs and reduced economic gain for the sector and communities.” There is also concern that floating mats of sar- gassum may interfere with endangered sea turtle nests, disturbing young turtles on their critical, and already hazard-filled, march to the sea. To date, the response from Cayman’s government has been anemic, relying on parks department crews, property owners and volunteers using private equip- ment to clean affected beaches. To stop an invasion, it takes an army – and a coordinated plan of counterat- tack. Removal and disposal should be carefully calcu- lated to ensure that beaches are not damaged, which creates a longer-term problem while solving the one immediately at hand. Luckily (well … unluckily) Cayman is not alone in dealing with this periodic natural disaster. In Bermuda, for example, they use heavy equipment to rake the beaches early in the morning, and then bury the sar- gassum in the sand, away from the water. The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association offers the following tips: • We can anticipate the seaweed’s arrival by following the “Sargassum weather report” – a Sargassum Early Advisory System (SEAS) developed by the researchers at Texas A&M University. • The nutrient-rich sargassum can be used as an inexpensive, sustainable source of landfill if it is buried further up the beach, helping prevent erosion. Once the salt has been leached and the material is dried, sargassum can make excellent fertilizer and compost for landscaping and gardens. • Sargassum is even edible – provided it is clean and free from contamination or inedible debris. Appar- ently, cooked with a bit of lemon juice, coconut milk or soy sauce, it can be a tasty side dish. (Lionfish and sargassum stir fry, anyone? … OK, maybe not.) The bottom line is, Cayman has no control over the arrival of this waterborne weed. But we can plan for its inevitable return, and must be prepared to meet it with a robust response. We cannot allow one obnoxious visitor to ruin the Cayman experience for everyone else. Sargassum summer: Cayman’s loyal but unpopular guest WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Defend the market economy, defund the OECD Though it gets strong competition from the Inter- national Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Eco- nomic Co-operation and De- velopment wins the prize for being the worst interna- tional bureaucracy. The Paris-based organiza- tion is infamous for pushing a statist agenda on a wide range of issues, including class-warfare taxation, en- ergy taxation, business tax- ation, value-added taxes, Keynesian spending, green energy, and government- run healthcare. And it relies on dodgy, dishonest, and misleading data when pushing big- government policies re- garding poverty, pay equity, inequality, and compara- tive economics. But what gets me most agitated is the OECD’s at- tempt, beginning in the late 1990s, to prop up decrepit welfare states by under- mining tax competition. To make matters worse, American taxpayers finance the lion’s share of the OECD’s statist agenda. Eliminating subsidies for the OECD argu- ably would be the budget cut with the greatest value per dollar saved. Which is the point of some new research from the Heri- tage Foundation. James Rob- erts and Adam Michel make a strong case that the OECD is using handouts from Amer- ican taxpayers to push policy that are contrary to U.S. in- terests. They write: “The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) … has transformed itself into a dunning agency for Euro- pean mega-welfare states that are straining to fund the generous but unsustain- able pension, healthcare, and other government programs they have over-promised to their constituents. One need only undertake a cursory ex- amination of research over the past five years to see that tax-related work by the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration and by other OECD director- ates (for example, on carbon taxes) has been focused al- most entirely on studies that buttress political argu- ments for higher taxes and implementation of more in- trusive ways to collect them …. high-taxing European members of the OECD have pushed the organization to- ward an almost obsessive research focus on interna- tional tax avoidance and eva- sion. These manifest through its base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project, and a proposed protocol amending the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Assistance in Tax Matters …. The BEPS project also complements a dispro- portionate OECD focus on income inequality … that, in the eyes of OECD’s inter- national civil servants, could be addressed best by inter- national wealth redistribu- tion schemes … The Trump Administration should con- sider whether U.S. taxpayers should continue to subsi- dize an organization that in- creasingly acts contrary to the expressed wishes of a significant number of Amer- icans, who voted into office in 2016 a government with a mandate to cut government spending and reduce taxes. It could decide to withdraw the United States completely from the OECD.” I normally would ex- claim “amen” at this point, except the folks at Heri- tage are being far too nice, writing that the White House “should consider” whether to subsidize the OECD and noting that the U.S. “could” withdraw from the Paris- based bureaucracy. I’m in no mood for diplo- matic niceties when dealing with an organization that is pervasively hostile to eco- nomic liberty. The OECD is beyond salvage. If Republi- cans had any brains (yes, I realize that the GOP is known as “the stupid party” for good reason), handouts would have ended last decade. I’ll close with an example of the OECD’s perfidy. From the moment the bu- reaucracy’s anti-tax competi- tion project began about 20 years ago, I explained that the OECD was seeking to de- stroy financial privacy so that uncompetitive governments could track capital and im- pose high tax rates on income that is saved and invested. In effect, the battle over “tax ha- vens” and “tax competition” were a proxy for whether there should be more double taxation and more extra-ter- ritorial taxation. Were my suspicions war- ranted? Well, see what the bureaucrats just wrote in a report on the taxation of household savings: “… opportunities may exist … to increase progres- sivity in the … taxation of capital income as a result of major changes to the interna- tional tax environment …. the recent move toward the auto- matic exchange of financial account information between tax administrations is likely to make it harder … for tax- payers to evade tax by hiding income and wealth offshore … This may present a par- ticular opportunity for coun- tries that previously moved away from progressive taxa- tion of capital income (due to concerns regarding such tax evasion) to reintroduce a de- gree of progressivity.” In other words, now that the OECD has succeeded in greatly weakening finan- cial privacy, the bureau- crats openly admit that the real goal was to make it possible for uncompeti- tive welfare states to im- pose higher tax burdens on saving and investment. I’m shocked, shocked. To add more insult to all the injury, the tax-loving bu- reaucrats at the OECD get tax-free salaries. Must be nice to be exempt from the bad policies they support. Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. DANIEL J. MITCHELL5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 Ready for the challenge? The 7th Annual KPMG Brain Bowl Tournament © 2018 KPMG, a Cayman Islands partnership and a member firm. Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Venue: Marriott Grand Cayman Beach Resort For more information, visit careers.kpmg.ky. This year, we are delighted to announce that we will be partnering with the Alex Panton Foundation. The organization aims to mitigate the stigma associated with mental illness by raising awareness of its effect on our youth. Students get geared up for the highly anticipated island-wide ultimate high-school challenge. For the first time in Brain Bowl history, live streaming will be available via Facebook Live so family members and friends can watch the tournament as it takes place. Premier: Caymanian population grows by 70% in 20 years BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The number of Cayma- nians living here has in- creased by 70 percent within the past two decades, with the majority of those being “new” Caymanians, Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin told a Commonwealth Parlia- mentary Association con- ference Tuesday. Mr. McLaughlin said the British Overseas Ter- ritory’s overall population had shot up over the past 20 years, going from 37,000 residents in 1997 to more than 63,000 residents by last year – an increase of more than 70 percent. During roughly that same period, the Caymanian popu- lation increased from 21,000 to 36,000 people. “The growth in the Cay- manian population came about by not so much nat- ural increase, but by immi- gration,” Mr. McLaughlin said “[Some immigrants] be- came a part of the permanent Cayman fabric.” How to manage popu- lation growth, particularly within the smaller overseas territories and British Crown Dependencies, was the focus of Tuesday morning’s ses- sion of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s regional conference, which is being hosted on Grand Cayman this year. Cayman is far from the only British territory to struggle with limited land space, housing a suc- cessful economy and re- quiring a large number of foreign workers to make that economy run properly. Speaker of the House Juan Paul Watterson from the Isle of Man noted that growing populations and a steady local economy have made the management of available land in the Crown Depen- dency one of the more con- troversial issues local law- makers must address. “Buy land, they aren’t making it anymore,” Mr. Watterson said, borrowing a quote from American au- thor Mark Twain. In the Isle of Man, foreign workers are also required to obtain work permits before becoming gainfully employed, Mr. Watterson said. However, after five years in the depen- dency, they can be granted full permission to work and voting rights as well if their work permit is maintained. In a small island with an aging working popu- lation of native residents, Speaker Watterson said it was absolutely crucial for the Isle of Man to bring in foreign workers to aid the local economy. “We do want people to come and contribute to our economy,” Mr. Watterson said. “It’s a safeguard, rather than a barrier.” Premier McLaughlin said Cayman’s importation of for- eign labor since the 1970s has created “a unique place in the Caribbean” in terms of hosting a population of more than 63,000 people which contains more than 130 dif- ferent nationalities. “Cayman is easily the most cosmopolitan country in the region,” the premier said. “You’re just as likely to hear Spanish or Tagalog spoken in the bars or on the streets these days.” Cayman’s economy has remained strong, weath- ering even such events as the 9-11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. and 2004’s devas- tating Hurricane Ivan, the premier said. However, as early as 2007, it was noted that Cayman’s infrastructure had not kept up with its bur- geoning population. Over the last decade, Cayman has worked on building schools, improving roads and reconstructing Owen Roberts International Airport – amidst a global fi- nancial crisis in 2008-2009. All of those projects are still in progress now. Figures presented to the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly late last year fol- lowing a parliamentary ques- tion asked by Bodden Town West MLA Chris Saunders in- dicated that more than 3,700 non-Caymanians had been granted Caymanian status – similar to local citizenship – since 2009. Mr. Saunders said at the time he obtained the informa- tion that he was researching grants of status and awards of permanent residence for information he would later use to update the old “Vision 2008” strategic plan, which would look ahead to Cay- man’s next 20 years. “One of the things I’m mindful of is that we’re looking at the public school population now, we’re looking at a large number of children of Caymanian status holders or PR-holders who will be entitled to receive public school education in the next five years,” he said. “Cayman is easily the most cosmopolitan country in the region. You’re just as likely to hear Spanish or Tagalog spoken in the bars or on the streets these days.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN Premier Alden McLaughlin speaks to delegates at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference Tuesday at the Marriott Beach Resort. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLERThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Some in the charitable sector question the wisdom of spending the unit’s stretched resources on hotel rooms. Tara Nielsen, of charity Acts of Random Kindness, which provides support to families in need, said in- creasing the $800-a-month rental assistance cap for needy families would be a more sensible use of funds and would mean less people needing emergency shelter for sustained periods. “Using hotel rooms like this is an expensive Band- Aid,” she said. “They are throwing money in the wrong places. If they could raise that $800 figure to around $1,100, they wouldn’t need to spend money on hotel rooms because these families would be able to find some- where to live.” The rental assistance cap was raised to $1,200 a month for a family of five in 2017, though it remains at $800 for smaller families. Ms. Nielsen said en- trenched poverty issues in parts of Grand Cayman were exacerbated by re- cent increases in the cost of living, particularly in the rental market, making it al- most impossible find apart- ments within that budget. She added that many land- lords refused to accept NAU clients, citing the fact that government frequently fails to pay rent on time. She said many of the people seeking housing as- sistance from the NAU were young single mothers who were either unable to work or did not earn enough money to cover basic living ex- penses for themselves and their children. Even when they are able to find apartments for $800 a month, she said, they were frequently unable to af- ford the deposit, which is not covered by the NAU. ARK has covered that charge for around 25 families in the past year. If the NAU paid deposits, she believes more families would be able to find apart- ments, reducing the reli- ance on hotels. Longer term, she believes a transitional housing fa- cility is needed. “This problem isn’t going away. In some cases people are living in cars or camping on beaches. There needs to be somewhere to go that isn’t so expensive. Paying for a hotel in the Cayman Islands is outrageous. “It is not just about fixing one problem; it is a series of systemic problems.” Mr. Hylton said the unit explored all other op- tions, including housing cli- ents with family members, before considering hotel accommodation. He said the NAU had raised its rent allowances for larger families in response to the increase in property prices. But he acknowledged rising rental costs were part of the problem. He said, “I believe the spike [in hotel payments be- tween 2016 and 2017] would coincide with the rise in the rental market. This may have impacted the growing need for hotel accommodations due to homelessness and cli- ents not being able to meet the increased prices.” He added that the rental allowance was not the only problem, and for some clients with particularly large fami- lies or with known mental health or social issues, it is much harder to find accom- modation. He said the unit referred them for profes- sional support when pos- sible, as well as assisting in their search for housing. “It is not just a matter of locating apartments within the set price range,” he added. Responding to the con- cerns that the NAU did not pay landlords on time, he said the unit had carried out an internal audit on late pay- ments and found this was due to a number of issues, not all within its control. He said clients often told landlords that the NAU would be paying the rent before making an appointment with the unit and without either party confirming such sup- port was approved. In other cases, he said, landlords and clients provided late or in- complete paperwork, causing delays in payments. Mr. Hylton added, “It was found that the majority of the rental payments processed by the NAU were done within a timely manner once assess- ments were completed and approved and necessary in- formation provided to pro- cess payments.” He acknowledged there were some occasions where delays were caused by in- ternal staff shortages, but suggested this situation had improved with the hiring of new staff in 2018. person who has significant influence or control over the company, through either di- rect or indirect ownership. However, this does not apply if control is solely exercised in the capacity of a manager, director or adviser. Beneficial owners of companies are required to submit their full legal name; their residential or postal address; date of birth; identification doc- uments; and when they became or ceased to be a beneficial owner of the company. There are penalties for business owners if they do not register and continue to operate after the June 30 registration deadline. In extreme cases com- panies can be struck off the companies register and the assets of the company can be vested with government, under the Companies Law. “The Registrar of Com- panies has taken a number of steps, including directly emailing business owners and airing radio public ser- vice announcements, to en- courage persons to submit their beneficial owner- ship information,” Ms. Jef- ferson-Bulgin said. “And just to remind business owners, they must register with the [Cayman Business Portal] first, be- fore they submit this in- formation. So, I encourage them to register with CBP as soon as possible, in order to meet the June 30 deadline for submitting their beneficial ownership information,” she said. To help business owners with their Cayman Busi- ness Portal registrations, General Registry will be open between 5-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thurs- days, starting Tuesday, June 19 and ending Thursday, June 28. General Registry’s offices are located on the ground floor of the Government Ad- ministration Building. it under the limit, no forms will be required. Passengers carrying $15,000 in cash or cash equivalents or who are bringing in agricultural or farming products also must make the normal declara- tions to customs. Customs Collector Charles Clifford said Tuesday that removing the bureaucratic forms for a number of trav- elers will allow customs of- ficers more time to focus on significant threats, rather than pestering visitors and residents for paperwork. “It is indicative of our in- creased focus on the more serious national security threats at our borders,” Mr. Clifford said. The change with the cus- toms declaration form was lauded by recently with- drawn Cayman Islands Gov- ernor Anwar Choudhury in what he said was part of gov- ernment’s effort to “burn or shred” bits of bureaucracy from public sector operations. “It’s much better to get rid of the form. Everybody hates the paperwork. This is a tourist destination, the last thing people want to do when they get here is fill out another form,” Mr. Choud- hury said during an inter- view with the Cayman Com- pass earlier this month. Mr. Clifford said customs officers reserve the right to examine luggage for arriving passengers if they believe the passenger “is not being honest” about his or her dec- laration. If a customs officer suspects an individual has not been truthful, the pas- senger will be given a second chance to make a full declara- tion before they are subjected to a secondary examination. “We want to underscore the fact that the onus is on the passenger to make an honest declaration,” said Deputy Customs Collector Jeff Jackson. “If we dis- cover that a passenger has not made an honest declara- tion, then we will strictly en- force our powers under the Customs Law to impose ad- ministrative procedural fines … that can amount to three times the amount of duty that a passenger would have paid, had they been honest about their declaration.” Burning papers Governor Choudhury, who was temporarily with- drawn sometime around June 12 for unspecified rea- sons, had stated his intention to “burn or shred” bureau- cratic civil service policies that seem to serve no other purpose than creating “soul- destroying” busywork for government employees and endless frustration for the people those workers are supposed to assist. “Everywhere I look, I see unnecessary bureaucracy that ties up the civil ser- vice … and delivers nothing but frustration for the cus- tomer,” Mr. Choudhury said during an interview with the Cayman Compass just before he left. “You some- times wonder why people are working so hard, and the out- come doesn’t match up.” Mr. Choudhury suggested officials take a step back to look at the larger picture and if the delays in service – whether they exist in re- ceiving swift justice or simply receiving a license plate for a car – are due to unnecessary bureaucracy, then the gov- ernment should offer a di- rect solution. “Shred or burn poli- cies or bits of bureaucracy,” he said. “Literally, burn them. We’ve just selected 20 [such policies].” Hotels a last resort for homeless families CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “This problem isn’t going away. In some cases people are living in cars or camping on beaches. There needs to be somewhere to go that isn’t so expensive. Paying for a hotel in the Cayman Islands is outrageous.” TARA NIELSEN, director, Acts of Random Kindness Passengers prepare to go through the customs checkpoint at Owen Roberts International Airport in this file photo. As of June 30, most inbound passengers will no longer have to fill out declaration forms to pass the checkpoint. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Customs form scrapped for most Cayman travelers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Business owners have until end of June to file beneficial ownership details CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Goverment Administration Building in George Town. – PHOTO: CHRIS COURTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 Tropical Storm dissipates off Mexico coast Former Tropical Storm Carlotta weakened into a remnant low off Mexico’s southwestern Pacific coast Monday night, though forecasters said its rains still posed a threat of flash flooding and mudslides on shore. Carlotta was the third named storm of the Pacific hurricane season. The Insurance Broker for all your Insurance needs Unit# 10B Cayman Falls | P.O. Box 11118 Grand Cayman KY1-1008 Tel: 345-943-2475 | Fax: 345-943-2472 Email: info@cipil.net www.cipil.net Relax You’re with us. 180406-Ad-Compass-QrtPg.indd 11/24/18 4:07:09 PM German, French leaders propose creation of Eurozone budget BERLIN (AP) – The leaders of Germany and France agreed Tuesday to create a Euro- zone budget they hope will boost investment and pro- vide a safety mechanism for the 19 nations using the euro currency, and also to seek a European solution to mi- gration issues. The announcement from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron came after a meeting in Berlin to coor- dinate the two major powers’ positions on the future of the European Union ahead of next week’s EU summit. Though Merkel had been lukewarm on Macron’s idea of a European budget, in a declaration adopted by both leaders following the meeting they said they had agreed upon a proposal to establish one aimed at “competitive- ness and convergence.” “It could finance new in- vestments and come in substitution of national spending,” they said. Merkel said the two also agreed to enhance the effec- tiveness of the European Sta- bility Mechanism, or ESM, which was established in 2012 to provide eurozone na- tions access to financial as- sistance in the event of crisis. “We are opening a new chapter,” she said. Macron said details were intentionally being kept gen- eral on the budget idea at the moment, so that other member nations would be able to have their voices heard. He said the idea is for the budget to be in place by 2021 as a “backstop to ensure financial stability.” On migration, Merkel’s in- sistence on finding common European solutions to re- ducing migrant numbers and other issues has met stiff re- sistance in her own conserva- tive bloc, leading to a show- down over the last week with her interior minister who has insisted some categories of migrants should be turned away at Germany’s borders. On Monday, a potential crisis was averted after Inte- rior Minister Horst Seehofer and his Bavaria-only Chris- tian Social Union agreed to give Merkel two weeks to make deals with other Eu- ropean countries on mi- grants – specifically after the upcoming EU summit. In their joint declaration, the leaders cautioned that “if member states started to act unilaterally, this would end up in an overall increase of migration into Europe.” Merkel told reporters she was still convinced that Eu- rope needed to work together to combat the causes of the refugee flow by helping im- prove conditions in the coun- tries of origin while at the same time increasing secu- rity at Europe’s outer bor- ders and cracking down on smugglers. “Our goal remains a Eu- ropean answer to these chal- lenges,” she said. Macron agreed to the need for “a European response to the challenge of migra- tion,” saying Europe must have “more capacity” to mon- itor its external borders but also more “solidarity mech- anisms both outside and in- side our borders” faced with migrant arrivals. France’s President Emmanuel Macron listens to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, at a press conference Tuesday after a meeting in the guest house of the German government in Meseberg north of Berlin, Germany. – PHOTO: AP BEIJING (AP) – Chinese Pres- ident Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday he hopes Pyong- yang and Washington can fully implement the outcome of last week’s nuclear summit at which Kim pledged to work toward denucleariza- tion in exchange for U.S. se- curity guarantees. State broadcaster CCTV said Xi told Kim that through the “concerted efforts of the relevant countries” negotia- tions regarding issues on the Korean Peninsula are back on track and the overall situa- tion is moving in the direc- tion of peace and stability. The summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore marked an “important step toward the political solution of the Ko- rean Peninsula nuclear issue,” Xi was quoted as saying in the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing. China hopes North Korea and the U.S. can “implement well the outcomes achieved at the summit,” Xi said. China would “as always play a con- structive role” in that pro- cess, he said. Along with a statement signed by Kim and Trump of- fering vague commitments to denuclearization and se- curity, Trump also agreed to suspend military exercises with South Korea in what was seen as a major win for North Korea and its chief al- lies, China and Russia. Kim’s two-day visit to China, which began Tuesday, had not been announced in advance but was expected as part of the Communist neighbors’ tradition to re- port to each other on major developments. The visit is Kim’s third to China since March, high- lighting China’s crucial role in efforts by the U.S. and others to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. The U.S. has long looked to China to use its influence with North Korea to bring it to negoti- ations, but the visit comes as ties between Beijing and Washington are being tested by a major trade dispute. China’s official Xinhua News Agency announced the North Korean leader’s visit shortly after he apparently landed Tuesday morning, dispensing with the secrecy shrouding previous trips to China by Kim and his father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il. On the younger Kim’s first visit to China as leader, he took an armored train as his father had. His first two trips were not announced until after he had safely returned to North Korea. Xi “is exerting a lot of influ- ence from behind the scenes,” said Bonnie Glaser, senior ad- viser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “I expect they will talk about the path going forward and where priorities should lie,” Glaser said. Those prior- ities, from China’s perspec- tive, would be to ensure that Beijing is included in any peace treaty talks and in cre- ating an environment on the Korean Peninsula that will make it unnecessary for U.S. troops to remain. Kim is likely hoping to get China’s support for relief from punishing U.N. sanctions. The visit is Kim’s third to China since March, highlighting China’s crucial role in efforts by the U.S. and others to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. China hopes for implementation of N. Korea-US summit outcome Macron said details were intentionally being kept general on the budget idea at the moment, so that other member nations would be able to have their voices heard.8 WORLD&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS My loving Grand Mom Mrs. Mary Ann Frances Ebanks-Ramoon GRAND MOM WAS MY HELP IN TIMES OF NEED. My comfort in times of loneliness. Comfort in times of sorrow. Relief in time of suffering. Guidance in times of decision. Protection in times of danger. Courage in times of fear. Peace in times of turmoil. Rest in times of weariness. Strength in times of temptation. Forgiveness in times of conviction. Jesus loves, so do we. From Richard Ramoon Strength in times of temptation.Strength in times of temptation. Forgiveness in times of conviction. Forgiveness in times of conviction. From Richard RamoonFrom Richard Ramoon Mrs. Mary Ann Frances Ebanks-Ramoon The family of the Late Helen Fleming regrets to announce her passing on Thursday, 31 May, 2018. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook Page A memorial service will be held at the William Pouchie Memorial United Church on Friday, 22 June, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Alzheimer's and Dementia Association of the Cayman Islands or Cayman HospiceCare. OPEC oil ministers gather to discuss production increase VIENNA (AP) – The oil minis- ters of the OPEC cartel were gathering Tuesday to dis- cuss this week whether to in- crease production of crude and help limit a rise in global energy prices. The officials were arriving in Vienna ahead of the of- ficial meeting Friday, when they will also confer with Russia, a non-OPEC country that since late 2016 has co- operated with the cartel to limit production. Analysts expect the group to discuss an increase in production of about 1 million barrels a day, ending the output cut agreed on in 2016. The cut has since then pushed up the price of crude oil by about 50 per- cent. The U.S. benchmark in May hit its highest level in three and half years, at $72.35 a barrel. Upon arriving, the energy minister of the United Arab Emirates, Suhail Al Maz- rouei, said: “It’s going to be hopefully a good meeting. We look forward to having this gathering with OPEC and non-OPEC.” The 14 countries in the Organization of the Pe- troleum Exporting Coun- tries make more money with higher prices, but are mindful of the fact that more expensive crude can encourage a shift to re- newable resources and hurt demand. “Consumers as well as businesses will be hoping that this week’s OPEC meeting succeeds in keeping a lid on prices, and in so doing calling a halt to a pe- riod which has seen a steady rise in fuel costs,” said Mi- chael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets U.K. The rise in the cost of oil has been a key factor in driving up consumer price inflation in major economies like the U.S. and Europe in recent months. Already U.S. President Donald Trump has called on OPEC to cut production, tweeting in April and again this month that “OPEC is at it again” by allowing oil prices to rise. Within OPEC, an in- crease in output will not af- fect all countries equally. While Saudi Arabia, the car- tel’s biggest producer, is seen to be open to a rise in production, other coun- tries cannot afford to do so. Those include Iran and Ven- ezuela, whose industries are stymied either by interna- tional sanctions or domestic turmoil. Iran is a fierce re- gional rival to Saudi Arabia, meaning the OPEC deal could also influence the geo- politics in the Middle East. PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN JOIN QUEEN AT ROYAL ASCOT LONDON (AP) – The former Meghan Markle visited Britain’s Royal Ascot for the first time Tuesday, re- ceiving a rapturous wel- come as she and Prince Harry joined Queen Eliz- abeth II for the opening day’s carriage procession. Thousands of race-goers cheered from the stands as the royal family arrived in several horse-drawn car- riages and traveled to the royal box. Harry wore a top hat and tails for the occasion, renowned for its strict dress code, while Meghan chose a white shirt dress and a matching black and white hat. The couple will present a trophy for one of the races. Earlier Tuesday, officials said Harry and Meghan will make their first official trip abroad to Ireland next month. Kensington Palace said that the royal couple will travel to Dublin for two days starting on July 10. The palace said Harry and his wife, now formally known as the Duchess of Sussex, are looking forward to learning more about Ire- land’s history and meeting people shaping its future. The couple married in May, and has carried out several royal engage- ments since then. The royal couple has also announced plans to make an official trip to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga in October. White House Mideast team holds talks with Jordanian king AMMAN, Jordan (AP) – Pres- ident Donald Trump’s se- nior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, kicked off a swing through the Middle East on Tuesday, meeting with Jordan’s king as part of a broader effort to lay the groundwork for an ex- pected Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Kushner and White House envoy Jason Green- blatt held talks with Jor- dan’s King Abdullah II, a key U.S. ally. A White House statement said the talks focused on U.S.-Jordan cooperation, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the U.S. efforts “to “facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.” U.S. officials have said their peace plan is near completion and could be re- leased this summer. But it faces resistance from the Palestinians, who have cut off ties since Trump recog- nized contested Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last De- cember and moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to the holy city last month. The Palestinians, who seek Is- raeli-annexed east Jeru- salem as their capital, ac- cuse the U.S. of siding with Israel in the most sensi- tive issue of their decades- long conflict. Kushner’s team also plans stops in Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. No talks with the Palestinians are scheduled, though the Amer- icans have left the door open to meeting with them. The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank, east Je- rusalem and Gaza Strip for an independent state. Is- rael captured the territo- ries in the 1967 Mideast war. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, and Hamas militants seized control of the terri- tory two years later. The U.S. has been trying to rally support for projects to rescue Gaza’s economy, which has been weakened by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, while continuing to isolate Hamas. The U.S., Israel and Western allies shun Hamas as a terrorist group. Details of the plan have not been released, but Pal- estinians fear they will get little more than a symbolic foothold in Jerusalem. They also fear that aid to Gaza will help strengthen Hamas’ control over the territory. Jordan also has a stake in east Jerusalem, serving as the custodian of major Muslim and Christian shrines there. Jerusalem’s walled Old City, captured and annexed by Israel in 1967, is home to Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites. Abdullah has also re- jected Trump’s moves in Je- rusalem. Israeli Prime Min- ister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to relinquish any part of the city. Netanyahu traveled to Amman on Monday for a sur- prise meeting with Abdullah, telling the king that Israel remains committed to the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem. Abdullah told Netan- yahu that the fate of Jeru- salem must be determined in Israeli-Palestinian nego- tiations, and that a solution should be based on estab- lishing a Palestinian state, with east Jerusalem as its capital, on lands Israel cap- tured in 1967. Palestinian officials fear the Trump administration plan will leave them with a mini-state in the Gaza Strip, parts of the West Bank and a foothold in Jerusalem. Pal- estinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said he will reject any plan being floated by the Trump team, arguing that the U.S. has forfeited its role as mediator because of deci- sions seen as pro-Israel. Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting in Ascot, England, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP UK HOUSE OF LORDS RENEWS BREXIT HEADACHE FOR GOVERNMENT LONDON (AP) – Britain’s House of Lords is making an- other attempt to win Parlia- ment a greater say over the country’s departure from the European Union. Parliament’s unelected upper chamber amended the government’s flagship Brexit bill on Monday so law- makers’ approval is needed before the government agrees to a final divorce deal. The lower House of Com- mons last week overturned earlier changes made by the Lords to the EU With- drawal Bill, but promised lawmakers they would get a “meaningful vote” on the U.K.-EU divorce agree- ment before Brexit occurs in March 2019. But pro-EU legislators want to be able to send the government back to the ne- gotiating table if they do not like the deal. The new Lords amend- ment will go back to the Commons Wednesday for another vote. The Palestinians, who seek Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, accuse the U.S. of siding with Israel in the most sensitive issue of their decades-long conflict. The rise in the cost of oil has been a key factor in driving up consumer price inflation in major economies like the U.S. and Europe in recent months.9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2018 Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, July 2nd, Constitution Day (Public Holiday) Constitution Day PUBLIC HOLIDAY Monday, July 2nd PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Celebrate (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday July 2 No Publication Tuesday July 3 Thursday June 28 Wednesday July 4 Friday June 29 Thursday July 5 Friday June 29 Friday July 6 Tuesday July 3 CAMBODIA ANNOUNCES $100 MILLION IN MILITARY AID FROM CHINA PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) – China has agreed to provide more than $100 million in military aid to Cambodia, a senior Cam- bodian defense official said Tuesday. Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Chhum Socheat said the aid for training, exercise and equipment was agreed upon over the weekend in a meeting between vis- iting Chinese Defense Min- ister Wei Fenghe and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh. Wei on Monday also met with Prime Min- ister Hun Sen. Wei’s five-day trip was undertaken to strengthen military ties and attend a China-Cambodia military exhibition. It concludes on Wednesday. China is Cambodia’s closest political ally and a major economic supporter, wooing it into its sphere of influence with millions of dollars in aid and invest- ment over the past decade. It has provided millions of dollars in aid and invest- ment over the past decade, granted Cambodia a tariff- free status on hundreds of trade items and written off its debt. In return, Cambodia supports China in inter- national forums, including Beijing’s ongoing dispute with Southeast Asian coun- tries in the South China Sea. The alliance with Bei- jing has allowed Hun Sen to snub Western con- cerns about human rights and corruption. In 2010, Beijing stepped in to provide Cambodia with more than 250 mil- itary vehicles after the United States earlier sus- pended a similar ship- ment when Cambodia re- patriated 20 ethnic Uighurs asylum seekers to China. In January, Cambodia and China signed nearly 20 agreements worth several billion dollars to develop the impoverished South- east Asian country’s infra- structure, agriculture and healthcare. The agreements and memorandums of un- derstanding were signed during a meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang. Philippine Supreme Court upholds expulsion of chief justice MANILA, Philippines (AP) – The Philippine Supreme Court up- held the expulsion of its chief justice, the authoritarian pres- ident’s highest-ranking critic, in a final ruling Tuesday that critics warned is unconstitu- tional and threatens judicial independence and the coun- try’s democracy. Justices voted 8-6 to up- hold their May 11 decision to oust Maria Lourdes Sereno from the 15-member high court and deny her appeal, said court spokesman Theo- dore Te. The government’s so- licitor-general had asked the court to boot Sereno out for allegedly failing to file some of her past assets disclosures in act he said damaged her integrity, a charge she denies. President Rodrigo Duterte has 90 days to appoint a replacement. Sereno blasted the govern- ment petition that led to her removal as “an abominable perversion of the rules of court” and a “total violation of the constitution.” It “has made our courts, and indeed the entire civil service, constantly vulner- able to political intimidation, and thus unable to properly dispense their duties profes- sionally and without fear,” she said in a speech at a state university. Duterte’s allies said the ruling should be respected, but opponents deplored it, with one opposition group, Tindig Pilipinas, labeling the tribunal as a “supremely er- roneous court” and threat- ening to file impeachment complaints against the jus- tices, who approved the gov- ernment petition. “Our constitution man- dates the Supreme Court to be the final arbiter of legal and constitutional questions. Let us respect its decision, no matter what our persuasions are,” said Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of the House of Rep- resentatives, which is domi- nated by Duterte’s allies. Sereno’s expulsion cut short a separate congres- sional impeachment attempt against her. She argues that the government petition, known as violates the con- stitution because it stipu- lates that justices like her can be removed only by congres- sional impeachment. Alvarez said the court ruling has “rendered moot and academic” the impeach- ment proceedings, which now have to be consigned to the archives. More than half of the 23-member Senate, how- ever, including some Duterte allies, has asked the Supreme Court to review its decision, calling the ruling a “dan- gerous precedent” that in- fringed on the constitutional power of Congress to im- peach senior officials. The 57-year-old former law professor angered Duterte after she disagreed with his efforts to take action against judges linked to illegal drugs in 2016, saying the Supreme Court should be the one to punish erring judges. Duterte, who is sensi- tive to criticisms, has said he had avoided getting involved in efforts to remove Sereno but got fed up. “So I’m putting you on no- tice that I am now your enemy. And you have to be out of the Supreme Court,” Duterte said in a speech in April. The House Justice Com- mittee said in March that there was probable cause to impeach Sereno, accusing her of corruption, breach of public trust and other serious crimes. Sereno has denied any wrongdoing, but Duterte and his officials maintained that she breached the law and should not have been designated chief justice by Duterte’s predecessor in 2012. Sereno was the first woman to head the Supreme Court and the first chief jus- tice to be forced out through a government petition. Her predecessor, Renato Corona, was impeached by the House in 2011 and became the first chief justice to be convicted in a 2012 Senate trial for failing to accurately disclose his bank deposits and properties. U.N. Rapporteur Diego Garcia-Sayan, who looks into threats to the independence of judges and lawyers world- wide, warned recently that Sereno’s expulsion from the court is an attack on judicial independence that could im- peril Philippine democracy. “If the chief justice can be easily expelled, everybody would have to dance with the same music and with that, the independence of the ju- diciary is finished and that opens the route of abuse of power,” Garcia-Sayan told The Associated Press in Manila. Duterte angrily reacted by asking Garcia-Sayan not to meddle in the country’s do- mestic affairs and told him “to go to hell.” After her removal was made final, Sereno vowed Tuesday she would be at the forefront to help lead a public movement that would seek government accountability and defend civil liberties. Coronation plans threaten Thai election schedule BANGKOK (AP) – Thailand’s prime minister said Tuesday his military government will hold elections only after a coronation ceremony for the new Thai king takes place, casting fresh doubt on prom- ises the polls will be held by February next year. The ruling junta seized power from an elected gov- ernment in May 2014 and has repeatedly pushed back promised dates for holding new polls. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told re- porters Tuesday that his gov- ernment is making prepara- tions for the coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, mentioning – apparently for the first time in public – that the election will take place only after the ceremony. No date has been set for the coronation, bringing the timing of the polls into ques- tion. Vajiralongkorn assumed the throne after the death of his father in 2016. “The most important thing that the NCPO is now consid- ering is making preparations for the royal coronation cer- emony,” Prayuth said. “Do not forget, all Thais, this is an important issue.” The NCPO is the National Council for Peace and Order, the ruling junta’s formal name. Prayuth’s mention of the election came in response to a reporter’s question whether it would take place before the coronation or not. He replied “After, of course” and “After the royal coronation” as he walked away from reporters at a Government House news briefing. Chaturon Chaisaeng, ed- ucation minister in the gov- ernment ousted by the 2014 coup, said on Tuesday that because the prime minister did not say when the coro- nation would take place, the announcement is not yet a political issue. “When the cor- onation will take place is up to his majesty’s wishes and the government because no- body knows, as of now, when that is. If it takes place soon, for example much before the election, the election will take place as normal.” “Right now everyone is waiting to hear when the coronation will take place,” Chaturon said. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha Former Philippine Chief Justice Maria Lourdes SerenoNext >