100% Butte r Croissan t made with Mix n’ Match 100% Butte r Croissan t made with Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich® Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich® 2 6 $ for * © 2022 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 28 October - 3 November 2022 Ramsay-Hale sworn in as fi rst female chief justice Page 5 Meet new health chief Dr. Nick Gent Page 6 Cruise numbers to halve in next 2 years Page 20 Battle for the beach Unlicensed vendors vie for tourist trade Pages 24-26 Photo: Taneos Ramsay Ramsay-Hale sworn in as fi rst female chief justice Meet new health chief Dr. Nick GentSilent Witness marchers take to street Members of the community once again silently marched through George Town, letting their signs do the talking to raise awareness of the issue of domestic violence. The annual Silent Witness March, held Tuesday, 25 Oct., is organised in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year’s event also was dedicated to bringing attention to the problem of bullying. Among those taking part in the 22nd annual march were members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club, the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, the Gender Affairs Unit and Colours Caribbean. Last year, there were over 1,700 domestic violence referrals in Cayman, according to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service crime stats. Governor Martyn Roper, in a statement on his Facebook page following the march, said, “We must do more as a community to prevent [domestic violence]. We also need to raise awareness of all the support available e.g. from our excellent Crisis Centre.” Taste of Cayman to return next May After a COVID-enforced hiatus, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association has announced that Taste of Cayman will be held on 13 May 2023. Jay Ehrhart, executive director of CITA, said from the very first ‘Chili Cook Off’ event in 1986, Taste of Cayman, which is a major fundraiser for the association, has continued to grow and is now firmly a Cayman institution. “We know the disappointment from both residents and visitors when we were forced to cancel the last planned event in 2020 but are delighted to announce we are bringing it back in 2023. We are looking forward to working with our restaurant partners again. Attendees can look forward to old favourites and some new surprises planned for next year,” he said. Troy Leacock, newly elected president of CITA, said, “It’s important that the community comes out to have fun and support the event, which will allow CITA to continue to support a still recovering sector. Taste of Cayman will be held on Festival Green at Camana Bay, 10 years after the event was first held at this location. UCCI names new president The board of governors of the University College of the Cayman Islands has appointed Robert Robertson, US academic and former president of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, as the college’s new president. He replaces Stacy McAfee, who stepped down as president and CEO at the end of 2021 after her three-year contract was not renewed. Since then, provost and vice president of academic affairs J.D. Mosley-Matchett has been the acting president. Chairman Gilbert Mclean announced the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, saying the board had conducted “a thorough local, regional and international search to secure the candidate best suited to lead UCCI to the next level”. He added, “We are pleased to have Dr Robertson join UCCI as we continue to build a globally competitive academic institution.” According to a brief biography of the new president included in the announcement, Robertson holds dual citizenship as a Canadian and American, and is based in Tampa, Florida. It noted, “He has more than twenty-five years of experience leading award-winning organizations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.” Robertson has served as a business faculty member, MBA director, dean of business, vice president of academic affairs and, most recently, as the first president of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (2016-2022) in Nassau, Bahamas. First arrest made under new drink-drive limit A 38-year-old driver was arrested after registering more than three times the new blood- alcohol limit of 0.07%. The man was the first person stopped under the new limit which had just come into effect two days earlier, on 20 Oct. Police said the man returned a reading of 0.232% – more than three times the limit, which had been reduced from 0.1%. A spokesperson for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said the man was arrested after he “was observed driving erratically”. The RCIPS said that, with the new legislation now in effect, police will "continue to increase our targeted traffic enforcement over the coming weeks, as we approach the festive season”. They added, “We continue to advise the public never to drive while under the influence of alcohol.” Although the DUI limits have been reduced, the penalties remain the same. Upon conviction, a person will lose their licence for one year for the first offence. Temporary one-way system for Seafarers Way Over the next two weeks, a one-way traffic system will operate along Seafarers Way in George Town, while work on the first phase of the capital’s revitalisation project nears completion. Seafarers Way, between Fort Street and Goring Avenue, will only be open to one-way traffic from 4pm Thursday, 27 Oct., until 4pm Thursday, 10 Nov. From 4pm until 7pm during this period, the road will be open to southbound traffic, and from 7pm to 4pm, it will be open to northbound vehicles. Local access will still be available. And large trucks and container trailers travelling north will be rerouted at Memorial Avenue to help mitigate congestion, a government statement noted. The lane is being closed while Seafarers Way is readied for “final enhancement work”, as the George Town Revitalisation Initiative’s Central Business District Enhancement Phase One Project nears completion. That work includes the pedestrianisation of a part of Cardinall Avenue, which is expected to be completed by the end of November. Meanwhile, police have advised that they may close another section of Seafarers Way during the evening over the Halloween weekend, depending on the size of crowds visiting the Nightmare Haunted House at the Sandbar, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. The RCIPS said its officers will monitor the area each evening and may close Seafarers Way between Fort Street and Mary Street to vehicles after 7pm “if deemed necessary to facilitate the safe movement of pedestrians and attendees”. The roadway would reopen at 11pm. Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $9.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. PONNIYIN SELVAN: I (PG) (FRI) 6:30 (SUN) 6:30 (SAT) 3:50 | 6:20 (MON-THURS) 6:30 PREY FOR THE DEVIL(PG-13) (FRI) 10:10 | 10:15 VIP (SAT) 2:20 | 10:10 | 10:15 VIP (SUN) 7:30 | 10:00 | 10:15 VIP (MON-WED) 10:10 | 10:15 VIP (THURS) 10:10 | 10:30 VIP TICKET TO PARADISE (PG-13) (FRI) 4:20 | 10:15 (SAT) 1:10 | 4:20 | 7:25 VIP | 10:15 (SUN) 4:20 | 7:15 | 7:25 VIP | 9:50 (MON) 4:20 | 7:25 VIP | 10:15 (TUES) 4:20 | 10:15 (WED) 4:20 | 7:25 VIP | 10:15 (THURS) 4:20 | 10:15 WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK BLACK ADAM (PG-13) (FRI) 3:30 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 (SAT) 12:30 | 1:00 VIP | 3:30 | 4:00 VIP | 6:30 | 7:00 VIP | 9:30 | 10:00 VIP (SUN) 3:30 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 VIP | 10:10 (MON) 3:30 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 (TUES) 3:30 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:50 (WED) 3:30 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 (THURS) 3:30 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 7:30 | 9:30 | 10:10 LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE (PG) (FRI) 3:40 | 4:30 VIP (SAT) 11:45 | 1:45 VIP | 3:40 | 4:30 VIP (SUN) 3:40 | 4:30 VIP (MON-THURS) 3:40 | 4:30 VIP MID-CENTURY (R) (FRI) 4:40 | 7:15 | 9:50 (SAT) 4:40 | 7:15 | 9:50 (MON & TUES) 4:40 | 7:15 | 9:50 (WED) 7:15 | 9:50 (THURS) 4:40 | 7:15 | 9:50 TÁR (FRI) 6:50 (SAT) 12:55 | 6:50 | 3:50 | 6:20 (MON-THURS) 6:50 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted (MON-THURS) 6:50 KIDS CLUB FINDING NEMO SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (PG) For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted KIDS CLUB HOCUS POCUS SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (PG) For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted CLASSICS THURSDAY 7PM VIP (PG-13) For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted SKYFALL TUESDAY 7PM VIP (PG-13) CLASSICS QUANTUM OF SOLACE FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES BUSINESS EDITOR MICHAEL KLEIN ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER LIVING EDITOR VICKI WHEATON HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 20% chance of showers. SEA STATE Smooth with a wave height of fewer than 2 feet. WINDS Light and variable. 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW Participants on the road for the 22nd annual Silent Witness March on Tuesday, 25 Oct. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay news in brief cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 20221234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 German operatic composer (5) 4 Remarkably typical (7) 8 Fifth sign of zodiac (3) 9 Listen very attentively (2,3,4) 10 With a side-glance (7) 11 Ransack with intent to steal (5) 13 To free from an obligation (6) 15 Swordsman (6) 18 Burdened (5) 19 Discourteous (7) 21 Sudden bright idea (9) 23 Be situated (3) 24 In quite general terms (7) 25 Bit (5) DOWN 1 Happiness (7) 2 Stupid person (9) 3 Bird of thrush family (5) 4 Insane (6) 5 Free (2,5) 6 Watering place (3) 7 Exclusive social class (5) 12 Apparent worth (4,5) 14 Act of self-punishment (7) 16 Mitigate (7) 17 Feeling nausea (6) 18 Classify (5) 20 Gained at little cost (5) 22 Trouble (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17147 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 17147 ACROSS: 1 Weber, 4 Classic, 8 Leo, 9 Be all ears, 10 Askance, 11 Rifle, 13 Exempt, 15 Fencer, 18 Laden, 19 Uncivil, 21 Brainwave, 23 Lie, 24 Loosely, 25 Piece. DOWN: 1 Welfare, 2 Blockhead, 3 Robin, 4 Crazed, 5 At large, 6 Spa, 7 Caste, 12 Face value, 14 Penance, 16 Relieve, 17 Queasy, 18 Label, 20 Cheap, 22 Ado. pic of the week This Grand Cayman woodpecker, a form of the West Indian bird, is focused on feeding on some ackee in a tree in Caskwell Drive, Savannah. The bird was so intent on its lunch that Compass journalist Seaford Russell Jr was able to approach near enough without scaring it away, to get this up-close-and-personal shot. Pecking away Regarding Deputy Premier Chris Saunders floating a 30-storey building policy – not a good idea given hurricanes and massive destruction of housing and land in the islands. It took many years for Cayman to recover after Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Paloma (2008). What will happen if another devastating storm levels tall buildings built inland – hotels, apartment buildings, housing for tourists and Caymanians? The Dart Group wanted to build an ‘iconic tower’ on Grand Cayman, like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Thumbs down on the deputy premier’s attempt to change building heights in future development of Grand Cayman (and the Sister Islands). Nan Socolow Historic day as Ramsay- Hale becomes Cayman’s first female chief justice Congratulations, Madam CJ Ramsay-Hale. You have pioneered the legal carousel here for many years and have, so many times over, been the ‘difference’ persons before the courts needed. The Cayman Islands are fortunate to have you. – Patricia Bryan Finally – A GREAT decision for Cayman! We are lucky and thankful to have you! All the best, ma’am! – Linda Mary McPeek Congratulations to Ms Ramsay-Hale. You have proven over the years that you are a hardworking lady and a person of great intelligence. All the best, well deserved. God bless. – Judyann Morgan Congratulations Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale. You have served our islands with distinction. This position could not have gone to a better person. You have inspired hope in the hearts of our young women. – Sangela Gibson-Wilson Cruise passengers visiting Cayman to halve by 2024 Less opportunities for cruise ships to tear out our reefs and pollute our waters. I know this will still be a hard hit to a lot of industries but we cannot support the building of a berthing dock in the Cayman Islands! – Nicole Farrington Excellent. As it should be. These new mega ships are far too large for nearly all ports of call. – Bill Horton Best news ever. Concentrate on stayover visitors who contribute far more to the local economy. – Dot Hislop Good! Those of us who’ve come to Cayman for decades are tired of the island selling its soul for cruise ships. – Brandon Kurtz I feel so very fortunate that as a young lad I’ve visited for the first time the Cayman Islands. I stood on Seven Mile Beach near where the Holiday Inn used to be. You could look north and south; it was all beach. The government of the Cayman Islands sold its soul to the devil. – Kevin Althage What the majority have wanted and hoped for, but successive governments were too weak to implement themselves. Let’s hope it happens. And that the Carnival ships, large and small, evaporate completely. – Danny Roach Yay! Less aggravation for the long-term visitors and especially less damage to the waters around Cayman! – Julie Bell Hansel So I am on a cruise right now that stopped in Cayman. Tendering was a breeze; absolutely no issues. The issue was the port itself. What they need to make it more of a pleasant experience is shade! The main complaint from passengers returning to the ship – very hot, no shade and very expensive (especially the taxis). – Penny Bird What many people fail to realise is that many cruise passengers fall in love with the island and then come back to stay over. I know many people who have discovered Cayman this way, and are now yearly stayover guests. – Justin Harrison I mean... who wants to go on a cruise these days? It’s an 200,000-tonne petri dish. – Tim Woloshyn No need for 30-storey buildings What they’re saying Online Letters to the editor cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Margaret Ramsay-Hale has been sworn in as Cayman’s fi rst female chief justice. Clothed in her late father’s barrister robes, Ramsay-Hale was sworn in on Tuesday, 25 Oct., witnessed by Cayman’s political leaders, her fellow judges, the wider legal fraternity, and scores of viewers online. Her appointment runs through 11 Oct. 2031. Historically, chief justices have been sworn in behind closed doors in the governor’s offi ce. However, one of her fi rst acts as the new judicial head was to take a different approach. “For me it was very important, symbolically, to be sworn in, in the public view; this is where we work,” said Ramsay-Hale, as the normally stoic judge began a tear-fi lled address thanking her supporters and those who have inspired her along her career. Her legal tenure spans 35 years, the majority of which has been on Cayman’s benches in its Summary and Grand Courts. She fi rst arrived in Cayman in September 1998, where she was appointed as a magistrate by Smellie, who had become chief justice in June the same year. ‘Not her fi rst rodeo’ Her three-and-a-half-decade career has seen Ramsay-Hale working in Jamaica, Cayman and the Turks and Caicos Islands. In Cayman, she has worked as a magistrate, chief magistrate, Grand Court judge and now chief justice. Her legal counterparts have hailed her as champion of defendants suffering from mental-health issues or drug addiction, as well as juvenile offenders, who have found themselves before Cayman’s courts. Prior to her most recent appointment, she also made history when she became the Turks and Caicos Islands’ fi rst female chief justice in 2014. “This is not her fi rst rodeo,” said now former Chief Justice Smellie. “She already made history upon becoming the fi rst lady chief justice for the Turks and Caicos Islands. So, what we will witness today is a remarkable and historical double fi rst, a second appointment as the fi rst lady chief justice for two different jurisdictions.” Becoming a court of excellence As for her ambitions for Cayman’s courts, Ramsay-Hale announced plans for “becoming a court of excellence” by improving overall effi ciency across all aspects of the Judicial Administration. “In my tenure as chief justice, the goal of the Cayman Islands judiciary will be to establish a blueprint for court excellence,” she said. “We will be adopting the international framework for court excellence which is in brief a quality management system to help courts improve their performance.” The framework is said to have been the result of a consortium comprised of legal organisations from Europe, Asia and the United States. “The idea of achieving excellence through adopting performance standards and applying performance measures is not new,” she said. “This is evidence-based work that we are about to embark on which we hope will be transformative in terms... of the service we deliver to the public and other court users.” Although Ramsay-Hale said more information would be forthcoming at the Grand Court opening in July, she did hint at building on Smellie’s mission to make justice more accessible. One such change, she said, would be installing internet-enabled kiosks in public libraries to allow people to scan and upload legal documents. In closing, she repeated her oath to serve the people of Cayman and thanked them for their acceptance of her appointment. “The public response to my appointment has been nothing short of extraordinary. It has been warm, it has resonated with confi dence,” she said. “The only thing that I hope is that I do not disappoint.” Ramsay-Hale becomes Cayman’s fi rst female chief justice Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale is sworn in by Governor Martyn Roper on Tuesday, 25 Oct. – Photos: Taneos Ramsay Newly sworn-in Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale, fl anked by fellow senior judges, from left, Justice Richard Williams, former Chief Justice Sir Anthony Smellie, Justice Ian Kawaley and Justice David Doyle. cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022 5 cayman compasscayman compasscayman N news 5RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The resume of new Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Gent reads more like something out of a spy novel than that of a public health advocate. Over his decades of medical experience, he has dealt with everything from espionage- linked assassinations to advising on bio-weapons and Ebola. However, the international public health expert says he remains grounded through his love of books, music, his family and his 2-year-old granddaughter Sophie. Gent formally assumed the post of Cayman’s top health expert on 10 Oct. and since then he has been getting the lay of the land with the aim of drawing on his specialised skillset to prepare local healthcare professionals for the changing world of modern public health. “I see, [as] the chief medical officer, you are the senior public health person, and public health is a very, very ‘broad church’. Wherever there’s something that can be done to improve the health of the population... whether that’s avoiding disease, whether it’s improving the quality of life, if it’s improving the length of life... they are of interest to public health,” Gent said, when he appeared on the 19 Oct. episode of the Cayman Compass Facebook talkshow ‘The Resh Hour’. From lifesaver to life preserver Gent’s 30-year career has been wide and varied, ranging from a practising physician to a public health expert working extensively on analysing, responding and preventing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats in the UK and around the world. He recalled how his view of life changed somewhat with the assassination of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. Litvinenko, who was working with MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210, which was believed to have been administered in a cup of tea. Having worked on that case, Gent said, he has been operating at a level of preparedness and strategising how to prevent such attacks. “I’m... paid to think about people doing unthinkable things to [other] people,” he said, adding that, in that world, “you live a life of, essentially, distrust which is not who I am”. Gent also worked on the Salisbury poisonings in the UK which prompted a national emergency when former Russian agent Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and a police officer, Nick Bailey, were exposed to military- grade nerve agent Novichok in 2018. It had been smeared on Skripal’s front door knob. “That was a very unusual experience, clearly tragic in the case of the one person who died and life-changing for all the other people who were severely poisoned, but also traumatic to a whole community... there’s a sort of existential nature... somebody has come and used a chemical weapon in my town,” he said. In both the Skripal and Litvinenko incidents, the UK government raised its public threat level to a red alert. Preparation is critical Gent said while he hopes he does not have to use those skills nor his experience with highly infectious diseases here in Cayman, the reality is anything is possible, which is why preparation is critical. He explained that he has experience in managing “high- consequence infectious diseases” and the various associated public health responses. “I’ve got all that experience of working around issues of ionizing radiation threats,” he said, explaining it is used “in the civilian world. We use it for diagnostic purposes and I think it’s quite possible that we will be having therapeutic use of ionizing radiation on island in the future, and that brings a new set of safety concerns. So being able to talk and understand those kinds of threats, I do not think is going to be a loss to Cayman,” he said. As he settles into his role, Gent said he has identified some priority areas, such as strengthening the local epidemiology services, knowing the state of health of the population, and “being able to monitor it and being able to see that we are improving it”. “We need some hard objective measures as to people’s fitness, the likelihood that they are going to develop illnesses during the course of their life because of their lifestyles. We need to be able to monitor them for acute incidents, so things like the notifiable infectious diseases that can get really, really slick,” he said. He said he is also very interested to see how the population’s mental health and welfare “stood up to COVID” and with life getting back to normal, how well people bounce back with their mental health. East Lancashire lad with a family of doctors Gent, who was awarded a Commander of the British Empire in 2018 for his work in public health, grew up in Bolton, East Lancashire. During his first term at the University of Liverpool, where he was studying medicine, he met his wife Diane, who is a general practitioner. “We’ve been together, oh, too long to count now,” he said laughing, adding that they are “very, very happy, very good”. He said they moved to the Lake District and lived in Grange- over-Sands where they bought an abandoned hotel they converted into their family home to raise their sons Oliver and David. Though he said he is missing the hills already, Gent, who is accustomed to a seaside life from Grange-over-Sands, said he is enjoying swimming in Cayman’s pristine waters which has been wonderful especially since he “wasn’t stood huddled in front of a fire after”. Though this is his first time in the Cayman Islands, Gent said his son Oliver, a wealth manager in London, has visited before and has been preparing him for this new turn in his career. His son David, he said, followed in the “family business” and is also a doctor. Gent helped support UK Overseas Territories, like the Cayman Islands, with various elements of specialist advice during the COVID outbreak. “I was head at the mathematical modelling side of things – so a lot of the modelling and intervention, planning stuff, and also quite a lot to do with vaccines. So I’ve been on many calls with Cayman,” he said, adding that had he known he would end up here, he would have worn a tie on one of his calls with Cabinet. He recalled that during that particular meeting, he was wearing a “tatty T-shirt”; now he says he wishes he had worn a tie. Gent commenced his new role in Cayman a week later than planned as he had a kidney infection, during which he was hospitalised at the same facility he worked at when he was a young doctor. Dr. Nick Gent, with his wife Diane and their sons, David and Oliver, in 2018, when he received his Commander of the British Empire award at Buckingham Palace. - Photo: Westmoreland Gazette Dr. Nick Gent, Cayman's new chief medical officer. Assassinations, outbreaks and red alerts Cayman’s new chief medical officer looks back at a career steeped in public health threats Grew up in East Lancashire Married to Dr. Diane Gent and father of two sons – David and Oliver. Grandfather of one, Sophie Gent, 2 PREVIOUS POST: Senior medical adviser/consultant in public health with the UK Health Security Agency EXPERIENCE: 20 years in the field of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, and the management of major incidents and severe public health threats Dr. Nick Gent Fast Facts Member of the World Health Organization roster of experts as an adviser on public health in radiation emergencies, public health security including bio-weapons, and risk assessment AWARDS: Recipient of the UK Faculty of Public Health’s Alwyn Smith Prize for his outstanding contribution to the health of the public (2015) West Africa Medal for his services in Sierra Leone during the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to health protection in 2018 cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022 Interview: Dr. Nick GentNORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@cmpassmedia.ky Legislation to enable the establishment of a national identity card system is expected to be debated by members of Parliament in December. Tamara Ebanks, acting chief officer in the Ministry of Investment, Innovation and Social Development, told the Public Accounts Committee last week that the ministry was on track to present the draft legislation to Parliament by the year-end target. The next meeting of Parliament is expected to be in December. Ebanks gave a brief update on the progress of the national ID scheme to the members of the Public Accounts Committee, which was discussing an Office of the Auditor General’s report into the government’s online services. PAC chairman Roy McTaggart, noting that while the primary legislation is a critical element in setting up a national identity system, queried if the necessary back-end for the system would be ready once the bill is passed. Eric Bush, chief officer in the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, who was the previous chief officer in the Ministry of Innovation, assured the chairman that the necessary software had been procured within the last year, and work was well advanced on the system - which will include a digital ID card. “The company that won the public bid is a company that is well versed in national IDs. This is their business,” he said. French tech firm SELP SAS, which specialises in smart cards and related solutions, won the bid and is creating the national ID cards. Timeline to be determined Asked when the public could expect the implementation of the national identity system once the legislation is passed, Ebanks said she would supply the committee later with a timeline for the commencement of operation. In her report on government’s online services, Auditor General Sue Winspear noted that the introduction of a national ID for citizens of the Cayman Islands and users of the e-government platform was cited back in 2015 as a requirement for the successful completion of an e-government strategy. “The project to develop a national ID programme has taken longer than expected due to other priorities,” Winspear noted. She added that the national ID programme is now “at an advanced stage, but it requires primary legislation before it can be implemented”, noting that her office has been informed that the legislation has been drafted and is almost ready to be issued for consultation. She stated in her report, completed in June, that the bill for the enabling legislation was expected to be tabled in the Parliament later in 2022. According to the request for proposals issued last year, the national digital ID will be a physical photo identification card with a chip and two digital certificates for the purposes of secure authentication of the individual’s identity and a qualified electronic signature. It noted that printed on the physical card would be the holder’s name, date of birth, national ID number, photo and signature, and the expiry date of the card. That information, as well as additional data, would also be stored digitally on the card’s chip, could be read by a chip reader. The back of the card would have a QR code and possibly a bar code. The intention is that the card can be used for identification and electronic signature purposes by members of the public accessing businesses in the private sector and government entities. The request for proposals noted that the “National eID is intended to become the primary form of government issued photo ID for everyday use locally within the Cayman Islands”, and that it may possibly replace the Cayman Islands voter identification card. It would not replace driver’s licences, which are currently used as one of the main sources of ID on island. A draft of Cayman’s proposed national ID card, featuring the director of the e-Government Unit, Ian Tibbetts. Parliament expected to consider national ID card bill in December cayman compass 7 news N news FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky Government has announced a three-month extension of its Electricity Assistance Programme until December. The programme aims to help residents manage the current period of unusually high fuel costs by capping electricity charges for consumers at $0.15 per kWh. The initial scheme ran for three months from July until September. Government will contribute up to $0.05 per kWh for eligible residential customers who have a monthly energy consumption between 101 and 2,000 kWh. Any fuel factor costs exceeding $0.20 per kWh will be covered by CUC’s Fuel Factor Relief programme that runs concurrently with government’s EAP until the end of the year. Unlike the government scheme, CUC’s new initiative is also available to commercial customers and applicable to all levels of consumption. The cap of $0.20 per kWh includes all line items that make up the fuel factor, including fuel cost, fuel duty and the renewable energy charge. The initial scheme ran for three months, from July until September. Gov’t extends electricity relief through December However, CUC will recover the cost of its fuel relief programme over a one-year period starting in 2023. In a press release, CUC said the fuel costs for electricity consumption in October have been the highest so far for the year but they are expected to decrease from November. The utility’s fuel cost to generate electricity has almost doubled from $0.128 per kWh in January to $0.236 in October. Government’s assistance scheme can save households up to $100 on their monthly energy bills depending on the level of consumption. Premier Wayne Panton said government will prepare for further price increases and help families reduce one of the biggest household expense items. “Around the world, the soaring cost of living is being driven in part by the cost of fuel, and the resulting cost of energy,” he said. The direct subsidy “will help blunt the impact of the sharp increases in utility bills, providing much-needed relief for those who need it,” he added. Although fuel costs are expected to plateau in the coming winter months, fuel costs remain relatively high when compared to a year ago, he added. “This means that even though consumption should be going down because it is cooler, bills may remain relatively high for most households.” Between July and September, 22,000 households across Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman accessed the government’s relief programme. This represented about 80% of residential customers, who saved on average $66.20 on their monthly utility bills. CUC said the cost savings from the two schemes will vary based on consumption. “CUC is committed to providing ongoing support to its customers through these difficult times and it was important that we seek approval from OfReg to provide fuel factor relief at this time,” CUC president and CEO Richard Hew said. “This will ease the burden on residents and businesses at a time when they need it most. Global events continue to negatively impact local businesses and the cost of living, not only in the Cayman Islands but around the world. As a company we are committed to doing what we can to assist our customers during these tough times while at the same time taking steps to remain a reliable and financially viable operation,” he added. cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022Next >