© 2023 Burger King Corporation. Fiery Jalapeño Cheese Extra Long Fiery Jalapeño Cheese cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 23-29 June 2023 In photos: King’s Birthday celebrations Pages 15-17 Vin Diesel praises Flowers Sea Swim Pages 26-27 Fighting the grey D-Day in Paris as Cayman battles to get off money-laundering grey list Pages 20-22 Photo: Taneos Ramsay $6 minimum pay ‘a starvation wage’, review chief says Page 5 Vin Diesel praises Flowers Sea Swim Pages 26-27Matinees (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. 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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 weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of showers. SEA STATE Slight with a wave height of 1 to 3 feet. WINDS South to southeast at 5 to 10 knots. 88°F HIGH 76°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES news in brief Arch, Watler awarded MBEs in King’s Birthday Honours King Charles III has named two Caymanians, Garth Arch and James Watler, as recipients of MBE awards in his first King’s Birthday Honours list. Arch, chairman of the Children and Youth Services Foundation of the Cayman Islands and managing director of construction firm Arch and Godfrey, is being made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to business, commerce and the community in Cayman. Watler, a retired civil servant who was president of the Civil Service Association for 10 years, has been made an MBE for his public service and for his services to education in the Cayman Islands. Governor Jane Owen said in a statement, “My congratulations to the two members of the Cayman community who have been made Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in His Majesty The King’s first Birthday Honours list for outstanding services to the Cayman Islands. “I send my warmest congratulations to both Mr Garth Arch and Mr James Watler on their awards.” (See page 15 for more birthday honours.) Woman charged for making fake robbery report A George Town woman is facing charges after calling in a fake robbery report last year to help people evade police. Police, in a 21 June statement, said the woman was formally charged with making a false report contrary to the Police Act. She is expected to appear in court on 24 July and, if convicted, is liable to a fine of $3,000 or imprisonment for one year. The charge relates to an incident on 20 Dec. 2022, where the woman is accused of making a 911 call to report of a robbery which had not taken place. Police said it is believed that the false report was made so she could help other individuals evade officers. “The RCIPS is reminding the public that it is an offense to make a false report to the police, or to assist persons in evading police pursuit or arrest. Any such activity will be investigated fully by the RCIPS, with a view to prosecuting the persons involved,” police said in a statement. Man charged in robbery of Scotiabank customer A 27-year-old George Town man has been charged with robbery, attempted robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm with intent to commit robbery. All charges relate to the armed robbery of a Scotiabank customer at the branch on Crewe Road on 16 June. Police reported that two men, one armed with a handgun, entered the bank at 11:10am, approached a customer at the ATM and demanded money. They escaped from the location on bicycles in the direction of South Sound with a “quantity of cash”. A member of the public that witnessed the offenders flee the bank, pursued them in his vehicle to Old Crewe Road, where he “intercepted” one of the men, police said. The police did not expand on the circumstances of the ‘interception’. Both offenders then fled on foot into a bush area beside the road with officers in pursuit. One of the men was apprehended and arrested. The robbery is the latest in a spate of armed hold-ups that have occurred in Grand Cayman over recent months. Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of the second man, who saw the incident take place or who witnessed suspicious activities in the area can call 911 to make a report. Prosecutors call for jail term in death by dangerous driving case Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of up to 10 years for Jordan Telford, the driver who was involved in a 2021 collision in West Bay that killed biker Shemaiah Grant. Telford, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving in March after several months of delays due to outstanding crash scene reports. Grant, 31, was struck and killed while riding a motorcycle along North West Point Road, near Coral Gables, shortly after 8:30pm on 2 May 2021. “All reasonable inference was that Mr. Telford was using his mobile phone at the time of the collision,” said prosecutor Kenneth Ferguson while making sentencing submissions on Friday, 16 June. According to Ferguson, government CCTV footage showed Telford leaving the Macabuca restaurant and bar on North West Point Road, at approximately 8:26pm after having been drinking for an hour. “WhatsApp messages downloaded from his phone shows that at 8:27pm he sent a message to his girlfriend saying ‘I’m coming’, then at 8:28pm he sent another message with ‘??’” said Ferguson. “36 seconds later, he was recorded calling 911 to report the accident.” The court heard that 16 days prior to the accident, Telford was convicted of a separate incident of using a mobile phone while driving. Telford’s traffic convictions also include several speeding incidents and one charge of driving without insurance. “The CCTV footage shows while driving along North West Point Road, he straddled the centre lane line several times. This was as a result of gross and flagrant disregard for the road rules and vulnerable road users, such as a motorcyclist,” said Ferguson. According to the prosecution, at the time of the accident Telford returned a blood-alcohol content reading of 0.07, which was below the then legal limit of 0.100. James Watler Garth Arch A sign marking the spot where Shemaiah Grant was killed on North West Point Road in West Bay urges motorists to drive safely. – Photo: File cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023[ fundbank.com ] DMS Bank & Trust is now FundBank FundBank Trust beyond limits As the needs of the alternative asset management industry are changing, so have the requirements for banking relationships. 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Discover our new brand at FundBank.com cayman compass 3 WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 20231234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Ascend (5) 4 Interrupt (7) 8 False show (3) 9 To a disgusting extent (2,7) 10 Slight footing (7) 11 Extravagantly showy (5) 13 Rough with small waves (6) 15 Systematic procedure (6) 18 Betrayer of a friend (5) 19 Mythical half-man half-horse (7) 21 Cleverly amusing remark (9) 23 Confer nickname upon (3) 24 Permission to act (7) 25 Creator of Robinson Crusoe (5) DOWN 1 Utterly confused (7) 2 Favourably disposed (2,3,4) 3 Shout of approval (5) 4 Strip bare (6) 5 Curl up comfortably (7) 6 Exploit for one’s own ends (3) 7 Having uneven surface (5) 12 Without precedent (7-2) 14 Outburst of anger (7) 16 Hard-wearing (7) 17 Energetic (6) 18 Precious stone (5) 20 Wanderer (5) 22 Habitual facial twitch (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17351 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 17351 ACROSS: 1 Climb, 4 Disturb, 8 Act, 9 Ad nauseam, 10 Toehold, 11 Gaudy, 13 Choppy, 15 Method, 18 Judas, 19 Centaur, 21 Witticism, 23 Dub, 24 Licence, 25 Defoe. DOWN: 1 Chaotic, 2 In the mood, 3 Bravo, 4 Denude, 5 Snuggle, 6 Use, 7 Bumpy, 12 Unheard-of, 14 Passion, 16 Durable, 17 Active, 18 Jewel, 20 Nomad, 22 Tic. What they’re saying Online Letters to the editor ‘Get outta here!” It’s ching ching breeding season right now, a time of year when the birds, also known as Greater Antilles grackles, fiercely defend their young, as anyone who has ever been dive-bombed by the aggressive creatures will attest to. Seaford Russell Jr captured this image of this particularly unfriendly looking ching ching in Truman Bodden Sports Complex field this week. pic of the week Thanks to the Cayman Compass for the excellent photos and accounts of King Charles III’s first official birthday celebration in Grand Cayman. It’s wonderful to see photos of many Brackers celebrating the great day from the parade, reviewing the troops, and honouring Caymanians with MBEs, and during Governor Jane Owens’s garden party. This was the first official celebration of the King’s birthday and first birthday honours presided over by our new governor. Nan Socolow A celebration fit for a King $6 minimum pay below ‘starvation wage’, review committee head says One thing we can be sure of, foreign workers will continue to be exploited for some time to come before any change in the minimum wage occurs, whilst the decision makers continue to enjoy annual cost of living adjustments to their salaries. Trusty2man Davies There’s also the question of value any given employee is generating for the employer. And anyone who generates more value, can in turn negotiate a better pay. So heavy-handed regulatory approach to this question is uncalled for. It effectively becomes a tax. Especially considering that money is not a human right: somebody has to pay for it in the end. So IMHO, harder work would be the answer to a low pay, not redistribution. Free money corrupts. AP A minimum wage across the board, no difference in the job. Muffin Developers plan 29-acre quarry near protected area All that’s left for this island to do now is to go under! And these developers are speeding up the process! Nona Webster Because there’s no way that can go wrong. These islands are beyond saving. Lisa Butz Oh my. How awful, no ecosystem, no life. Marion Webb 50 years of keeping track of Cayman land ownership Thank you, Uche and your team, for continuing the work set up 50 years ago. As a real estate agent and broker at Engel & Volkers, we rely heavily on Lands and Survey to assist us when buying and selling property for our clients and customers. We always recommend that buyers and sellers hire an attorney to do the title checks so every buyer can have the piece of mind. An excellent system and website. The government workers at LIS show excellent customer service as well. Heidi Kiss CUC: Higher usage, not rising fuel rates behind bill increases CUC rates in Cayman are usurious. Thankfully, we are on solar and geothermal a/c at home, because the bills our friends are getting lately are disgraceful. Nowhere else, that I know of, do people pay such prices for electricity. wallstpete Brain drain risk amid cost-of-living crisis warns business chief It is not good enough to say we will monitor this trend of middle class jobs leaving the island. We need action on cost of living, or else Cayman will develop a much more stark caste system with the wealthy on one side and the poor taking what scraps they can. Caymanians also tend to fill a lot of the middle-class jobs at this point, so the disappearing of those jobs will affect the entire local community. Joshua Leggatt From mailroom to courtroom: Attorney Andrew Jackson’s journey to Appleby partner Excellent role model for young Caymanians. Congratulations Andrew Jackson. Madelin McLean Awesome, love to hear these type of stores! Jewel M Hydes I am absolutely thrilled to see this! Congratulations. I remember your unwavering determination and results at Law School. Bravo, my friend, so well deserved. Lisa Shemwell cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s $6-an-hour minimum pay is below a “starvation wage”, according to the head of a committee charged with reviewing the figure. Chair of Cayman’s Minimum Wage Review Committee, Lemuel Hurlston, speaking on Wednesday’s episode of the Cayman Compass talkshow The Resh Hour, said, based on Economic and Statistics Office data, Cayman’s “starvation income or starvation wage” stands at around $6.50, which is 50 cents higher than the current $6-an-hour minimum wage. “So anyone earning less than $6.50 at the moment goes into that vulnerability category and if their income fluctuates in the slightest, they could slip into poverty and they could really be in danger. So that is our... starting point, $6.50,” he said. The committee has been meeting weekly since January this year. Hurlston says whatever the figure ends up being at the end of the ongoing review will take into account the current economic climate. “It’s been seven years [since the current minimum wage was set] so one would think logically that, after that sort of period, there would be some need for an adjustment. The $6-an-hour minimum wage was set deliberately at a lower rate because it was an introductory rate. Now that we’ve had seven years of experience with that, we’re now in a better position to set a rate that is more realistic for the Cayman Islands in 2023 and beyond,” he said. The actual figure, he said, will be the final item the committee will vote on before handing its final report. Existing wage no longer works He said people are finding it difficult to live on the existing $6-per-hour rate. However, he said, the committee recognises that the economy is in a different place from where it was in 2015 when the minimum hourly wage was set. “We’re now in a post-COVID environment. Businesses are just beginning now to recover and so it’s a complicated economic proposition this time around,” Hurlston said. The committee, he said, knows that this will not be a “painless” process when a new wage is introduced, but based on Economic and Statistics Office data, there is capacity of businesses to pay more. Hurlston said the committee believes that the majority of workers in the Cayman Islands already earn more than the minimum wage. “So we don’t think that there’s too many that are going to be stuck down into that vulnerability category. At least, we hope not,” he said. He added that enforcement remains an issue as the Pensions and Labour Department has limited compliance staff, and the committee will be looking at this as it makes its recommendations. Report due in September The final report from the review committee will not be delivered as originally planned at the end of this month, and will instead be handed in at the end of September. Research Methodologies Sub- committee lead Mahreen Nabi, who also appeared on the show, said the extension was necessary to allow for the widest participation from the Cayman community. “It’s too complicated to do quickly,” she said, adding that the committee has planned a number of town hall meetings, as well as launched a survey to engage with the community on social media to get feedback on the issues to be considered. Dates for town hall meetings have not yet been released. After the final report is completed, Hurlston said, Cabinet will issue an order bringing the new rate into force. It took nearly a year for the recommendations of the last review committee’s recommendations, submitted in its final report in April 2015, to be formally introduced by government. “There will be a period of notice from the time the Cabinet announces that they have agreed on the rate,” he said. “Then there will be a period for planning purposes. You want to then announce an effective date at some future date so that businesses and the community as a whole can plan to meet that target date,” he said. Hurlston said the committee is looking at minimum wages in other jurisdictions, including Bermuda’s recently introduced rate of $16.40 an hour, equivalent to CI$13.67. The committee needs to consider the benefit to the community of an increased minimum wage while taking into account the impact on employers and avoiding business closures or job losses, he said. “It’s a real delicate balancing act,” he added. Nabi said a survey is ongoing with the local organisations, like the Small Business Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, to get feedback from their members on the potential effect a legally mandated pay increase may have on operations. “They’re being encouraged to speak to their members and say what are the most important factors to ensure that whatever minimum wage is set is affordable for your business, but also if there were a minimum wage [increase of] $2 more... 50 cents more, $3 more, what is the likely impact on your business? Is it that you would lose employees? You would cut back hours? Would you go out of business? And so all of that feedback is being collected now to be considered for the final recommendation,” she explained. Different minimum wage for specific sectors being considered Hurlston, who led the minimum wage advisory committee in 2015, said one option under consideration is introducing different minimum wages for specific sectors. “We’re going to look at the Cayman situation and try to determine what is best for Cayman and we’re going to look at whether a national across-the-board rate continues to be ideal for us or have we now reached the point where we need to have different levels of minimum wage for different categories of labour,” he said. Hurlston said, for example, domestic workers, gardeners and household employees “could possibly benefit from a minimum wage that is different from the national rate”. “Our terms of reference have given us the opportunity and the latitude to look at the possibility of introducing different rates of minimum wage for different employee groups, so we’re going to be looking at that,” he said. Minimum Wage Review Committee Chair, Lemuel Hurlston, and Research Methodologies Subcommittee Lead Mahreen Nabi on the 21 June episode of The Resh Hour. $6 minimum pay below ‘starvation wage’, review chief says “Anyone earning less than $6.50 at the moment goes into that vulnerability category and if their income fluctuates in the slightest, they could slip into poverty.” Lemuel Hurlston, chair, Minimum Wage Review Committee Interview: ‘MINIMUM WAGE REVIEW COMMITTEE’ WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE CAYMANCOMPASS.COM cayman compass 5 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023REBECCA BIRD rbird@compassmedia.ky The government is seeking a consultant to help create and update a national public and affordable housing policy and 10-year strategic plan. A request for tender was published on the government’s public purchasing portal on 13 June and applicants have until 17 July to register their interest. “The policy and plan will serve as the guiding document to alleviate and solve the housing and sheltering challenges for our most vulnerable,” the accompanying details say. They will also help to find solutions “to decrease the gap between Caymanians and their ability to purchase affordable homes in innovative ways that consider our unique culture”. According to the portal, creation of the policy and plan should begin on 21 Aug. and take eight to 12 months to complete, but the timetable is tentative. The consultant is expected to conduct extensive research aligned with best-in- class and best practices in any regional and international frameworks for housing. They must also review existing legislation, data and information for housing in the Cayman Islands. Longstanding issues and challenges impacting housing in the Cayman Islands are required to be included in the documents. These include access to capital, high construction costs, limited access to land, no policies or legislation to protect and encourage Caymanian homeownership, and inadequate social-economic planning. And detailed short-, medium- and long- term solutions for addressing the housing challenges and increasing Caymanian homeownership must be included in the 10- year strategic plan. ‘Transparent and inclusive’ The policy must take into consideration affordability, social and public housing, and development planning in a sustainable manner, the job description says. It should also include a proposed implementation plan with timelines, alternatives and indicative costs, resources and allocated budget required. The consultant will be expected to engage with the public and stakeholders “in a transparent and inclusive way” in order to create the documents. “Public and stakeholders’ feedback is essential to ensure practical and viable policy actions are considered, incorporated, and agreed upon,” the government portal says. “The goal is to give stakeholders ownership of the policy and strategic plan and for it to be used as a tangible tool to guide the work for housing.” At the conclusion of the stakeholder consultations, the consultant will be required to present a draft of the policy and plan to the housing ministry. This will then go to government caucus and Cabinet. Following discussions and adjustments, a final draft will then be presented to the public, before heading back to the ministry and Cabinet for approval. The Compass reached out to the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure for further details and is awaiting a response. Affordable housing policy to ‘solve housing challenges’ RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Government is seeking professional services to prepare an outline business case and master plan for the proposed development of the cargo port to address capacity issues at the existing facility. A request for proposals was recently posted to government’s Bonfire public procurement portal. The deadline for submissions is 19 July. The Cayman Compass has reached out to the Ministry of Tourism and Ports for comment on the RFP and is awaiting a response. Among the RFP documents is the strategic outline case for the port, released in February. That report notes that it would cost about $65 million to expand the port in George Town. An option of moving the existing operations to Breakers has been suggested and appears to be the preferred choice, based on the strategic outline case, which pointed out that the quarries at Breakers would be the least damaging to the marine environment and offer “an excellent basin for a sheltered, deep water port”. The document noted that the excavated quarry sites are already deep enough to accommodate the larger cargo ships that the port expects to deal with in coming years. The other options outlined in the document are Red Bay/South Sound; North Sound; East End Sound; and Frank Sound, but it notes that each of these would involve extensive dredging and impacts on the marine environment. The cost to build a new cargo port at the quarries in Breakers was not estimated in the document, which described the project as a multi-million dollar, multi-phase one. The strategic outline case noted cargo companies plan to introduce larger vessels, with deeper drafts, which the current cargo piers would not be able to accommodate, and that a larger cargo facility is necessary to ensure future food security for the islands’ growing population. In February, when the planned project was first touted, environmentalists questioned the government’s plan to either expand the cargo port at its George Town location or move it to Breakers. Shirley Roulstone, founding member of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman, at them time called on the government to clearly outline its plans for the cargo dock, saying that she would like to see the government make a well-informed decision about cargo and present the plans to the public. The request for proposals also includes environmental notes, the census report and wind and tide data to be used to refine the outline business case. The environmental notes stated that “there are important environmental resources that are not captured by the protected areas so site-specific information will be important as the [outline business case] refines the location choices”. According to the environmental notes, there are legal protections for species and habitats that fall outside the protected areas regulations which will need to be taken into account. “Once the OBC is underway and the consultants are ready to consider specific areas, we can provide more detailed information, such as habitat maps for the marine and terrestrial environment as well as species level information, if required,” the notes stated. It was also pointed in the documents that the National Conservation Council has delegated the consultation function described the National Conservation Act to the Department of Environment “so a consultation under Section 41 of the law will need to be carried out by the Port Authority before the making of any decision or the giving of any approval or undertaking”. Cargo port project plans moving forward The colourful affordable housing estate of East End Gardens. - Photo: Rebecca Bird Cargo ships call to the port in George Town approximately 400 times a year. - Photo: Alvaro Serey cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023MBChB, FCOrth (S.A), Mmed (Wits) Orthopaedic Surgeon MBChB, FCOrth (S.A), Mmed (Wits) Orthopaedic Surgeon We’re delighted to announce that Drs Olivia Antos and Nabil Khan, two world- class orthopaedic surgeons, are joining the Cayman Orthopaedic Group as full time physicians and residents of Grand Cayman. Dr Antos is highly valued in her field for her subspecialty training in general orthopaedic trauma and paediatric orthopaedics. Dr Khan’s subspecialty training in sports surgery and his work in cartilage regeneration, repair, and use of collagen-matrix make him invaluable to those suffering from shoulder, knee, and other sports-related injuries. With decades of orthopaedic experience between them, this husband and wife medical team is set to bring their extensive surgical and diagnostic skills to all the people of Cayman. Start living your best pain-free life today Dr Nabil Khan Dr Olivia Antos Book your consultation at Cayman Orthopaedic Group today. WhatsApp (345) 917-6848 cayman compass 7 WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023New NEST project introduces safety standards, certification for local farmers RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky After two years in the making, Cayman’s first government-backed safety and quality certification programme for local egg farmers is now up and running, which is welcome news for North Side farmer Harvey Stephenson. The experienced farmer said he is hopeful this will see local eggs flying off the shelves. “They want everything to be perfect and to be better eggs than the imported eggs. In my opinion, that’s where we are heading,” said Stephenson, the owner of Lookout Farms and one of the first egg producers to be certified under the National Egg Strategy (NEST) pilot project. However, he said, it will take support from the community for Cayman’s egg producers to grow into an actual industry and that means getting a fair price. “The different supermarkets pay different prices, and that depends on the prices of egg overseas. When the [prices of] eggs overseas come down, the supermarkets offer us a lower price. When the prices go up in the states, we get a better price, so we have to work with the supermarkets to be able to stay in the egg business because egg production can be profitable if we do it right,” Stephenson said. Raising standards A Ministry of Agriculture statement to the Cayman Compass explained that NEST is a key component of government’s plan to address the development of the domestic egg sector and it has moved into operational mode to increase the safety and quality of local production. Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks says the vision of the programme “is for a food-and nutrition-secure Cayman Islands and a key part of making it a reality is to strengthen and grow our domestic supply of table eggs”. The aim of NEST, he said, was to increase market share of local eggs, improve market access for all table egg (for human consumption) producers and certify egg farms across the Islands. “After two years of significant progress in laying the foundation for a National Egg Strategy, we are ready to begin operating this vital programme. Our goal is to improve the market share of local egg producers by 40% in four years, and a 100% increase in egg production over the same period,” he said. Stephenson, who has 38 years of experience in farming, said he has learned some tools of the trade to increase his production. “When I started, we were doing just about three to five dozen eggs per week and now we are up to just past 900. I’m looking forward to do a 1,000 dozen eggs per week, and I’ll see how the market goes from there,” he said. He is encouraging young Caymanians to consider agriculture as a career. “Anyone with a small plot of land like one or two acres can do a lot for agriculture… I maintain greenhouses where I grow spinach, callaloo, patchouli, along with the eggs,” he said, adding, “we all have to do it, but you must love it. You can’t do it as a chore. I love what I’m doing and that’s why I succeed. I make money from agriculture.” Aiming for self-sufficiency With 2,000 chickens in his North Side farm, Stephenson is one of Cayman’s largest table egg producers, which is why he was one of the best farmers to test drive the NEST programme, Danny Palcu, ministry egg strategy officer, said. Palcu, who is leading the NEST programme, said the aim is to support local farmers to improve their efficiency as well as the safety of the eggs. The goal, he said, is for the island to be more self-sufficient and “not to rely too much on the egg imports, and to produce more local eggs”. Cayman, he said, is making strides towards building a local egg industry through the NEST programme and farmers are given a helping hand through equipment and materials to clean the eggs and to store them safely. “It’s a long-term project. It’s not something that we can do overnight. It will not be possible without the dedication of the farmers who are willing to embark on this journey because sometimes investments are needed, changes are needed, in order to achieve certain standards,” he said. Those standards, Palcu said, include guidance on the proper welfare of the chickens, conditions in which they are kept, and hygiene standards for the eggs. “We try to implement [this to] raise the confidence of both consumers and supermarkets that our local eggs are basically premium eggs and safe products for consumers. For that reason, we implemented the health hygiene standards with the proper procedures for egg collection, for egg washing, for egg storage,” he said. On the farm At Stephenson’s farm, the chickens are spread over six coops, which are cleaned daily, and a separate building houses the eggs. The chickens are cared for by egg production manager Elejandro Develleres, who also collects, sorts and runs the eggs through an egg- washing machine. He said the entire washing process, during with a special egg detergent is used, can take about 15 minutes per batch. Develleres, who has been with the farm since 2019, said he is happy to see the operations grow. He said initially he collected 300 eggs a day; now he collects 1,500 eggs daily. “I’m just happy what I’m doing,” he said, adding that he would encourage the community to support local eggs because it takes a lot of hard work to produce quality supplies. New egg cartons have been designed and purchased to enable the national egg quality certification components of the programme, the ministry has said. Demoy Nash, senior policy advisor (agriculture), said the plan is to increase local egg production by at least 40% over the next four years. “We believe that this is a realistic target, it is measurable, and based on the system that we have in place on the ground, we believe that this is attainable,” Nash said. Incubating Cayman’s egg production industry Danny Palcu, who leads the NEST programme, says he is excited to see standards improve. Demoy Nash, Senior Policy Advisor (Agriculture). Lookout Farms egg production manager Elejandro Develleres demonstrates the egg-washing process. Owner of Lookout Farms Harvey Stephenson holds one of his branded cartons of fresh local eggs. The chickens at Lookout Farms. – Photos: Reshma Ragoonath Farmers in the pilot NEST programme received egg- specific washing detergent and equipment to help with the cleaning process. “Our goal is to improve the market share of local egg producers by 40% in four years, and a 100% increase in egg production over the same period.” Jay Ebanks, Agriculture Minister cayman compass 8 news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky For over half a century, the Lands and Survey Department has been keeping track of who owns every single piece of property in the Cayman Islands. Its Land Registry has records of every sale or lease of land, building or condo, as well as every mortgage and charge, and every change of ownership after a property owner dies. To mark its 50th anniversary, and to help people get a better understanding of the work it does, Lands and Survey is carrying out a series of town hall meetings across the districts. Lands and Survey Director Uche Obi told the Compass in a recent interview that the meeting with the public “gives us an opportunity to explain what we do… We sit down with them and if they have specific questions, we would be able to deal with those.” Meetings have already been held in Cayman Brac, East End, North Side, Savannah and Bodden Town. There will also be meetings in Prospect, George Town and West Bay at later dates. Obi points out that the work of his department is probably more complicated than a lot of people think. Noting that at Lands and Survey “we guarantee titles”, Obi says if the information it provides about the owner of a property is wrong, the buyer could potentially sue government over the matter. “That is why we have to be extremely careful when it comes to these things,” he says. And he adds, “It has never happened, touch wood.” All land in Cayman is registered, and identified by a block and parcel number. Cadastral survey After the Registered Land Law was enacted in 1971, a cadastral survey was carried out in Cayman, which for the first time officially recorded the ownership of land in the Cayman Islands. Those records have continued to be updated ever since through the Land Registry. “We have a very, very good registration system,” Obi said, adding that this gives confidence to people investing in property and banks giving loans and mortgages in Cayman. An issue that is facing many property owners in Cayman, specifically those paying off mortgages, is rising interest rates, as Cayman’s rates have been going up in tandem with every increase by the US Federal Reserve. There have been 10 interest rate hikes since March last year, prompting Premier Wayne Panton to ask local banks to delay implementing the increases in a bid to protect local owners from being unable to pay off their loans. Obi says Lands and Survey is not seeing evidence of an increase in mortgage defaults and subsequent property repossessions by banks at the moment, but acknowledges that is likely because there will be a lag before the true impact is felt. “We’re also not seeing a lot of short sales,” he said. “Banks will not want to hold onto the property for a long time, it’s usually within two to three months, and we’re not seeing a lot of that at the moment.” He added the same seems to apply in the United States, where there has not been a big increase in home repossessions following the interest rate increases there. The real estate market in Cayman, he said, has been “quite stable” lately, and called the transactions for May 2023 “encouraging”. In May, there were 229 transactions, with a total value of $121.6 million, compared to 143 in April, 173 in March, 205 in February and 202 in January. 50th anniversary events Lands and Survey was established in 1972, but due to COVID delays and changes within the department, it put off marking its 50th anniversary until this year. As a gesture in recognition of its anniversary, and to keep data as up to date as possible, the Lands and Survey Department is temporarily waiving the $50 fee to update the Lands Registry. That waiver will last until 30 July, meaning people who own property who may have changed their PO Box addresses or other contact details can amend that information for free. So far, there has not been a large uptake on that, Obi said. “It is a trickle at the moment. We recognise it will start to increase as people become more aware, especially as we continue with the town hall meetings.” This will ensure that the property owners are notified of any planning permission applications that may affect them. The department provides ‘buffer maps’ to developers or people who are building or modifying structures, so that the adjacent neighbours can be notified of the planned work. Issue with notification Inaccurate or outdated contact details can lead to registered letters of notification about proposed developments not being received by neighbouring property owners – an issue that is raised regularly at Central Planning Authority meetings. Obi says having correct contact details is also important in situations where government is proposing to build a road and issue compulsory purchase orders. “The notification is sent to the address on the Land Registry,” he said, so if it’s wrong, landowners may not find out about their land being used for the road until after the legal deadline for declaring their interest in a claim for compensation. “If a Section 3 notice is issued, and there is an intention by government to take a piece of land, you have a 90-day window to signify whether you will make a claim for compensation on it,” he said. “After that, you have to then respond within a year after it becomes a public road and submit a claim for compensation.” However, he added, the National Roads Authority does have discretion when it comes to accepting late claims from landowners. One thing the Land Registry does not record is whether a property is purchased by a Caymanian or an expatriate. Obi said his department has previously been asked if it has this level of data, but “we don’t have that information... no one does”. The issue of property being snapped up by people applying for permanent residency in Cayman has been brought up as one of the reasons for a lack of supply of affordable homes for Caymanians over the years. Recently, politicians Kenneth Bryan and Dwayne Seymour called for a moratorium on certain types of status grants. The government is considering revamping the permanent residency points system, which currently gives 30 out of a minimum requirement of 110 points for property investment. A half-century of keeping track of Cayman land ownership All land in Cayman is registered, and identified by a block and parcel number. Lands and Survey Director Uche Obi The Lands and Survey Department has been keeping track of Cayman's land for half a century. - Photo: File cayman compass news N news WEEKLY, 23-29 JUNE 2023 9Next >