Chick ‘n Royale Nuggets Plant-basedbased cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 1-7 December 2023 Special report: Concerns over property price fixing Pages 26-28 Ready, set, run in Cayman marathon Pages 34-35 Premier pay grade Cayman's political leader among best paid in world Page 6 * Salaries in US dollars, after tax. $304,000 US President $202,000 UK Prime Minist er $282,000 Cayman Islands Premier $223,000 Prime Minist er of CanadaMatinees (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 with isolated showers SEA STATE Moderate with a wave height of 3 to 5 feet. WINDS East to northeast at 10 to 15 knots. 86°F HIGH 77°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES news in brief OfReg investigates Flow’s fixed-line outage The utilities regulator is investigating an unscheduled outage of Flow’s fixed lines that led to 9-1-1 calls being restricted on 21 Nov. OfReg expressed “deep concern” over the outage and said that its executive director of information and communication technology, Sonji Myles, met with Flow staff immediately after the incident to find out what had caused it. “Outages generally, but especially those impacting 911 services, are a matter of concern, and we are pursuing a comprehensive understanding of the incident,” Myles said. Government issued an emergency alert to the public on the morning of 21 Nov., warning of temporary limitations in access to the 911 Communications Centre. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the Health Services Authority also issued statements with alternative phone numbers to call in the aftermath of the outage. OfReg has requested the telecoms company submit a detailed resolution report providing in-depth analysis of the factors that contributed to the outage, the measures taken to resolve it, and a comprehensive plan to prevent such occurrences in the future. Pensions raid for home purchases approved Caymanians will soon be able to dip into their retirement savings to help buy or build homes after new legislative changes were passed on 23 Nov. MPs unanimously voted to increase withdrawal limits from private pension funds for mortgage payoffs, home purchase or construction. Labour Minister Dwayne Seymour, in piloting the amendments to the National Pensions Act at a special meeting of Parliament, said the changes were necessary to help Caymanian families that are struggling in the current “economic and housing” climate. “The proposed pension withdrawals are not emergency withdrawals for immediate cash in hand and are instead strategic withdrawals aimed at facilitating specific life milestones,” he said. The key amendments to the bill include increasing the maximum withdrawal allowed for home purchase or construction from $35,000 to $50,000, allowing a maximum of $50,000 for a reduction payment on an existing mortgage or residential land loan, and increasing the withdrawal amount to pay off an existing mortgage from $35,000 to $100,000. The commencement date for the law changes is yet to be confirmed as they have to be assented to by the governor for enactment. RCIPS gains 22 new constables Cayman’s police service has grown by 22 with the latest cohort of police recruits, which includes 11 Caymanians. The class graduated, after 16 weeks of training, to become constables. Governor Jane Owen, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton attended the graduation ceremony at the Harquail Theatre. In a Facebook post, Owen said it was “an important event”, adding the graduates bring “a new generation of energy and ideas as we strive to keep our island safe”. Also in attendance were members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service senior command team, staff of the Special awards were presented to five of the recruits. Nicholas Slater was recognised for leadership, Penelope Bentley was named top academic, the drill and deportment award went to Adeneekie McCallum and Kimayea De Souza was awarded team spirit. Monique Brooks-Scott was named most outstanding recruit. Free health screenings at East End on 2 Dec. Residents in the eastern districts will be able to receive free health screenings and get their flu jabs on 2 Dec. at the East End United Church Hall. The free health screenings, hosted by Rotary Sunset and the Lions Club of Grand Cayman from 10am to noon, will include checks for high or low blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels and mouth cancers. There will also be hearing tests as well as blood tests to check for prostate cancer, among other screenings. Kimberly Owens, chair of Rotary Sunset’s mental health and wellness committee, said free screenings, which often occur in more central areas, like George Town, are rarely held in the eastern districts, so the clubs wanted to ensure that the community in that part of the island is also catered to. Man charged with 2022 West Bay murder A 54-year-old man from Bodden Town has been charged with the 2022 murder of George Ian Duffell in West Bay. Kirk Lindsay Watler was arrested on Sunday, 20 Nov., and appeared in court on Wednesday, 29 Nov., according to a police press release. Duffell, 51, was stabbed to death on Birch Tree Hill Road, near Joe and Osbert Road, on Friday, 14 Oct., last year shortly before 11pm. A 43-year-old was arrested the day after the killing, but was not charged. Upgrade of subsea cables moves forward Plans to upgrade Cayman’s ageing network of subsea communications cables has taken a step forward with the enlisting of a project delivery team, the Infrastructure Ministry has announced. It has entered a strategic partnership with Cambridge Management Consultants, which specialises in sub-sea cable projects. They will collaborate with WFN Strategies, an independent supplier of telecommunications engineering services headquartered in Virginia, US. “Their combined expertise will provide invaluable support in areas such as project planning, system procurement and project execution,” a ministry press release noted. Cayman-based SBM International will also play a “pivotal role” in this collaborative effort, the ministry added. The value of the contract is estimated to be $1.39 million. Governor Jane Owen and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson with senior RCIPS officers and 22 new recruits. - Photo: Supplied cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 2023You can have 5 chances to win up to $4,000 Christmas cash when you get a NO FEE loan with RBC! A bank for all of you Learn more at rbc.com/caribbean/christmascash ®/™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under license. Limited time offer ending December 15, 2023. Subject to normal lending criteria. Special conditions apply. The cost of borrowing will be made available upon application. cayman compass 3 WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 20231234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Naval vessel (7) 5 Obsession (5) 8 Understand (6,3) 9 Provide crew for (3) 10 Incautious (4) 12 Resemblance (8) 14 Call upon to appear (6) 15 Dismal (6) 17 Distinction (8) 18 Tolerate (4) 21 To plague (3) 22 Duplicitous (3-6) 24 Answer (5) 25 Hoax (3-4) DOWN 1 Thin crisp biscuit (5) 2 Special-purpose equipment (3) 3 Throw with great force (4) 4 Unduly drawn out (6) 5 Maternal (8) 6 Most important (6,3) 7 General pardon (7) 11 Judge’s review of evidence (7-2) 13 In secret (8) 14 Meagre (7) 16 Roll of parchment (6) 19 Kingly (5) 20 An air force unit (4) 23 Acknowledgment of debt (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17489 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 17489 ACROSS: 1 Warship, 5 Mania, 8 Figure out, 9 Man, 10 Rash, 12 Likeness, 14 Summon, 15 Gloomy, 17 Eminence, 18 Bear, 21 Dog, 22 Two-timing, 24 Reply, 25 Leg-pull. DOWN: 1 Wafer, 2 Rig, 3 Hurl, 4 Prolix, 5 Motherly, 6 Number one, 7 Amnesty, 11 Summing-up, 13 Covertly, 14 Slender, 16 Scroll, 19 Regal, 20 Wing, 23 IOU. What they’re saying Online The disappearing beach: Coastal boundary line is in the water Not all the fault can lie with the developers… the boards that approve and inspect and still approve these building hold a higher level of blame because they know better and should do better! t.devere Regarding beach erosion: Just a thought – but has anyone thought that the last earthquake a few years back with a magnitude of 7-plus caused a fissure on the ocean floor, thus the loss of sand? Something to think about. Ruriko P. No one should be allowed to own the beach or build on it anymore. We have done enough damage. I will die on this hill. the.neos.helios I think the hi-rise condos are going to kill Cayman. Why not cap them to 2-3 stories? Something makes me wonder if these tall building are, in some way, shape or form, restricting airflow and causing more erosion? pilotmatt88 Can’t fight sea-level rise. Leon Gould Barbados to cover revenue shortfalls on new CAL route I travelled recently on the Barbados to Cayman flight and there were only 10 passengers on board. I cannot see this flight lasting very long. Cayman Airways should be focused on bringing tourists to Cayman, not being a charter airline for Barbados to expand its tourism. They must look at tourism markets from San Francisco, Calgary, Chicago, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Vancouver, etc. Barbados makes no sense. Robert R. Hope CAL is keeping track of the profit/loss for that year so that they know what they will make/lose on this route after this agreement is done. Wanda Viscount Because no one saw this coming... Why go with a guaranteed money-making route in North America? That would have been silly… Britt McGregor Took the flight to BGI yesterday and it was fantastic! So nice to omit Miami from the itinerary and now a much more viable alternative for families. le_incredible_enoch_crummy “No flights in the first year can make a loss...” Guess that’s why the flights leaving/returning to Cayman are all practically empty. Again, I ask, what’s in this for Cayman? austin.harris.345 I hope that they will get the number of passengers required to make it worthwhile. Denny Smith Why? Who was this deal done to benefit? Clearly, not CAL or the Cayman Islands… Krista Wight This deal makes little to no sense at all. It’s a bad deal for Barbados. Cayman has nothing to lose. Trevor Appia Barbados is quickly becoming a “hub” for both BA and Virgin. Might be an easier connection than the Bahamas. Ted Boles Sad use of Barbados tax-paying dollars. Courtney Winter Multi-storey hotels can now add rooftop pools and restaurants Good move on amending the Planning Regulations to allow for pools and restaurants, etc., on the rooftop of hotels or condominiums. Now, also insist that these developments set back farther from the sea/water, so as to protect our beaches by allowing the natural flow of the tides and sands. Mario E. New pensions raid for home purchases gets green light I see down the line a number of people knocking on NAU’s doors. 3% repayment, when you only have a few years left to repay it, will not be sufficient. People need to really think if this is the right decision for them. It wont be for all. I really hope I am wrong about the consequences. Piers B. The civil service pension is a defined benefit scheme, not a defined contribution scheme. There is therefore no “fund” to withdraw from. Current pensioners are funded by current employees. I encourage everyone to read the actuaries reports published regularly (if not annually) on civil service pensions, they show a fiscal time bomb waiting to go off. Long- term issue not being acted upon by successive rounds of elected politicians. Whilst understanding the short-term needs that have lead to this legislation, it is a reality that withdrawing long-term funds (pension savings) for short-term cost of living needs is, again, storing up long-term fiscal time bomb issues. All it will take for the time bomb to go off is for any kind of structural economic slowdown in the growth of the Cayman economy. Tom M. pic of the day Anniversary greetings The Cayman Islands Humane Society has marked 50 years of caring for animals, including the cute kitties in this photo. Operations manager Samantha Cooper said of the milestone, “It’s a moment of reflection for us on everything we’ve achieved, and of course, what we have still left to achieve.” Noting that 50 years was “quite a landmark”, she explained that the work of the Humane Society requires a lot of money to rescue so many animals. “I think it’s really an achievement that we’ve managed to keep going so long and hopefully in another 50 years, we’ll still be here.” – Photo: Cayman Islands Humane Society cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 2023WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 202325% OFF FOR 6 MONTHS cayman compass 5 WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 2023JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s premier is among the 10 highest paid leaders in the world – earning a salary that is more than the UK prime minister and comparable with the US president. The fixed salary for the position of premier in Cayman is CI$234,900 (US$282,000) tax free. The UK prime minister earns just over US$200,000 before tax, which current leader Rishi Sunak reportedly paid at an effective rate of 22%, lowering his take-home pay to around $156,000. The US president earns $400,000 before tax, with incumbent Joe Biden paying a tax rate of 24%, taking his salary down to just over $300,000. Premier Juliana O’Connor- Connolly, who took over the role from Wayne Panton on 15 Nov., gets an additional $100,000 in health and pension benefits on top of her salary, as well as $180,000 in a combination of allowances under constituency, housing, travel and premier’s executive, according to an auditor general’s report released this week. Of course, there is a vast amount of additional perks for other country’s leaders. The US president, for example, gets a $50,000 expense account, a $100,000 travel account and $19,000 for entertainment and accommodation at the White House. The UK prime minister gets his housing covered at 10 Downing Street, the official address of the government leader, among other things. And those prestigious roles come with a host of commercial opportunities once the stint in the top job is over. But just comparing after-tax salaries, with no consideration of benefits, Cayman’s politicians are well matched with their international peers, despite the relatively small size of the jurisdiction and comparatively limited scope of the role. In fact, the wage paid to Cayman’s premier is in the top 10 globally. On the face of it, the similarity in salaries between O’Connor- Connolly, who secured her seat in Parliament by obtaining 266 votes in Cayman Brac to beat rival Elvis McKeever, and Joe Biden, who received more than 80 million votes to win the US election, seems strange. But politicians, past and present, and analysts outside of the House, argue the premier’s salary – which is in line with the head of the civil service in Cayman – is appropriate for the job and the cost of living. The selection process for politicians might be flawed, but the pay is appropriate to the role, was a common sentiment. Price of milk Ezzard Miller, the former MP for North Side, was one of the first advocates of fixed salaries for politicians in Cayman. Referencing the fact that Cayman’s premier earns almost double the British prime minister, he said, “A gallon of milk is three times more expensive in Cayman than in the UK.” It’s not just about the cost of living. When Miller was first elected, he said, MPs were paid $20 a meeting and only when Parliament or committees were in session. He brought a motion which ultimately led to MPs receiving salaries equivalent to the civil servants that worked with them. High-value job Miller argues the job has value and should be well compensated. And he believes, in theory, that reasonable salaries – on a par with what the brightest and best of Cayman could earn in the private sector – should encourage a higher calibre of candidate to put themselves forward for election. “You can’t expect people to give up a decent professional career to serve the country if the salary is not at least reasonable.” Whether the carrot of better salaries has worked to improve the quality of candidates, Miller is less convinced. But he says the wage is appropriate for a high-value job. Decent salaries for MPs also reduce the risk of corruption, he noted. Former Premier Sir Alden McLaughlin, speaking in 2020, when asked if his Cabinet would take a pay cut to help out Cayman during COVID-19, countered, “I’m not sure where this idea that ministers and MLAs are so well paid comes from. I can tell you this – almost 20 years since I left my firm, I earn less as premier now than I did then in actual dollars, not counting the inflation and whatever else has occurred, cost-of-living increases, since then. So, for people who believe that somehow this is a cushy job, you got another think coming.” Pay varies across the world The pay for Cayman’s premier is broadly in the same ballpark as that of many world leaders. The leaders of major world powers, like Germany and Australia, and smaller countries like Bermuda, which has a similar economy to Cayman, are paid similar amounts. Notably, Cayman salaries are tax free but the premier’s role comes with fewer perks than in larger countries. The outliers globally are Singapore and Hong Kong, which pay significantly more to their heads of state. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the highest paid country leader in the world, receiving US$1.6 million annually, according to Business Insider. Cayman’s premier among top 10 highest paid world leaders Top 10 highest paid world leaders: The following list aggregates the top 10 pre-tax salaries for world leaders, converted to US dollars for ease of comparison. Tax is charged differently in each of the applicable countries but the Cayman premier’s tax- free salary of U$282,000 would likely come in around number 6 on this list (after deducting taxes in the various countries), as compiled by World Population Review, which doesn’t include territories. 10. Canada, $279,000 9. Japan, $316,521 8. New Zealand, $325,546 7. Austria, $338,094 6. Germany, $368,727 5. Australia, $586,768 4. US, $400,000 3. Switzerland, $495,000 2. Hong Kong, $568,400 1. Singapore, $1.6 million Selected others* Cayman: $282,000 (Tax free) Bermuda: $207,285 UK: $202,000 Jamaica: $58,000 * Source: Government reports in individual countries Cayman Islands Premier Juliana O'Connor-Connolly is paid about $118,000 a year less (before tax) than US President Joe Biden, left, and $126,000 more a year than UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 2023it just adds up Walkers + Cayman cayman compass 7 WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 2023REBECCA BIRD rbird@compassmedia.ky The government’s top 10 earners received $3.6 million between them last year – an average of $362,000 per person, according to a newly published public interest report. Salaries comprised about $253,000 of the total, with allowances, pensions and healthcare making up the remaining per-person average of $109,000. The Office of the Auditor General published a report on Monday, 27 Nov., detailing the remuneration of Cabinet, judiciary, members of Parliament, and key civil service management in 2022. The report comes after a decade of the government failing to disclose certain financial statements leading to a lack of easily accessible, consolidated, current data. The aim is to “provide independent information and improve transparency”, the office says, as the public does not routinely have access to that information. It added: “As a public interest report, it merely presents factual information without drawing conclusions or making recommendations.” A low level of disclosure Among the revelations in the report are that Cayman’s 11 members of Cabinet earned a yearly average of $304,502, which included salary, allowances, healthcare and pensions contributions. Members of the judiciary received $302,000 each on average, while members of Parliament earned an average of about $285,000 each. Chief officers earned about $204,000 each, and key management personnel in the civil service took home about $136,000 each. While the report details starting salaries for top government positions, such as premier, leader of the opposition and speaker, no one is identified nor their exact earnings listed. Auditor General Sue Winspear told the Compass that international accounting standards require disclosure of the remuneration of governments’ key management personnel. “That can range from naming individuals and their exact salaries and remuneration through to just a summary of key management personnel spend,” she said. Each jurisdiction operates under the level of transparency “judged appropriate within that country”, with Cayman working under a low level of disclosure, Winspear explained. (See Table 1) Cabinet and judiciary The 11 members of Cayman’s Cabinet received an average of $304,502 each in 2022, which included salaries, allowance, healthcare and pension contributions. In total, $3.3 million went to the governor, premier, seven ministers and the two non- voting ex-officio members – the deputy governor and the attorney general. Salaries were the main component, or 68%, of Cabinet members’ remuneration, but allowances formed a significant part, at 19%. Cayman’s 11 judiciary members earned $3.3 million in 2022, or about $302,000 each on average, with salaries comprising about $239,000 of that total. The members included the current and former chief justices, three Grand Court judges, a puisne judge, a chief magistrate and four magistrates. The exact salaries will vary depending upon position, but those details are not available in the report. It does, however, specify salaries of the chief justice and judges with effect from 2003, not including inflation-related pay increases since 2005 for judges. It also includes the salaries of the chief magistrate and magistrates with effect from 2017, not including inflation-related pay increases since that date. “Updated salary scales for judges and magistrates have not been published,” the report says. (See Table 2) Members of Parliament Parliament has 21 members, comprising 19 elected MPs and two non-elected ex-officio members – the deputy governor and the attorney general. Overall, the government forked out $6 million or $284,947 each on average to members in 2022 – with salaries making up $172,828 of the total. Apart from the governor, all of the Cabinet members’ remunerations, which they receive in place of an MP salary, were included in the calculations, the report says. MPs are paid based on the same salary scale as the civil service. The scale increased by 2% from September 2022; however, MPs voluntarily decided to forego the increase. The starting salaries of elected members of Parliament are detailed in the report in a table Government’s top 10 earners paid $3.6M Total pay-out to 4,566 civil servants was $360.4 million, report says TABLE 1 Salaries of elected Members of Parliament POSITIONSALARY Premier$234,900 Deputy Premier$223,572 Speaker$202,512 Minister $188,076 Leader of the Opposition$152,340 Deputy Speaker$130,512 Deputy Leader of the Opposition$130,512 Councillor/Parliamentary Secretary$130,512 MPs$130,512 cayman compass 8 news N news WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 2023cayman compass 9 WEEKLY, 1-7 DECEMBER 2023Next >