Communication, performance key for Franz

Cayman Islands Deputy Governor Franz Manderson took office last week making two key promises with regard to civil service reform.

First priority: Improve communication with both government employees and the public they serve.

Second: Ensure that good performers in the civil service are rewarded and that poor performers are “dealt with”.

In fact, Manderson noted during a lengthy interview last week that a long-dormant idea of performance pay may be revived as a way of boosting morale and job performance.

“There’s something there now [referring to performance pay measures in the law], but we’ve suspended it during this tight budget time,” he said. “This really tight economic time is when you should be pushing performance, you know, people to do more with less.”

Despite the perception that it is generally difficult to fire people from the civil service, Manderson said that’s what will happen if individuals repeatedly do not perform to the level they are expected to.

Bill creates new immigration statuses

Separate immigration categories for wealthy non-Caymanian residents, foreigners who have a ‘substantial business presence’ in Cayman and visiting business people are created under proposed amendments to Cayman Islands Immigration Law.

The amendments are part of a package of changes sought by the Immigration (Amendment) (No. 5) Bill, 2011, which is expected to come before lawmakers later this year.

The bill creates a slightly new category for individuals of independent means that allows them to remain in Cayman for the rest of their lives provided they meet all investment and earnings requirements under the law. Previous residency certificates for those with independent means expired after 25 years.

The new Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means, if approved, would be granted without the right to work, unless special exception is made by the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board. Anyone granted the certificate would require an annual inco of at least $150,000 and have invested at least $750,000 in Cayman. The person and their spouse would also have to prove a clean criminal record and that they are in good health.

A quota for this particular permanent residence category would be established by the governor, according to the bill. The quota number would have to be made public.

Bounty payment has precedent

Two members of the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly are preparing a solution to the lionfish problem in local waters.

The representatives of North Side and East End, Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean, respectively, plan to take a Private Member’s Motion to the LA calling for payment of a bounty on the invasive species that is threatening the marine environment in Cayman.

Miller told residents at a North Side District Council meeting that he and McLean thought the reward money could be paid from the accumulated $40 million in the Environmental Protection Fund.

Premier: We will recoup GLF payments

The Cayman Islands government has paid for a settlement with the construction firm that was previously in talks to build a new cruise berthing facility in George Town.

However, Premier McKeeva Bush said government should eventually be able to recover those funds by selling “intellectual property”.

Education Minister Rolston Anglin confirmed last week that Cabinet recently approved the settlement with GLF and, as part of that agreement, government would pay “less than $3 million” to the Italy-based contractor.

“Bottom line: We have written the cheque and we are moving forward,” Anglin said.

In December, Premier Bush indicated cash for the settlement with GLF would not come from public coffers. The Italian headquartered firm is one of five companies to enter into negotiations with government over a new cruise port project since 2003.

RCIPS quietly disciplines, dismisses staff

Eight members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service have been subjected to disciplinary action as a result of findings in the Operation Tempura and Operation Cealt misconduct investigations, according to information released under the Cayman Islands Freedom of Information Law.

Responding to a private individual’s open records request about the probes, which began in the Cayman Islands in 2007 and off-shoots of which apparently are still continuing, the police service indicated that six RCIPS staff members had been dismissed or forced to retire as a result of the Tempura and Cealt investigations.