Over the past two months ever since the rollover policy has been getting mass publicity, , I have seen a steady decrease in my real estate business.Other realtors in the industry have expressed the same concerns. I have spoken to bankerswho have voiced concerns about lending to individuals whose time is limited on the island -Come on, which bank would lend to someone who is about to be kicked off the island?
I have spoken to concerned car dealers and Caymanian developers who have not seen any enquiries on their projects let alone sales ever since the reality of rollover policy became clear and wide spread.
If you want a good indication of the rental market look and see how many pages of rentals are in the Friday’s edition of the Caymanian Compass. Many of these rentals belong to Caymanians who have a little rental place to help pay their every increasing mortgage payments.
I have had to search for a new helper, and numerous workers for other businesses I am involved in where I had loyal, qualified and hard working ex-pat employees. Other Caymanian businessmen and women are trying to desperately replace their workforce with new employees.
There are approximately 15,000 born Caymanians who are able to vote in a population of over 52,000 people. Based on that ratio we have already passed the stage where we are a minority in our own country. The roll overpolicy will not cure this problem. We must try to develop more hardworking Caymanians. The ex-patriate individuals who have lived here and contributed greatly to these islands should be fairly treated. We should not be proposing to bring in a whole new bunch that don't care about our islands because in less than seven years they know they are out of here.
When the Compass quotes our Leader of Government Business as saying, "The Government understands that there's a growing resentment among our own people about feeling overwhelmed in their own country” and “radio talk show callers complain about foreigners coming here and trying to impose their own cultures , ” I become very concerned. The mere fact that it quotes callers into a talk show as the ‘Voice of the Caymanian people’ is frightening.
I strongly believe that our leaders are not hearing the voice of the hardworking, educated, entrepreneurial Caymanians. Our time is so taken up with running our businesses that we do not get the chance to call in and state our positions. I am a businessman. I understand and know that this country needs the ex-pats to not only compete but to merely exist in the f inancial and t ourism industr ies and we all know that Caymanians can't do it alone.
I am not associated with any political party . I believe in supporting any Government that has this country and its people at heart . After talking to a number of professionals and business owners who are Caymanians, all have said that they were not happy with the current policy. I say that telling the expatriate they have to leave for two years before they can return to this country is basically telling them we want you out of here. No one is going to disrupt his or her live for two years and come back to this.
One Solution:
Have a much shorter, break before the roll over takes affect. I would suggest 3-6 months. Show that we are a country of inteligece,faireness, and compassion. That would solve the problem of not have the existing expats become Caymanians anytime soon. It would allow them to keep their homes and continue renting and not have employers have to find new and untrained workers, to say the least.
I am therefore , urging you, my Caymanian friends and colleagues, to let your voice s be heard. Please pass this email on to all your friends and family and place your name and address below. We are trying to get as many signatures together to hand deliver to our Government leaders to let them know that we are not happy with this rollover policy.
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52 comments:
Think of all the good expat that now have status and have contributed greatly to this Country.
I think a 3 month break every 7 years is healthy and if they really love Cayman, they will return. I also think they should reqire references showing they did contripute to the country while they where here the first 7 years.
The "ripple effect" within the real estate market and banking industry could be considerable. Anyone who is subject to the 7 year rollover and has property, may have trouble selling because the market in "average" single family home units and townhouses is already saturated. Developers of new properties you say are already seeing a drop-off in sales. Equally, if they cannot rent unsold units at an economically viable level they may end up unable to cover their borrowing from banks. The cumulative effect could be banks stuck with a portfolio of properties on which they have been forced to "foreclose", which THEY can neither sell nor rent.
That makes two of us!!! I have had my apartment empty for two months now with very little interest even after posting an ad in the paper every week for couple days at a time!! Not good!!!
Your perspective is quite different because you hit on areas I would not have thought about for example the banks not wanting to lend to persons who are on work permits. Food for thought!!!
I have watched with interest the development of the roll-over discussions. I have seen expats writing in the newspapers, and under their names are little caption saying "has lived in the Cayman Islands for over 20 years". It is very fitting that the caption is placed because I can honestly say that in my 30 years living in Cayman I have never seen any contribution to any worthwhile discussion by some of these people... until now. Why? Because for the first time there is a policy being put in place that seeks to improve the Caymanian position relative to that of the expat! We all like to pretend that we are in this together and that we are 'searching to create a better world for all concerned'. Let's stop the lying. We aren't really in this together. In many cases the so-called championing of the cause is really just a front to hide the fact that the contributor is far less concerned about the country or the people and far more concerned about his/her individual situation/ business/ whatever, whether that person is a Caymanian business owner or an expat.
My view on Immigration is this; I do not advocate slave wages. Nor do I advocate someone coming here and getting rich because of the colour of his/her skin, or where they come from; or the ease with which some people seem to be able to move up the corporate ladder. I believe that everyone who moves here does so because Cayman represents a better situation for them than the place that they have come from, otherwise they wouldn't come!! Let that marinate for a minute before you proceed. If you want to get in to a discussion of benefits beyond this simple statement, then it better be about domestic helpers and construction workers who have to leave their children behind and not about professionals who get paid enough to bring their families with them, or have their job in Cayman to thank for the ease with which their family planning restrictions have been removed.
As I stated previously, I believe that the Government's intent is to put Caymanians in a relatively better position than we have been in for several years. I am a Civil Servant, therefore I am politically neutral and will not comment on my views about whether the roll-over policy in its present form is sufficient to perform the duty assigned it by the present Government. I will leave that to others to speak on. I will however state that in my opinion there is something seriously wrong when a Government seeks to put the people which it was elected to represent on equal footing with those who migrate to the country, and while everyone has something to say about the policy, nobody wants to talk seriously about the fact that equal footing for the indigenous people is needed, required and essential to the proper advancement of the country! In fact the world model dictates that the indigenous people of a country rule their country by advancing in and controlling Government and private sector entities. In other words, the American is king in America, the Canadian is king in Canada and the Jamaican is king in Jamaica, so shouldn't the Caymanian be king in Cayman?! This is not an effort to ignore the contributions made by other nationalities to bring Cayman to where it is, but what do you want for a thanks? To control the country while we pack up and leave or sit quietly and say nothing?
I also note that although so many people have spoken out against the policy, and have given alternative ways that the policy can be implemented, the view seems very highly expat skewed. The contributions seem to be in an effort to fix the roll-over in such a way that it benefits the expat directly through Immigration angles, or indirectly through company HR angles. I think that too many people are losing sight of, or ignoring, the real issue. Why is it that everyone is trying to fix the roll-over instead of putting their businesses in a position that it does not affect them? I can understand the expat worker complaining because he/she is going home and wants to stay. However the Caymanian/other business owner complaining is a bit harder for me to swallow. The fix ladies and gentlemen is simple. Adhere to that little clause in the work permit application that says you must identify and train a Caymanian employee for the job! Let that one marinate for a while too, I know it's a foreign concept, but bear with me and see where I am going. If you place Caymanians in crucial positions in your company, and give them the same salary and perks that you would give your expat employee, you won't have to worry about the roll over closing down your company. As I stated the conversation has been expat skewed. It's time that it really became about what is best for the Cayman Islands and for the companies in business here. If you love Cayman, and love doing business here, then do what gives you the best guarantee of success, train the people that have no issues about whether they are going to stay or leave.. ever!
Yes I realize that we will always need expat labour as long as the economy continues to grow. However it is just good common sense to guarantee that the top of your organization is secure, and then only have to worry about rolling over less experienced, less qualified employees because, at the end of the day, it is easier to find a new junior accountant than a new CFO.
How about putting some effort in to training Caymanians to take high level positions. Why not try going to High Schools and targeting graduating class members, offering real scholarships and other education opportunities so that you can groom for your future HR needs. Why not try mentoring some educated young people so they can develop the skills and confidence needed in the corporate world. There are a myriad of avenues available for you to take in empowering from within. You might still be facing a short term problem, but we have known that this policy was coming in to effect for some time now, so unfortunately some business owners will face the consequences of not being prepared.
I here comments that Caymanians are lazy and don't want to work and blah blah blah! Caymanians are very hard working people! Our grandfathers and great grandfathers were regarded among the top sea men in the world. We produced the first black man to ever pilot a ship in to South Africa. Look it up! We have produced countless heroes (most unrecognized) and we will continue to do so. But Caymanians have become disheartened at the way that things have been going. You want to see the difference between a lazy Caymanian and a hard working one? Take the lazy one, pay him as much as you pay your expat employee, tell him you plan on giving him 3 major promotions in the next 7 years, give him the support you give your expat employee and then get out of the way! But don't say that Caymanians are lazy while we are expected to constantly contribute to a system from the bottom tier, never gain security, watch others come in move up and move on, and live paycheck to paycheck until death or retirement. That's just not fair!
Finally I would like to say that I do not want anyone reading this to think that I am unsympathetic to the plight of the expat. I have very good friends that I stand to lose over this policy, as well as people that I truly respect and admire. However, while it affects me on a personal level, I am always reminded that the goal of any reform is the betterment of the country. I do believe that the only solutions worth exploring are those that seek to empower us. There are far too many successful Caymanian business owners running around right now trying to deal with the roll-over instead of making proper efforts to invest in their own people.
I am one of the expats that will be effected in the near future by this rule. In truth, I have already seen some of its consequences. People in my position within the financial industry are moving on and many others are currently looking for opportunities in other jurisdictions as they have little faith in the inconsistent decisions of the residency board. I've seen great men refused and lesser men granted. Even the intelligent of the lucky chosen are not complacent. Although they have acquired the right to continue living in this beautiful country, they are uncertain of what that life will behold.
With the labour restrictions and the realization of the potential of catastrophic weather, many global companies have already begun outsourcing much of the work that would and should be done in Cayman to other countries. The additional mass exodus that is legislated to happen without a doubt will accelerate this trend. In many cases the accountants and managers will go to other offices always taking knowledge and often taking clients. Instead of creating an opening for someone who at this time probably doesn't exist as I believe there is full employment among the qualified Caymanians, it’s quite possible the result will be a loss of two or more complimentary positions.
Many of the new people coming down will not be staying seven years in a place where it is doubtful they can ever call it home. Many will come down for a working holiday, will spend little in the economy and have no interaction other than the required with the people of these islands. Companies will not, cannot and do not have to adjust to this. Their client bases will not allow the lack of continuity.
Maybe it's a convenient belief, but I do not think shortening the time people need to be gone is enough. I have been here eleven years Paul and I really do want some security of tenure and the freedom to change jobs instead of being indentured to employers who realize and often exploit the situation.
I understand the concerns of government and people of these islands particularly considering the UK's pending constitutional reforms which will necessitate the right to status for certain long time residents. In addition there was the horribly wrong granting of status a few years back where many of the recipients were not subject to any due diligence or qualification review, but merely knew one of the politicians (opposition and in power) or important figures who were asked to create a list that would not be questioned.
But Paul I really don’t think a mix is such a bad thing.
Sincerely Yours
They have a saying that when life deal you lemons... make lemonade.
Just keep on keeping on. Life offers no guarantee of happiness, only opportunities.
Cayman challenge is how do we handle our success? Nobody wants to strangle the goose that lays the golden egg, yet on the other hand we need to tailor our success in such a way that the greatest majority of indigenous Caymanians will benefit.
There are no easy answers to our problems with immigration as Cayman continues to be a magnet that attracts overseas investment and a plethora of overseas expats to go with it.
Our problem hits home closest when we see our area of bread and butter taking the greater loss. God forbids when our productive hive of busy little bees stop making delicious honey.
The successful Caymanians with deep pockets shielding him from the pain, often appear indifferent to the suffering of those on the lower rung of the economic ladder.
Lets pray and ask God for wisdom and insight into resoving this social issue.
I quote "There are approximately 15,000 born Caymanians who are able to vote in a population of over 52,000 people." Please note as of today new statistics show that there are approximately 29,000 Caymanians. Your reference to 'born caymanians' is not applicable as the country does not only depend on the born caymanians - but also the persons who are 'Caymanians due to status'.
Also I quote again "not have employers have to find new and untrained workers, to say the least." You are correct in your reference to untrained workers. HOWEVER this is the point - how many business owners in Cayman are really taking the young Caymanians and training them to become realtors etc..this is the time to take on these new school leavers- assist in their grooming, mentor them and show them what the industry is looking for, send them overseas for a year or two for some training or overseas experience and then bring them back to your company to REPRESENT. This is one of the solutions- not this idea of reducing the time that people have before they return.
With every law that is passed some will win and some will lose. But is it truly fair that the people of this country be the ones to lose this battle? Many of the people that are now crying that they have to leave the country due to the roll over have never really tried to become a part of the community. Yes we see alot of persons who have acquired property right after the govt. said you need to show proof that you have local assets- so they all rushed out to purchase. This is not a genuine act- it is merely a reactive approach to something that should have been so natural long before if their intent was genuine.
These debates will continue- and like I mentioned some will win and some will unfortunately lose; and if should not be the people of the Cayman Islands. I hope our politicians do not buckle after much public pressure and criticism-but stand by their grounds and principles to protect the Caymanians. This can be achieved by working with local companies to see how the 'now Caymanians' can add value to existing companies and not have to make them go out of business.
Dear Paul,
Your points are taken.
It may be that we simply say that citizenship is reserved to those who can:
(i) show blood line to a Caymanian; or
(ii) by a combination of factors including more than 20 years with residency in the Cayman Islands.
This would mean that the most that could be hoped for by most expats is residency -- which I believe is what most would really want for their security and this would remove the whole element of whether most residencies will lead to citizenship in the short to medium term.
As per the Roll Over Policy:
We have heard 2 years, then 6 months as the requirement for being away from the Islands before workers can return pursuant to the Rollover Policy??? Why not go for a a signed affidavit of agreement with individuals who have left the Island, pursuant to the rollover, that they understand that their period of living in the Cayman Islands has been terminated pursuant to the Rollover Policy and that they understand that their return to the Cayman Islands before the 2 year period (or 6 month period as the case may be) will in no way be considered towards any future entitlement for residency. In that way the roll over policy could be handled as part of the normal vacation process and not cause an undue burden to business.
I am all for preserving and promoting Caymanians in the work place and believe that the Government has to take steps to do something now otherwise future Caymanians will have no place; no 'piece of the pie' so to speak. I hear much about these problems and much of it is office politics. However, one end of the problem is that many of the expat managers feel more comfortable at work (and at their parties and social settings) with persons of their own nationalities at the table. Many will go to great lengths to keep or get other expats working with them and may even see this as a means to preserve their own tenure. After all if you are an expat manager and your second (and maybe third) are from you neck of the woods; they are no threat; but having a Caymanian coming through the ranks does present a problem of sorts in the medium to longer term; plus his presence may not be as desirable in the social settings.
This said, I believe there are much better ways of accomplishing the promotion of Caymanians than the roll-over policy. Having forums where Caymanians in the work place can voice specific grievances to the Business Staffing Board and specific sanctions against those businesses which provide no more than lip service towards employing and promoting Caymanians may be a much more effective way to fix these problems than the rollover policy.
From my point of view the rollover policy will only serve to kill the small and medium sized Caymanian businesses. Lets face it; this will do little to get most of the larger businesses to push to have Caymanians succeed in the workplace. They will already have figured out their rotational systems to put flesh blood in their seats every 7 years and thus avoid the punishment that the small and medium sized business with no overseas affiliations or contacts will have to face.
Regards
Philip Ebanks
Attorney-at-Law
Dear Paul,
Thanks for opening up your blog site to the public. I can honestly tell you I respect your effort and I applaud the myriad of discussion you have allowed to be on your board.
If I may contribute...
My husband and I have been looking to re-locate to Grand Cayman since 2004. We wanted to research carefully before we made a decision and have spent the last 2 odd years doing our homework, reading the papers, visiting during our holidays and reading other sources (ie. blogs) at the same time.
Unfortunately, we have chosen not to re-locate to Grand Cayman. It's been painstaking but from our point of view we cannot justify the move.
May I state why - and this is not to start strife on here but only to draw attention to why two hard working and contributing Canadians have made the choice to stay or relocate elsewhere.
Firstly, we were not looking to leave Canada for a "better" life in Cayman. Canada is fantastic!! I feel more strongly about that now than ever. We have safety, healthcare, old age pension from the government, beautiful and diverse land from coast to coast and everything in between and, most importantly, a society that has embraced our multi-cultural mosaic. We are a mosaic too. Not a melting pot. You see, if you go anywhere in Canada you see people of all nationalities promoting their nationality and sharing their culture with others. We thought of leaving for the adventure of it - to learn about another culture maybe enjoy a differnt climate - although we'd surely miss the beautiful blankets of snow at Christmas, the trees budding in spring and the leaves turning from greens to amber to ruby in the fall. We wanted to contribute our values and skills to another country who actually looked in the intitial reseach stages like they needed us and would welcome us with open arms.
It makes me personally proud when I can say that my neighbor is from Ethiopia and on the day that my husband and I greeted him and welcomed him to our neighborhood he took a moment to share with us how comfortable he felt here and how friendly everyone was. I am proud to call him a friend and he is proud to call himself Canadian for as long as he wants to. I don't feel that he is any less a Canadian than myself. It would be like calling him less of a person and shaming him for being him and not being born here. I would be very embarrassed to look at him as anything less.
Why we have not chosen Cayman:
Quite obviously there is the roll over policy. We are two established professionals who would want stability if we were to take on a move that is this massive.
We would want to purchase a home and make it a home with our own personal touches. We live in a house that we bought here. However, the banks in Cayman will not even "pre-qualify" us for a mortgage even with $60k KY down because of work permit issues. Most banks want us to work in Cayman a period of 6 months before even negotiating the lending practice. Not to mention only one bank will offer us a reasonable term of 20 years ammortization. Other banks will only offer us 10!! I don't have to tell you that when house prices are as expensive as they are in Cayman that an ammortization of 10 years is tight.
Then we factor in interest rates. On our home in Canada we pay 4.5%. That's not a typo either. Four point five percent. We were able to lock in for 5 years and if we had to negotiate tomorrow we could still find a mortgage for under 5%. Now take Cayman. Based on what you do for a living, where you will be employed and of course which bank you speak to, we were told we would pay anywhere from 9 to 11%. The math on that is staggering. Friends in Cayman - my heart aches for you. With the price of your groceries, gas, water, electricity, communication equipment etc. I really can't figure out how you manage without living from pay check to pay check. I have to imagine that many of you are living hand to mouth.
When I hear of people suggesting expats leave the island for two years or even 6 months so they can keep their homes or whatever in Cayman I wonder: How?
How much is the average worker able to save or send "home" as some people think many people do?
During the past two years we have been reminded about the "tax free" environment of Cayman. According to my math it isn't so "tax free". We would have to pay for healthcare, contribute to a pension at a specified rate, pay in some cases 2.5% insurance on a house, pay extra for our groceries which have to be imported, high electricity rates etc. The list goes on. It feels to me that while there are no taxes there is a greater financial burden on things that we just don't see here in Canada.
Many of you are thinking we could rent, I am sure. But we have a beloved cat who has been a member of our family for seven years. Many of the accomodations for rent say no pets. Some of them even say no kids!!! We also looked into the price for bringing our cat with us to Cayman. Not inexpensive for the blood test that confirms no rabies and a microchip that has to be sent to Kansas the cost was $270.
Paramount to all of that is that we may not feel comfortable or welcomed in our new home. I read the papers and see how the division between expats and Caymanians is getting more pronounced. It is confusing to me because I was under the impression that an expat could not take the job for which there would be a qualified Caymanian.
I know lots of smart Caymanians winning scholarships, running banks and successful businesses. I also know that there is a gap in the education system that seems to allow for a very high level of illiteracy. The poster who suggested more due diligence on the behalf of the Caymanian younger generation was right! It would start a positive turn around on the island.
I just want to say that Cayman is a wonderful and beautiful country with many lovely people of all different nationalities. I cannot justify a nicer place to vacation.
But if I want to live somewhere then I cannot justify a more wonderful and accepting place to live than Canada.
Come check us out sometime - we are always looking for new Canadians, especially those who feel as blessed to be here as we do! I welcome even the Caymanian who feels encroached upon by a fellow human.
We Caymanians all need to wake up!!! - Whenever I talk to my local friends, someone always has something bad to say about expats as a whole. I work in a professional enviroment (unlike most my friends) and most of my colleagues are expats - but the opportunities for Camanians that are still at school or willing to learn are endless. But without the expats running big business over here those professional opportunities would not exist. As long as there are jobs - suitably qualified Caymanians will get these jobs first. No work permit fees and related issued will always give us the advantage. There needs to be some competition otherwise the youth will not be inspired to work hard and obtain professional qualifications.
Sending someone home after 7 years just to have them replaced by other expats is pointless and stupid. Even if the expats will never get status - those that have been here for a long time learn to love and respect the Island, are willing to invest and give back to the community. If you keep bringing new people, just to kick them off again, they will rape and pillage this island and try to take as much away from here as they can. The expats that don't care about the Island usually only stay for a few years and then leave by their own will.
Everybody who contributes to this Island should be allowed to stay - If you don't want them to stay here for ever - never give them status. There will always be an unfair advantage in our favor which we need to keep(and think about it, if there were no expats - we would have to compete with ourselves - and there would be no guaranteed jobs for qualified Caymanians). If we keep being this foolish WE will be to blame for the lack of opportunities for our children!
Easy to say, oh read the small print in your work permit and train Caymanians to do the job. Hmmm....if it was that easy then it would have been done and we wouldn't be in this mess. Just compare how great this island is to the majority of all the other caribbean islands. Has anybody even thought about the idea that it might be due to the fact that so many ex-pats came and set up businesses and live here that has increased the standard of living for everybody??
Four years ago we moved here after selling two successful business's; selling our home and saying goodbye to family and friends. Our hope was to enjoy a new way of life, buy a home and make new friends. We have achieved all this. After buying a home after one year on the island, here we are 3 years later facing the prospect of being kicked off. Nobody told us this when we moved here. Had we known of the 7 year rule before we moved, I seriously doubt we would have given up our lives and careers in Canada. Now we must start making our plans to leave and look for a country that will welcome us and our investment into the economy and community. Hopefully by that time the real estate market will be such that we do not lose money on what we thought was a good investment, our home!
I have read many articles and letters in the press recently about the rollover policy. I am a relatively new (2005) expat to these islands but already I am anxious as to my future. Rather than write numerous paragraphs on the subject, please consider this:
My family and I moved to the Cayman Islands because we wanted to. We sold our house overseas, we uprooted ourselves from our family and friends and sold most of our belongings to live here. Having done that, we discover that our stay here will probably be short-lived. We want (and still want to) make our home here. Our daughter is at school, we are in the process of buying a home, albeit after enormous trouble securing a mortgage (you are so right in that respect Paul)and we have already made many friends and acquaintances, both expat and Caymanian. To throw a blanket over all expats and say "sorry your 7 years are up, out you go" is wrong. Personal circumstances need to be looked at. My family and I are not here to make a quick buck, we are here to live, embrace the Caymanian way of life and want to stay. In 7 years you can take root, make lifelong friends and watch your family grow. To go through the upheaval of selling up everything and moving to another country again is very, very worrying.
Sincerely.
So sad these little lost people called Caymanians if we Expats don't do all things for them where would they be? We will get rid of this roll over thing and any Goverment that supports it.
The roll over policy is an utter joke. Not because its unfair, nobody said life is fair, but because it simply won't work.
Just because someone is rolled over doesn't mean a Caymanian will replace them. If there are no suitable Caymanians to fill the position, another expat will be hired. The only thing the roll over is going to do is get rid of the long term expats. You know, the kind of expat who has bought a house, raised a family, helped his neighbor, weathered ups and downs in the economy, helped a local friend after a hurricane, patronized local businesses, invested thousands into the pension fund, brought his friends and family to visit from abroad who spend a lot of money here, helped his Caymanian employer grow his business, been loyal to his employer for years and years, endured the hardships of a major hurricane and helped to rebuild the island. Yep, these are the people who will be rolled over. They will be replaced with a person who hss no loyalty to the island or its people, no loyalty to his employer, no desire to invest in a home or piece of real-estate, has not gained the trust of his employer, co-workers or clients and will most likely save all the money he can so that when they are rolled over or had enough of the island, they will walk away with having invested as little as possible in the local economy. And the cycle will repeat over and over.
There are already existing laws that give preferential treatment to Caymanians, as there should be. The way to ensure Caymanians get a fair chance at a job is through enforcment of the laws that already exist, not through a roll over plan which does absolutely nothing to stop the employer from hiring another expat. Also the education system needs to be overhauled. Caymanians are not receiving the proper training in school to compete for many local jobs. I think the government should partially fund a local university that specializes in international finance, tourism, corporate law and accounting. I know there is ICCI, but I'm talking about a world class school, with the best insturctors money can buy.
The burden to train Caymanians should never rest on the shoulders of the employer. Business exist to make a profit, pure and simple. They are not in business to educate the population. Having said that, many do train and invest in employee training as they see fit, but in the end it is the responsibility government and of the employee to obtain their own education.
I manage a local company that is 100% caymanian owned and I am an expat. It is my responsibility to see that the company makes a profit. Our staff is approximatley 60% local and 40% expat. As an expat who is doing the hiring, I can honestly say that I prefer to hire Caymanians. The problem is there are so few who even apply and those who do have little or no qualifications or relevant skills. When we hire trainees, they are without exception Caymanian. Most last less than 6 months. Most quit or are fired for poor attendence or tardiness. Those who stay on and are willing to learn and show interest advance quickly. I only wish I could find Caymanians to fill all the positions that open due to turnover. No work permits to deal with, no large relocation expenses, no homesick issues, no dealing with culture shock issues. It is so much easier, profitable and less disruptive to hire qualified Caymanians, but the sad fact is they are really hard to find. This is a fact that Caymanians better wake up to. It could be that this is unique to my industy, but I seriously doubt it.
And if my boss were to find a suitable Caymanian to fill my position, I would not hold it against him for letting me go.I knew that could eventually happen when I accepted the job almost 7 years ago. There was no roll over policy however when I came here.
Wake up Caymanians, demand that your government invest more in higher education, demand that your government vigorously enforce the laws that already exist to protect caymanians from unfair hiring. Hamstringing local business with rollover is a very bsd idea and will not solve the problem, it will only make it harder to do business in the Cayman Islands. And that my friends won't create jobs for anyone, it will force jobs out of these islands.
As for me, I am on my 7th year. My permit expires in the spring. I have a house here and my baby was born here. I have local friends and enjoy the local culture, but I am tired of having my head on the chopping block. Until my case is resolved, I will be spending the remainder of my time here trying to make as much money as I can and take it with me when I go. Unfortunately that will most likely be the attitude for all expats for the future.
If you want to have a rollover, fine, have your rollover. Just do so in a responsible and orderly way. The honorable Mr. Alden Mclaughlin seems to be a capable manager. His use of the xenophobic card also shows him to be a skilled if unsubtle politician. The politics of division are quite powerful and effective.
Sadly he does not seem to be a Statesman. His declarations will bring more grief to Cayman than any misconceived rollover policy. The ugly monster that he is creating by conjuring alleged "resentment" will be very hard to control and may take a life of its own. Words likr racial purity, job theft, oppression... the childrens of the monster are already being bred.
Does Mr Mclaughlin want to go down in history as the man who killed the Caymanian economic miracle?
If so he is well on his way.
All of this about where you are from etc. for those of you from canada and the usa i ask you 'where are the indigenous people in your countries?' This is what bothers me.
A few ramblings...
Did Phillip Ebanks really say "...the rollover policy will only serve to kill the small and medium sized Caymanian businesses..."? "only"..?? What a shocking and irresponsible statement. Last time I checked, small and medium sized businesses were the core of any economy.
Unfortunately, yes, there are some expats who do not choose to immerse themselves at all in Cayman culture, and stay in their little expat cliques. For them, I apologize. The Cayman culture and people have been a wonderful experience.
To throw the money card out there at expats is silly. Sure, expats are lured by tax-free $$, but it is only half the equation. Quality of life being the other half. But lets get serious, everyone benefits from that, Caymanians and expats alike.
I fully comprehend that because Cayman is such a small island, their needs to be a rollover policy to protect the core for all generations, but at the same time, Caymanians and expats alike benefit from the success of the island. Therefore, the rollover policy really needs to be examined carefully. We all need to stop fooling ourselves. If you want to continue to be a major player in the international financial spectrum then Cayman needs the expat, its just the way it is. And the expat needs to be afforded the opportunity to build a permanent life here, if they earn and deserve it. Otherwise, keep the rollover policy and return to a simpler, easier way of life.
Here's a thought. Lets start by taking an extensive look at the couple thousand (or whatever the number was) people that received "McKeeva Status" and consider revoking them if they were not received on proper merit?? Can a bartender who's been here only 4 years really say they earned the right to Caymanian status? We've all heard stories like this.
I am a permanent resident in the Cayman Islands originally from the USA and I as well am frightened. The rollover will not impact me personally but I have noticed a great change in the community here in the last 10 years. The anger in the country is at an all time high and the finger pointing between the various groups to assign blame for the country's problems has only increased this angst.
Clearly some politicians have used this nationalistic fear as a manipulative tool to garner votes and in doing so have opened a Pandora's Box of racial discord.
You reap what you sow and unless the rhetoric changes I fear thing will get worse.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment Mr. Aiken. As an expat who has recently left Cayman to return to Canada, I can offer you my storey as a typical expat.
I would like to say first off, everyone should remember that Cayman is Cayman,not Canda/UK/US etc, by this I mean Caymanians have the right to make whatever laws they choose in their country.
There are two main reasons we chose to leave Cayman. One issue is the cost of living vs. income. The cost of living in Cayman since Ivan has skyrocketed, wages have not. From reading reports here, rental prices are starting to come down. After seeing what many landlords chose to do after Ivan, I can't say I really feel sorry for them now that the tables have turned and vacancy rates have increased.
The second reason is absolutley the 7 year rollover. We were entering our fourth year in Cayman, and it was time to buy a home and start a family. This is a big decision and a huge financial investment for us with real estate prices as they are in Cayman. With the possibility of having only three years to remain in Cayman due to the rollover, there was no choice. To invest all the money and time to build a home, not just the physical construction of it, but everything that goes into making a home a "home", to be told in a few years that you are no longer welcome, and must pack up and leave, at least for a couple of years, is not realistic. I am not sure what percentage of home buyers expats like us would make up in the real estate market, Mr. Aiken likely would, but I can say there are many many more in the same situation we were, making the same decision we did.
I think it is very frightening how quickly this situation is evolving. There have always been expat/caymanian tensions on the island, but it has grown exponentially since the mass granting of status, and the subsequent backlash that is the rollover policy, has come into effect. We have already forgotten what we went through two years ago. We are all tired of Ivan stories, but I heard the pleas on radio cayman for expat plumbers and electricians to not leave in our time of need. I was one of them who abandoned my own personal losses, and worked all hours of the day and night connecting generators, inspecting houses, doing everything possible to get power on through some of the worst conditions I have worked in. During this three or four months after, Cayman was never better. There were no expat caymanian issues, we were all people rebuilding "our" country. What we accomplished in those six to nine months is nothing short of incredible, and I am proud of it.
Having said that, I can't help but be left with a bitter taste when only a short time later, I would be a given a time frame to leave. Both myself, and especially my wife, who did work for a Caymanian company, have felt the expat prejudice, and it is not pleasant.
I believe there is a common misunderstanding of expats. I don't think most of us are looking to come to Cayman and change it into someting else. We come to Cayman because of what it is, not because of what we want to make it. I understand the government's need to preserve Caymanian culture, however, I think they may be looking in the wrong places. The planning department has been working overtime rubberstamping mega project after project, all in the name of progress and develpment. In Camana Bay, we are building a beautiful suburban Florida neighbourhood. Seven mile beach is turning into a seven storey concrete jungle. Would these not be factors in the erosion of typical Caymanian culture? The logic of allowing this, but telling someone who has commited seven years to Cayman, that they must leave and be replaced by someone new in the name of protecting Cayman is lost on many.
As I said in the beginning, I believe Caymanians have the right to make whatever laws they choose, regardless of how it may impact me but the effects of this are only beginning to be felt. Recruiting new workers to the island, and having them commit and stay more than six months is becoming more and more difficult. There is a silent exodus of long time expats occuring. The rollover policy will first effect these people , but in the long term, it will also impact Caymanian business owners and the economy in general, there is no question. It would seem that the only concern is for the people who suffer financial loss as a result, not for those who have to leave their "home" and freinds.
This is only one opinion, there are more opinions on this issue than paper. I hope the majority of Caymanians stand up and let themselves be heard on this issue, rather than allowing the minority rule.
Regards
A typical expat
I have been in Cayman since 2005 and although I may love the fact that it takes me 10 mins to get to work in the mornings and the sun shines every day, I can't say I have experienced a "paradise". When I first arrived I got involved with charities and did all the charity runs handing my hard earned money over to a good cause (even though I could hardly survive on my salary). However, after 18 months of racist abuse I've stopped doing even that. Its got so petty that I've even stopped dressing down on a Friday because I see no reason to hand over my money to people who are very quick to tell me I'm not welcome but will stand with their hands out to take my money. I'm afraid you can't have your cake and eat it too.
I, for one, would never apply for residency. I don't consider Grand Cayman to be that great - the only thing going for it is the scuba diving and even that is slowly being destroyed because of the mindless and excessive building taking place on this island. Your government is killing this island, not the expat.
Whatever beauty Grand Cayman had seems to have disappeared with Ivan. Not too far down the road even the "beauty" of Eden Rock will disappear when the government takes the stance of money over environment and builds 4 massive concrete cruise liner berths in George Town harbour. Now wouldn't that just take off as a huge tourist attraction. I can see it now. Travel agents all around the world selling Cayman for its harbour. Wake up guys. Your heritage is this rock and the beauty that surrounds it under that gorgeous turquoise water, not where you come from, who your mother was or even whether anyone is still originally Caymanian. You're so busy concentrating on trivial things that you forget the most important fact of all. Lose your reef and that’s when you can kiss your culture - and the thing that attracts the most tourists - good-bye. People come to the Caymans to dive because lets face it there isn't else much to do on this rock.
Whilst writing, I would like to refer to a letter that was in the Compass a few Fridays ago (just above the delightful cartoon depicting an expat flying through the air after being launched out of a hammock) where the words "heritage", "disadvantage", "sacrifice" and "culture" were shouted at every opportunity. Mr McCoy (I believe his name was) did nothing but whine how Caymanians were "unable to live a peaceful existence in their own country". I am confused - why exactly can't he "enjoy" his Island? How are expats preventing him doing this? It appears everyone else can. As for jobs – I totally agree with the one person who wrote that it should be the companies employing young Caymanians out of college and sending them away to get experience overseas. That is how you learn a job – not by having it handed to you on a platter. Expats are only sought out because they have the knowledge, experience and the versatility to fit in wherever they are placed. Unfortunately everything on this Island comes down to money and it is easier to employ an expat than it is to further your own country's development, but that can't be blamed on the expat now can it??
I have been travelling around the world working for the past 15 years and Cayman has to rate as one of THE most expensive countries in the world I have lived in. At the moment it suits me to be here but to stay here for 7 years - are you kidding? For a single person it leaves a lot to be desired. I'm not even sure why parents would send their kids to school here as, from what I've been reading, the literacy rate also leaves a lot to be desired.
On a finishing note, if you don't want expats on your island stop issuing work permits. It really isn't rocket science. It also isn’t fair to expats to come here thinking its going to be great and then be treated like a piece of dung on the bottom of a Caymanian's shoe. I applied for a permit, I got it, therefore I am working here. If I had been turned me down trust me when I say I wouldn't be crying in a corner somewhere because they hadn't let me in - I would have looked at the world map and chosen somewhere else to go where I would be doing exactly the same job as I'm doing here, although, I'm sure I would be welcomed and appreciated a little bit more than I am here.
To those of you who can think for yourselves and see a future where everyone lives in harmony - good luck. I won't be around to see the end result as I'll be somewhere else in the world which hopefully will be paradise rather than just a word used to get expats over here.
Well written Paul.
Are we about to shoot ourselves in the foot? Foreign investment and foreign work force encourages the inward flow of foreign currency. A C.I Dollar as strong as it may appear has never purchased a barrel of oil, or used while shopping in Miami, a much loved affair for all that lives in Cayman. Are we prepared to give up the luxuries of a comfortable home, car, boat, air condition shopping at supermarkets that has the foreign dollar to stock to our liking? Most important a good future for our children (Just to mention a few as nothing happens or moves with out energy)
I have experienced the collapse of Jamaica in the seventies due to political stupidity causing the flight of good people and foreign currency. When Jamaica realized there mistakes, the corrective action is still an ongoing process after 36 years. It’s easier to destroy than to build.
You can not have a runaway development as infrastructure etc must be in place, our success and growth can continue if controlled and managed.
Roll over policy is not the answer. As the saying goes, do not swap black dog for monkey. Use what you have to build a better Cayman. please let us remind the government that our economy's main stay and flow or foreign currency, is made up of only two main industries tourism and banking and both depend on foreigners either living here as a vacation home, working here, visiting here, or banking here. I am afraid that Caymans # 1 export of rum cakes can not support the island.
Let’s recognize, count and commend the many Caymanians passed and present that has ceased the opportunity of the islands progress to become very successful and continue to contribute to the islands success. These are the people who need to stand up and be counted let your voice be heard before its too late.
Mr Robert Hamaty
President
Tortuga Rum Co
Having moved to Cayman from London I thought I was going to have a better standard of living. Better food, better people, better way of life, but instead I am being subjected to a fate worse than that of a beggar in the United Kingdom.
I have no rights (God forbid that I would want to vote) and I cannot express my views for fear of being further oppressed, which I am every day.
I do not want to be granted Caymanian status or citizenship and as a holder of a British passport I do not see why I have to be kicked off the Island in seven years time. If Caymanians are able to go to the UK and get the same rights as Brits, why am I not afforded the same rights in Cayman?
If a Brit and Caymanian applied for the same job in the UK, the best person for the job would get it, be he (or she) British or Caymanian. I am appalled to see in the classified section of the Cayman Compass that Caymanians only are eligible to apply for certain jobs.
I can understand that Caymanians would like to see "true" Caymanians better themselves but how can they truly be better if the competition has been rigged?
Do not even get me started on the way Caymanians drive or how they expect you to get out of the way should you come across them on the side walk. Then there's the cost of living, the ludicrous rents and scowling faces Caymanians pull.
I always thought that Carribean people were happy-go-lucky, but I have been sadly mistaken.
I am rudely awoken by booming music at 2am and disadvantaed by the Chosen Ones.
Why I even came here in the first place I am still trying to work out.
Lord knows, I am not even going to wait to be kicked off the Island. Give me smog, muggings, road rage and every bad thing you can think of London any day!
I am a small business owner. I hire both expats and Caymanians. If I could hire more Caymanians I certainly would! No work permit fees, no waiting for work permits to be approved, no relocation expenses, no roll-over. However the reality rarely do I get any Caymanians applying for the advertised jobs. No business owner in their right mind would hire a qualified expat over a qualifed Caymanian - it makes no business sense.
So please stop accusing people like me of being biased, and please get rid of the policy that makes hiring the expats I need to run by business even harder and more expensive than it is already.
Or I will have to shut my doors, and those Caymanians that I am lucky enough to have working for me will lose their jobs too and everybody loses.
Have it your way Caymanians. I have not even been here a year and have decided to get out.
You country offers me no future.
Your people are ingrates.
I am going back to the UK, where I do not need legislation to succeed. I was very successful before I left and will be when I return.
Your country is irreparably damaged, socially, economically and politically. This policy has simply brought to the surface what appears to me to be widespread racism - unless of course it is just one Caymanian writing all these articles.
Good luck, you'll need it.
"everyone reaps what they sow"
I fear this rollover policy is the bad seed whose fruits will leave a bitter taste...
The seven-year rule is likely illegal and would not stand a legal challenge. Unfortunately, such a challenge will have to come from an "outside" initiative. Can you imagine such a law in the UK, Canada or the US? Of course not! It could only come from Cayman, and this kind of discrimination is unacceptable in a democratic society. People have to get together and prepare for a fight in the Courts and in the political arena. Form an association. Challenge this "rollover" before it damages business in Cayman and taints the islands in the opinion of the international community. In the interval, people should just boycott the Caymans until the matter is resolved.
I am happy to see that Paul Aiken has voiced his concerns publicly.
For a long time, I have thought that what is needed in the Cayman Islands is a serious public discourse regarding the issues facing Caymanians, the issues facing transient persons and workable resolutions as to how to balance the best interests of Caymanians and transient persons. Paul's blog is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, this will lead to a wider spread discussion in Cayman society and people will be encouraged to engage in an honest discussion, the results of which could identify better ways to resolve issues, lay some fears to rest and clarify some misunderstood perceptions.
A complaint should be filed at the United Nations. The Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights has drawn up rules of procedure (Sub-Commission resolution 1 (XXIV)of 13 August 1971). In general terms, these rules may be summarized as follows:
No communication will be admitted if it runs counter to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations or appears to be politically motivated.
A communication will only be admitted if, on consideration, there are reasonable grounds to believe - also taking into account any replies sent by the Government concerned - that a consistent pattern of gross and reliably attested violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms exists.
Communications may be submitted by individuals or groups who claim to be victims of human rights violations or who have direct, reliable knowledge of violations. Anonymous communications are inadmissible as are those based only on reports in the mass media.
Each communication must describe the facts, the purpose of the petition and the rights that have been violated. As a rule, communications containing abusive language or insulting remarks about the State against which the complaint is directed will not be considered.
Domestic remedies must have been exhausted before a communication is considered - unless it can be shown convincingly that solutions at the national level would be ineffective or that they would extend over an unreasonable length of time.
Where to send communications
Communications intended for handling under the "1503" procedure may be addressed to:
Treaties and Commission Branch
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 917 90 11
E-mail: 1503@ohchr.org
A slow down in this Island would not hurt.This infectious idea of uncontrolled growth has put people agaist each other.We need a development plan that does not make expats look like they are the source of the problems in this island. Uncontrolled development is the villain not the Caymanains or the Expats.We need an infrastructure that will accommodate all the people that are here,this will take time to build.The growing pain of a developping Island are hurtful but all countries of the world go thought this.I am sorry that so many people are feeling the hurt that they are,but I believe that this will make shore that in the future there is a clear development plan that will not over whelm all the people living here and will take in to consideration the birth rate of our citizenry as well as what the infrastructure can bare this will be the best way forward.Uncontrolled development is the villain not the Caymanains or the Expats.
All expats should stop working for one day "One day with out expats" so the government can get a preview of the mess they are creating.
the real estate market may suffer, but whos fault is that. every one can clearly see that there are many homes, apartments and condos on the island, and i am quite sure we do not have enough people to fill them all.
the market will oly be affected, because of the rediculous prices that have been stuck on to these buildings. i know that everyone has to make a profit but renting a one room apartment for over $1000 per month is not about profit, or giving someone a break, it is about making that paper. so with less people here to fill these places hopefully the prices go down and caymanians will finally be able to buy something that they can call their own.
so this policy will help us in more ways than the obvious.
I am torn. As much as I love living on Grand Cayman I am torn between the good people of Cayman and the ugly people of Cayman. As someone else mentioned I am sick to death of the racial abuse that goes unquestioned and unabated on this island.
I, unfortunately, was brought up to be independent, think for myself and to stand up for myself and my rights. Unfortunately as it turns out, on Grand Cayman I have no rights.
For example, on Sunday afternoon I was driving along South Church Street when suddenly the van in front of me veered off the road. Thinking he was pulling over, for whatever reason, I overtook only to have him pull back out on the road. Upon glancing across at the driver (and yes, shaking my head and saying to myself "what the?" I noticed he had a hamburger in his hand and was attempting to eat and drive.
I was on my way to visit a friend at Southern Skye and happening to glance in my rear view mirror (a wasted accessory for most Caymanian drivers) I notice the white van has stopped at the top of the drive way. Not wanting him to know where my friend lives in case he thought I lived there (you never know on this island) I turned around and drove back up to the main road. The next thing I know this guy is out of his car, swearing at me, telling me to get off the island and to go back to where I came from (albeit not as politely as this and with every second word a swear word) - all because I'd mistaken him for a Jamaican *shock horror* and asked why he cared what I was doing on the island. This continued for a good 10 mins where I was called every prostitute act under the sun and that I was prejudiced against Jamaicans. Huh?!
This unfortunately is what expats deal with every day. And all because I happened to drive past him, shake my head in disbelief at his eat and driving skills and continue driving. For that I get followed and verbally harrassed.
What are my rights in this case? None. I may be female but I'm an expat. My friend asked me if I took a number plate - my response was why? What could I do? Report him to the Caymanian police force? I'd probably be on the next plane out of here with "trouble maker" stamped in my passport.
Thats when I was told about a law that prevents a Caymanian male from insulting a woman and a witness to the ugly scene said the chap would have earned himself at least 10 years in jail. Perhaps the next one will not get off that lightly, although lets face it I don't have the amount of years on my permit to wait around for the court case to eventually be listed.
That is why I will be leaving Grand Cayman next year, not because of some idiotic rollover policy.
It may be worthwhile for Caymanians to note that, like anything else in the world, word of mouth is a key element to any business or country's success.
For a country such as the UK or Canada perhaps not so much but for a small populated island (who as much as they may wish it otherwise, rely on expats to a large degree), word of mouth can play a huge factor. I am an honest, law abiding and hard working individual who just wants to get on with living a good life. I now find I can't, in good conscience, recommend that any of my friends, or even their friends, come over here (whether it be to visit or work) to experience the undiluted hatred that I have experienced from the Caymanian people.
Word of mouth may not have an immediate effect but in the not too far distant future it may well be that Cayman will end up with only expats that no one else wants in their country.
For a supposedly religious culture, Caymanians, in my opinion, have come across as hypocritical and a country of bigots. Its a sad generalisation for me to make but one that is made on my experiences over the last year. It could be so much more but its not and thats definitely not of the expats' making!
I, sadly, will also be "anonymous" on this letter.
To those wonderful Caymanians who I have met, I wish you well.
Restlessjapie
This is bigger than any Expat.
As far as I'm concerned, those who have a problem with this policy and didn't have a problem with the wholesale status grants under the previous Government are Hypocrites. Where were the Expats when our birth rights were stripped, when undeserving individuals received the same rights as me (a born and raised Caymanian) I'll tell you were they were, either at home laughing at us, or at the post office checking the mail for their letter. Now tell me, how many other countries in the world could something of this magnitude go unchallenged by its Citizens? We were right to stand up then and we are right to support the Roll-over policy now. I Love Expats, let's get that clear. I have many dear friends of mine that are Expats and we remain divided on the roll-over policy. I am yet to here a credible defense for not supporting the roll-over policy...it all comes back to finance. Well if that's the main reason then open the flood gates and let them all in in-deffinately and see how long it takes to ruin the country. Expats, why are you trying to take what's not rightfully yours? For years you have been allowed to come here and enjoy financial success and we never had a problem with it. Now that we (Caymanians) want a piece of the pie you seem to be up in arms about this. This is bigger than you as an Expat..don't take it personally please. I am sure my fellow Caymanians are not trying to be rude or disrespectful to any of you but put yourselves in our shoes. Imagine standing by in the wings and waiting for your chance to climb the corporate ladder only to have the posts moved everytime you get close. Watching people come here that you have to train to take a possition you were hoping to fill. Please stop the rhetoric about the roll-over policy and show us that you are genuinly concerned about the welfare of Cayman. Anyone who is just worried about selling land, rum cakes, cars etc cannot truly be worried about the welfare of the Island as a whole in 20 years. Where do we see ourselves and who will we have to blame if we are all forced to leave our Island to find jobs elsewhere? This policy is not to be taken personally, or as an attack. As a young Caymanian with a CPA delegation I hope one day to be a Partner at one of the local Accounting Firms. I just want a chance to prove myself worthy of taking on that responsibility. Is that too much to ask?
I have been visiting Cayman for twenty years and just purchased a retirement home -- our hard earned US dollars will be spent in GC. Over the years we have made many friends Caymanian and Expat. I am saddened to see what is occurring as a result of the rollover policy. Unfortunately the politicans are using the "buzz" words to embrace a part of the Caymanian population. I was dumbfounded today to read that one elected official has the power to know what Caymanians are "thinking".
I am extremely impressed to read the well thought out and reasonable comments on this site. I was beginning to fear that my investment in the future was a huge mistake!! Thank you for putting my mind at rest.
As for many of the jobs that expats hold, there are not Caymanians who want those jobs (ie the dive industry). I also believe that the incredible amount of development that is happening post Ivan will do more to erode Caymanian culture than anything else. We met guests at the Ritz who couldn't remember the name of the island they were on and worse didn't care! Are they worth the money they will spend -- I think not!! It is greed and not the expats who are eroding Caymanian culture. Sadly the politicians are using the "expat" situation to cover up their inability to upgrade the education system and to provide more opportunity for young Caymanians to study abroad and gain experience and exposure so they can be ready to fill the positions that will allow them to compete with similarly trained expats. Leaders are happy to blame employers, expats, tourists. In that respect Cayman is no different than the U.S., Canada, U.k. etc. except that our politicans are not bold enough to say they know what we "think". Good luck to those who realize that the present policy is hurtful, I hope you can find a satisfactory solution before more damage is done.
Some people are just missing the point.
The fact of the matter is there simply are not enough Caymanians - let alone qualified Caymanains - to fill all the jobs here. Expatriates are needed to fill those jobs.
Simply replacing old expatriates with new expatriates doesn't accomplish anything; in fact, it will probably make the Caymanian/expat rift worse. You think there are too many expatriates only here for themselves now? Just wait a few years, when the new expats start settling in. They'll know from the beginning that they're here for the short term,and they won't care one bit about Caymanian culture, Caymanian causes, or this country. Most will only stay a year or two, maybe three, and then will leave on their own. Seven years is too long for most people to come here if they have not chance of staying. That will only increase the transient nature of Cayman and increase the costs of running a business here.
Clanishness will hit an all-time high here. Service clubs like Rotary,which have large contingents of ex-pats, will start to dwindle. Sporting organisations like CIASA and the Little League will start to fall apart because expatriates are vital to their operation. The Humane Society might cease to exist. The fancy fundraisers for any number of good local causes will raise a quarter of what they do now. No one will attend beach clean ups.
Replacing good, honest, long-term resident expatriates with unproven new ones, just so they can't become citizens, is not a good idea.
I hear people talking nostalgically about how things used to be in Cayman, but those days are gone, and there's no way to turn back the clock, at least not without horrible, horrible consequences. Just try to shrink the economy and see what happens. You think crime is bad now; just wait until things get really tough and see what happens.
Caymanians were at one time a hard-working people. Survival here before tourism and the financial industry was not easy, so people had to work hard. But many Caymanians have become soft now. Many want there 37-1/2-hour work week, their nice cars, their plasma TV and satellite dishes, their I-pods and their fancy clothes and jewellery. Just try taking that away from them and see what happens. They're liable to tar and feather the political leaders if that happens.
And what's all this talk about preserving Caymanian heritage and culture? Please. Young Caymanians don't care about Caymanian culture. I'm a long term expat and was talking to some young Caymanians in their 20's recently. I knew more about Caymanian culture than they did. They'd never heard of a lime kiln. They didn't know North Side didn't even have power until the 60's, or that the mosquitoes were so bad here until they build the dykes that people had to carry around smoke pots. What they do know about is American culture; the latest rap songs, the newest slang words, the way the "in" people should dress to be cool. If you want them to know about Caymanian culture, then teach them about it if you can. If parents can't be bothered to do it, then let teach it in schools if it's that important, but don't blame the expats for their disinterest. Maybe if parents here did a little more parenting by monitoring consumption of American TV feed and by not indulging their children so much, their children would be more interested.
You want young Caymanians to get jobs, but how can people expect to get jobs if they can't read or write well? It's not the fault of expats that they can't read and write.
Yes, every Caymanian college graduate should be able to get a job AT AN ENTRY LEVEL in their field. Yes, every Caymanian should be able to rise in the ranks IF THEY WORK HARD AND ARE CAPABLE. The world is the oyster of ANY hard-working and capable Caymaian. They get promoted to the highest levels at an age younger than in other countries like the UK, the US or Canada.
But if Caymanians are given certain jobs just because they are Caymanian, and then don't perform up to established standards, they only hurt Cayman's competitiveness in the global economy. Cayman needs to remain the best in the financial world if its to maintain its market share. This issue is not only bigger than the expat, it's bigger than the Caymanians. Cayman is in a tenuous situation, and excellence is our only chance. Giving jobs currently done by capable people to new expats who might not be as capable (after all, there is a global labour shortage that is only going to get worse as baby-boomers age), or by a less than capable Caymanians is a sure recipe for disaster.
There is more than one way to achieve protection for Caymanians, and I believe the roll-over policy will only cripple the country. Of course if the government would only start granting ample amounts of exempted employee status and permanent residency applications, this all becomes moot.
I agree that a 3 to 6 month sabatical is a nice idea, but who would really want to continue paying rent on a place when you're not living there, sublet? well that won't be in the lease. Alternatively, do you sell all your belongings, give up your rental, your car etc etc only to have to start all over again after such a short period of time?
EXPATS PENSIONS
The retroactive aspect of the rollover law is cruel.
We have no rights, no choice and will have to leave.
To start over somewhere else will require finances.
(No we are not ALL that rich, and the cost of living here is such that all earnings are finished by the end of each month!).
Pension coverage is compulsory, for Caymanians and expats alike.
(As far as I am aware of, the pension scheme should be locally registered?)
However:
"A member of a pension fund can be entitled to a refund if the following conditions are satisfied:
- A member's employment is terminated.
- That member ceases to reside in the Islands.
- No contributions have been made to a pension plan by or on behalf of the member for a period of two years or more."
We will need money the day we leave!
This calls for a change of the pension law with immediate effect:
- Pension coverage is no longer compulsery for expats (after all, who wants to put money in a local pension scheme if one can not retire here?)
- All expats currently contributing to a local pension scheme are entitled to terminate their membership immediately
- All expats currently contributing to a local pension scheme are entitled to an immediate refund of the total value of their investment, without any penalty or deductions or administrative costs being imposed.
- The employers contribution to the pension scheme on behalf of the employee to be added to the employees salary.
I very much hope that the government of this country will see this as a fair and very reasonable request in the current circumstances.
I think most of the problems for expats stem from the retroactive enactment of the policy.
It really does require time and money and planning to relocate.
Can the government be Christian about at least on part of this legislation and make it effective from 2004 (I believe this is the year)? It is very inhumane to do this retroactively.
I would just like to share a point I took down after listening (on my way home) to Straight Talk yesterday that I hope Caymanians will follow in an effort to help themselves - When you apply for a job, please do so in writing and send a copy of the application to the Secretary of the Work Permit Board (with the ad were possible). This way, an expat cannot get that job before you. (This should actually be put on the advertisement).
Also noted is the need for statistics on the average length of time to fill a vacancy from HR personnel and then the corresponding # of expats currently here for 5 years, 6 years and 7 years or more so that we can see the potential effect on businesses over the next couple of years while they try to comply with the law ie the number of positions that will become open and will need to be filled in the near future either by Caymanians or new expats. If necessary break it down by sector eg financial, construction etc
Another possible solution can be a “government representative” at each employer (a current employee) who will be responsible for sending to the work permit board a report of any unfair promotions/job granting where a suitable qualified Caymanian is available internally. (External candidates can be monitored by the first paragraph).
I am so sick and tired of hearing Caymanians say “The company should give me a fully paid scholarship”, or “The company should promote me to manager”. I hate to constantly hear “give us this” and “give us that”.
Here is an idea – work for what you want!!
For the person above – companies should invest in school leavers: I see many scholarships advertised in the papers – let them apply for them.
Why can’t you stand on your on two feet? If you want a blue-collar job – sacrifice and get your degree! Take a poll of all the expats you know or get your government to poll all expats on island and determine what % got their degree through a scholarship. I can assure you it will be a very small % perhaps less than 1%. I am sure most of the responses will be – “I worked at low paying jobs and paid for my education/degree going to school at evenings/night/weekends” or “I took a loan to go to college/get my degree.” Why can’t you do the same thing? Why must someone GIVE you a scholarship to study full time for you to better your life. Take an interest in determining your own future. When you are at your job, instead of bitching about which expat got a promotion and that you should have gotten it – why don’t you show why you should have gotten it. Take a course or get a degree. I work in a professional firm, and a Caymanian with a degree gets promoted faster than any expat I have ever known. In fact, they get promoted faster than any person in any professional firm in the world probably would be. So give us a break and start living in the real world.
I could suggest a possible solution to the problems being experienced by the ‘implementation’ of the roll-over. I believe that the time period in which the rollover policy has been put in effect is detrimental. On the other hand, there are numerous benefits to be derived should the policy be carried out in a more responsible manner. The roll-over policy should have applied to persons entering the Islands after the implementation date. It should not have applied to persons who were already residing here, who have contributed enormously to the economy and have been employees upon whom employers depend for continued support. The solution suggested is one of a gradual implementation process. The rollover policy should be reviewed to be applicable to all persons coming into the Cayman Islands after January 2004, when the law came into effect. The real issue that needs to be addressed is long-term “population growth”. The government could instead address this with sound long-term macro economic strategies and fiscal management.
Due to the current implementation of the rollover policy, remaining citizens have to start rehiring, from scratch, especially at this time of economic instability and re-growth after hurricane Ivan.
When a law is passed, it normally applies as at that date. If employers knew from the onset that their employee would have had to leave after seven years regardless of whether they found a suitable Caymanian to take on the role, they would have had an entire seven years to put programmes in place to ensure a smooth transition. With the current policy implementation, employers were not given this opportunity. If tomorrow, a country passes a law that all burglars will be hanged, legally and in fairness, the hanging sentence would not apply to persons already serving sentences for burglary. It would apply to any burglaries committed after the said date, and would be applicable to future such court cases.
Passing a law such as the rollover, with immediate effect and expecting everything to be okay after a year or two? ... with no proper transition procedure? ...no government buffer or cushion offered to assist the community to recover from potential losses? ... What practical support has been offered to those Caymanian employers who are either currently or soon will be experiencing difficulties?
With the way the policy has been implemented, even if looking towards the long-term, the country will have to play “catch-up” with the equivalent of a “brain drain” impact. Transitions like these take time to properly implement. If the policy was better planned and implemented and was to apply to persons entering after the date of its adoption, there would have been ample opportunity for both Caymanians and non-Caymanians to plan effectively for a smooth transition. This would also include the opportunity for Caymanians to fully equip themselves to adequately fill posts that would become vacant within the next two to five years.
A rollover policy would be very effective if:
1) the policy was applied to all persons coming into the Cayman Islands after the date of the law.
2) suitable strategies were put in place to ensure an adequate infrastructure for pending population growth.
3) it would not apply in situations where a “new” work permit would be needed to replace the “rolled-over” work permit.
If attempted too quickly, as is currently the case, the negative costs to be derived may far outweigh the benefits proposed.
The above issues aside, the Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that if you have been profitable having your own right hand toil, that you do not deliberately chop off your right hand and still expect to be as viable. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand the power of good international relations and fairness. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that the same persons who may leave, are the same persons that helped to build the country’s competitive advantage in the region. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that its indigenous people may suffer not only for a short period after the policy is implemented as is, but may feel the negative effects of this policy for years to come. Cayman’s own people may have to interact with new entrants to the community, who may or may not have the interest of the country at heart, as would the persons who have left. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that it could be in need of international assistance in the future and perhaps not be granted because the international community has been treated unfairly. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that dismissing a member of its team with no severance pay or the international equivalent of some remuneration will not result in a favourable impression of the country. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that the cost of living here is not as compelling as it once was. The rollover policy as being implemented, may be failing the Cayman Islands from all angles. Yes, a policy framework is needed but in order to be successful, has to be implemented differently.
Yours sincerely,
Concerned for the sustainable future of the Cayman Islands
Let me ask this question HAVE THEY CONDUCTED A POLL????????? A true organized unbiased POLL of ALL registered voters & status/PR holders listing each groups results, not guestimates, guesses or counting the few people who visit their office looking favours. I am sure if they have the guts to do this they might get the surprise of their lives. In my humble opinion its the 50 an older crowd who are all for politically correct ethnic cleansing. But that does not represent a majority. If a proper poll was conducted by say 18-36, 37 - 55, 56 & above then we would get a better feel of how the "true Caymanians" feel. When I say true born I mean including any person born in the Cayman Islands even those of newly immigrant parents, because like I always say " WAY YOU BORN IS WAY YOU FROM, NOT WHERE YOU FROM DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU PARENTS FROM" ( referring to immigration law that is causing children of mixed parentage (Local/foreign) to have problems being registered. I know of a few couples that have had to registered their children in their spouses countries because they could not for some lame excuse reason be registered here, and children who was born here of immigrant parents having no nationality now because they are in their parents country but can't be registered because they are not born in that country, some parents have had to register their children in their mothers maiden names, to change the child's original first name, because they have already applied once under that name just for the child to have a nationality. This is not something I've heard I personally know of cases where this has happened, is this right? Caymanians like to go to Miami to have children and those children are American, so why should our laws here be any different. With this law we are throwing away generations of BORN Caymanians. If this law was changed back to how it used to be, they would not have to worry about the declining "true born". I've been trying to remember which idiot came up with that law "if you born here of immigrant parents on work permits your not Caymanian”. Can anyone remember who the moron was that was in charge at the time.
Running a country to me is not only using your education by also applying common sense to the mix. Why is it SOME persons who attain all sorts of degrees lose all common sense & forget the word logic. Why do they become what my mother always say educated idiots. Why???? I'll probably get deported back to the Brac for this but who cares. I'm like any other "foreigner" (as thats how we're treated) working in GC for the money.
You know you could understand & kinda excuse Big Mac cause he made it clear he was using "grannie knowledge" but whats Alden, Kurt and this bunches excuse? As I have been saying from this garbage started " drunk a ready government you want, drunk a ready government you get". LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR I AM OF NO, NO, NO political affiliation.
Caymanians HAVE TO STOP suffering from short term memory loss come election time, and voting in these hurry come up, fly by night politricians, who, themselves talk the talk, to get elected & live the good life, then don’t pay you any mind. Will walk on you, knock you down with not even so much as a grunt until they want your vote.
WAKE UP PEOPLE every country that have been destroyed economically has been done so by some impotent, self righteous, egotisical, power hungry, moronic politician, who didn’t know what the word foresight meant, really didn’t give a crap about the people or their needs only what they felt should happen to appease their ego. This government is no different from any other maniac who wants to go down in history as having their party, have the first Chief Minister or prime minister or king or whatever else politicians hope for. Lets face facts. WAKE UP AND SEE, a politician, is a politician, is a politician. Encarta dictionary says politician is somebody seeking personal power, and who’s motive is self advancement. THINK about it.
Have a great day in the tropics.
Immigration is a sensitive and em otional issue the world over, that means...The Cayman Islands are no different. As an Expat, yes an Expat I wholeheartedly support the roll-over policy. Why you may say, well one just needs to look around and see the damaged outside influence is having on this island paradise to get their answer. I love these islands and I love the people. I have only been here 4 years and will eventually get my letter in the mail like everybody else telling me that I may have to go home. So what! I'll be back, my employer knows that I am trust worthy an I'm sure he will assist me in my return. This is not my home. The one thing I agree with most of my fellow Expats on however, is that there is no such thing as an indigenous Caymanian. You all came here like everybody else and made it your home. This is where I start to differ with my fellow Expats and their opinions. There are no indigenous 'European Americans' either, we immigrated from Europe and killed the native Americans and took their land. Today we station national guards at the border to prevent people coming in to pick oranges and take the jobs that us 'Americans' don't really want anyhow. Does this sound familiar. It happens the globe over, lets not blame one side or another but try to live in harmony and I'm almost possitive that it will be for the better. Here we are arguing about a roll-over policy when there are inocent children dying across the world because of wars we as 'Educated' adults started. Cayman, have your roll-over policy and hopefully your local people will take the reins of some of these huge money machines I see around here. What hurts me for the Caymanians is that in the foreign press they are being labelled as money laundering, tax evading criminals when it is us who hide our money here. Caymanians have always gotten the short end of the stick as far as I'm concerned and as long as the greed among us continues, they will always get it. How many of us would have left home to come here if it didn't benifit us. Unfortunately I cannot sign my name because my fellow Expat co-workers would label me an outcast.
No, they would just label you an idiot without forethought. You haven't been here long enough to know.
I am a hardworking, educated, entrepreneurial Caymanian who respects Mr. Aiken’s opinion as stated in his letter “I am a Frightened Caymanian”. I trust that he and other likeminded thinkers can appreciate another perspective than their genre of thought.
No inquiries on new real estate projects?
Government stamp duty figures collected for the past months and bank loans approved suggest otherwise. To the contrary, in the The Lund Report, a publication by Mr. Aiken’s colleague purports the exact opposite trend. Consistent comments are made in the Lund Report regarding Cayman enjoying a real estate boom at present and the fast appreciation of properties on the island in the foreseeable future. I can easily understand why work permit holders who once had no security of tenure in the islands would make the conscious decision to purchase property now that they know they can remain here for up to seven years with a two year break. After all, would you prefer to rent for seven years or pay a mortgage for the same period and have the option to rent or sell, taking advantage of the capital gains at the end of your tenure?
Mr. Aiken has also suggested that the government has had to introduce this policy to assist Caymanians as they are too lazy and therefore unequipped to hold job on their own. I would suggest that it is the organizations that were lazy and failed to identify, train and promote qualified Caymanians and the government has had little choice but to now implement the roll over policy.
The policy should not be seen as government being anti-foreign but rather pro-Caymanian. The supposed slump in real estate sale could be from the ever increasing bank interest rate, cost of living or the arbitrary cost of real estate in general. We should applaud the government of the day for initiating change and not taking the usual easy route by ignoring the every growing concern of the masses.
Contrary to popular belief, for many work permit holders seven years is quite enough time to work in Cayman. Not everyone wants to leave their country and live in Cayman forever.
As for bankers who are concerned about lending to individuals whose time is limited on the island, they should realize that under the old immigration law work permit holders were also limited to how long they could stay on the island. Under the new law, this limitation is better defined and is longer than even the 3 year permit, which was the longest permit that the immigration board has granted in the past.
Just as prudent bankers are wary of making loans to work permit holders, prudent businesses operating in Cayman should be careful to have most key positions filled by Caymanians. Any good auditor or human resource manager is aware how this can affect a business as a going concern. New businesses should not be significantly affected by the roll over policy as they have time to find and train Caymanians for key positions. (JP) If it takes 7 years to train a doctor, how long does it take to train a competent construction worker, a banker, a hospitality manager, trust officer, or mutual fund administrator?
Mature businesses in Cayman should have long overcome the shock and awe of having to hire Caymanians in sufficient numbers not to have their businesses fail as a result of the rollover policy. Mr. Aiken is correct by asserting that we must try to develop more hardworking Caymanians. One of the substantive solutions to the challenges exposed by the roll over policy is for training and development and progression planning for Caymanians to be taken seriously by both government and the private sector.
As the largest employer on the island, the Cayman Islands government who is always appealing for a level playing field should be the model employer and also adhere to the roll over policy. Only when the government joins with the private sector by accepting to roll over policy and working together to train and develop the necessary human resources will we begin to address our challenges. If not, countless anomalies will occur as work permit holders seek government jobs as the time nears for them to roll over. If not it is a credible argument that the foundation for this legislation is deeply rooted in hypocrisy.
I believe that any poll or referendum conducted will show that Caymanians are united behind their leaders on the roll over policy. We should all remember that this policy was introduced by the previous government and is being continued by the current administration. The alternatives of continuing on the path of the past or not securing a future of hope for Caymanians are simply unthinkable.
Posted by:
Caymanians First
I disagree....all Caymanians are not united behind leaders on the WAY IN WHICH the policy has been implemented. If retroactive for people who have been a part of the community longer than some of us have been alive, that is just wrong. Going backwards with the law is already hurting Caymanians and will hurt more Caymanians in the future. The law should apply when it was passed, that is 2004... APPLICABLE TO ALL PERSONS WHO ENTERED AFTER THE LAW WAS PASSED. If done this way, Caymanians will still benefit in the long-run, but it would be fair and without the current fuss.
Dear Paul,
One writer has obviously misconstrued my contributory comments to this blog, the comment in point being that "the rollover policy will only serve to kill small and medium sized businesses". That writer obviously didn't take the time to read or understand my comments in there entirety. Instead, he/she read their own conclusions into that statement and concluded that I supported (or perhaps accepted) small businesses failing as a satisfactory result of the rollover policy
For the benefit of other readers/contributors (as I doubt that writer will likely take the time to understand this contribution either), may I clarify that I was in fact pointing out that big businesses (with there greater infrastructure) will succeed while smaller businesses will fail. I did not say that I agreed with this. In fact, I think this would be a terrible thing. As I said in my contribution, I am of the opinion that there are other/better ways of resolving our issues than the roll-over policy. Perhaps an apology from that writer would be decent; but we shall see…..and its still Philip Ebanks, not Anonymous
Thanks
Hi Paul,
I listened to Straight Talk yesterday evening for the first time. I listened because I wanted to hear knowledgeable ideas about the rollover, both pros and cons. However, the hostess of the show seemed very biased and one sided. At first I thought she was playing the 'devils advocate', but after a very short time, I realized that she was just UN-impartial. Now I remember why I never listen to it and never will again. It didn't seem to accomplish much. I can't imagine why any people would call in if their opinion is different from hers! And I applaude those that did!! (Brac!)
Paul,
I'm sorry I didn't get to hear the whole show heard the first 2 callers of the show,& the last call, I had a meeting. However I did email, (don't know if it was read?)
How did the show go?
Paul,
The show on Tuesday was very dissapointing and like others have said, Sandra really demonstrated that it is "her" show. She has her own 'expat' axe to grind and it is just very convenient that she has her own radio programme to chanel it through. It is at times like these that you realize how our Ministers, etc. can come up with their 'majority' figures. Can you imagine that an unofficial poll was being conducted on air and that people could call and say 'record 6 votes from me, my wife and my four children'. Unbelievable - for convenience sake, a person could suddenly have six children or two wives (perhaps)!! If this wasn't such a serious matter, we could really have a good laugh. The history books are not going to be kind to this period in Cayman's history - unless of course it gets written by Sandra Catron.
If the extreme ends of this debate would cease discussions, and let more civilized Caymanians and Expats come to an agreement, we'd be better off.
Everything I have heard todate tells me that no one will win from this new policy, NO ONE!
Everyone is better off in Cayman because Expats and Caymanians found a balance in the past. I lived there for 7 years within that balance. Today, it seems the Caymanian hating Expats, and Expat hating Caymanians, are fueling the fire.
I stop reading when the tone of the email is one of stupidity and hate, instead of one of intelligence and insight.
I just hope the government realizes how wrong this is, before they sell Cayman's future.
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