IMMIGRATION AND REVITALISATION TOP GEORGE TOWN CENTRAL FORUM

When the three candidates vying for the George Town Central seat squared off in the Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum, it was a brisk discussion in which immigration was again a prominent factor.

Kenneth Bryan, the incumbent - and current tourism and ports minister - is seeking to extend his tenure. He has joined the People’s Progressive Movement (PPM/Progressives) as Deputy Leader.

Challenging him are Anthony Ramoon of The Cayman Community Party(TCCP) and Carmen McField of the Cayman Islands National Party.

Among the issues addressed during the forum, a common thread was what the three competing candidates regard as an urgent need for tighter immigration control.

When the issue came up as a specific topic, the George Town Central incumbent Bryan sought to put it in context.

“Granted, yes, the country is growing and we need outside labour where Caymanians are not qualified. But here’s the bigger problem, if we grow too fast with the other issues that we have, like housing, I think we need to fundamentally deal with the other issues before we allow that growth to move too quickly.”

Mr Bryan said that there must be clear pathways to employment and prioritisation of nationals.

“Of course, Cayman has always said within our immigration policy that where a Caymanian is not qualified, we would allow a work permit holder. The question is, who decides who’s qualified or not?” he queried.

TCCP’s Ramoon is pressing for the education system to be better aligned with the needs of the various sectors of the economy and society.

“We have to take that approach under a microscope…seeing what positions are there, not only looking at work permits from an administrative purpose, but looking at proper succession,” he suggested. “When we look at large companies here that have a significant number of work permits, how do we then align Caymanians to those positions over a period of time? So we have to look at that holistically. And again, it goes back to immigration.”

CINP’s McField was blunt in her assessment of the consultation document on immigration reform.

“The white paper needs to be recycled. We cannot move forward with suggestions on putting Caymanians on the back burner. They have to be put first. That’s our priority,” she stated, drawing on her experience in oversight of the system.

“I have sat on the boards and I see how it’s structured internally…I’m going to tell you bluntly, the system is not working,” she declared. According to the CINP candidate, capable and qualified Caymanians are being denied job opportunities “because we have other foreign workers coming in here who are looking out for their friends, and they’re putting them forward in certain jobs.”

With each candidate hoping to be elected as the MP for George Town Central on Election Day April 30th, they were asked for their views on the revitalisation plan for the capital.

Mr Bryan, the incumbent, gave this update.

“I’m not satisfied with the redevelopment of Georgetown Central, mainly because the lack of infrastructure, particularly with sewage, is one of the biggest hurdles. And yes, parking is a big problem…I also think that the generational Caymanian landowners and property owners in the area should be given incentivized benefits.” He also explained that plans to revitalise the capital must also factor in the future of the cargo and cruise port facilities.

TCCP’s Anthony Ramoon is concerned that George Town Central is reaching a point of saturation and had commented earlier in the forum that “town is dying”

“When you walk through town, there’s basically not much open space. You can’t go there to sit down and enjoy the ambience of the town. There are no benches, no shade, no restroom. These are the fundamentals.”

Mr Ramoon also called for a wider remit beyond the George Town Central revitalisation plan to encompass Cayman’s overall tourism product, culture and society.

CINP’s McField called the revelation effort a failure with “a lot of money going down the drain” and several small businesses forced to close.

“It is a dying attempt. The government has been trying to revitalize Georgetown for the last five years. I’m not sure if it’s completed as yet, because all I’m seeing is pavers on the ground. If it were to be revitalised, my take is it should have been a conversation with the owners of those buildings.”

There was equally brisk discussion on several other issues, including sourcing food supplies from alternative providers other than the United States, care and support for the elderly, and wider social support policies, education, and tourism.  Also present across most of these exchanges was the impact of immigration.