There’s an interesting trend in the Cayman Islands, which is due to hold elections next month. For the first time, there are more candidates who have declared themselves as independent (22) than candidates affiliated with the island’s two parties (21), the incumbent People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) and opposition United Democratic Party (UDP). Local political observers [...]
Entries from March 31st, 2009
Beneficial Owners
March 31st, 2009 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics
The rumble has quietened down over the identity the beneficiaries of the trust involved in the troubled courthouse project. One side says we should have transparency. The other says we can do what we want, nanny nanny booboo. It is interesting to see the Bermuda Government’s newly expanded AML/ATF requirements for financial institutions that do [...]
Tags:AML/ATF·Contracting·courthouse
Funny Numbers
March 31st, 2009 · Comments Off · Tourism
No, I can’t leave the Ministry of Tourism’s inept handling of statistics alone. And the statistics show October was bleak despite the fact the Island hosted the glitzy star-studded Bermuda Music Festival. While taxpayers shelled out $3 million to fly Beyonce, Alicia Keyes, UB40 and others to the Island in an attempt to woe visitors [...]
Tags:feel the love·Statistics
Degrees of Separation
March 29th, 2009 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics
The Royal Gazette has published more information on some of the shortcuts and shortcomings of the courthouse project, confirming some of the rumours that have been flying around this gossipy little community. I predict that the tangled veil over this project will continue to haunt Bermuda, like its predecessor at Berkeley. It’s silly because, if [...]
Tags:Contracting·courthouse
Checks and Balances
March 27th, 2009 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics, Business, Development, Media, Transparency
The Bermuda Sun picks up on one of Bermuda’s biggest vulnerabilities: the ability of politicians to override at will any regulations or decisions made by the civil service. This unchecked power was originally provided for in Bermuda law, to be used with great discretion, to maintain the island’s flexibility. The problem is that political overrides [...]
Tags:corruption·good governance·meddling·political interference
Witchhunts
March 26th, 2009 · Comments Off · Business
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was hoisted on his grim petard in the European Parliament yesterday for his hypocrisy. Can you imagine such a bold and forthright statement being made in our little league assembly? I believe that Gordon Brown’s whipping up the hounds over offshores is merely a cover to distract attention from his [...]
Tags:G20·money laundering·OECD·tax haven
G20 and Tax Haven Hypocrisy
March 26th, 2009 · Comments Off · Business
As a performance hiding sideshow, the G20 leaders are whipping up the hounds over tax havens – and the media is largely too complacent to ask questions. The Economist, which is the only news magazine left worth reading, hits the nail right on the head: the G20 countries have more laxity in terms of money [...]
Tags:G20·money laundering·OECD·tax haven
Spending on Faith
March 26th, 2009 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics, Tourism
It is widely acknowledged that Bermuda’s faith-based tourism programme has been a costly, undeniable, and unmitigated failure. It does not help that Government cannot get its story straight regarding how much has been spent, how many tourists came, or even how many events were sponsored. It leaves many citizens wondering if anyone has proper management [...]
Tags:faith based tourism
House Divided
March 25th, 2009 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Tourism
I know that the UBP’s Sir John Swan doesn’t carry much freight with the current PLP leadership, but I do wonder why so many voices of moderation have been excluded from the big conversation. This is common sense: If Bermuda continues on its present trajectory of playing the racial blame game instead of committing to [...]
Judged on Performance
March 25th, 2009 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics
The heat is on President Obama as he tries to balance the financial stimulus with political projects. Last night he said during a prime-time news conference: QUESTION: Could I ask you about race? PRESIDENT OBAMA: You may. QUESTION: Yours is a rather historic presidency, and I’m just wondering whether in any of the policy debates [...]