New Governor Meets Opposition Leader

Leader of the Opposition the Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP, today (Monday, 23 September 2013) attended his first official meeting with the new Governor, Her Excellency Helen Kilpatrick, CB, at her offices in the Government Administration Building.

Photo Credit: Lennon Christian / GIS

Premier on KPMG Infrastructure Panel

MIAMI, Florida – Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin helped set the stage ton the morning of September 23rd for the following two days of the 2013 KPMG Island Infrastructure Summit.

He was one of the panellists on Panel 1, titled The Importance of Infrastructure Projects in the Islands.

The first panel brought together a cross section of government leaders, infrastructure financiers and experts to discuss the role infrastructure can play in economic growth and competitiveness of island jurisdictions. The Panel considered the potential for infrastructure to have a transformational impact on island jurisdictions and within the region.

Moderator was James Stewart, Co-Chairman of the 2013 KPMG Island Infrastructure Summit and Chairman of KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Practice Panelists.

Other panellists included Hon. Craig Cannonier, Premier of Bermuda; Hon. Ryan Pinder, Minister of Financial Services, Trade and Industry of The Bahamas; Hon. Minister Dennis Richardson, Minister of Justice of Sint Maarten; John Herhalt, Global Head of Government, KPMG; and Chris Brock, CEO, Island Analysis.

Later in the morning, Panel 2 members discussed key investment features of infrastructure assets to institutional funds globally and considered how governments in the region can make infrastructure projects sufficiently attractive to open up the market for life/pension/savings funds investment.

Panel 3 consisted of private and public sector energy experts who discussed investments in alternative energy and the associated risks and benefits. A fourth panel this afternoon was to explore the challenges that have been encountered by island nations in the region and discussed the lessons learned from regional and international infrastructure projects.

Panel 5 was to discuss strategies for bolstering the public sector’s ability to undertake and manage public private partnerships including the establishment of PPP units or agencies. James Stewart, former Chief Executive of Infrastructure UK, was to address how PPP organisations around the world have tackled issues such as establishing objectives that will guide planning and prioritisation of infrastructure projects, selecting advisors and UK vs Canadian project finance models.

Mr. McLaughlin flew back to the Cayman Islands on Monday, 23 September, evening to continue preparations for the budget session. The Summit continued through Tuesday, 24 September.

Photo:

Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Minister of Community and Home Affairs, speaks at the first panel of the 2013 KPMG Island Infrastructure Summit. Photo: Kenneth Bryan