Are you aware that people serving as directors on government boards and commissions have no need to reveal anything about their private finances unless THEY believe it may conflict with their role.

The regulations accompanying the Cayman Islands Standards in Public Life law, which came into effect last Sunday – our Lord’s Day – states that members of government boards must sign a form declaring they have no conflicts of interest. It becomes then a matter for the public or the commission to challenge their declaration.

Although our members of the Legislative Assembly and senior civil servants must declare all of their earnings, assets, directorships and any other interests they have outside of their government jobs, as well as any significant debts or loans. They don’t have to reveal the value of those assets.

Officials from the Commission are relying on all the above members to be honest.

However, the Commission, don’t seem to be bothered at all by this. This is because only honest people are picked to serve on these boards.

In their statement upon the release of the new regulations, they said: “

The law ensures that conflicts of interest are properly addressed and contributes towards a sound infrastructure of good governance, therefore reducing the opportunity for corruption.

“The commencement of the law, amendment law and regulations will provide the commission with the power needed to meet its constitutional mandates to supervise the operation of registers and to investigate breaches of established standards in public life.”

If they are happy about it I suppose we should be, too. The Commission are hoping the board members themselves will be their own watch dogs.

According to statistics that rely on persons to be honest when they answer the questions put before them every single person lies but it is the degree of lying and as to what it is. It appears being honest is the more instinctive response. It is when you have to think about it and how big the reward is when you lie. Humans are dishonest by default when it serves their self-interest.

That is where the problem comes when serving on boards.

If you are dishonest once, our psychologists tell us it then becomes harder to tell the truth.

Our whole society is built on trust and we have social media via the Internet to check. Check what? Do you think social media via the Internet is honest?

While digital media can be a great source of information, there are numerous sites with false information, conspiracy theories, and invented statistics.

With the proliferation of digital media and the ease with which one can spread incorrect information makes it even harder to be honest.

Honestly.