As one of our media houses puts it “CIG paints rosy picture”

I love roses. Back in England I grew them and my favourite bloom was one called Tahiti. It was the colour of apricot yellow and had a strong sweet fragrance. It gave me years of pleasure and anytime I read “a rosy picture” the memory of this particular rose comes to mind.

And it is a good definition as the government’s policy statements from Premier Alden McLaughlin and Finance Minister Marco Archer do paint this picture.

It was a pleasure to hear both of them proudly say the economy is getting better and their budget forecasts in most areas are being met and some over what was expected.

What a pleasure from the policy statements from the past UDP government. Most of them were delayed because of problems with the terrible people in London who wanted some sense and no more borrowing and then we had to listen for four-years to continual blame bashing on the previous PPM government for the countries woes.

Yes we did hear a smattering of blame by the premier against the previous administration when he pointed to losing some $5M because of concessions and waivers they had implemented!

Archer even used the phrase “sweet spot” when he pointed to Cayman’s outlook for economic growth over the next three years. We were showing sustainable growth and the strongest rates since the world financial crisis he said.

The premier warned we had to comply with all ‘Framework for Fiscal Responsibility’ ratios initiated by London and ”come December 2015, we must legally comply with the mandated cash day’s ratio of 90 days.” He stressed the 2015-16 budget was going to be very crucial for the government.

One area where the budget had been exceeded was refugees because of all the Cuban migrants that had landed and had to be housed.

Both McLaughlin and Archer pointed to the Secure Payment System (SPS), which is a mechanism by which government agencies can create payment schedules in a secure fashion. The premier said SPS kept government on the path it began in May 2013 and is ensuring a strong, stable and healthy society and Archer enthused that a main goal of the government was to restore public finances. The SPS, he said, showed the plans laid by the PPM to achieve that goal was coming to fruition.

McLaughlin said the John Gray High School building project would be restarted and the redevelopment of the Owen Roberts International Airport was top of the list.

Archer added that the economy is forecast to have moderate sustainable growth, and unemployment is expected to fall below 5 percent over the next three financial years. The primary pillars of the economy remained vibrant with growing stay over tourism and a flourishing financial services industry.

“The outlook for the Cayman Islands is one of renewed optimism and confidence,” he said proudly.

Yes it was a pleasure to hear all that and I can still smell the Tahiti rose blooms.

You can read Premier Alden McLaughlin’s whole 2014/15 Strategic Policy Statement published in iNews Cayman on November 26 at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/cayman-islands-premier-delivers-the-governments-strategic-policy-covering-2015-18/ and Finance Minister Marco Archer’s whole Strategic Policy Statement for the Financial Year Ending 30th June 2016 published in iNews Cayman on November 26 at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/cayman-islands-finance-minister-delivers-the-governments-strategic-policy-statement-for-financial-year-ending-2016/