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In a sensible move tokeep the administrative and application process for economic growthfluid, Government has agreed, as ...
Boards Switch Chairs
Two of the Cayman Islandsbrightest attorneys who have headed up two of the most importantStatutory Boards of the Government Immigration and Tradeand Business Licenses - will switch their respected roles, effectivenext Wednesday, 1 May.
Mr. DavidRitch, Mrs. Sherri Bodden Cowan
This announcement came as no great surpriseto many when a press release from Government was issued last Wednesdayevening, as there was a great deal of public discussion that thisswitch was in the offing.
Mr. David Ritch, who has been practicinglaw in Cayman for almost 26 years, previously served for two yearsfrom January 1989 to December 1990 as the Chairman of the thenCaymanian Protection Board which handled both Immigration andTrade and Business Licenses matters. At that time he brought aboutsome welcome changes in the processing of applications which helpednurse the Cayman Islands to become an economic success and removedthe fear many felt when applications were forwarded to the Board.
Mrs. Sherri Bodden Cowan, who stood by "herprevious commitment to serve for a maximum of two years"as Chairman of the Immigration Board - which was separated frommatters dealing with Trade and Business Licenses - implementedseveral important new initiatives including the Business (Staffing)Plan Scheme and the creation of a quite useful Immigration website.
The most monumental task for Mrs. Cowanmust have been the exercise in connection with overseeing thebacklog of applications for the grant of Caymanian Status on groundsof residence that spanned 11 years. She was also known to be approachable,and kept her appointments to meet with just about anyone who soughther direction to meet the criteria for Immigration applications.During her tenure, with the backing of the Chief Immigration Officerand his staff, there was a vast improvement in the time it tookto process applications.
As the new Chairman of the Trade and BusinessLicenses Board which was vacated by Mr. Ritch's transfer to Immigration,Mrs. Bodden will still continue to chair the Immigration ReviewTeam which has been reviewing and making recommendations for modernisingthe existing Immigration Law, which is scheduled for legislationlater in this year.
Although these two powerful boards, Immigrationand Trade and Business Licenses may have changed heads, the businessand private community are comfortable that matters and applicationsrelated to these authorities will always have a fair and expeditioushearing.