Up Front
Benson Obadiah Ebanks Jr.,OBE, JP Cayman's Elder Statesman
Miss not the discourseof the elders."
New Testament,Ecclesiastics viii. 9.
An elder statesman is defined as a prominent,highly experienced older man, especially one acting as an unofficialadviser. Mr. Benson Ebanks aptly fits that description. He isa father, grandfather and arguably the preeminent parliamentarianon the Cayman Islands today.
A native of West Bay, Mr. Benson has madesignificant contributions to this country during his nearly 30years of government service. Though he says he's "retired",that's hardly the reality. During recent election times, he counseledmany who sought to tap into his political savvy.
As with his recent appointment by His Excellencythe Governor, Mr. Peter Smith, as the Chairman of the Commissioncharged with the responsibility of making recommendations formodernization of the Cayman Islands constitution, he continuesto play an influential role in shaping the future of the country.
Mr. Benson, with his unmistakable resoundingvoice, is a cheerful, approachable man, who at 66 years of agelooks far younger. He is as quick with a laugh as he is with serioustalk about the state of Cayman today. He shared with Cayman NetNews recently his background, his accomplishments and his disappointmentsduring his many years of public service. Back then and even now,protecting the Cayman Islands and Caymanians is his motivatingforce.
Son of a Merchant Seaman
Mr. Benson was born in West Bay in 1935.His father was a merchant seaman with whom the young Benson wouldoccasionally travel. Trade with the United States was common thenand many a Caymanian registered vessel sailed across the sea toFlorida. It was also customary for men seeking jobs abroad tohop on his father's boat for a ride to the U.S. As would sometimesoccur, even his father's crewmen would sometimes ask permissionto jump ship and work elsewhere.
"He normally had three sailors with him at sea," recalledMr. Benson, "one time, a sailor asked to be released andmy father allowed it. Then a second seaman asked for the sameand he reluctantly allowed him as well. When the third man madethe same request, he said who's going to help with boat and cargo?I was fifteen years old at the time. He eyed me carefully andsaid, you'll do, pick up that sack of flour."
Though he worked with his father, as did many Caymanians at thetime who would heed the call of the sea, merchant seamanship wasnot to be Mr. Benson's destiny.
Setting Another Course
At 18, Mr. Benson became the first Caymanianmale to receive the Cambridge School Leaving Certificate in Cayman,the equivalent of matriculation for University. Word got out abouthis intellectual prowess and one day while young Benson was playingcricket with the local Barclay's Bank manager, he was asked ifhe would ever consider a banking job. Though he initially saidno, the manager encouraged him to think about going to Jamaicato sit for the entrance banking exam.
"I had neither the money or the time to go there," recalledMr. Benson, "and suggested that they send the examinationhere."
In those days, offices in George Town often had partitions thatdidn't reach to the ceiling. Conversations flowed freely overthe gap. While waiting word regarding his application, young Bensonoverhead that he would be offered a job in Jamaica without havingto sit the exam. Though pleased that he was so readily accepted,he wanted to ensure that he had a real future with the bank.
"I asked the bank manager if beingborn in West Bay, Grand Cayman would limit my advancement in thebank as I had been told," explained Mr. Benson, "hetold me that the only thing that will determine how far I go ismy own ability."
Mr. Benson accepted the position, worked two years in Jamaicafor Barclay's followed by eight years working for the branch herein Cayman. What he learned about banking would serve him wellthroughout his long career in helping to shape Cayman's financial,government administration and political future.
Building Cayman's Future
At age 30, Mr. Benson entered the politicalarena in 1965 as an elected member of the legislature. Those werethe early days of Cayman's financial industry and legislatorswere busy crafting laws and strategies that would catapult theterritory into the worldclass financial centre that it is today.The springboard to success, however, was neither a law nor a brilliantstrategy; it was due to political instability in the Bahamas.In 1967, the Bahamas declared independence from Britain, causingsocial upheaval. Because of this, much of that country's financialbusiness flowed to Cayman.
The international financial community embracedCayman's political stability and the Islands began to flourish.There was little industry regulation and no restriction on theamount of staff these financial institutions could import. Caymaniansdidn't have the expertise to work in the financial industry hencethere was a rapid influx of expatriates. This growth made it necessaryto define parameters for imported labour.
In 1971, Mr. Benson introduced and piloteda bill, which set the course whereby Caymanians will remain incontrol of their economy and immigrants - the Caymanian ProtectionLaw.
"It was designed to control population growth," explainedMr. Benson, "though anyone who was previously granted statuswas grandfathered in."
But it wasn't just population growth; itwas about protecting Cayman's future. And Mr. Benson admits, ithelps to preserve law and order, while ensuring that Caymaniansget their share of the economic pie.Time for a Change?
"The Caymanian Protection Law, fromtime to time since its enactment in 1971, like others, have beenreshaped through the years", agreed Mr. Benson, "andeven today, debate continues about what to do with people whohave been here for many years on a work permit."
With as much as 60 percent of the workforcein Cayman being expatriates, many have families and have positivelycontributed to the fabric of the local society. When questionedabout the fear widely felt that someday an expatriate may be askedto leave, because of the psychological and emotional stress relatedto this process of making annual applications; and should theyhave a right to status or residency after a certain period oftime, Mr. Benson replied: "No, people who work 10-15 yearson a permit do not deserve anything more than to work for thattime. As stated in the permit, they are in the position becauseof the working of the law which they evidently accepted. Furthermore,it's a social service issue, if the bottom falls out of the economywe want to take care of the Cayman-born people first."
But let's consider the economic impact.Many expats willingly admit that they don't want to make majorpurchases like homes, cars and such because of their status instability.Many working in the financial and other industries collect highsalaries. What do they do with their money? Most live below theirmeans, store up their cash and send it home. And why not? Theydo not feel welcome to make Cayman their home.
What if the thousands of long term workers suddenly felt moreconfident that they could build a life here? What if they startedputting more of their dollars into durable goods and homes? Itwould certainly have a positive effect on both the emotional lifeand the economy. It would begin to stitch together this rift of"us" and "them" to form a more cohesive societywhere diversity is truly more appreciated and valued.
When posed with these economic realities,Mr. Benson was asked if he would reconsider his position?
"The law puts pressure on people tobehave themselves," he said, "and if we could attacha criminal code of conduct to residence status, that would besomething to consider."
To grow change must occur. And Mr. Benson is certainly no strangerto fostering change.
Proud Accomplishments
When asked what were his most significantcontributions during his life in office, Mr. Benson replied, "nagginggovernment to issue our own currency." Until 1972, Jamaicandollars were used as the legal tender currency for the CaymanIslands. When Mr. Benson introduced the idea of a Cayman currency,he was met with strong resistance. Some colleagues cited thatBritain said the Islands were too small to have its own currency.But Mr. Benson pushed on convincingly, a committee was createdand four years later, the Cayman Islands currency was born.
"Imagine if we were still using Jamaicancurrency today," posed Mr. Benson, "we'd be in a realmess."
Many have wondered why the Cayman dollaris 20 percent higher than the U.S. counterpart. Mr. Benson offeredthis explanation: "It is because the Cayman dollar was modeledafter the Jamaican standard", he said, "One Jamaicanpound traded for $2.40 US and the Jamaican dollar is one halfthe Jamaican pound or US$1.20.
Mr. Benson was also instrumental in establishingthe Cayman Islands Community College. The College began as a two-yearschool for students who had not made it through high school andfocused mainly on skilled trades like auto mechanics, electronics,and hotel and hospitality. Today, the college has added academicdisciplines in addition to the trades.
In his personal life, he's also quite proud of his three daughters.Gina heads the department of the environment, Janet is with alocal bank, and Judy is a social worker. Between them, Mr. Bensonis a grandfather to four boys and one girl, all who he adores.
Dissapointments
Though his accomplishments are many, Mr.Benson laments a few initiatives that did not come to pass. Chiefamong them well conceived planning regulations. Specifically,he sought to build a highway bypass from George Town to West Bay,similar to the Harquail bypass.
Though it was Gazetted, political opposition"succeeded in killing the plan", it is unfortunate forit would have reduced today's traffic congestion', he said. Healso desired that the present West Bay Road would have been anon-motorized, to accommodate bike and pedestrians. "If thiswas implemented", he mused, "what a difference it wouldhave made to both drivers and pedestrians today".
Hopes and Dreams
But hope springs eternal for Mr. Benson.He believes Cayman would be better served if it would reorientits current practice of importing cheap labor especially whenit comes to construction. His philosophy is based on the familiaradage; you get what you pay for.
"We're not getting skilled labour becausewe don't recruit through proper channels," he said, "asa consequence we don't get any skill transfer, we don't learnnew building techniques, instead we end up training the peoplewho come here."
Ever the watchdog of Cayman and Caymanians,he believes in thoughtful growth for the benefit of the land andthe people. "I want Cayman to continue to develop but ata pace that allows everyone to benefit," said Mr. Benson,"right now we're growing too fast. We need planned development."
Furthermore, he believes "developmentis outpacing demand because Cayman currently has enough hotelinventory to accommodate a 10% rise in tourism".
Mr. Benson continues to live in the districtof his birth, West Bay. Most days he can be found running a generalhardware store that his father began more than 40 years ago. Heand his wife, Bessie, recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary.In this day of relationships not lasting, this is another accomplishmentof which he and his wife are both quite proud.
He is also an original shareholder and Directorof Cayman National Bank (CNB) since its inception in 1974. Heis currently Chairman of the Cayman National Corporation the holding company for the bank.
As the Chairman of the Commission appointedto Review a new Constitution which will set the course for governanceand relationships between Caymanians and expatriates who havemade these islands their home, some for decades, the entire countrywaits and hopes that Mr. Benson Ebanks' meticulous knowledge andexperience as one of the Islands' most respected parliamentaryhelmsmen, will steer the Good Ship Cayman through safe passageon its journey to an advanced form of government.