White Paper Survey releasedby Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce
The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce has released a 13-questionsurvey to ascertain the views of the business community on thekey subject areas contained in the "Partnership for Progressand Prosperity" (otherwise known as the White Paper) releasedby the United Kingdom Government last year.
The survey addresses key topics in the White Paper such as BritishCitizenship, financial regulations, the advisory by the UK Governmentto legalise homosexual acts by consenting adults in the CaymanIslands and the Cayman Islands Government's ability to borrowfunds and provide guarantees.
On the subject of financial regulation, the survey asks whetheror not businesses support the Cayman Islands Government enteringtalks with the United States and the OECD in relation to the eliminationof harmful tax competition and updating the Mutual Legal AssistanceTreaty to include the exchange of information on tax related matters.
It also asks whether or not members think that the suspiciousreporting procedures of the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Law shouldbe amended to include tax offences as is recommended in the WhitePaper.
On the matter of citizenship, one question queries whether personswho possess British Dependent Territories Citizenship would bewilling to accept British Citizenship if it were offered.
Members are asked to complete the survey this week so that theChamber Council can present Government with its submission beforethe May 15th deadline. The survey was developed by the White PaperReview Task Force, chaired by Chamber Councillor Mr. Bryan Hunter.
"I encourage Chamber members to first review the summaryof the White Paper that was prepared by Legislative Assembly'sSelect Committee on the Review of the Overseas Territories beforeresponding to the survey.
"A copy of the summary has been attached to the survey forease of reference. Responses will be tabulated and will form partof the Task Force's submission to the chamber Council. We encouragemembers to completely the survey as soon as possible so that wecan meet the 15th May deadline," said Mr. Hunter.
White paper summaries andtext still available
"Partnership for Prosperityand Progress," available at various public locations
Residents are reminded that summaries of the UK White Paperon the Overseas Territories, "Partnership for Prosperityand Progress," as well as full texts of the document areavailable at various public locations on Grand Cayman, CaymanBrac and Little Cayman.
The information is being made available by the Legislative AssemblySelect Committee considering the white paper, in advance of atelephone poll to get feedback from Caymanians on the issue. Thepoll is to be carried out during the first two weeks of May andwill form the basis of government's formal response to the UKon the paper.
The committee is also taking written submissions from any residentwho wishes to comment.
Such submissions should be addressed to the Chairman, the SelectCommittee on the Review of Overseas Territories, Legislative Assembly,Box 890, GT. The deadline for written submissions is 15 May.
Summaries of the paper are available at the main supermarketsand grocery stores in each district, at all post offices, andat the Government Administration, District Administration, andTower buildings, the Legislative Assembly, and Government InformationServices.
Copies of the complete text of the White Paper can be read atall public libraries and at senior high school and college libraries,as well as at the Glass House, Tower Building, District AdministrationBuilding and GIS. In addition, the full text of the paper canbe downloaded from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office websiteat www.fco.gov.uk/