Up Front
Vision 2008 update: Part III
Government Information Service
As part of an ongoing process of monitoringand reviewing the Vision 2008 National Strategic Plan, DeputyChief Secretary, Mr. Donovan Ebanks, has issued a third updateon five more strategies. These concern a range of areas - culture,health, the environment and growth management. Cayman Brac isalso included.
Strategy Five
This strategy concerns the development of awareness of those aspectsof our Caymanian culture that are based on traditional Christianvalues and strong family units.
The Ministry of Culture has commenced the groundwork to developa national cultural policy. Recently, two persons attended a conferenceon Art/Culture Policy to gain a broader insight into the developmentof such a policy and to make contacts with key individuals. Completionof the policy is currently expected within 12 to 18 months. Thereafter,it will provide a definitive guide to the preservation and promotionof Caymanian culture.
In the interim, however, the National Museum continues to promotevarious programmes that also serve to highlight and preserve Caymanianculture. The hosting of 'district days' is one such programme.
Strategy Six
This strategy concerns the development and implementation of aplan that addresses the special needs and concerns of Cayman Brac.
A draft Development Plan for Cayman Brac was released for publicconsideration in January 2000, and has attracted considerablepublic input. The draft plan, and the objections thereto, willnext be considered by an Appeal Tribunal. Following any necessaryamendments, the draft Plan will be presented to the LegislativeAssembly in 2001.
The infrastructure of Cayman Brac is being enhanced in a numberof key areas. For example, plans are currently being finalisedfor the long-awaited expansion of the District AdministrationBuilding, now inadequate to accommodate local requirements. Constructionis also to commence shortly on the first phase of a much-neededhurricane shelter building.
Strategy Ten
This strategy calls for the development and implementation ofa growth management plan to achieve and maintain a balance betweenthe natural and built environment.
Key recommendations include enactment of legislation to createa statutory Growth Management Board to commission the developmentand implementation of integrated growth management polices tomeet the short, medium and long-term needs of the country. Thiswill involve revision of planning laws and regulations and draftingof new laws to provide the necessary framework for growth management(AP 6 & 7)
The Planning Department is currently engaging in dialogue withgrowth management strategic planners in Florida, and acquiringresources to facilitate growth management planning.
The department intends to determine carrying capacities relatingto the built and natural environment by 2003. However, these arelikely to require significant financing. These studies will identifyacceptable levels of development and outline 'triggers' or 'thresholds'for hard and soft services.
Sequentially, the department plans to produce inventories of hardand soft services so that projections of future demands on theseservices can be made, based on population forecasts.
Strategy Eleven
This strategy calls for the protection of our natural environmentfrom further degradation, particularly the central mangrove andother wetlands, the North Sound and coral reefs.
Together with human infrastructure and the social environment,natural resources is also integral to growth management. Severalkey initiatives aimed at protecting the environment and supportingsustainable development are currently underway.
Drafting of comprehensive environmental legislation for improvedprotection of natural resources is currently being finalised.
Consideration is also being given to the enactment of an EnvironmentalImpact Assessment Law by 2002, thereby establishing the provisionof a mandatory process of environmental impact assessments relatingto developments.
Protection of coral reefs from further adverse human impacts andimproved coastal zone management will be enhanced by the introductionof a Code of Conduct for the prevention of pollution from smallships in marinas and anchorages. This is being based on InternationalMaritime Organisation (IMO) guidelines and is expected to comeinto effect in 2001.
Strategy Fourteen
This strategy calls for the implementation of a comprehensivehealth-care plan, which emphasises prevention, mental health andwellness.
The Ministry of Health, in association with the Health ServicesDepartment, undertook a review of the National Strategic Planfor Health in late 1999. This review resulted in improvementsbeing recommended for a number of the health strategies in orderto address better this Vision strategy. The Ministry has acceptedthese recommendations, and implementation is underway.
A health-needs assessment has also been carried out in CaymanBrac. The assessment highlighted the future need for additionalfacilities in Cayman Brac and the Ministry of Health is currentlydeveloping proposals for a phased approach to these facility needs.
Mr. Ebanks notes that he has been pleased to see that the Vision2008 National Strategic Plan is being addressed by governmentagencies in many areas. "The Plan is clearly recognised bythe government, and in turn its agencies, as a mandate of whatthe public has indicated is important. I feel that it cannot beover-stressed, however, that Vision is not a one or two year plan.It is intended to be a ten year plan and we cannot lose sightof this," Mr. Ebanks said.
"Having said that," he said, "there is an obviousneed to better incorporate the plan into our fiscal systems. Thereshould be clear and easy correlation between what we want to achieveand what we are spending monies on. There is also the need forsome measurable criteria to be added to the plan."
He feels that the need for this and other refinements is onlyto be expected. "When you consider the effort that went intoVision - the breadth of its scope and the very short time-scalein which it was done - it is a tremendous tribute to all of thosewho were involved.
"This is particularly true of Mrs.Joy Basdeo, who headed-up the effort and ensured that so muchwas accomplished. I expect that they, and the public, would welcomeany modifications to the government systems and refinements tothe plan which will help to better ensure that the vision whichit expresses is surely realised," he said.