His Excellency the Governor Stuart Jack and the Leader of Government Business/Premier Designate Hon McKeeva Bush hosted a reception in London for the Friends of Cayman on Monday, 15 June 2009.
Earlier that day Mr Bush signed, on behalf of the Cayman Islands Government, a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with the United Kingdom. In his address to the Friends of Cayman, Mr Bush spoke of the Government’s commitment to working with the OECD and member countries to conclude Tax Information Exchange Agreements with other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries within the next 60 to 90 days.
Mr Bush assured the gathering that the Cayman Islands Government would be maintaining a very active presence in the UK and the rest of Europe and given the close link with Friends of Cayman, would continue to communicate openly and at every opportunity meet with the group during visits to London.
In attendance were members of the visiting Cayman Islands Government delegation, including Minister of District Administration, Works and Gender Affairs Hon Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Chief Secretary Hon George McCarthy, Financial Secretary Hon Kenneth Jefferson and Chief Officer in the Ministry of Financial Services and Tourism Carson Ebanks, Senior Assistant Secretary Michelle Bahadur, Senior Political Assistant Richard Parchment and Mr Bush’s wife Kerry.
Also in attendance was John Owen, former Cayman Islands Governor and Chairman of the Friends of Cayman, and from Cayman’s London Office Acting Representative in the UK Mary Chandler-Allen, Assistant to the Representative Nadira Lord and Regional Manager of the Department of Tourism’s Europe office Don McDougall.
The Friends of Cayman is a group comprising senior and experienced individuals including past Governors and professional business people who have a strong association, knowledge of and interest in the future of the Cayman Islands.