Auditor General finds government's affordable housing unaffordable to buyers
A critical Office of the Auditor General report on 2019–24 housing delivery dominated the day, alongside a planning bill and a reversed licence fee rise.
The Office of the Auditor General's review of affordable housing delivery between 2019 and 2024 set the day's agenda. Cayman News Service reported that the government's own affordable housing programme is unaffordable to the people it is meant to serve, while Cayman Independent said the audit found missed targets and costs well above what most Caymanians can afford. Cayman Marl Road reported the government welcomed the findings and pointed to its recently developed housing strategy, while the Cayman Compass reported the Opposition wants the report to be a turning point on accountability for housing delivery.
On the legislative side, Cayman News Service reported that a published amendment bill to the Development and Planning Act (2021 Revision), which government says will help deliver its housing policy, goes further and removes parliament from the planning process. The Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability has published three bills for public consultation, and Cayman Independent reported a proposed food safety bill would allow officials to seize unsafe food, issue fixed penalties and seek closures.
On fees and infrastructure, Cayman News Service reported that government halved a planned increase in drivers' licence fees for foreign residents less than a day before it took effect, with Finance Minister Rolstin Anglin saying the public purse would not be affected. Cayman Independent reported the minister said government is "very close" to naming a subsea cable contractor to reduce reliance on the ageing fibre optic system.
In financial services and appointments, Caymanian Times reported CIMA has appointed Geron Burnett Deputy Head of Securities Supervision, effective 1 June 2026, and that Appleby advised Eldorado Drilling on US$425 million of senior secured Nordic bonds financing its acquisition of Cayman-registered Vantage Drilling International. Kerry Powery took over as Director General of the National Weather Service on 1 September, Cayman Marl Road reported.