Summary of Parliamentary Proceedings: 30 April 2026

1 May 2026 | Press Release | By: Public Relations Unit

The Second Sitting of the Fifth Meeting of the 2025-2026 Session of Parliament took place on Thursday, 30 April 2026.

Continuing from the First Sitting, Speaker of the House Hon. Ezzard Miller began by recognising several women for their contributions to the growth and development of the Cayman Islands. Speaking to the ladies who were invited to sit in the chamber, the Speaker said, “I see many familiar faces who have guided and counselled me over the years, to whom I will always be grateful. I offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all that each of you have done to make Cayman a place that I am proud to call home and a place where I am comfortable raising my two daughters.”

Members of the Opposition asked ten questions to members of the Government. In response to a question about local egg production, the Minister for Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, Hon. Jay Ebanks, reported that the Cayman Islands currently achieves approximately 53 per cent self-sufficiency in egg production, with an ultimate goal of achieving 80 per cent. He added that the 106 producers on island are generating around 164,346 eggs weekly. The Minister confirmed that his Ministry is continuing efforts to connect farmers with local grocery stores, hotels and potentially the prison system to increase domestic consumption.

The Minister for Health, Environment and Sustainability, Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, confirmed that the installation of vending machines at the Anthony S. Eden Hospital has been considered by the Health Services Authority and will be incorporated into the design of the new atrium, with completion expected in June 2026.

While delivering a statement on the performance of the tourism sector in the first quarter of this year, Minister for Tourism and Trade Development, Hon. Gary Rutty, noted the record-breaking stayover statistics for March 2026. A total of 64,213 stayover visitors were welcomed to the Cayman Islands, representing not only the best month in the history of the islands but also the first time stayover arrivals have passed 60,000 in a single month. When combined with cruise, total visitation for the first quarter was 221,731 persons, a 12.6 per cent increase year-over-year.

“This consistent growth speaks to more than demand. It reflects confidence in the Cayman Islands as a destination and underscores the effectiveness of our tourism strategy, which is built on strong leadership, sound policy decisions and the tireless efforts of our ministry and department of tourism, along with our valued partners,” Minister Rutty said.

Speaking on public safeguarding legislation, Minister for Social Development and Innovation, Hon. Isaac Rankine, noted there has been a rise in sexual offences, the majority of which are perpetrated against children.  The Minister stated that a team in the Ministry has been working closely with colleagues across the civil service to clearly understand the gaps in policy and legislation that currently exist. “I am happy to announce that Cabinet has approved a working group to be established to review the existing legislative landscape to address sexual offences, including offences in the digital and online spaces and for necessary bespoke legislation to be developed for consideration of the Cabinet and upon approval, this honourable house.”

Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson, in his capacity as chairperson of the Cayman Islands Child Safeguarding Board, delivered remarks in support of protecting children, noting that the Government and the Civil Service will do their part. “In addition to the efforts outlined by the Minister, we have been reviewing our own effectiveness to be able to safeguard children through the Cayman Islands Child Safeguarding Board. We are reviewing the approach that all agencies involved are taking to understand where intervention could have taken place sooner or more effectively.”

The Deputy Governor also called on every member of the society to play their part. “This is a national responsibility. And we must all be a part of the solution,” he said.

Minister Jay Ebanks delivered four statements. Of note was his statement about the increase in reports of spiral whitefly activity across Grand Cayman and the action being taken by the Department of Agriculture. He stated that a meeting was held with residents where information was provided on identifying the spiral whitefly, understanding its impact and applying the appropriate treatment and management measures. The Minister also outlined a programme structured in four phases: assessment, initial intervention, monitoring and evaluation.  

In a statement about landfill operations and waste management, Minister Ebanks-Wilks said the National Coalition For Caymanians Government has a structured plan to tackle the long-standing issue. “We have money in the budget for immediate infrastructure and operational improvements, and funding to develop the long-term solution. I have allocated $6 million this year and another $2 million next year so we can implement our plan, and work is already underway.”

She further stated, “By the end of this year, we expect the ReGen exit to be concluded and the steering committee to produce the first strategic outline case for a modern waste management system for the islands.”

Six private members’ motions were passed: the motion for the consolidation and protection of the Central Scranton Park, the motion to temporarily reduce to zero per cent the duty charged by Government on the importation of fuels, the motion to re-introduce a civil service home ownership programme, the motion to establish the financial and economic risk oversight committee, the motion to establish a newborn investment sovereign fund for all Caymanian children born after 1 January 2027 and the motion for an amnesty for after the fact planning fees.

During the discussion on the motion to temporarily reduce to zero per cent the duty charged by Government on the importation of fuels, Premier, Hon. André Ebanks and Minister for Finance and Development, Hon. Rolston Anglin expressed support for the Bill. In his contribution, Premier Ebanks advocated for tackling root causes, including accelerating solar generation to provide greater immunity to global shocks. Supporting the Premier, Minister Anglin highlighted long-term initiatives including work with the regulator to address price manipulation by fuel companies through their corporate structures and announcing plans for antitrust legislation to prevent monopolistic control of industries.

Commenting on the motion to reintroduce a civil service home ownership programme, Deputy Governor Manderson thanked the members for bringing the motion. He said, “Sitting here listening to a member of this House advocate so strongly for our civil servants makes me feel really good to know that the team that I am honoured to lead is respected, valued and appreciated.” He added, “What I am hearing today is that the government is willing to help our civil service realise their dreams.”

Minister Anglin rose on behalf of the Government to express support for the motion to establish a newborn investment sovereign fund for all Caymanian children born after 1 January 2027 and outlined the Government’s framework for implementation. He proposed restructuring it as a baby bond focused on retirement, cautioning that previous international programmes failed because they lacked clear policy and strong protections. The Minister stated the baby bond should be a 60 to 65-year commitment, far longer than any political cycle and must be insulated from short-term political changes through legislation, cross-party agreement, or super-majority requirements for amendments.

Ending the business of the day, independent member, Christopher Saunders requested to withdraw the Development and Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to extend the consultation period so the Government could work on addressing some concerns and refine the spirit of what the Bill intends to achieve. The motion to withdraw was seconded and passed with all members in favour.

The House was adjourned until 10:30 am. on Friday, 1 May.

Watch Thursday’s proceedings:

Watch live broadcasts of sittings on CIG YouTube and CIGTV (Logic - Channel 23, C3 - Channel 3, Flow - Channel 106).

For further information visit: www.gov.ky/governmentinparliament.  

 

 

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