Black Immigrant Daily News

Police are currently investigating a number of reports where persons attempted to use forged $100 bank notes. Since June 2022, five such reports have been received, with one incident taking place in Cayman Brac and the other four in Grand Cayman.

The RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit (FCIU) is taking the opportunity to remind the public to be on the lookout for counterfeit notes, as such notes continue to be in circulation.

At least four of the forged $100 notes in these recent cases have the serial number D/1 292395, the same serial number as seen on previous counterfeit $100 notes.

For more information on how to ensure that bank notes are genuine, visit the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority website at www.cima.ky.

The FCIU is advising anyone who receives a counterfeit note, or suspects one to be counterfeit, to make note of the description of the person passing the note, as well as that of any companions who may be with them. Do not return the note to the passer if possible. Instead, initial and date the white border of the note, then tag the note with a copy of the transaction receipt and call the police.

Banks and commercial premises may be in possession of forged currency report forms issued by the FCIU. If so, please obtain as much information as possible from the person passing the note and submit it on these forms.

The form can also be found here: https://www.cima.ky/upimages/commonfiles/1499245420FCUForgedCurrencyReport.pdf

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Commonwealth of Dominica came out tops in the annual CBI Index, a rating system designed to measure the performance and appeal of global citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes across a diverse range of indicators.

The CBI Index is intended as a practical tool to compare CBI programmes as a whole and specific aspects of each programme. These aspects are reflected by the CBI Index’s nine pillars which Freedom of Movement, Standard of Living, Minimum Investment Outlay, Mandatory Travel or Residence, Citizenship Timeline, Ease of Processing, Due Diligence, Family and Certainty of Product.

Number one for six consecutive years, Dominica beat 11 other nations with active citizenship by investment programmes and scored full marks in the areas of Minimum Outlay, Mandatory travel or residence, Ease of Processing, Due Diligence, Family and Certainty of Product.

These nations include Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Cambodia, Egypt, Grenada, Jordan, Malta, Montenegro, St Lucia, Turkey and Vanuatu.

“For the last 29 years we have ensured that our CBI programme really meets the needs of an ever-changing global investor. We’re proud to yet again be ranked as one of the best CBI offering in the world and look to increase our scores across all nine pillars next year,” commented Dominica’s Prime Minister, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit.

Dominica continues to be on a concerted drive to offer investors – through its Economic Diversification Fund and government-approve real estate options – a reliable safe haven amidst the constant global upheavals. Accompanied by a robust due diligence process, Dominica uses a multi-layered process in partnership with third-party due diligence firms from the USA and the UK, investors can be confident that they are buying a product that will enhance their portfolio.

Dominica’s scoring in the nine pillars: 

Freedom of Movement: Dominica scored seven out of 10 as the country offers visa-free and visa-on-arrival access to 14 countries across the world, including the globe’s most sought-after business hubs.

Freedom of movement within and between countries is paramount to global investors seeking second citizenship and this year, the Index placed emphasis on the total number of countries and territories that can be visited without applying for a visa.

Standard of Living: Dominica scored five in this area due to its low average expected years of schooling, but it must be noted that the country has the highest life expectancy at 78.2 and a perfect freedom score when compared to Egypt, Jordan, St Kitts and Nevis and Vanuatu – who also shared the same score.

Minimum Investment Outlay: Dominica received a perfect score of 10 here as the minimum investment outlay for their CBI programme is only US$100,000 per applicant, one of the lowest citizenship investment outlays in the industry.

Mandatory Travel or Residence: As last year, Dominica kept its score of 10 out of 10 as the country does not require mandatory travel or residence in the country for processing its citizenship application.

Citizenship Timeline: Dominica scored a nine in the citizenship timeline pillar. The pillar accesses the duration to get the application processed.

Ease of Processing: The citizenship by investment unit of Dominica continues to make the application process straightforward and more robust, helping the country secure a score full marks in this area.

Due Diligence: Dominica is recognized for its stringent and comprehensive due diligence checks on applicants seeking second citizenship and once again retained the score of 10 for due diligence processing. The country requires the provision of either fingerprints or a biometric passport and has robust external due diligence procedures that are undertaken by internationally renowned third-party due diligence firms. 

Family: As Dominica allows main applicants to add additional dependents under a single application, once again making it easy to bring in additional family members, the country scored 10 under this pillar.

Certainty of Product: Dominica, along with St Kitts and Nevis, attained a perfect score for Certainty of Product Pillar thanks to the programme’s longevity, popularity, renown, stability, and adaptability. The CBI Index also lauded Dominica for its transparent two-track investment routes. 

Regarded as an industry voice and reputable benchmark for CBI programmes across the globe, this year’s CBI Index offers readers a glimpse of the possibility that could in the CBI industry should all relevant parties cooperate.

The current turmoil has certainly brought a negative spotlight to the investment migration industry and overlooked the fundamentals of CBI – offering honest, hardworking families and entrepreneurs to explore and participate in meaningful global opportunities, especially where they have been let down by their own home countries.

Findings in the CBI Index state that in 2023, it is predicted over 125,000 millionaires will look to relocate to more secure and attractive destinations around the world and this trend is expected to continue and increase to 2030. Political fragmentation, instability, social polarisation are some of the reasons why investors look for second citizenship options. 

It is for this reason that countries like the Commonwealth of Dominica are a popular investment choice, offering political and economic stability, a currency pegged against the US-dollar and, even more appealing is an eco-conscious government working its way to be carbon-neutral and sustainable.

“People who invest in our programme can be 100% sure that they are also investing in a country that cares about the planet and one that is taking tangible, measurable steps to protect the planet,” continues Prime Minister Skerrit.

The CBI Index is the world’s most definitive guide on citizenship by investment and is published today by PWM Magazine, a publication from the Financial Times in collaboration with CS Global Partners.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Principals have been given pre-approval for the replacement of teachers in clear vacancies and temporary posts funded by the Ministry of Education and Youth.

This is to create greater efficiency in the hiring of new teachers and reduce the time it would usually take to approve appointments between the Ministry and schools.

Portfolio Minister, Fayval Williams, provided details during a press conference at the Ministry in Kingston, today (August 22).

She advised that schools should continue to submit formal requests for appointments, which will be responded to by the respective Regional Offices.

Mrs. Williams noted that a Facility has been created for school Boards to request extensions for teachers who are scheduled to proceed on retirement, effective September 1, 2022, and beyond.

“[They must] have performed well, based on their last performance appraisal report, to fill areas of specialisation at the secondary school level, for which there is a short supply of teachers, determined by the response to advertisements or reported lack of suitability of respondents by the school Board,” she said.

School Boards are also granted approvals to employ teachers using the Part-Time Facility.

“These would [also] include teachers who would have retired since January 2018, and beyond, and have performed well based on their last performance appraisal report, prior to their retirement,” the Minister said.

She pointed out that the Part-Time Facility allows up to 20 hours of work for areas of specialisation at the secondary level where there is a short supply of teachers or as determined by the response to advertisements.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has also made provisions for schools to engage final year student-teachers from accredited institutions to fill areas of specialisation that have a short supply of teachers.

These teachers will be employed temporarily and paid in the category of Pre-Trained Teachers.

Other provisions include redeploying staff or increasing the number of teaching sessions of a staff member and merging smaller classes to reduce teacher demand for a subject area.

Utilising the ‘Blocked Timetable’ approach, where all or a subset of teachers for a subject area are timetabled at the same time to ensure all students are being taught by a trained teacher through regrouping, can also be considered.

Minister Williams emphasised that while the assessment of teacher movements within the sector continues, the Ministry “always has to ensure we have replacement teachers.”

“The teaching profession, like any other profession, has attrition annually. We do not know [why], because our teachers are under no obligation to tell us why they are resigning. It is a personal decision, and we respect that,” she said.

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