Proposed cruise berthing and cargo enhancement project was top issue in 2019

The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce held their 2019 Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, held at The Grand Old House.

Members received a review of the Chamber’s results and accomplishments from 2019, including a presentation of awards and acknowledgements for this year’s Chamber Champions.

Outgoing President, Chris Kirkconnell, welcomed attendees and presented a review of the Chamber’s achievements of 2019. He highlighted the proposed cruise berthing and cargo enhancement project as one of the more challenging issues for the year.
 
“With a membership as diverse as ours, the Council decided to provide members with the facts about the project in an impartial way so that members could decide for themselves whether the information was enough to support it,” he said.

Emphasizing the focus on positive relationships with Government in 2019, Mr. Kirkconnell reported that the Chamber has established partnerships with several Ministries and Government Departments, and has developed a routine of regular meetings with Caucus and Cabinet.

“While it is the role of the Chamber to advocate for our members, we cannot do so effectively unless we are allies to the current administration rather than adversaries,” he said.

Mr. Kirkconnell also drew attention to the Chamber’s most successful projects from 2019, including the second annual Economic Forum and the Cayman CLEAN anti-litter campaign, both of which should continue to flourish in the coming year.

Chamber Treasurer, Mr. Colin Robinson, reported on the audited financials for 2018, highlighting a host of projects and programmes that contributed to positive growth and improved the Chamber’s financial position.

“Overall 2018 was another successful year from a financial viewpoint, it was also a very successful year from the perspective of services and programmes for our members. Really the enthusiasm of the council that is here with you today, the hard work and dedication of the Chamber staff all leads directly to these continued positive results and innovation.”

For a graphic summary of the Chamber’s 2019 results, click here.