CAYMAN CONVERSATION with H.E. GOVERNOR JANE OWEN

CAYMAN CONVERSATION with H.E. GOVERNOR JANE OWEN

In a wide-ranging conversation on the Cayman Conversations podcast with host Ralph Lewis, Her Excellency Governor Jane Owen has underscored an optimistic outlook for the Cayman Islands.
With a new government now settling in following the hectic election campaign, global political uncertainties impacting trade and security, climate change issues affecting the hurricane season, and local issues demanding attention, the jurisdiction nonetheless stands in good stead.
Sharing her thoughts on these and other matters in a candid conversation, Governor Owen summed up her outlook for Cayman this way: “I do believe it’s possible to find a balanced way forward. In all these areas you tend to see that there are opportunities and challenges, and that’s what we’ve got to get right."


She however reminded: “Of course, for anything you want to do, you've got to pay for it.
I would say the budget is a challenge and an opportunity. We’ve worked very hard to raise some more revenue, but as in every country in the world, the needs we have exceed the money we’ve got and Cayman is the same. This will be the job for the Government - to figure out what are the priorities.”

NEW GOVERNMENT
Working with the government of the day while representing the British government is a principal role of governors of the UK Overseas Territories. 
Cayman’s newly elected government, The National Coalition For Caymanians(NCFC) has taken over the reins following the April elections.
“I would have been happy to work with any group, but it has been a real delight and great partnership to begin working with the Government of Premier Andrew Ebanks, his Deputy Gary Rutty and all of the members of the Cabinet,” the Governor stated.

"There’s quite a lot of experience in that Cabinet. There’s some new people, there’s some business experience and some experience in a lot of social issues. So it does represent, and I hope people would feel this, a good cross-section of our society. My role is to work with them to do what we can to serve all of our people.”

PARTNERSHIP
“The key thing is to make sure that we are working together in partnership,” Governor Owen outlined on Cayman Conversations about working collaboratively with the government.
“I want to make sure that I'm working well with the government. A lot of the agenda is fully devolved to them. Of course, it's really crucial that the government, any government, works well with the civil service. This is something that I know Honourable Premier (Andre Ebanks) and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, have been working on very closely together to make sure that throughout the civil service, all of our Chief Officers to make sure that they are cognizant of how they can best work together.”
She also spoke of the importance of outreach and involvement of other sectors of the society including the businesses sector, civil society, non-governmental organizations and others.

CIVIL SERVICE
The civil service gets the Governor’s vote of confidence as the engine that keeps the government’s public administration machinery running smoothly and effectively.
“I'm very impressed with the way in which Deputy Governor Franz Manderson leads the civil service, and you've got people there like Miss Gloria McField-Nixon, who is the head of the portfolio of the civil service. You've got Financial Secretary, Ken Jefferson. You've got a whole range of really top-class chief officers across the service. And I see every day, day in, day out, how they lead a service that is really committed and professional. I quite often talk to DG(Deputy Governor) about the values that he instils in the civil service, which are passion, integrity and professionalism.”
Governor Owen also reported the high regard for the Cayman Islands civil service expressed by external observers. "This is a very familiar mantra...People do feel we have a very high degree of capacity and capability in our public service."

ELECTIONS
Coming on the back of elections, for which she echoed the sentiments of both local and external observers for how well the process was managed, Governor Owen said two issues which warrant attention are campaign financing and reviewing the constituency boundaries - the latter in particular which would require wide and effective public consultation before being submitted to Parliament for a vote.
“I expect the government will decide to do another review, and maybe that will be point at which we just need do a couple of adjustments to make sure that the boundaries are effectively representing our people."

GLOBAL AFFAIRS
With Cayman vulnerable to shocks caused by developments in the global sphere, the relationship with the United Kingdom is seen by the Governor as a useful fallback for the jurisdiction, especially during this era of volatility in international relations. One point of concern was the tariff ‘war’ by the United States with several countries and how that impacts import-dependent Cayman, which sources most of its products from the US.

"It’s certainly a kind of brave new world out there that we’re dealing with. I think it is helpful to have the kind of backstop and support of the United Kingdom in this because obviously the UK and the US have a pretty special relationship. They have been working on how to manage this [tariffs] So we will continue to watch the impact very carefully."

SECURITY
Governor pointed out during her appearance on Cayman Conversation that she places a heavy premium on security for the jurisdiction. The Governor disclosed that presently under consideration as a priority is ensuring that the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service(RCIPS) is adequately resourced.
“The numbers of police over the last 20 years, we have not greatly expanded them at all, not very much. And so one of my objectives, and one of the things I'm talking to our government about, is how we can have a sensible, gradual expansion so that we can make sure we've got the right people, but also we've got the right people doing our analysis and forensics and detection and everything else we could and particularly looking at the marine environment through our Coast Guard. Because if you want to keep Cayman as a great place for us all to live in, and a great place for visitors and business people to come to, then we have to keep it safe.”

HURRICANE SEASON
And with the 2025 Hurricane Season now underway, Governor Owen reminds the Cayman community that ‘It only takes one’. 
She said: "We know from past experience that we only need one bad one. So I think the important thing is for us all not to become complacent."

(The full interview is available on our online platforms)