🎄 Cayman Islands government announces one-off payment for civil servants

The Cayman Islands government has announced a one-off payment of CI$1500 to all core government employees. The payment, which will be included in December pay packets, is intended to assist with the cost of living and to acknowledge the contributions of civil servants. The funding for this initiative comes from savings in public spending achieved this year, according to Premier Juliana O'Connor. 🎁

The Premier praised the civil service for helping to reduce public spending by approximately $66 million in the current fiscal period. This reduction in spending has enabled the government to implement community support initiatives, such as the subsidy of CUC bills over the summer. This bonus is one of three measures introduced by the new UPM in its first week, alongside changes to the National Pension Act and an increase in pension payments for former civil servants. 👏

Additionally, the government is planning to increase the ex-gratia pension for retired public sector workers from $950 to CI$1250 starting in December. This increase is expected to significantly improve the lives of these pensioners. 👵