Both the US Congress and most of Europe took vacations at the end of the summer,
bringing a temporary respite in most of the efforts by the American government,
EU, OECD and many European governments; although American efforts to breach
Swiss banking secrecy continued despite the August heat. Nonetheless, when congressmen and senators stagger back this fall from
their mauling at the hands of constituents angry over soaring deficits
and the proposed health care ‘reforms’, the proposed Stop Tax Haven
Abuse Act, anti-offshore budget provisions...
If the Cayman financial industry were faced with extinction or only the potential of a diminished role, we would not bother providing you with the third edition of the Cayman Financial Review, which you are now reading. Cayman can continue to grow as a financial centre, provided both the new government and the financial industry do more to protect it from the financial imperialism of foreign governments, and provided the private sector – with the support of government – develops new products and continues to improve existing financial services.
We are in probably the most turbulent times the offshore financial industry has ever seen. Almost daily, new events come to light and new initiatives are unveiled. The pen is no sooner dry, than the commentary is out of date, so I apologise if that is the case here. I hope not, as I have tried to look over the horizon.