Are you aware that people serving as
directors on government boards and commissions have no need to reveal
anything about their private finances unless THEY believe it may
conflict with their role.

The regulations accompanying the Cayman
Islands Standards in Public Life law, which came into effect last
Sunday – our Lord's Day - states that members of government boards
must sign a form declaring they have no conflicts of interest. It
becomes then a matter for the public or the commission to challenge
their declaration.

Although our members of the Legislative
Assembly and senior civil servants must declare all of their
earnings, assets, directorships and any other interests they have
outside of their government jobs, as well as any significant debts or
loans. They don't have to reveal the value of those assets.

Officials from the Commission are
relying on all the above members to be honest.

However, the Commission, don't seem to
be bothered at all by this. This is because only honest people are
picked to serve on these boards.

In their statement upon the release of
the new regulations, they said: “

The law ensures that conflicts of
interest are properly addressed and contributes towards a sound
infrastructure of good governance, therefore reducing the opportunity
for corruption.

“The commencement of the law,
amendment law and regulations will provide the commission with the
power needed to meet its constitutional mandates to supervise the
operation of registers and to investigate breaches of established
standards in public life.”

If they are happy about it I suppose we
should be, too. The Commission are hoping the board members
themselves will be their own watch dogs.

According to statistics that rely on
persons to be honest when they answer the questions put before them
every single person lies but it is the degree of lying and as to what
it is. It appears being honest is the more instinctive response. It
is when you have to think about it and how big the reward is when
you lie. Humans are dishonest by default when it serves their
self-interest.

That is where the problem comes when
serving on boards.

If you are dishonest once, our
psychologists tell us it then becomes harder to tell the truth.

Our whole society is built on trust and
we have social media via the Internet to check. Check what? Do you
think social media via the Internet is honest?

While digital media can be a great
source of information, there are numerous sites with false
information, conspiracy theories, and invented statistics.

With the proliferation of digital media
and the ease with which one can spread incorrect information makes it
even harder to be honest.

Honestly.