Does the Offshores really exist or is it so virtual as press experts use to speak about ?,

Será  que  os  offshores são  aquela coisa quase  virtual  que  a  imprensa  nos  transmite?                Cayman Island

I have  been  Board Member  in  a  Offshore Bank in  Grand Cayman.
Usually,  reading the daily newspapers or listen  to  specialized people speaking on tv  programs, we feel completely confused about  the  real, physical  existence of those so called Tax free Paradises,  as they only exist in the cyber space.

Today, i have the tremendous challenge to  show that  ... offshores  do  exist in  our real World.

Once upon a time, I mean, some years ago, I have been  working for the lounge of a Offshore Unit, a local Offshore Bank  in  Cayman Islands.


Nothing wrong, nothing special because, there was no money laundry,  no  black  money,  no  bad  or  suspicious operations. Everything legal, everything according with  banking laws and rules.

In fact,  i  am  not a fan  of  offshore  activities,  of  offshores   banking operations as far as those facilities became a way of doing very bad things  and  everything bad for the human behaviour.

But,  the  essence of  offshores  is " a way   to  place funds of non resident  people,  with lower or without tax  rates."

I  have  been  ,  there,  the  founder of  local Bank,  a  offshore  Bank,  just  to  place  the  funds related with  the  portuguese  workers   remittances ,  people  based in  central  european countries, to take advantage of lower tax incidence.


So,  as I  have  been  Executive Board Member, I  have  been  in  Grand Cayman  for  several  times  and I  can  tell  you,  today,  that  Offshores  do  really  exist,  not  only  in  our  minds,  not  only  in  newspapers  , not  only  in  the  politics  debates.


The  problems  with  offshores  are  the  billions of billions  of  us$ , EUR, yenes,  and  lots of other  currencies  that  are  not  identified,  which origin  is  dark  and  the  destination  is  so  black  as  the  origins.
Millions of  millions of  non  identified operations   related and suppoting corruption, fraud  all over  the  world and  supporting wars, faim , crimes   and very sad stories.

To give such a fiscal  advantage  to  those funds  becoming from  honest trade or savings,  it  was  not necessary  to  have  offshore units. But,  those  purposes  have been  the  mask  for  the  dark   side  of  that  moon,  the  money  loundry  of   corruption and  criminal  business.

In Grand Cayman,  one  of  the  best  places  to  stay  is  the  Yatt Hotel  with  this  superb  colonial  style  building  and  gardens.

The  day  begins  with  the  usual  good  breakfast but  in  the  restaurant  we  can  see  a lot  of  guests dressed   ready  to go  to  the  privat  beach  and  one  or  two  half dressed   to  go  to  business meetings...!
Real  birds  use  to  land  on  your  table  and  pic  some  of  your food.

Breakfast is shared with blackbirds  and tourists.

The hotel has  a private beach plenty of white sand and burning sunshine. (Na foto, TShirt do Belenenses)

Downtown,  a  lot  of  chops  looking  "very colonial  style",  Cayman shirt  shops  which  doesn't  means  exactly  shirts  to  wear  with  your  business  dark suit.     (Na foto, TShirt do Belenenses)

The  Cayman Island Monetary Authority  is  a  normal  building,  not  so  different  from  a  european  medium or low level  importance  bureau  building.




The  local  port,  just  in  the  center  of  the  town,  is  plenty  of new   people ,  each  day,  arriving  early  morning  in  the Royal Carebean  Cruises  or  others,   ready  to  discover  the  island,  going  for  shopping  or  diving.  diving with  the  Rayes  is  a real  paradise.

The  waters  are  mild  or  hot  and  it is  usual  to  have  a  strong  five  minutes  rain,  suddenly,  even  if the  sun  burns  such an intensity.

Later,  in  the  evening,  before  going  to  rooms,  a  short  stay  in  the  lobby  bar  of  the  hotel  or  in a local  restaurant  is  recommended to have a   nice  to  taste  of the  local  Tartuga Rum,  or  Capitain  Morgan  Rum.






  
I have been  in  Grand Cayman  for  five  a  lot  of  times  and,  I  always have  enjoyed
diving.

Diving  among  the  colored fishes, rayes  and  corals,  is  really
amazing.

For  diving,  Cayman  Island,  Grand Cayman,  is  perfect  paradise !