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Cayman Islands' Special Economic Zones by Cayman Enterprise City Wins Global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practices AwardGEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) special economic zones development project has won an Excellence Award in Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Practices by the Financial Times' fDi Intelligence Magazine. The 2021 Free Zones Awards mark the second consecutive year for CEC to be recognised as a top free zone in the Americas.  fDi Intelligence's annual Free Zone Awards celebrate the most promising free zones across the world. Hundreds of government entities, investment promotion agencies, economic development units, and free zones were invited to compete. "We are honored that CEC has been recognised by fDi Intelligence for our efforts in developing a sustainable special economic zones project that prioritizes best ESG practices," said Charlie Kirkconnell, Chief Executive Officer at CEC. "The Excellence Award in ESG Practices helps to build trust amongst foreign direct investors, reflects the quality of the CEC project, and is a testament to the importance we've place on our people and environment." Since its inception in 2011, CEC has helped to strengthen Cayman's economy by attracting knowledge-based businesses in industries such as technology development, media and marketing, biotech, fintech, maritime, and aviation to set up a genuine physical presence in the Cayman Islands. In CEC's first 10 years of operations the development project has had an estimated economic impact of USD $502 million on the Cayman Islands economy and is now home to over 260 special economic zone companies (SEZCs).
CEC has reported publicly annually since 2013 on how the concessions it and the members of the CEC community receive from the Cayman Islands Government are deployed and how the financial contribution of its activities impacts the wider economy. In 2020, CEC engaged an independent global economist to assess the CEC project. "The level of transparency demonstrates CEC's commitment to proper Governance and the socioeconomic progress of the Cayman Islands," reads the report by Marla Dukharan. As an added benefit for being a part of the CEC community, special economic zone companies (SEZCs) are given complimentary membership to CEC's corporate social responsibility programme, Enterprise Cayman. The workforce development initiative aims to connect local talent with innovative SEZCs and has facilitated significant knowledge transfer within the local community. "Despite the global pandemic, CEC has continued to prioritise quality experiences, develop innovative opportunities, and deliver first-rate programming to ensure that zone members and residents of all backgrounds receive the right support and encouragement to develop into tomorrow's leaders and active contributors to our ever-evolving global economy," said Kirkconnell. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact: Kaitlyn Elphinstone
SOURCE Cayman Enterprise City 
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