The Cayman Islands is better known as an offshore jurisdiction and a tourist destination. In contrast, this article explores commercial government policy through the lens of public procurement. May 2018 established a legal framework and the institutional set-up was finalised in December. In response, this timely assessment of current legal developments formulates recommendations to strengthen the position of the public sector in procurement. It argues that the government is at risk of breaching its own legal obligations in the new regulatory framework, despite making some progress towards modern standards of enhanced value for money, accountability and transparency. Three urgent issues are identified: fine-tuning the publicity regime; curtailing the scope of direct awards; and reinforcing ethics in government. The critical perspective of the article will interest academics, policy-makers and practitioners alike.