St Helena : St Helena Governor Reports from the UK 30/07/09
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 31.07.2009 (Article Archived on 14.08.2009)
H. E the Governor Mr Andrew Gurr completes the report on his visit to the UK
REPORT FROM GOVERNOR IN THE UK – 30th July 2009
My second week in London has been just as busy as the first and in a way more positive.
I began by having a very useful meeting with Sue Wardell at DfID. Sue is Phil Mason’s boss’s boss, and has re-affirmed her promise to visit the Island in the near future. I was able to take up the line that I stressed last week with the Minister that infrastructure that may have been seen as related to the airport, should not be dropped simply because the airport may be delayed. This includes the new fuel farm, the jetty at Ruperts and the road exit from Ruperts. Such a road will be essential as Ruperts is seen as the obvious place for a more commercial wharf than is possible at Jamestown. Sue was very positive during the discussion. Obviously no firm promises were made, but I am certain that the matter is being looked at seriously.
The other really important issue that did receive some nods is that of ensuring that our public sector pension arrangements are fully funded. As long as we have to pay pensions out of existing income, we are faced with an ever increasing annual burden and the inevitable fact that today’s workers are funding yesterday’s. This will obviously become even more of a strain if our population continues to be skewed towards the mature end of the scale. I also pushed hard on the rock fall protection to try and ensure that we are not held up by having to bid annually for the relevant funds.
I then had further meetings at DfID which included Nigel Kirby and Anna Ballance. Subjects included fishing, coffee, the future of the RMS and the economy in general. I am well aware that all of us who live in St.Helena find it especially hard to change gear and unpick the Sustainable Development Plan to try and accommodate a further delayed airport. I can assure you that the task is no easier when one is sitting in London.
I then moved on to a meeting with Dr.Chris Doyle. He is the consultant helping us with our tendering of the telecommunications. It was agreed by Mike Clancy that this process would begin, even though the current licence doesn’t run out until 2012. It has already taken far too long to get to this point and I believe that we have now at last speeded it up.
I think it might be helpful to explain why we have decided to allow Cable & Wireless to tender initially without competition. The provision of telecommunications in remote islands is a very capital intensive business. The provider has to commit a significant sum of money to actually building and maintaining the essential infrastructure and because of that they require a fairly long term contract so that they stand a chance of making a return on their investment. That is all very well at the beginning of that term, but it becomes a problem as the period nears its end. Obviously there is no incentive for the provider to look beyond the contract term unless they can be sure of a renewal of that contract. The most sensible way of dealing with that situation is to establish a long term supply, but in doing so it is our duty to make sure that such an arrangement is in the public interest and that we are getting value for money. That is precisely why Chris Doyle is advising us.
The tender documentation is now ready and will be sent to Cable and Wireless shortly. We discussed the fact that we need a faster broadband speed especially for education and health applications and that we will be seeking a competitive tender as far as television is concerned.
Shortly after meeting with Chris Doyle I went to Cable and Wireless and met with Adam Dunlop. He was pleased that progress is being made and we discussed a broad range of issues including of course the airport consultation. The presence of an airport is of considerable importance to a company bidding for work in the Island right up until 2019. The reason for the end of the period being then is that we are coordinating the next negotiations with Ascension and the Falklands as that will give us a more powerful negotiating position.
I also met with Catherine Leach. I mentioned her last week and she is the Tourism Consultant who will be visiting the Island at the beginning of September. I know she will want to meet many people and learn as much as she can. She asked a lot of well founded questions and will be very helpful to us in defining what kind of pattern our tourism should adopt for the next few years
My next meeting was with Guy, Peter and Harry – all of them coffee importers who have had an interest in St.Helena for many years. Many of you will remember Guy from his visit. I told them of the recent clearing of some of the Sandy Bay plantation and of our determination to actually make something from this amazing product that is in such demand. Over the next few weeks they will be following this through with people on the Island. It would be a great pity if we failed to pick and process this years’ crop and I hope that real progress can be made.
Another session was held with Dick Beales who advises us on fishing. I seem to get so much conflicting advice on the subject of expanding our catch of fish. Such issues as: are poachers really stealing vast quantities? How much could we catch if we really invested? What will happen to quotas? - and so on were covered. In view of the fact that some fresh information is emerging from DEFRA, Crick Carlton has been checking us out for MSC approval, and MRAG are preparing a second report for us at present, Dick and I agreed a number of things. He will accompany me to meetings with MRAG and ARGOS in the first week of September. At that time we will commit to paper our vision of where we think our fishing activity should be in 5 years’ time. On my return to the Island I will then consult with the industry and SHDA to construct a proper plan to try and actually get things done.
Last, but by no means least, I have been involved quite heavily in finalising some submissions with regard to the airport. Our PR consultants Keene, who have been particularly successful in stimulating politicians, have also been working hard for us in this area and I am confident that we have been able to produce a very convincing case for option (a). I am of course well aware of the impressive 627 signatories for option (b), but a new ship is not the policy of your government, and part of my job is to make sure that the policies that we create are enacted wherever possible.
I had a meeting with Shelco yesterday and they will be making their own submission. I am sure that will carry some weight as it is particularly helpful to have such a group of successful business men who have now been associated with development aspirations on St.Helena for many years.
I am intending that over the next few days I will be able to catch up on any number of tasks at home – painting some windows, mowing the lawn, clearing the gutters, picking up new glasses, trying to get my CD player fixed – all that kind of thing; and then hopefully a holiday!
I will report once again at the end of the first week in September when I am back in London with a series of meetings.
Andrew Gurr
Governor
30th July 2009
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