St Helena : 21st Century EXCO
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 09.04.2005 (Article Archived on 23.04.2005)
Last Tuesday afternoon, a first was chalked up for SHG in this technological age – EXCO via videoconference.
21st CENTURY EXCO
By Stuart Moors
Last Tuesday afternoon, a first was chalked up for SHG in this technological age – EXCO via videoconference.
Teleconference facilities have been around for years. Videoconferencing isn’t exactly new, but it hasn’t become widespread until fairly recently when the available communications bandwidths have grown to such levels that the acceptable video quality can be guaranteed. Now, with the Governor in Ascension, and the normal
Executive Council meeting on the schedule, SHG have jumped the technological hurdle of holding a meeting in two places at once, with specially-designed motorised video cameras and TVs linking the two sites.
The link-up worked very well, with the Governor’s image and voice being well-presented to the remaining members of ExCo on a TV set in the place where the Governor would normally sit. In order for speakers to be seen by the Governor, the Financial Secretary took charge of the camera controls and punched buttons furiously on the remote control to direct the camera in the desired direction.
The only item on the public section of the agenda was a proposal to raise the charges for statutory documents such as certificates for births, deaths and marriages, liquor and gaming licences, registration of trademarks and patents etc.
The Financial Secretary, Linda Clemett, said that the charges had not been raised since 1998, and that the proposals laid before the meeting represented an average rise of around 30%, with some items rising by significantly less than that amount and some more. In all, it is expected that the increased charges would result in an additional £5000 per annum to the public purse, but, as the Financial Secretary said, these proposals came about from discussions about the budget for the next financial year (indeed, the current budget assumes that the increases will be approved!) and further changes may be necessary when proposals are made arising from the Fiscal Review.
The members were advised by the Attorney General, Mr. Ken Baddon, that the increased charges could come into effect immediately, although it may be sensible to provide more time for those items more related to offices a n d organisations.
The increased charges were approved.
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