St Helena : St. Helena's New Agricultural Fees and Charges Come into Force
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 19.10.2006 (Article Archived on 02.11.2006)
Executive Council recently agreed to a list of revised prices for the various services and products on offer by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department.
New Agricultural Fees and Charges to come into Force
Executive Council recently agreed to a list of revised prices for the various services and products on offer by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department. The revisions are supported by the Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee and will come into force from 1 December 2006.
The review took place because the St Helena Government has made a commitment to review all of its fees and charges on an annual basis.
A&NRD has a number of fees to be reviewed as Darren Duncan, Chief Agricultural and Natural Resources Officer explained: “The Department makes charges for a range of services and products. These include those that are related to veterinary and livestock, agricultural pest control, irrigation, leasing of agricultural lands and buildings, permits for imports and exports, forestry products and services, sawmill products and services and also for deep sea fishing licences. We have now reviewed all of these charges.
The aim of reviewing our fees and charges was to recognise and be able to manage the implications of the various operational and cost related changes to our service provisions over the years and in doing so, to establish a clear basis for charging to our clients and customers.
Most of the fees have not been reviewed in five to ten years and in this period of time it has become more expensive for the Department to provide services to the farming community. For this reason, the review identified that some of the prices would have to increase to recover a greater proportion of the cost so that we are able to ensure a proper flow of resources to SHG to maintain a particular service to customers for the future”.
Most of the fees and charges have increased, although there are some that remain unchanged such as the price of purchasing chickens and eggs and the price of hatching eggs for the public.
Some prices have increased by as little as 80p with the dental treatment of domestic animals going from £2.50 to £3.30 per animal. Others, such as the hiring of a forestry tractor and driver will increase from £72 per day to £100.60 per day for the large tractor, and from £46 per day to £74.90 for the small tractor.
Darren commented that “a new inclusion to our charging arrangements is differential charging for some services and involves a different charge for a Non-ANRD subsidy Claimant and an ANRD Subsidy Claimant”. For example, persons receiving agricultural subsidy for arable units will pay more for spraying services than those who are not receiving subsidy. Insecticide for spraying of arable land will cost a subsidy claimant £16.40 for half an acre or more, and a non-subsidy claimant would pay £8.20 for the same area of land. Previously, clients were charged a call-out charge per first hour and subsequent hours and the cost of chemicals used. This differential charging is aimed at recovering the full cost of the service as claimants’ monthly subsidy payments are designed to support the operational costs associated with their agricultural unit”
Some services will be discontinued such as hiring of chain saws to allow this service to be taken up by a private operator. Previously, the department also sold woods that were of export quality. These included Cyprus, Cedar, Blackwood and Silky Oak. However, these woods will not be available for export any more. This is to allow the small quantities of such woods that are available to be sold to local craftsmen. Soils testing for farmers, a service currently charged for, is to be provided free of charge
All of the increases were agreed after careful consideration by both the ANR Committee and Executive Council and the newly revised list will be published through the newspapers and Public Notice from Friday 27 October 2006. This list will also be available from the ANR Department's reception from the same date.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
16 October 2006
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