Peter Niven. (0502060)
GUERNSEY’S finance industry faces a constant battle amid unrelenting scrutiny, the man in charge of advancing the island’s reputation has said.
Peter Niven, chief executive of Guernsey Finance, claimed no other industry was examined as much as finance.
‘Despite the success of the industry, battles are still going on under the surface,’ he said.
‘I think a lot of the scrutiny is from people with fixed agendas, particularly the EU. We need to be engaged with Brussels. There needs to be a constant drip feed of information to them about Guernsey so that they can better understand what we’re about.’
Mr Niven said the island was under enormous scrutiny.
‘It’s everywhere,’ he said. ‘They are looking at us from every angle and I don’t think it’s going to get easier. There is a belief that we are taking on business here which is someway reducing the tax take of other jurisdictions.
‘There is almost this green-eyed monster, generally from Europe, that causes us problems.
‘But I think our relationship with Brussels can improve with better communication with their politicians and bureaucrats.’
Mr Niven, speaking at the monthly Chamber of Commerce lunch, said the States also had a role to play.
‘I do not believe that government, over the years, has been engaged enough in the international community and fighting our corner,’ he said. ‘We have been somewhat reticent. That’s why it was great to hear chief minister Lyndon Trott talk about being at a recent international conference in Kuala Lumpur.’
The Guernsey Finance boss said the four main sectors of the industry had all seen phenomenal growth, even in the current turbulent international climate.
Guernsey’s insurance sector is the best in Europe, fourth in the world, he said. ‘Sometimes we forget about how good we really are.’
Article posted on 20th August, 2008 - 12.30pm
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2 Article Comments
Some realistic comments spoiled by the “‘I think a lot of the scrutiny is from people with fixed agendas, particularly the EU” remark.
Is this man deliberately trying to wind up those whose eyes are on Guernsey?
It would have been better to have concentrated on the positives such as the regulatory system and procedures for making sure that the world knows that Guernsey takes its responsibilities seriously.
I don’t think name calling is going to help the image of Guernsey’s finance industry internationally. Surely a major part of Mr Niven’s role is to be an ambassador for Guernsey finance. Some of his public utterances have not sounded very diplomatic - we should be trying to make friends not alienate them.