Minister has commercial future vision
Wednesday 12th November 2008, 2:30PM GMT.
THE airport, harbours and Guernsey Water could be commercialised under a vision announced by Public Services today.
Minister Bernard Flouquet (pictured) said that it will investigate the possibility with the outcome known before the end of the States term.
The situation is pressing because Treasury and Resources is keen to centralise the ports holding account, which Public Services controls and which traditionally has been used to fund the airport and the harbours.
Considering the privatisation of Guernsey Water is more surprising given a Wales Audit Office report which questioned whether there would be any benefit in doing so.
Treasury has not yet made contact with Public Services about the future of the ports holding account, said Deputy Flouquet.
‘The Public Services board has formed the view that if it goes in any direction, it should be to move the ports and airport onto a more commercial basis,’ he said.
He added he would also like the commercialisation of Guernsey Water investigated.
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If it aint broke don’t tinker with it! Tinkerers tend to play with things they haven’t got a clue about and then seem surprised when they have a box of nuts, bolts and parts left over. Leave well alone. Concentrate on all the negatives instead of turning the positives into the same!
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I recall the consensus of opinion on the sale of Guernsey Telecom was that it was a mistake. Quarterly line rental up from £6 to £24 in a short period since sellout. (Sellout not selloff for that was what it was.) Guernsey Telecom was arguably the best run most well organised Guernsey owned utility which turned a profit for the people of Guernsey. Now it is just a profitable backwater for a multinational company providing us with a substandard (check our broadband speeds with other european standards) service at an inflated price. Many thanks to John Longlois for that one.
So what next. Guernsey Water having undergone an extensive refurbishment in the relining of the pipeworks for which we all had to endure numerous diversions and traffic chaos, is now turning a very handsome profit.
Mr Flouquet could you please explain to me the rationale behind your thoughts on selling off Guernsey Water. And if it was sold off, what would you imagine our water rates would be five years down the line.
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The Islands being sold without the peoples mandate one lot at a time. It’s slowed to t trickle recently after the disgusting scandal of the Gsy Telecoms sale (why have those lame ducks Public Accounts Comtte and Scrutiny never bothered to look into this?).
And the utterly pointless commercialisations of Electricity and Gsy Post thats brought not a single benefit to the island just another expensive lame duck Regulator pushing paper round a desk 365 days a year. It’s pathetic.
Bernard Flouquet comes across as the new Roger Berry OBE. If Treasury wants to “press because Treasury.. is keen to centralise the ports holding account” then centralise the account. The States is good at pushing accounts round.
But what has that administrative task got anything to do with selling off airports, harbours and water???
The deception and weasel words of our disingenous Deputies have begun. Bunch of sell-outs
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The Guernsey Post Office had an excellent reputation for both it’s service and low cost remember the chaos and huge hike in prices when that was comercialised.
Guernesy Telecom’s sale has been mentioned in another post.
Don’t let The States do anymore damage to the quality of life in Guernsey.
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