Sark secures lifeline link

Thursday 22nd January 2009, 1:00PM GMT.

SARK’S lifeline shipping link with Guernsey looks assured for the foreseeable future, Chief Pleas has been told.

The assembly agreed measures that include converting existing loans to Sark Shipping from Chief Pleas of £335,000 into shareholder funds and making available an interest-free loan of £200,000 during this year.

Shipping Committee chairman Peter Cole told members that the measures had been agreed after a series of meetings between his committee, the company’s directors and the Finance and Commerce Committee.

Conseiller Cole said that it was important that the directors had the full confidence of Chief Pleas.

The directors were, he said, carrying out a full scale financial restructuring of Sark Shipping aimed at ensuring that within the medium term – he referred to three years – the company would become self-financing.

To read Guernsey Press stories in full click here for subscription details. Individual editions are now available online.

View more: Chief Pleas news, Sark Shipping news, Transport news.

1
disturbed

January 23, 2009 at 10:03 am

If the members of chief pleas were to be asked “if sark had one reliant industry, what would that be?”
I wonder how many would say tourism?
I have heard some things about this weeks meeting, and one point that came out of it was that many members voted in favour of stopping, cmpletely, the sunday boat service! these people have no idea what the people of sark would like, they are now actually voting towards lowering the possible income of the island, also on a similar point,
if your boats are half full all season, and to increase revenue, you require more income, how is increasing the fare supposed to encourage more people to come? if any body can assist me in understanding either of these decisions, it would be greatly appreciated.

Report abuse
2
Paul

January 23, 2009 at 10:21 am

disturbed
The boat fare is being lowered. Initially it was set to increase but the opposite is now what is being put in place.

I believe the Sunday boat service is only being reduced in the Winter, off peak, season.

Nobody can really argue with this. Boats are expensive to run at this time of the year using more fuel and for less reward.

Report abuse