Moorings hike cave-in is good news for boaters
Saturday 21st February 2009, 9:44AM GMT.
News of mooring fee rises being cut to RPI delighted Richard de la Mare. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0723514)
PUBLIC SERVICES has buckled under pressure from boat owners and postponed planned mooring fee increases.
Instead of implementing hikes ranging from RPI of 5.5% to 150% depending on the size of vessel, the department will now take the matter to the States.
The climbdown comes after boat owners said they would lobby deputies to challenge the increases in the Assembly.
Public Services believed it would be forced into debating the charges so decided to produce a report on the issue rather than face an embarrassing challenge.
On the third successive day of this newspaper trying to organise an interview with him, Public Services minister Bernard Flouquet requested that questions be put to him in writing. Upon receiving them, he still declined to be interviewed.
In a statement, Deputy Flouquet said: ‘Given some of those comments and the fact that the proposed charges would have to be laid before the States, there was every likelihood that this would result in a full debate in the Assembly.
‘The department believes that if that is to be the case the best course of action is to return with a full report detailing all the issues and to allow members to then decide.’
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Its nice to see that the states have taken a rethink on this. However, I feel that this is only due to the fact that they are scaring the high net worth individuals away and forcing them to take their cash and boats to a more friendly and inviting place.
Guernsey can’t, and never will, be compared to Monaco no matter how much our elected suffer from delusions of grandeur.
I don’t believe for one minute they are concerned with ordinary hobby boaters!
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The personal attack on the Minister in this article and the Comment is disgraceful.
In fact, taking a look at the tennor of the whole of Saturday’s paper leads one to believe that the Press has only one aim in mind and that is to bring down the States of Guernsey.
Who do you think you are?
De Woolfson and Digard should stand for the States and we could see if they could make a better shot of it. If they could get elected!
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The big picture is indirect taxation is unfair income tax isnt. Can Guernsey compete with Monaco probably not due to the weather and the huge wealth there. What Guernsey can do is stand out as an example of how true democracy and fairness benefits everyone including the rich and the poor.
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I too would like to add my contempt for the tone of the article.
If the Harbour goes to wrack and ruin, like the schools, then States get it in the neck.
If the States raise funds to improve the Harbour, it gets it in the neck.
It is too easy to stand on the sidelines and criticize. Any old idiot can do it, what was the Harry Enfield sketch? – “You didn’t want to do that!” And reading it every day in the editorial comment is as much of a joke.
Politics is about making decisions and the media should respect that it sometimes tough decisions have to be made and not all sides can be satisfied always.
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Come off it Dick.
The arrogance displayed by the Minister on television – no apology, etc. Racist “joke”, fire fighters fiasco – what next?
Well done GSY Press!
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What I feel is an interesting point is the fact that our DCM is now relying on the services of a PR agency. Is this prudent at a time of belt tightening and cost cutting. I don’t think so.
I have also noted that he won’t, or isn’t allowed to, give instant answers to problems perceived. There seems to be a delay. Why is this. Is the same PR agency paving the way for him.
If our top brass can’t think for themselves then what is the point in having them.
I reckon it is more of a case of some of them can’t be trusted to be impulsive any more.
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Truthsayer – “Politics is about making decisions…” beautiful use of irony in making your statement below an article about the PSD backing out of their decision, getting back on the fence and delegating the decision making to someone else when they realised they couldn’t defend the mooring charge increase!
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I just wonder if the climb down is part of a ploy to use the PPP / PFI approach for the new project for the really big vessels.
I read somewhere that the Harbour Master was suggesting a £2 million per annum profit on an investment of between something like £16 to 32 million.
Even allowing for the extreme range of his costs, (or is this the first time we are seeing a budgeted over spend?), the Harbour Master has stated there is interest from private investors.
I don’t know about anyone else but I would want to see such potentially lucrative projects kept totally in the hands of the taxpayer, and that the private financiers keep their gruppy hands well away.
I the PFI sharks want to put money into Guernsey let them put it in high risk projects where they and not the taxpayer bears the risk. That assumes they can raise the money themselves!!
I wouldn’t put it past the States to borrow the money for next to nothing and lend it to the PFI crew, who will then effectively lend it back to Guernsey at a significant premium.
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No confidence.
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>>I wouldn’t put it past the States to borrow the money for next to nothing and lend it to the PFI crew, who will then effectively lend it back to Guernsey at a significant premium.<<
Something that must be avoided. There is no reason whatsoever, that any portion of our assets should be PFIed.
GTelecoms is a good example of how a weak government who didn’t have the wit to deal with unions buckled and sold off one of our most profitable assets.
Like you Stephen, I fear the worst.
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Chris, I think to say that Mr F did not come across well on Channel Report the other night would be the most massive of understatements.
It was cringeworthy.
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Russ – seems that we agree, and hundreds more!
Pity that the election is so far off. As a Castel Parish resident I feel frustrated and embarrassed.
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Am I the only one who finds it amazing that an island whose population is proud of its reputation for being ‘unreasonably determined’ seems to be led by a elected body who back down at the slightest opportunity.
Is this a case of ill-conceived, not thought out policies or more a case of ‘no change then no blame’. Either scenario doesn’t bode well for an island that potentially needs to change to survive.
Unfortunately the UK Government doesn’t seem to suffer from the same lack of backbone and if it insists on pushing through its war on tax havens that advocate secrecy then many decisions will have to be made which are going to be far more unpopular than charging people who can afford to run boats that cost £1000 an hour to run an extra £1000 a year.
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