Government's funding plans for Jersey Business questioned
9 November 2022
Temporary Government funding provided to support Jersey Business over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic could become permanent, subject to States Assembly approval. When questioned by the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel at a public hearing for its review of the proposed Government Plan 2023-26, the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture said, if agreed, an additional £700,000 year on year until 2026 will be directed towards Jersey Business. He also informed the Panel that a Value for Money review was to be conducted into his Department's funding of arm's length businesses.
When questioned about funding allocated to the agriculture industry, the Minister commented that, whilst the agriculture industry received £5 million in Government funding in 1993, this had been reduced to £900,000 by 2018. The Minister said that, while the proposed £900,000 of funding allocated in the Government Plan to support 37 agriculture businesses may suffice for 2023, this level of funding is not enough to sustain the industry in the long term. He therefore is looking to bring forward an amendment to increase this funding from 2024. The Panel was also told of the agriculture industry's commitment to mitigate the impact its fuel use has on Jersey's carbon emissions, with a Carbon Neutral Roadmap specifically for agriculture expected to be delivered next year.
Speaking about his immediate priorities, the Minister mentioned the Tourism industry, expressing concern that any further reduction of the industry could affect flight and boat connections and have a far wider reaching negative impact on the Island as a whole.
Chair of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel, Deputy Moz Scott, said: "The Panel is grateful for the information the Economic Development Minister provided to us at the hearing. To further aid our ongoing review of the Government's proposed savings and spendings plan, however, we will be seeking more clarity about how the Government is assessing the added value of Jersey Business. As part of our review, we invite all local businesses, whether they work with Jersey Business or not, to share their views on whether the proposed funding allocated to the organisation in this year's Government Plan is justified at this stage. Businesses are welcome to share their views by writing to scrutiny@gov.je before next Monday, 14 November."
