GST campaign rebooted with leaflet, website and livestream

The Policy & Resources Committee and its tax review steering group will send a leaflet to all households, has launched a website, will livestream a press conference, and hold the first of several public meetings over the course of the next six days.

The campaign, which has a £20,000 budget, follows a last-minute move to halt a tax review debate in the States last October which threatened to kill off a goods and services tax – senior politicians’ favoured method for making up a £85m. annual deficit – in the face of significant opposition from the public and deputies themselves.

‘We want to do everything we can to inform and explain to islanders why we believe we need to act, the advantages and disadvantages of our different options.

‘We want to talk it through with them, face-to-face, be open to their challenge and answer their questions,’ said Deputy Mark Helyar, who is leading the tax steering group.

Many of the messages will have been heard before but the States has attempted to boil issues down to how they directly affect taxpayers.

The cost of running public services averages about £11,000 per person, per year.

But a taxpayer on average earnings of £35,000 a year pays some £7,000 in taxes and social security each year.

‘The problem and the solution are not simple, and so ahead of that debate and in line with the direction given to us by the Assembly, we are now beginning a busy period of engaging with the community,’ Deputy Helyar said.

‘We’ve talked about the seismic shift that is our changing population make-up.

‘This is not the fault of any generation of islanders, but it is a reality and must be addressed.’

Alongside the engagement with the wider community, a series of dedicated Tax Review presentations and meetings are being held for States Members and business representatives from a range of sectors, and these are already under way.

n The Guernsey Press spoke to 100 islanders in Town earlier this year, asking if they had to pay more tax, would they favour GST or a rise in income tax? Three-quarters said paying more through income tax.