Seven amendments could lead to lengthy Budget meeting
WHAT could be a four-day States meeting discussing this year’s Budget and annual non-contributory benefits uprating gets under way today.
While last year saw no amendments to the main report, this year there are seven.
Some members are looking to make changes to Policy & Resources’ proposals, while other amendments seek to add additional elements.
Among the latter is a suggestion from Deputy Neil Inder, seconded by P&R’s treasury lead Mark Helyar, that local cannabis growers have the company standard rate of 0% on income for five years.
He also wants a direction to be made to States committees to look for ways to work with Jersey to ‘generate revenue savings or efficiencies’ and this amendment has Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq as its seconder.
A higher increase in Tax on Real Property is being proposed by Deputies David De Lisle and Liam McKenna, while Deputy Gavin St Pier – seconded by Deputy Helyar – suggests P&R look at bringing in a tax charge on the increase in value of properties sold that are not the main home of the taxpayer.
Deputies St Pier and Helyar are also laying an amendment asking for P&R to consider the idea of bringing in tax incentives to encourage the development of first-time buyer homes.
Deputy Heidi Soulsby, supported by Deputy St Pier, wants P&R to also look at a tax-free allowance for people who let a room.
The final amendment is from Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, backed by Deputy St Pier, who wants there to be efforts made to ensure that the occupation of local market property is prioritised for people entitled to live and work here.
Deputy St Pier has also placed two amendments to Employment & Social Security’s non-contributory benefits report, looking for either a 25% or 15% increase in the weekly rate of carers’ allowance, compared to the 11% proposed by the committee.
