Investment needed to speed recovery
REVIVE and thrive. It’s a catchy slogan.
But if the island is going to build upon the successes of the past few months in subduing Covid-19 it needs more than good PR.
The fight for economic recovery is every bit as important as the public health battle. And just as difficult to get right.
Get it wrong and hundreds of millions of pounds will be wasted. Frittered away on vanity projects and white elephants.
For rest assured that each States committee will have its eye on that pile of cash, each will be confident that they deserve a share to fulfil their mandate.
Prioritisation will be key, yet this is one area the island knows that this States does not do well.
The Policy & Resource Plan, renamed Future Guernsey, struggled to force deputies to choose between one cause and another. Everything ended up a priority, so nothing was.
A bold and decisive approach to spending is just as vital as how many tens of millions are spent.
If the island is truly to thrive over the next decade and repair the damage done by the coronavirus it needs to invest heavily in major projects that will transform its economy and provide valuable new infrastructure that will enable the island to prosper.
Transport links must be high of the list. 86% of islanders recognise that our air and sea links are substandard.
Technology, training and new business attraction are also obvious investment targets as we seek not just to hold on to the finance sector but enhance our offering.
It will take a braver mindset from the States, one that captures the energy of the Covid-19 response and the willingness to embrace rapid change.
And it is not just about spending a lot of money.
This new States attitude would take a giant pair of scissors to the type of throttling red tape that is stopping businesses on the Quay from putting tables out because the al fresco licence costs £2,000.
The bureaucracy symbolised by our planning regime and ‘charge for everything’ service structure needs to help businesses, not hinder them.
Offer solutions, not obstacles. And start now.