How did our ports get out of their depth?

The financial position of the ports has been well trailed, but the stickiness of its financial problems seems to have emerged as something of a surprise, rather like the financial position in many other areas of taxpayer-funded life.

The proposed increases are 20-30% above RPI, spread over two or three years, across almost every operation the ports offer.

Such a rise would be unpalatable in many other areas of island life and may yet prove to be so for those who use the facilities.

But the Ports have quite rightly recognised that a £6m. shortfall forecasted this year, topping up ports losses of some £30m. since the pandemic, cannot carry on.

Such a move to force the ports to wash their own face should also finally put to bed the prospect of whether the ports could be considered an economic enabler for the island, as was once considered, at some length, should be the case with Aurigny. No consensus could be found in relation to the airline and the ports are clearly not headed in that direction.

Covid may have played a part, but it is concerning just how another States trading platform, an integral part of island life for decades, the kind of thing which islanders thought ‘would always be there’, should suddenly be in such significant financial distress that these moves are now essential.