More than their money's worth

The rationale of bringing HNWIs to the island is not for said individuals to deposit their millions in Guernsey-based bank accounts and enjoy the sea air at their leisure. No, the sort of HNWIs that the Commerce and Employment Department has in mind are the dynamic, entrepreneurial, community-orientated types with the potential to enrich our society, and not always in ways that can easily be quantified.

In this respect, I'm thinking for instance of Guy Hands doing his bit by acting as keynote speaker at the Guernsey Funds Forum in London earlier this month. Then there's Mary Perkins' success story, Specsavers. The business not only employs over 500 people in its St Andrew's head office, it's also an ardent supporter of a number of local sporting and other worthy causes, including the Barracudas Swimming Club, Guernsey FC and the Unsung Heroes Award. And Zef Eisenberg is rarely out of the news, as figurehead for the Guernsey and Alderney skate park projects and more recently his daring record-breaking land speed attempts to raise funds for Autism Guernsey.

More often than not, individuals of this ilk are in the habit of making their money work for them in ways much more imaginative than merely depositing it in bank accounts.

And why would such people choose to live here, one may ask? I would argue that while it is human nature to dwell on the negatives, in truth Guernsey has just so much going for it. For businesses, everything operates on a much more personal level than is the case in larger jurisdictions such as the UK. Regulatory bodies like the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and the Guernsey Registry are that much more accessible than their onshore counterparts, engendering a spirit of cooperation between the regulator and the regulated. Red tape and bureaucracy exist everywhere these days, but the flexibility to derive a work-around solution to individual circumstances is much more of a viable proposition in a small scale outfit like Guernsey PLC than in many larger jurisdictions.

But the biggest selling point, in my opinion, is the fantastic quality of life that we enjoy – something that is so easily taken for granted for those who have never experienced the displeasure of living elsewhere. Where else can you be on the beach within 20 minutes of leaving your office? Without the time, money and energy-sapping commute that constitutes everyday reality for most urban workers? With no need to wire one's house up like Fort Knox to deter the unwelcome attention of thieves? And enjoy an unparalleled wealth of social and sporting activities? For most of us, the ideal location which 'ticks all the boxes' is a utopia which simply doesn't exist. But Guernsey comes closer than most.

Of course, I appreciate that there are some who will move to this wonderful island with the best of intentions, but ultimately find that it really isn't for them.

NIKKI NEAL,

Saffron House,

St Martin's, GY4 6SG.