Charity does not run campaign against island
I AM writing in response to Deputy St Pier's comments in Monday's Guernsey Press. Christian Aid was formed after the Second World War when the churches went door to door with small envelopes asking people to help the refugees of the war – maybe including some of our relatives who were sent to the UK? We celebrate this yearly by going door to door and are absolutely indebted to those who collect for the world's poorest people. For Deputy St Pier to liken 'chuggers' to these people who have faithfully collected for the poor, some for over 40 years, is incredible. While he says that he has respect for them, he is calling into question their knowledge of the charity that they represent and giving misleading information regarding expenditure of the money that they are collecting.
It would seem obvious that in order for larger charities to create a real long-term solution, they will need to lobby governments. Many large charities do the same, otherwise they are just providing sticking plasters for the problem. The RSPCA, for example, spent money lobbying government to ban fox hunting.
We strongly refute Deputy St Pier's assertion that we 'campaign against Guernsey'.
Christian Aid calls for all jurisdictions to be open about beneficial company ownership. We have acknowledged in press releases the positive steps taken by the Guernsey government, including signing up to the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance on Tax Matters, but sadly he has chosen not to mention this.
We have always had good dialogue with Guernsey government and Guernsey has been ahead in terms of putting regulation in place regarding the identification of beneficial owners by trust and company service providers. We acknowledge that Guernsey has taken steps in terms of putting strong systems for verification and as such others can learn from what they have done. Where we differ is over the importance of such information being made public. We simply want to see global consistency – to create a genuinely transparent global financial system.
This is not about singling out one particular place; it is about bringing everywhere up to the same 'gold standard' of transparency referred to by David Cameron.
And that means public registers. Everywhere.
The reason for us wanting open company registers is that it effects the poorest countries who often miss out on billions of dollars when assets are sold secretly to offshore companies for a fraction of their worth so that corporations do not have to pay tax to these countries.
For example, major mining concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo were acquired by huge international mining companies for billions of dollars. But most of that money never reached the Congolese state. The assets were sold in secret, initially transferred at knock-down prices to a series of offshore companies, which then made the sales to the major multinational companies. The Congolese state is estimated to have lost out on at least $1.36 billion in the process – equivalent to twice the country's health and education budgets combined.
If there was more tax justice there would be less need for door knocking.
This secrecy might be relevant to Guernsey folk. Imagine Lovely Farms Ltd approaches you to buy your field for £10,000. You sell it and then find that this company belonged to a major supermarket chain. When you see a big superstore in your back garden you realise you could have got a lot more money for your land.
May I again thank all islanders who have collected and donated this Christian Aid Week. I am always happy to visit any churches or groups in the island who would like to find out the facts about our work and the stories of the poorest people it empowers.
MICHELLE CHAMPION,
Guernsey Regional Coordinator for Christian Aid.
