Guernsey Finance should be more open
I AM prompted to write following an recent article published in your paper on Friday 7 April 2017 which indicated that Guernsey Finance, Locate Guernsey and Visit Guernsey should be merged. Deputy Trott seems very keen. 'It's something we've been thinking about for a while and it's all about getting the best bang for your buck', he is quoted as saying. As chairman of GF, he would say that wouldn't he?
Oh really. Well, I am not surprised. Guernsey Finance has been trying to get its hands on tourism's budget for years.
There is a distinct difference between the promotional agencies. Both Visit Guernsey and Locate Guernsey publish the facts and figures as to how their budgets are spent.
They give a clear and precise breakdown as to their success in promoting the island to wealthy individuals, new businesses and visitor spend and numbers of tourists.
Guernsey Finance does not.
We, the taxpayer, have never
been given a breakdown of costs
for this agency and certainly no detail as to any actual success they have had.
All they seem to do is open offices in far-flung corners of the world, where offices have already been well established by many of our local businesses, and boast about the success of local businesses, which is not down to the activities of Guernsey Finance at all.
High time this promotional agency was shut down.
The money they are costing us would be better spent by building on the success of Locate Guernsey and Visit Guernsey.
Or better still, all those millions they squander every year could be put to better use providing much-needed health and social care.
JANINE LE SAUVAGE,
Meadow View,
Les Hubits de Bas,
St Martin's,
GY4 6NB.
