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Following an extensive period of public consultation, on Tuesday 21 January 2025, Executive Council approved the Property Purchase and Disposal Policy 2024 (PDPP). The Property Service, part of St Helena Government’s (SHG) Economic Development Portfolio, is now using the policy to govern all property sales, lettings, and acquisitions. 

This policy replaces the Land and Buildings Disposal Policy 2016, and sets the principles and processes by which SHG disposes and acquires property on behalf of the Crown, aligning with the Government’s Vision and Strategy and the Sustainable Economic Development Strategy 2023-2033 (SEDS). Delivery of the PDPP is a key action contained in the SEDS delivery plan.

The policy provides:

On the approval of the policy, Minister for Treasury and Economic Development, Mark Brooks, says:

“Implementing the Property Disposal and Purchase Policy is a significant step in achieving the Ministerial Vision. This policy complements other policy areas, such as Immigration and the Sustainable Economic Development Strategy, which are designed to encourage population growth and increased revenues for our island. It is designed to improve the business enabling environment.

The Property Disposal and Purchase Policy 2024 ensures the best and most efficient use of Crown property by promoting sustainable estate management practices, clear, accountable, and transparent disposal processes, and targeted incentives for first-time buyers and businesses whose commercial activities meet the objectives of the Sustainable Economic Development Strategy .  These measures are essential for supporting development and economic growth, and addressing some of our key challenges.

Most importantly for me, through the consultation process, I have listened to the people of St Helena who have told me that it is too much of a challenge for young people to build their first homes. This policy takes active and radical steps to address this problem.

I wish to thank my team for their work and commitment in bringing this policy to implementation. I would also like to thank stakeholders and members of the public who contributed during the consultation process. Your feedback has been valuable in shaping this policy.”

The Property Purchase and Disposal Policy 2024 and the Property Disposal Register are available on the St Helena Government website, and can be viewed online at https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/st-helena/government/portfolios/economic-development-portfolio/property/.

The Property Disposal Plan will be shared shortly.

For further information on the policy, please contact Head of Property, Nikita Crowie, at Essex House Jamestown by telephone on +290 22270, or via email through Nikita.Crowie@sainthelena.gov.sh.

#StHelena #PropertyPurchase&DisposalPolicy2024 #PropertyDisposalRegister

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Thursday, 06 February 2025

Two development applications have been referred to Executive Council sitting as the Planning Authority. The Development Application is being referred to Governor-in-Council in accordance with Section 23(2)(b) of the Land Planning and Development Control Ordinance 2013.

An open session meeting will take place on Thursday 06 February 2025 commencing at 11:00 where Executive Council will consider the following applications:

Documentation for this meeting is available on the Executive Council page of the St Helena Government website via: www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/legislative-council/executive-council/.     

Members of the public who would like to view hard copies of the documents should contact the Secretary to Executive Council, Natasha Bargo, at the Castle by telephone on 22470 or via email through natasha.bargo@sainthelena.gov.sh.

Executive Council sitting as the Planning Authority comprises of Governor Nigel Phillips as Chair, Chief Minister Julie Thomas and Ministers Christine Scipio, Martin Henry, Mark Brooks and Jeffrey Ellick. The Acting Attorney General is a non-voting member of Executive Council.

#StHelena #ExecutiveCouncil #PlanningProposals

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The St Helena Government (SHG) has entered into a contract with Jeremy Benn Associates Ltd (JBA) to develop a Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP) for St Helena. This plan is essential for managing the island’s water resources for the future and improving St Helena’s resilience against climate change.

The project is part of the £30m Economic Development Investment Programme (EDIP) funded by the UK Government.

JBA consultants will visit St Helena for a week from 1 March 2025 to collect data and assess water resource needs, and will apply tailored methodologies to address the island’s unique challenges which will inform the WRMP. Their approach integrates data analysis, water resource modelling, planning and extensive stakeholder engagement to create a practical, actionable plan for St Helena.

In 2020, SHG approved the Water Resources Strategy 2020-2050, which aims to ensure sufficient, safe, and affordable water for the Island’s population. The WRMP is a key part of this strategy, and is significant for the island as it will help balance water supply and demand, supporting health, economic activity, food security, and environmental sustainability. It is a vital tool in achieving the goals outlined in the Water Resources Strategy.

The WRMP will be completed over 12 months, with data collection and analysis taking place in 2025. The final plan is expected by the end of 2025.

Following the initial visit in March 2025, further consultations will occur. The WRMP will be shared with the public for feedback as the project progresses.

For more information, please contact Portfolio Director, Darren Duncan on email: darren.duncan@sainthelena.gov.sh or telephone no. 24724.

Editor’s Notes
JBA Consulting, part of the JBA Group family of environmental, engineering and risk management companies, is a consultancy specialising in flood and water resource management, hydrology, and environmental planning which delivers innovative solutions to support sustainable water management and community resilience. Their portfolio spans projects worldwide, including water resource studies for the Falkland Islands and the Isle of Man, recognising the unique aspects of St Helena’s context.

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SHG
28 January 2025

With reference to the TC Job Vacancy advert, for the Head of Tourism, St Helena Government (SHG) wishes to issue an apology to the organisers of the Cape to St Helena Yacht Race, St Helena’s Day Celebrations, Festival of Lights and Carnival for the incorrect wording used within this advert. 

As can be seen from the Job Description, a requirement of the role is to “ 14. Develop and manage – or support through partnerships – established events, such as the Cape to St Helena Yacht Race, St Helena’s Day, Festival of Lights, Carnival and the Festival of Walking. Develop additional products in line with the Tourism Strategy”.   SHG acknowledges the valuable contribution made by the organisers and through this job role ensures a commitment to providing these events with support, such as international promotion or logistics. It was not the intention to discredit the event organisers, or their hard work.

Carolyn Nutkins, Head of HR and Organisational Development reported, “I sincerely apologise to everyone affected by the mistake made in the recent advertisement for Head of Tourism.  As soon as it came to our attention that it had been worded incorrectly, we have corrected it publicly.  We all recognise and appreciate the huge amount of work and effort put into arranging all of the community events such as those listed, by schools, groups and individuals, and are sorry to have caused any concern or offence to those responsible.”

SHG apologies for the incorrect version of the advert being issued.   The corrected version of the advert has been replaced through all advertising channels. 

St Helena’s Sustainable Economic Development Strategy 2023-33 outlines the modernisation of the Bank of St Helena (BOSH) as a key work stream required to enable the modernisation of St Helena’s financial services and company law – a sector identified by the government as one that can enable future transformation of the economy.

As part of the ongoing work, St Helena Government (SHG) is developing a banking policy for the island, so that both BOSH and SHG can have a clear strategy and action plan for improving banking services for St Helena’s residents, businesses, and investors.

To assist in developing the policy and associated strategy, BOSH and SHG are seeking feedback on the use of banking services by residents, the diaspora, and other users of banking services. It is essential that we gather as much data on banking activity as possible in order to have a complete and full understanding of the needs of businesses and individuals, so that future investment can be targeted at the most critical areas.

The survey can be accessed online at https://www.sainthelenabank.com/survey

If you do not have access to the internet, you can also complete the survey in person at the St Helena BOSH branch, Market Street, Jamestown or the Ascension branch, Administration building, Georgetown. 

This work is being supported by SHG’s and BOSH’s independent professional advisors.  The advisors will be visiting St Helena in late February to follow up on feedback received. If you are interested in speaking to the team in person, please email Economic Development Portfolio Assistant, Alexandria Thomas on Alexandria.thomas@sainthelena.gov.sh to register your interest.  All feedback will be kept strictly confidential.

The St Helena Government is currently consulting on a new minimum wage trajectory for the next three year period. This started in December with employers and continues into January 2025 with sessions planned for employees and the general public. 

Your Role in the Consultation

This consultation is an opportunity for your voice to be heard.  Your participation ensures the best possible evidence is provided to Ministers when taking a decision on the forward trajectory for the minimum wage.

Clearing Up Misconceptions about Tax

A common misunderstanding emerging is that once you have earned above the personal allowance threshold of £7,000 you then pay tax on all of your income. This is not true.  Tax is applied only to earnings above the threshold so most of your income remains yours to keep.

Here are some facts about paying tax in St Helena:

Do you know that for every £1 over the tax threshold of £7,000 (up to £25,000) you keep 74p? The same principle applies to earnings over £25,000, that you keep 69p for every pound above the £25,000.

Examples.

Why Paying Tax Matters

Paying tax, if you are eligible, is a social responsibility. The government, any government anywhere, needs to raise revenue to pay for the delivery of public services which we all use and includes education, health and refuse collection to name but a few.

A Note on Penalties

Not declaring income that is liable to tax is an offence carrying a fine. In a worst case scenario, for example by a person knowingly giving false or misleading information to the tax office and not paying the correct tax, the fine could be as high as up to 75% of the tax shortfall in addition to the amount that should have been paid. In less serious scenarios, this could result in a penalty equal to 20% of the tax shortfall.

Strengthening Tax Compliance

SHG is working to strengthen its tax compliance function and the team will be focussing on ensuring that those businesses and individuals who should be paying tax are doing so, creating a fairer, more robust system, which will go some way in helping improve public services for the benefit of all.

SHG looks forward to your continued participation in the consultation process. Contact Head of Strategic Policy, Ann Muir, at the Castle on 22470 for a one to one session. The closing date is Friday 31 January 2025.

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SHG

22 January 2025

The third meeting of the Police and Crime Panel will take place on Wednesday 22 January 2025 from 14:30 to 16:00. This meeting will be held at the Education Learning Centre, Jamestown.

The agenda will include a Police and Crime Panel report from the Chief of Police and a question and answer (QA) section. A report summary will be made available to the public the day before the meeting via the SHG website at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/portfolios/safety-security-and-home-affairs/police-service/.

The panel consists of the following members:

We welcome attendance and input from all community members and stakeholders as these reforms progress.

For more information please contact:

Chief of Police, David Price, by telephone on (00290) 22626 or by email through david.price@sainthelena.gov.sh.

You can also view the Police and Crime Plan online at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/St-Helena-Police-Service-Police-and-Crime-Plan-v1.1.

A recording of the meeting will be uploaded on the SHG YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@sthelenagovernment1638.

#StHelena #RSHP #PoliceandCrimePanel

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SHG

13 January 2025

Waste Management Services (WMS) would like to advise that both Refuse Collection Vehicles (RCVs) are currently non-operational due to mechanical issues, and there is no confirmed date for their return to service.

To minimise disruptions to the domestic waste collection, the WMS team will be continuing to provide the collection without mechanical assistance which will make the process longer and more labour-intensive for our refuse collecting team.  To make this process a bit easier, the team kindly requesting the public’s cooperation. Please assist by:

  1. Placing domestic waste in litter bags before placing them into your bins.  This will help prevent loose items from being blown away and makes it easier for the team to empty bins by hand.
  2. Ensuring waste is placed out by 06:00 on your designated collection day.

Please note that some delays or disruptions to the normal waste collection schedule may still occur due to operations being done by hand.

Recycling collection will continue as normal from both communal recycling hubs and commercial businesses.

For any questions or concerns, the public can contact:

Karl Martin (Environmental Officer – Risk Management) on Tele No  24724 or

Shane Williams (WMS Supervisor) on Mobile 66380.

Any inconvenience caused is regretted, and the WMS team would like to thank the public in advance for their support and cooperation during this time.

#WasteManagement #WasteManagementServices

SHG

09 January 2025

The public are invited to participate in a consultation on proposed increases to the minimum wage for the period 2025/26 to 2027/28.

Consultation Opportunities:

Detailed figures for each option are available below:

 Trajectories 
Option 1Option 2Option 3
 HourlyAnnual  HourlyAnnual  HourlyAnnual 
2025/26£4.33£8,443.50£4.50£8,775.00£4.50£8,775.00
2026/27£4.66£9,087.00£5.00£9,750.00£5.20£10,140.00
2027/28£5.00£9,750.00£5.50£10,725.00£6.00£11,700.00

SHG
10 January 2025

‘Make 2025 your fresh start’

St Helena Government is excited to announce the launch of the “Better Health 2025” campaign, encouraging residents to make positive lifestyle changes in the New Year.

“Make 2025 your fresh start!”

The campaign focuses on promoting overall well-being, emphasising that health goes beyond just weight loss. While weight management is an important aspect, “Better Health 2025” encourages individuals to set personal goals that align with their specific health needs. These goals could include:

The campaign offers a 12-week Plan, helping participants lose an average of 5.8kg. This plan provides guidance on:

“Better Health 2025” provides comprehensive support, including:

The campaign aims to empower individuals to make sustainable lifestyle changes that improve their overall health and well-being.

For more information or to sign up for the “Better Health 2025” programme, please contact the Health Promotion team on 22500.

SHG
9 January 2025