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A public engagement session on the new Sustainable Economic Development Strategy and Delivery Plan (SEDS) will take place on Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 19:00 in the Jamestown Museum.
The SEDS is available for download at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sustainable-Economic-Development-Strategy-2023-2033. It is also available in hard copy at the Public Library and Customer Service Centre in Jamestown.
Comments on the SEDS can also be submitted to Director of Economic Development, Damian Burns by email through damian.burns@sainthelena.gov.sh. The period of public engagement will close at 16:00 on Friday 24 May 2024.
The Provisional Register of Electors for 2024 will be published on Friday 10 May 2024.
After its publication on Friday 10 May, eligible persons will have until 16:00 on Friday 24 May 2024 to submit applications to amend the Provisional Register.
Amendments that can be made include the following:
- Adding your name
- Removing your name
- Removing the name of someone who has died, left the island or who might no longer be eligible for inclusion in the Register.
The Registration Officer aims to publish a final Register of Electors which is as up-to-date and accurate as possible. Eligible persons will be able to apply to amend any of their personal details which may be out of date. For example, they may have changed their name or address and wish to update their registration details.
The importance of including accurate information in the register cannot be overstated, so when it is published, please check it to make sure your details are accurate. The Registration Officer can check the details for you if you will not be able to access a copy of the register when it is published.
It will be possible to amend the register to enable voting in a different district from that in which you reside. For example, an eligible person may live in Longwood and work in Jamestown, so when there is an election, it may be more convenient for them to vote in Jamestown during the working day. It is possible for the register to accommodate this, provided the eligible person makes an application to do so.
Persons eligible to be registered must:
- Have St Helenian Status as defined in the Immigration Ordinance, 2011
- Be 17 years of age or older with St Helena as their ordinary place of residence
For persons who are present on St Helena, applications to amend the register using the prescribed ‘Form A’ can be submitted to the Registration Officer, at the Castle, between 10 and 24 May 2024 or via email through carol.henry@sainthelena.gov.sh
Persons who have St Helenian status and who are ordinarily resident on the island but who are currently absent in connection with employment, education or training or for the purposes of medical treatment and have not been absent for a continuous period of 30 months or for periods exceeding in aggregate 625 days in the preceding 30 months, can apply to amend the register by using the prescribed ‘Form B’.
Further information about registering and making amendments may be obtained from the Registration Officer, Carol Henry, at the Castle, by telephone on 22470 or via email through carol.henry@sainthelena.gov.sh. Both Form A and Form B can be accessed on the SHG website at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/elections/.
The final Register of Electors for the 12 month period commencing 1 July 2024 will be published towards the end of June.
If your name is not on the Register of Electors you will not be able to stand or vote in any bye-election or general election. It is therefore your responsibility to check the Provisional Register when it is issued and to make an application to have your name included if it is not already listed.
#StHelena #ProvisionalRegisterOfElectors #RegisterToVote
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St Helena Government (SHG) recently announced that public information meetings to raise awareness of ongoing work towards the introduction of data protection policy/ legislation would take place during May 2024. These meetings will be held in various districts across the island. The first meeting will take place at the Half Tree Hollow Community Centre on Thursday 9 May at 19:30.
Subsequent district information meetings will take place at 19:30 as follows:
| Venue | Date |
| Jamestown Community Centre | Monday, 13 May 2024 |
| Guinea Grass Community Centre | Tuesday, 14 May 2024 |
| Harford Community Centre | Thursday, 16 May 2024 |
| Sandy Bay Community Centre | Monday, 27 May 2024 |
| Blue Hill Community Centre | Tuesday, 28 May 2024 |
| Levelwood Community Centre | Thursday, 30 May 2024 |
| St Michael’s Church, Rupert’s | Monday, 3 June 2024 |
Residents of the Alarm Forest electoral district are encouraged to attend meetings at Harford Community Centre or Jamestown Community Centre.
The following information will be discussed:
- What is data protection?
- What does it mean to the individual?
- How might legislation affect businesses and organisations?
The public are encouraged to attend.
The Agriculture and Natural Resources Division wishes to advise the public that the following assets are available for licensing from May 2024:
- Arable land at Piccolo Hill
- Arable land at lower Mulberry Gut
- Arable land at Ropery Field
- Sandy Bay Station (arable land and storage unit)
- Pasture land at Luffkins
- Tractor unit at Ex ADA Field
- Produce unit at Ex ADA Field
- Equipment storage unit at Ex ADA Field
- Poultry unit at Farm Buildings
- Poultry unit at Scotland
Application forms are available at the Environment, Natural Resources and Planning Office Reception in Scotland, St Paul’s. Alternatively, you can contact the Farmers Support Assistant, Martina Leo, or the Agricultural Development Officer, Andy Timm, on tel: 24724 or by emails: martina.leo@sainthelena.gov.sh or andy.timm@sainthelena.gov.sh.
The closing date for application is 16:00 on Friday 24 May 2024.
SHG
06 May 2024
The Rock Guards will carry out a controlled rock removal on the hillside of Ladder Hill, above the Museum on Wednesday, 08 May 2024, from 09:30 to 15:00.
During this time, the road from the back of the Prison to the entrance of the Grand Parade will be closed to pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Vehicular traffic will be diverted to exit Narra Backs via Shy Road or Church Lane.
The road to West Rocks on the seafront will also be closed at the Cenotaph.
There will be no parking allowed at the Museum car parks or near the Cenotaph during this time. Vehicle owners are ask to move your vehicles by 08:00 on Wednesday 8 May 2024.
Jacobs’s Ladder will also be closed to the public for the duration of this work.
Appropriate signage and marshals will be in place.
The Rock Guards thanks you for your cooperation.
SHG
06 May 2024
The Education, Skills and Employment Portfolio offers non-compulsory nursery education for all children between the ages of three to four years.
We will be in contact with parents/guardians of those children born on island and who are eligible to enter nursery education in the school year September 2024 – August 2025. This is to offer a place in nursery education and to give details of school placement and date of admission.
It would be appreciated if parents of children who were not born on St Helena could submit the following information in writing to the Assistant Director of Schools Kerry Lawrence so that an offer of placement can be made:
- The child’s full name and date of birth
- Name and address of parent or guardian
- Telephone number and email address (if applicable)
Once all required information has been received, parents will be advised of their child’s nursery placement.
It should be noted that a child should attend school in the catchment area where he/she is resident. However, for non-compulsory schooling, exceptions will only be made for regular attendance outside the identified catchment area if numbers in the requested school are low enough to accommodate the extra intake and if there is a valid reason for this, such as child care.
Parents who would like their child to attend nursery schooling outside of their catchment area must apply in writing to the Assistant Director of Schools stating which school they would like their child to attend and the reason for the placement outside of their catchment area. In such cases parents must be willing to take responsibility for transporting their child to and from school.
Correspondence can be sent to the Assistant Director of Schools Kerry Lawrence at the Education and Learning Centre, Jamestown or by email to kerry.lawrence@sainthelena.gov.sh.
Staff Development Day – 06 May 2024
A reminder to parents/guardians that, as per the published Term Times 2023-24, all island schools will be closed on Monday 06 May 2024. All teaching staff will be attending a Staff Development Day to facilitate the start of Term 3A.
The first teaching day will be on Tuesday 07 May 2024.
In April 2023 it was announced that access to certain areas of the Peaks National Park (PNP) would be prohibited. This was in response to the increasing concerns of the presence of plant pathogens affecting endemic trees within the PNP and the potential for these to spread,
This prohibition was initially put in place until the end of December 2023 and then extended until March 2024 when it would be reviewed on the basis of relevant information and evidence.
Since the discovery of the pathogens over a year ago, the Environment, Natural Resources and Planning Portfolio (ENRP) has been working to identify the pathogens present, confirm that these pathogens are causing the tree deaths within the PNP and monitor the spread. This has been in collaboration with the St Helena Research Institute (SHRI), the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFor) primarily under the Darwin Plus DPLUS157 ‘Managing the Pathogens Affecting St Helena’s Biodiversity and Food Security’ project.
Over the past few months personnel from CABI and BIFor, supported by on-island staff from the SHRI and ENRP, have undertaken inoculation experiments on selected PNP plant species to assess vulnerability or resistance to plant pathogens. Genetic analysis to identify the presence of plant pathogens has also been done on plant material from trees that were showing symptoms of being infected. A report on the results of this work along with recommendations on how we can move forward both in terms of access to the PNP and the conservation of the Peaks’ habitats and species is now being worked on.
It is therefore regrettable but necessary for the sites within the PNP that have Environmental Protection Notices (EPNs) erected to remain closed for the next few months. Following receipt of the results and recommendations, ENRP will formulate and implement a plan for access. These recommendations could be that some areas of the PNP will remain closed for the foreseeable future or that some areas will be opened with appropriate biosecurity measures in place.
As per current procedure, those who need access to prohibited sites for essential work can apply to the Chief Environmental Officer Isabel Peters by telephone on 24724 or by email through Isabel.peters@sainthelena.gov.sh.
We will continue to provide updates to the public and would like to thank everyone for their support and patience in helping to ensure St Helena’s important species and habitats are protected as far as possible.
#StHelena #ENRP #PeaksNationalPark
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The St Helena Government (SHG) is committed to protecting the privacy of its citizens and residents in the digital age. As the island embraces new technologies, SHG is working to introduce comprehensive data protection legislation.
Following a thorough initial phase of research and consultation, SHG has taken a significant step towards safeguarding data privacy. SHG has enlisted the expertise of Bruce & Butler Ltd, a UK-based data protection consultancy, to develop a robust data privacy legal framework. Alex Adams of Juju Digital Ltd has been appointed as the on-island project facilitator, acting as a local point of contact for Bruce & Butler.
The project is now at the stage of drafting policy to inform legislation.
Data protection affects everyone because it’s rooted in the basic human right to privacy. It serves to protect the individual and their information.
All organisations that collect or process personal data have a duty of care to those whose data they collect and/or process. This includes public bodies, private sector businesses, NGOs, and youth and community groups. The introduction of legislation and best practice guidelines will ensure organisations meet that obligation. That means any future data protection legislation will affect businesses and organisations that collect or process any amount of personal data.
Public information meetings will take place during May 2024 in various districts across the island. The first meeting will take place at the Half Tree Hollow Community Centre on Thursday 9 May at 19:30. The following information will be discussed:
- What is data protection?
- What does it mean to the individual?
- How might legislation affect businesses and organisations?
Details of subsequent district information meetings will be announced next week. We welcome attendance and input from the public and business owners.
In addition to the public information meetings, more information on data protection will be issued on the radio and via social media.
#StHelena #DataProtection #AwarenessCampaign
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A period of public engagement on the draft Sustainable Economic Development Strategy and Delivery Plan 2023-2033 (SEDS) has been launched. Once finalised, the SEDS will provide the overarching blueprint for developing the territory’s economy, and will replace the Sustainable Economic Development Plan 2018-2028 (SEDP).
The SEDS has been developed following a reassessment of the SEDP in light of the new government coming to power in 2021. This a reflection of the ambitions and focus areas outlined in the Executive Council’s Vision and Strategy 2022-25, as well as a significantly changed economic climate following the Covid-19 pandemic and introduction of higher speed, lower cost internet.
This required not only a review of the SEDP but also the general economic development policy landscape.
What is in the new SEDS?
The SEDS contain two very clear goals to deliver against:
- Growth of the working age population; and
- Growth in the proportion of government revenue collected through economic activity.
These two priorities have been identified following a review of our economic development policies, chiefly contained in and driven by the SEDP.
The SEDS outlines six objectives designed to advance either one, or both, of those goals.
- An open and accessible island — Open and accessible for people and culture, capital and finance
- A productive island — Increase productivity, labour force participation, and capital investment
- A breath of fresh air — Preserve and celebrate what makes us unique
- A united island — Ensure everyone shares in the benefit
- Effective infrastructure — Growth is supported by better infrastructure
- Better government — Make St Helena Government a facilitator of business
SHG’s Economic Development Portfolio will now only pursue or support activities that actively support the achievement of these KPIs in the short, medium, or long term. These two measures are the ultimate goals of the SEDS. The SEDS further identifies economic sectors that the island believes can contribute to the realisation of the vision and goals.
On the release of the SEDS, Minister for Economic Development, Mark Brooks, said:
“I am pleased to invite comments on the new Sustainable Economic Development Strategy. The SEDS will be the driving force of change across the economy and will guide all strategic policy decisions. We have already seen this in action with the recent changes to customs duty on heavy busses and heavy machinery, making it more favourable to import these. I am committed to continuing to transform the economic environment to ensure that St Helena’s economy flourishes and we unlock the true potential of this island.”
The SEDS can be found on the SHG website at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sustainable-Economic-Development-Strategy-2023-2033
Feedback on the SEDS can be submitted to Director of Economic Development, Damian Burns, by email through damian.burns@sainthelena.gov.sh.
The SEDS will be presented at a public engagement session. Further details will be announced in due course. A session will also be held at the next meeting of the Chamber of Commerce.
Notes to Editor
The SEDP was St Helena’s strategic plan for developing the economy, and was developed in conjunction with key stakeholders. It provided a guide for achieving the strategic ‘Altogether Wealthier’ goal. It was based on identifying the economic sectors most likely to increase money coming into the St Helena economy, primarily through the export of goods and services, as well as retaining money in the economy through import substitution.
The 2018-28 SEDP guided other key policies and strategies, including the investment strategy, agricultural strategy, and digital strategy.
Despite the wide consultation that was undertaken in developing the 2018-28 SEDP, the policies embodied in it were identified as being due for reassessment, with a view to establishing whether they remained the most appropriate for advancing St Helena’s economic welfare.
In the 2023 Budget Speech, the government announced its revised vision and strategy. That vision and strategy was focused on the following three pillars
1. A change in mind set by St Helena and by SHG;
2. Creating a business friendly enabling environment; and
3. Establishing effective infrastructure to provide economic resilience and certainty, and which lowers the cost of living.
An internal review of the existing SEDP was undertaken in light of the Executive Council’s revised vision and strategy,
That review concluded that SHG should:
- Recognise that St Helena as a whole is not wealthier only because it has a larger stock of money on the island, and that what mattered was if and how money was used or invested in the island economy.
- Recognise that economic growth is a function of trade (whether domestic or international) and capital formation (whether via investment or the development of human capital), both of which increase productivity and therefore returns to capital (profits) and labour (wages).
- Stop pursuing absolute advantage (the greatest level of production) and instead concentrate on areas where St Helena has a comparative advantage (areas where St Helena can make the greatest returns).
- Abandon protectionist policies, such as high import duties, as these actually increase input costs to business and therefore undermine economic growth.
The review proposed, therefore, that St Helena pursue an economic policy based around the following key principles:
- lower costs and reduce or remove barriers and distortions that inhibit economic activity;
- lower barriers to imports and exports;
- increase investment;
- increase the size of the labour force; and,
- increase value adding.
The review led to the drafting of St Helena’s revised economic development strategy. The strategy, now has two clear goals and six clear objectives, by which we will measures ourselves against and focus our work towards.
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#StHelena #SEDS #SustainableDevelopment