Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf has returned from an official visit to China
TREASURY Minister Philip Ozouf is more convinced than ever that there are opportunities for Jersey to do considerable business in the Far East, after completing an official visit to Hong Kong and China.
But he said that more work needed to be done to raise Jersey’s profile as a finance centre in Asia.
‘There is an unprecedented opportunity, but a lot of people do not know Jersey, who we are and what we do,’ he said.
He has urged local finance businesses to target resources and marketing at the Far East to allow the Island to take advantage of the opportunities.
Article posted on 29th June, 2010 - 3.00pm
6 Article Comments
Same old neo-liberal tosh from Ozouf.
Phil, please, the world is not flat and you need to get a grip. The fantasy of perpetual economic growth that you seem to believe in is a disaster.
Did you perhaps go and see some sweatshops or some prison factories out there? Did you ask any tough questions about Tibet?
Thought not.
Cheap labour making cheap disposable trash for the developed world and if they’re lucky they’ll soon earn enough to buy the same trash as well.
But we have to maintain Ozouf’s fantasy world so it’s not important where the money comes from, is it?
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Flooded, maybe you should study a little more economics or business before making rushed uneducated comments like those. As Treasury Minister he’s there to look into potential economic opportunities so your attacks are just opportunistic, irrelevant and pointless. Phil is absolutely right about opportunities in the Far East. We rely too much on the UK when it comes to financial services. A little more ambition and enterprising thinking like this would serve us well. In the meantime the States should look into diversifying our economy instead of being slow off the mark. A film industry? Cruise ship business? Taking far too long for these decisions to be made.
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@Flooded
Ha Ha you really miss the point behind growth it is all about increased productivity and that is why we don’t all need to still grow our own food.
You would have said if we took away jobs in farming that used to employ 70% of UK population there would be no work for anyone, the truth is we have new work to create new things.
We have over the last 100 years of capitalism advanced man further than in the previous 1000 years. I look forward to seeing as much as I can of the next 100 years.
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Anti-moan
No, not opportunistic. I’ve thought this way for years and perhaps Tom can explain how capitalism will be able to maintain 3% growth in perpetuity.
It is all too easy to believe this neo-liberal model of free enterprise and unfettered growth; we all live better, don’t we? Except the millions who live on less than two dollars a day, but give it time I suppose, and the whole world can consume as we do.
Do yourself a big favour guys and really start reading about economics, not just the Daily Mail business pages.
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Good for you Tom!
Looking back over my lifetime I cannot think of of one natural resource that has improved in it’s numbers or sustainability.
Almost all of the large mammals on the planet are now reduced to tiny populations in reserves and we are cutting down the last forests at a faster rate than they can grow.
It is best not to talk about fish; we are destroying the last remaining wild stocks at such a rate that wild sturgeon, blue fin tuna in the Mediterranean and a lot more are effectively biologically extinct, eg they no longer exist in sufficient numbers to breed successfully.
The Channel cod is pretty much gone and the bass and mackerel are about to follow it.
I am not against capitalism but another hundred years of the current burnt earth version will render the whole planet down to the same state as Easter Island
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I study economics at University. I don’t read the Daily Mail’s business pages (or indeed any part of that awful paper!). Business is founded upon opportunity and ambition. Who would invest if they didn’t see the potential for return, improvement and growth? This is what we should be doing for this island.
Yes there are economic theories based upon restricted development, limited resources and finite growth. However, whilst also reading economic history, I’ve studied the human ability to innovate and find solutions. Innovation has allowed our evolution and development up until now and I believe it will continue to do so.
Flooded, I just don’t see the link between this “neo-liberalism” and the “sweatshops” and “prison factories” of “Tibet” you talk about. Did you know China, a rather undeveloped nation half a century ago is now becoming unattractive to foreign firms looking to utilise low cost labour? Why? Average earning have sky rocketed. Even the working class are far better off. It had to start somewhere. Development rather than handouts.
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