From Chris Whitworth.
WE are told that in order to cover the £120m required for the planned expansion of the JEC infrastructure, electricity prices have to rise by almost one quarter.

It even appears that Senator Terry Le Sueur is happy with this inflation-busting increase, as he has recently indicated that he will defend this price hike on the floor of the House when Senator Breckon brings forward his proposal to cap it to a more reasonable and affordable level.

Obviously our Chief Minister is oblivious to the further hardship this will cause to a great many people struggling to exist in this Island, as evident by his statement.

The high quality of electricity supply was an essential element of the Island being able to meet the requirements of the finance industry. The modern office tends to use far less electricity than even a few years ago, due to the common installation of low-energy lighting and more efficient computers with flat screens, etc. There are even a few more employees turning off the lights when leaving a room.

Therefore, in the current climate, I question if the JEC should really just concentrate on replacing worn-out parts instead of aiming for such a large expansion of its infrastructure. The States could then accept Senator Breckon’s proposal and cap the price hike.

However, there is probably much more to this expansion than we are being told, such as further hidden costs involved with the construction of the unnecessary office blocks on the waterfront.
Evanston,
Green Street,
St Helier.