From Kim Carpenter.
YOUR newspaper recently reported on the Environment Minister’s plan to implement an emissions tax on vehicles.

One has to seriously question the motivation of the minister (as well as the States generally) for implementing such a tax. Is it, as we are told, to reduce Jersey’s greenhouse gas emissions and thereby protect the environment as well as the health of the Island’s residents? Or, is it just another ploy to fill the black hole left in the Island’s revenue as a result of the implementation of the zero/ten tax regime?

I would suggest that it is the latter, for the following reasons:

The Environment Minister has been made well aware of the tried and tested properties of a patented enzyme called Soltron (known and marketed in the Island as X-Mile) which, if added to the States’ fuel tanks at La Collette, which provide fuel for the entire Island, would:

• Reduce vehicle emissions (CO, HC and smoke) by between 50% and 70% thereby meeting the Island’s proposed reduction in greenhouse gases in one swoop, improving the health of Islanders and cutting health costs in dealing with environmentally-related illnesses such as asthma.
• Increase fuel efficiency by a minimum of 5% thereby reducing States’ expenditure in fuelling its substantial fleet of vehicles, plant and machinery not to mention cutting the costs of the Island’s bus service run by Connex.
• Increase engine efficiency by eliminating microbial growth and sludge thereby cutting maintenance costs.

However, the use of Soltron/X-Mile would also have the effect of reducing the States’ income from duty, GST and income tax on the sale of fuel by approximately 5% as a result of the increase in fuel efficiency.

You may ask yourselves, if this product is so good, why hasn’t the States used it before – and the answer is that it has. Transport and Technical Services used X-Mile for its entire fleet of vehicles, plant and machinery for a four-year period.

It is my understanding that no complaints about the use of Soltron/X-Mile were received during this period and that TTS carried out a survey on the use of Soltron/X-Mile which showed positive results. Therefore it would be interesting to hear from the Transport Minister as to why its use was stopped.

In view of the above, and bearing in mind that only one litre of Soltron/X-Mile treats 10,000 litres of fuel, at a cost to the States of less than £40 per litre, one has to question where the priorities of our most senior politicians lie. Are they in protecting the environment of the Island and the health of its residents, or in maintaining and increasing the Island’s tax revenue?

Perhaps the Environment and TTS and Finance Ministers would care to respond to these questions to the electorate.