Institute of Directors Jersey Chair Chris Clark, has called for a more “stable and consistent” approach from the States of Jersey in forming policy as it deals with the challenges of Brexit and in the run-up to the Island’s General Election next year.

Speaking at the recent Annual Members Meeting (AMM), Mr Clark said:

“We are a year from our local elections, and the noise seems to be not about achievements but more about failures and discord. Jersey faces challenges of a scale which we have not seen in many years, including Brexit externally, and funding, education and population locally. It is absolutely vital that the States of Jersey uses the coming twelve months to strike the right balance of achieving more with less, without negatively impacting the sectors of our community who have suffered since 2008, and without simply levying new charges on people and businesses to offset whichever new initiative they have come up with that quarter

“Joined-up, well-thought through, stable and consistent policy is critical for everyone in the face of the unprecedented risks we are now seeing. To that end, it remains a priority for us to ensure we meet regularly with ministers and senior civil servants so that we may be better placed to understand their challenges and have an opportunity to be both a sounding board and critical friend.”

Pictured: Chris Clark, Chair of the IoD Jersey branch, which represents more than 630 members.

His comments will resonate with many members of the Island’s business community who last month learned that they would have to pay more to recruit workers from outside of the Island – a move criticised by the Chamber of Commerce as a crippling new “tax” on local enterprise.

Mr Clark told Express that a survey of the IoD’s over 600 membership found that 62% were opposed to paying a charge to employ non-local staff, which he described as a, “…bitter blow across all sectors of industry.”

“These charges simply add another burden to government (in red tape, administration and communication costs) as well as further increasing the cost of doing business here, in Jersey no matter which sector you are engaged in.

“We need to have a sensible debate about population, but stability is critical – now is not the time to be tinkering with policy especially when only this week local media reported that the predicted funding shortfall has been mitigated due to increased tax income filling the gap,” Mr Clark commented.

He added: “We continue to be open to discussing these issues with government even if they appear not to be willing to listen to the business community.”