Latest news with #ElaineMillar
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Jersey treasury minister defends ports boss's £120,000 bonus
The treasury minister has defended a £120,000 bonus paid to the boss of Ports of Elaine Millar faced questions in the States about the restructure of the Ports and the amount of money paid to Matt was asked by Deputy Jonathan Renouf in a written question whether she thought the amount was appropriate after the airport management was put under special measures at the end of 2024 for several months. Millar said she approved the bonus because of successful work at the airport, adding that it had also not needed taxpayer support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Office of the Director of Civil Authority ordered the special measures, putting eight roles at risk - five of which were senior positions within the operational leadership team. The measures were lifted at the end of of Jersey also admitted in June that it had been emailed hours before action was taken about a possible security threat that led to 300 passengers being evacuated from the airport in March. Millar said: "While I approved the CEO's base salary and structure of the 2024 bonus scheme, it is the Ports' Remuneration Committee that is responsible, and best positioned, to assess an executive's performance against the approved KPIs [key performance indicators] and objectives, and for deciding on the awarding of bonuses."Ms Millar added that Ports' financial performance had meant it did not need to request taxpayer support during or since the Covid-19 pandemic."This achievement is not to be understated, as, to the best of my knowledge, they are the only major airport and port throughout Europe not to require any taxpayer support over the last five years," she said.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Jersey government undecided on banknotes with King's image
A decision on whether to use an image of King Charles III on new Jersey banknotes has not been made due to a "significant stock" of currency featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II, the government says. Bank of England notes featuring the King went into circulation in June 2024 and Jersey's treasury minister said the creation of new Jersey notes had been explored. However, Deputy Elaine Millar said stock levels of current notes meant no decision had been made on the introduction of new currency or what it would look like. "This approach ensures that unnecessary costs are avoided and that value for money is maintained on behalf of the public," she said. Deputy Helen Miles submitted a written question to the treasury minister asking for an estimated timeline for new notes and coins featuring the King. In response, Millar said the government held a "significant stock of banknotes featuring the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II". "This is due to the need for large minimum print runs, which are required to achieve value for money in a smaller jurisdiction such as ours," she said. The Government of Jersey has updated its banknotes twice in the last 36 years, once in 1989 and again in April, the States of Guernsey announced it would not include a portrait of the King on updated currency for the island. Millar said a decision on including the King on Jersey currency had not been made."While the introduction of a new series of notes has been explored, current stock levels are such that it shall be some time before any final decision is made on whether a new family of notes is required, and which design options may be preferred," she said.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
More than 30 redundancies at Jersey Telecoms
The roles of 35 people at JT in Jersey were made redundant as part of a "transformation" including £85m security upgrades, the States telecoms provider, formerly known as Jersey Telecom and which is government-owned, had previously declined to release figures on job losses. However, in a written question to Treasury Minister Elaine Millar, Deputy Jonathan Renouf asked for more said of 69 roles made redundant across the JT Group Limited since 1 January 2024, 35 were Jersey-based. She said there was "no current" round of redundancies, adding: "These changes form part of a broader transformation of the company."The minister said this included a "restructuring of JT's approach" to delivering and maintaining "resilient, secure, and reliable networks that best serve the island"."This transformation includes an investment of approximately £85m in a new Ericsson network to meet the latest security requirements, as unanimously approved by the States Assembly, alongside a programme of efficiency measures to ensure these costs can be sustainably managed," she added. She said none of the affected employees had been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Data shows Jersey economy shrank by about 1.4% last year
Jersey's economy shrank by 1.4% in 2024 after strong growth in 2023, an independent body looking at the island's finances has Fiscal Policy Panel (FPP) found construction, real estate and retail were among the sectors which saw a financial decline, with reasons given being rising costs and people spending less also found that the public sector's expansion had helped overall the report, Treasury and Resources Minister Elaine Millar said: "While there is significant economic volatility across the globe, Jersey continues to be well placed to face these challenges and attract new business and investment." External factors The report said a decrease in bank profits, which comprised 20% of total Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2023, had led to the economy shrinking. The panel estimated that real GVA, which is a measure of economic output, fell by 1.5% in 2024. Its economic outlook report said bank profits were mostly driven by deposit rates and capital flows, factors that were largely external to Jersey, while real decline was not necessarily representative of performance in the rest of Jersey's cited strong earnings growth, particularly in financial services, which were less affected by mandatory said the advice from the FPP, which is an independent advisory body, "reinforces the importance of our work to curb expenditure growth and ensure the competitiveness of our economy"."Ministers will continue to maintain sustainable public finances and support long-term economic growth in the interests of Islanders," she added. A Government of Jersey spokesperson said the FPP's findings would help inform the development of the government's budget for 2026-2029, with ministers reaffirming "their commitment to sustainable public finances and long-term economic resilience".
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Answers needed on health overspend, says deputy
The head of Jersey's Public Accounts Committee says answers are needed on why there is an overspend in the health department. Deputy Inna Gardiner's comments follow the publication of the States of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts which showed the government's consolidated fund - essentially its current account - was in deficit, in part, because of extra health spending. Gardiner said: "We need to establish if there is an inherent structural deficit in health or if it's a case of bad management of money." Minister for Treasury and Resources Deputy Elaine Millar, who oversees all government spending, said it was not bad management and the health overspend was not a problem unique to Jersey. However, Gardiner said questions needed to be asked as the health budget had increased by nearly £100m since 2022. She said: "We are all aware that the health department overspent in excess of £30m year after year after year. "The health department budget in 2022 approved by the States Assembly was £226m. The budget approved for 2025 was £322m and we are already hearing that in 2025 the budget was constrained and they are going to overspend. "So we need to understand what is happening there and how money can be spent wisely within the department." Millar said: "We have had to invest more into our health care spending and we are not alone in doing that. "The cost of sending people off-island for specialist care, prescriptions are becoming more expensive and it's down to the nature of the population. "So we have had to spend more on health and we've had to take money from contingency to meet those costs." She added: "I don't think it's bad management of money... everyone is seeing healthcare costs going up, jurisdictions have ageing populations and we need to make sure we can provide services to our whole community." On 30 April, in a meeting with the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet, said he would need more money for health during the next few years. Binet told the panel: "I'll be coming to the assembly to ask for money to improve preventative health care, and women's health issues will come into that and digital connectivity. "We will need in excess of £100m over five years and I want that additional money, I don't care where it comes from, even if it's from the strategic reserve." However, Millar said using the strategic reserve fund was not something that had been discussed. Millar said: "The strategic reserve fund is there for a number of reasons. "It's not a piggy bank that you can just draw on at will. But, clearly, we will look to how we fund health. "Jersey has a reputation for prudent financial management, and it's essential we continue that reputation, that we spend money wisely and we use money from the right sources to fund all our expenditure needs." Binet said Health had been facing "unprecedented demands, cost increases for drugs and off-island care - all running well above inflation and additional service requirements". He said "studious efforts" had been made over the past two years "to implement savings measures in many areas, with quite a high degree of success". "We require a large investment in both preventative health care and digital services over the next five years in order to improve efficiency and help reduce costs, and I have been clear about my intention to take a proposition to this effect to the assembly in the next few months," he said. "I have also stated, publicly, that I intend to hold a public consultation on the possibility of introducing some charges, in some areas of health provision, before the end of this parliament." Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Health budget needs extra £24m a year - minister £28m health shortfall forecast for end of the year Government of Jersey
