THE government will work with the Consumer Council to support Islanders, two ministers have said after the organisation called for a raft of emergency measures to help address the surge in the cost of living.
In an open letter to Chief Minister John Le Fondré, the council suggested a 9p cut in fuel duty and for the government to give every Islander £100 towards their final energy bill of the winter.
It also urged the government to delay the planned drop in the de minimis level – the threshold at which Islanders pay GST on goods bought online – from £120 to £60 until at least 1 January next year.
The council said that the measures, which they proposed should stay in force for three months, would help Islanders ‘weather the storm’ of an ‘unprecedented’ rise in prices during recent months.
In a joint statement, Deputy Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham and Social Security Minister Judy Martin said: ‘The Council of Ministers would like to thank the Consumer Council for their suggestions, which will be considered by the relevant departments.
‘The government is acutely aware of the inflationary pressures facing Islanders and is reconstituting the Inflation Strategy Group to monitor changes and any steps the government can take to assist Islanders.’
They added: ‘However, the causes of current inflationary pressures are largely global in nature and are outside the Island’s control.
‘We will work with the Consumer Council and other key partners to ensure that Islanders are supported.’
