In the first of a new monthly column in the JEP business pages [see page 28], Jennifer Carnegie said that with restrictions being lifted and the Island’s borders opening up, it is time for firms to justify the support
they received at the height of the Covid-19 crisis.
The government’s co-funded payroll support scheme alone provided more than £100 million of financial aid via staff wage subsidies for struggling businesses.
Mrs Carnegie said she believed that the pandemic and Brexit had ‘strengthened relationships’ between the Island’s public and private sectors as they have been forced to work together closely.
‘We have expertise in each of the key commercial sectors which enables us to collaborate very effectively with the government and maintain an informed dialogue on behalf of our members,’ she said.
‘This often involves striking a balance between policy initiatives and the risk and opportunities in each business sector. The Covid pandemic and Brexit are two examples of situations where a good understanding of the practical issues has been critical to achieving sensible outcomes. I believe that the success in achieving this has strengthened relationships across the public-private sector divide in the past year.’
And she called on Jersey’s business sector, in particular those working in tourism-related areas, to now take advantage of the Island’s relatively good position in terms of Covid-19 infections.
‘Government financial support has been generous and responsive in the past few months and it has obviously kept many businesses and jobs alive,’ she said.
‘To justify that investment, we now have to seize the opportunity and get back to work with gusto, taking advantage of the lower Covid rates here than in many neighbouring areas of Europe.
‘This should be a great fillip for the tourism and leisure sectors when the weather warms up.’
