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Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update

Falkland Islands Rifle Association team

Headlines: Champions!; 'Medical Services' tax dropped; FIGAS fares capped at £50; Experts to deal with Ocean 8 wreck; Commonwealth Games team prepares for Pune.

Champions!THE Falklands were well represented at the 139th Bisley competition in the UK, with the team winning the Junior Kolapore and Nobel Aggregate cups and each member also receiving a gold medal. Ken and Christian each earned medals and bars in other competitions shooting over ranges from 300 to 1,000 yards - six for Ken and four for Christian. Scores in the first few days were down for most of the 1,028 competitors from all over the world due to poor weather conditions, but eventually the Falklands team's experience of shooting in variable winds gave them an advantage, said Ken. Photo:Bisley team Ken Aldridge (Capt), Derek Goodwin, Mark Dodd and Christian Berntsen with coach Eddie Bryce and the Junior Kolapore Cup More on page 5. 'Medical Services' tax dropped A PROPOSAL for the introduction of a Medical Services Levy/Employment Tax has been rejected by Executive Council. The proposal was modelled on the old Medical Services Levy (MSL) to raise revenue by way of a tax on employers and employees but was not linked directly to funding for the health service. Given that government officers are now working on both a tax and a health service cost and funding review, ExCo decided they should await the outcome of these reviews before deciding upon the best way forward. Councillor Janet Robertson welcomed the news that the MSL had been dropped for the time being, particularly as it appeared in the ExCo paper solely as an Employment Tax. She said two principle issues arose out of the decision to implement the MSL when it was put forward as an option during the budget round in May. "Firstly, the effect on the economy of subjecting all employers and employees, regardless of their level of earnings, to a 2% levy on personal income. Secondly, there was an issue as to whether a levy of this nature could be considered a contribution by the community to medical services that they enjoy, or a straight employment tax. "Whilst this might appear to be an argument of semantics, it was a critical one as it would determine where in the budget the income from the levy would feature. The proposal that was put forward in May, and adopted, was for a Medical Services Levy; irrespective of the fact that all revenue is a contribution to the Consolidated Fund, an MSL would feature as revenue in the Health and Medical Services budget, whereas an employment tax would feature as revenue in the Taxation Department budget and would therefore have no relation to health services at all." Cllr Robertson said that while she felt the proposal to introduce a levy merited further discussion on thresholds for contribution and the levels of the levy itself, in particular with regard to the employer's contribution, the whole process was "totally undermined" in the June ExCo policy paper which claimed that the decision had been taken to call the levy an Employment Tax. She commented: "It is not clear which group of people took this decision, or indeed why this decision was made by any other body than ExCo, but in any case it rendered the entire proposal unacceptable. Continued on page 2 FIGAS fares capped at £50ISLANDER air fares are set to rise following Executive Council's approval of the final draft of the FIGAS internal review. The review proposed a recovery action plan for FIGAS providing for an immediate and sustainable reduction in the level of subsidy required from FIG. ExCo considered and approved all of the 15 recommendations including basic local fares at £50 (a rise of £8), apart from one, Cllr Andrea Clausen said: "The recovery plan essentially changes the service from an air taxi service to a shuttle and charter service allowing pilot and aircraft hours to be more efficiently utilised. "Members declined to accept the introduction of a fuel surcharge at this time in light of the other increases in basic fares. Members felt that the issue of fuel surcharges should be re-examined following the forthcoming season." She added that ExCo also requested that the General Manager of FIGAS remain flexible, asking that the management of the new system be carried out in the most cost effective manner, "...which should include setting some thresholds for the minimum number of passengers booked in order to necessitate a flight." A progress report on the new operation is to be provided to ExCo in May 2009, and consideration will be given to the advance setting of fares in order that the tourism industry can be sufficiently warned of increases. Experts to deal with Ocean 8 wreckTHE government is to engage consultants to advise on how to deal with the sunken trawler Ocean 8. A paper summarising the current status and options for how to deal with the Ocean 8 was considered by Executive Council at its meeting last week. Cllr Clausen said she and her colleagues felt they required better technical advice on the likelihood of future leaks from the plugged vessel, potential pollution, and salvage options for the oil and the vessel. She commented: "This would provide a stronger legal position which can be used to press the owners/insurers to take appropriate action to deal with the oil remaining onboard the Ocean 8. It was agreed that we should engage consultants to undertake the assessments and studies required." Commonwealth Games team prepares for PuneTHE Falkland Islands Overseas Games Association (FIOGA) has announced the final team for the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Games in October 2008. Leading the team to Pune in India will be Steve Dent, Vice Chair of FIOGA, his second Commonwealth Youth Games as Team Manager. The Shooting Team Manager is to be Nevin Middleton while Beth Reid will be Shotgun Manager. Bono McKay (15) will compete in Shotgun and Murray Middleton (14) in Pistol. Under the eye of Badminton Team Manager Mark Gold (from the UK) will be Julian Barton (15), Aidan Smith (16) and Drew Robertson (16). In a statement released this week, FIOGA wished the team the best of luck: "With less than 90 days to go now until the Opening Ceremony of the III Commonwealth Youth Games, plans for the teams long journey to Pune in the North of India are well under way." The association thanked the Falkland Islands Company, Caribbean and Sun Alliance and Falkland Islands Holdings as well as the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Delhi 2010 Organising Committee for their generous financial support of the team so far.