MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update

Full colour coverage of the ball is on our centre pages

Headlines: Youngsters on song for charity ball; FIDC board reluctantly accepts freight subsidy; First of two Argentine Next of Kin visit runs smoothly: Pag 3.

Youngsters on song for charity ball

THIS year’s Conservation Ball proved an elegant and dazzling affair, made all the more enjoyable by the early evening entertainment. With music teacher Shirley Adams-Leach providing accompaniment, students from the Community School sang a number of favourites including Somewhere Over the Rainbow and a selection of songs from Les Miserables, while ball goers enjoyed their free champagne.

Not pictured, but also performing on the night were singers Arianne Goss, Sally Heathman and Caitlin Burston.

FIDC board reluctantly accepts freight subsidy

THE board of Falkland Islands Development Corporation has reluctantly accepted an Executive Council decision to make FIDC funds available for a freight subsidy to farmers.

At an extraordinary meeting on September 24, ExCo decided to leave ferry tariffs as they were and instructed FIDC to provide a transport subsidy to deliver a tariff of £11.50 per linear metre on commercial vehicles for the cost of transporting livestock to Sand Bay, and bales of wool to FIPASS or Mare Harbour for export.

While FIDC General Manager David Waugh had the support of his board in expressing disapproval of the decision, the organisation seemed obliged to comply under existing Ordinance.

Mr Waugh said the ExCo decision was contrary to FIDC recommendations put before them, and he was still trying to “get to the bottom of the rationale” behind it.

FIDC had recommended ExCo accept proposals concerning Concordia Bay and wool transport, which Mr Waugh said were in the best interests of developing a sustainable economy and an effective and competitive rural transportation system.

But the FIDC proposals were rejected, partly because of a growing sense of unease among farmers in Camp, and because other methods of accessing central funding were not available due to the imminent dissolution of government in the lead-up to the November 5 election.

“Although ExCo has every right to make different decisions and is fully empowered under the Ordinance to instruct FIDC as it chooses, I strongly question the validity of having an economic development agency that should be operating strategically and effectively to grow and diversify the national economy with limited resources, but is at the same time obligated to administer, deliver and fund any decision that ExCo may take at any time,” said Mr Waugh..

He said the subsidy was expected to cost FIDC in the region of £18,000 to £20,000, and could potentially come out of the 2010/11 financial year, but it brought administration and funding issues for the corporation.

FIDC board member Mike Forrest questioned whether they should just “sit back and take it.”

But former Legislative Assembly member John Birmingham assured the board ExCo had not acted in anyway outside its authority: “According to the Acting Attorney General it is all above board,” he said.

Mr Birmingham said because a Standing Finance Committee could not be held there was no access to FIG central funding and the subsidy arrangement was a short term solution to a situation which had created a low level of confidence in the farming community as they went into the season.

Board member Tony Blake said the decision to pay the subsidy retrospectively would still impact on farmers’ budgets.

Government Chief Executive Tim Thorogood said it was accepted the measure was not welcomed in terms of the governance of it.

“We’ll have to wait and see when the bill comes in and have dialogue with the new Assembly,” he said.

First of two Argentine Next of Kin visit rums smoothly: Pag 3