At a special Falkland Islands Executive Council meeting held on 1 December, it was confirmed that the Household Power and Fuel Allowance will be treated as a non-taxable allowance.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council have approved the appointment of 14 November as a Public Holiday in celebration of the birthday of His Majesty King Charles III. This will replace the public holiday previously held on 21 April in celebration of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council has given final approval to the National Sports Council (NSC) to proceed with the construction of a new national sports facility for the Islands. This follows the signing of a Development Agreement in April 2021, and subsequent work to develop a detailed Concept Design.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council has agreed to double the yearly quota of permanent residence permits (PRP) to 90. According to a paper published last week, the figure has been set to target a 3% yearly population growth.
Options for the extension of the Falkland Islands' Mount Pleasant airport passenger terminal will be considered by the local elected authorities in the coming weeks. According to Penguin News, quoting lawmaker MLA Barry Elsby, options will be put before the Executive Council early in the new year.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council has approved changes to the Retirement Pensions Ordinance that will increase the retirement age from 64 to 65 in 2020. The changes reflect a policy initially approved by ExCo in 2013 and later by Budget Select Committee during the 2017/18 budget process. Those changes proposed an increase in the retirement age by a year every ten years as of 2020.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council has selected Galliford Try as the preferred company for the construction of the new Vulnerable Person’s Extra Care Facility in Stanley. The decision follows a detailed scrutiny of the bids received by Members of the Legislative Assembly and Government officers, who subsequently submitted recommendations to the Executive Council.
The first formal meeting of the newly elected Legislative Assembly was held on Monday morning in Stanley and it was confirmed that last Friday, following the election result the newly elected members of the Legislative Assembly met to discuss and distribute portfolio responsibilities.
The constitution of the Falkland Islands requires that a general election be held every four years to choose the eight members of the Islands’ Legislative Assembly or lower house of government. The next General Election is due to be held on November 7th this year.
Preparations are under way in the Falkland Islands for a General Election to be held on November 7 this year and 4.30pm on October 17th marks the last moments for would be Members of the Islands Legislative Council to announce their candidacy. This year the list of candidates will be subject to particular scrutiny.