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Earlier in the year that the Government established the Economic Council with membership from a wide cross section of industry and social sectors, with terms of reference to develop some new perspectives on Jersey’s economy and I was asked to represent the Construction sector.
The Report of the Economic Council "New Perspectives - Critical considerations for sustainable economic growth" has been formally published and is available via this link for your information.
A copy of the accompanying press release can be found via the following link Economic Council publishes independent report (gov.je) from which you will see that it references that whilst in recent months, there has been a significant focus on major short-term issues, New Perspectives purposely addresses Jersey’s long-term economic prosperity.
The paper constructively challenges Government in the key areas of defining a long term vision for Jersey's economy, our levels of ambition and rates of progress. Its contents are not meant as a definitive set of policy statements, nor as a full 'consultant's report', but instead as an attempt to shift more of the focus on the long term, with the prosperity of the whole Island in mind, over the next decade and beyond, for the benefit of future generations.
It contains five 'essays' on selected key strategic themes affecting the world, not just Jersey, to set out some of the considerations which the Economic Council believes that vision should take into account. Again, these are not definitive, but 'points of view' to pose some questions of where Jersey sits on these important inter-related themes; whether we have sufficiently bold ambitions, clear plans and appropriate rates of progress (given external benchmarks), as well as containing some suggested ideas for adoption.
You will see that the Regeneration of the Island from an Infrastructure and Quality of Life perspective is one of these key strategic themes as the importance of what we do as a sector was consistently and unanimously recognised throughout the deliberations of the cross-sector members of the Council as of the utmost importance.
The "messages to Government" which we have set out also highlight some potential key steps and principles for how we can make progress.
The Economic Council would like the paper to be the catalyst for a new debate, helping to bring clarity on an inspiring vision for the Island's economy.
We will await the reaction from Government with interest.