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The Jersey Democratic Alliance

The Purpose of the JDA is to restore the government of Jersey to the people of Jersey, and to create and maintain a government which serves the interests of all Jersey citizens and the community in which they live.'   We thank you for taking the time to visit this site and invite you to join us in making sure the type of government we all want becomes a reality.  Together we can make it happen!

Thank you to the voters who elected the following four JDA members to the States

St. Helier No. 1

Trevor Pitman

About Trevor

St. Helier No. 2

Debbie de Sousa

About Debbie

St. Helier No. 2

Shona Pitman

About Shona

St. Helier No. 2

Geoff Southern

About Geoff

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Jersey as we now know it depends on a healthy financial services industry, so we need to be alert to ways of keeping that industry ahead of any threats to its future. And there are grave threats to its future, as major economies struggle to shore up their public finances, in the wake of an economic crash for which the global financial services industry is popularly blamed.

Fortunately, there are potential ways in which Jersey could grab an enhanced share of a globally shrinking business. For instance, consider this exchange between our own Deputy Geoff Southern, and the Treasury Minister, Senator Philip Ozouf:-

Transcript of Talkback BBC Radio Jersey 4th July 2010
PO = Philip Ozouf GPS = Geoff Southern

GPS: Can we talk about what you call “tax neutrality”? You have a statement in your tax document –

“Tax neutrality (and by tax neutrality you mean a zero tax rate) tax neutrality is not, and does not facilitate, tax evasion; lack of transparency and poor regulation do.”
 

JDA Latest

Ted Vibert has been appointed President of the JDA.  

Click here to read Chairman, Christine Papworth's press release.

JDA Founder Ted Vibert returns to the team

In addition to his input behind the scenes, Ted will be writing for the public on his new blog at  http://tedvibert.blogspot.com 

• No Damage Done - by Geoff Southern

• Geoff Southern's decision to stand for Senator

• Questions to be asked at next States Sitting

• Deputies Activities

• Recent Hot Topics

• JDA Meeting minutes

• I Believe my Actions are Appropriate and Timely Letter to JEP 9th June from Geoff Southern.

Are you content that we’ve got a transparent system and that all the money that comes into the island is, for want of a better word, is clean money and is not being tax-avoided. Have we got a transparent system?

PO: I think that there is absolutely no doubt at all that Jersey stands almost head and shoulders above other jurisdictions and other international finance sectors in terms of its transparency. The Foot report, the IMF assessment, all these independent assessments of Jersey have given us much higher ratings than others. And the reality is that we have an international finance centre in Jersey which depends on tax neutrality; in essence not taxing people twice.

Activities will be booked in Jersey. We do not charge tax on the underlying transaction because it is probably taxed in another place according to where that capital came from or where that business is transacted. We do not seek to tax it twice here. What we do, and do very well, at the heart of our economic success we tax the providing of services and the banking profits that accrue to that…

Deputy Southern will not agree with me about the economic model for Jersey, but I think it is a good one that has meant that we have got the standard of living that we currently enjoy.

GPS: So we are transparent and you are satisfied that people are booking taxes being paid elsewhere. Can you see through companies? Do you know that this tax is being paid or do you suspect that it’s about coming to…establishing in Jersey; it’s about tax avoidance. Are you satisfied that the system is totally transparent to Jersey? Do we know that tax is being paid and that we are not double taxing?

PO: I’m very satisfied and I will always maintain the high standards that Jersey has in terms of its transparency and the way that Jersey does business. That’s why Jersey is successful and why Jersey will continue to be successful.

Then, having noted the Senator's commitment to a transparent finance industry, consider this critique of the present position by a leading expert on taxation policy: http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2010/07/04/jersey-is-not-a-good-neighbour/

And then look at Murphy's suggestion as to how transparency could be implemented to Jersey's immense competitive advantage:- http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2010/07/04/plan-b-for-jersey/

When we receive constructive suggestions from experts of Murphy's calibre, it is time we started to listen to them.
 

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