MoD won't pay its dues at ASI

[The Real Slim Shady]

According to the Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6882948.ece) the MoD owes millions in back taxes to the Ascension Island council.

If the MoD won't pay it allegedly threatens the future of the island's community

[Manuel de Vol]

Paper doesn't refuse ink, and on a 'slow news day' even the Thunderer can be expected to print crap.

From the article:

"The birds, once threatened with extinction, are now returning in their millions, thanks to a programme to eradicate feral cats and other predators. But while wildlife conservation is flourishing, Ascension is not."

The birds ... would those be the frigate birds? (hardly preyed upon by feral cats! - They're big enough to carry such cats away) or the IMPORTED NON-INDIGENOUS Mynah birds? ... the reason the cats were imported in the first place.

"Unless the Ministry of Defence pays millions of pounds in unpaid taxes for its RAF airbase..."

And who, exactly, would the MOD pay those taxes to? Ascension Island is a Crown Territory. It belongs to the Queen (the Commander in Chief; the boss of the MOD - unless things have changed.

Ascension is NOT a country, it is NOT a colony, it does NOT have a government ... So who is entitled to levy taxes on anybody? Why do they need that tax revenue?

Prior to the Falklands war, there were 3 'settlements' on Ascension.

American Base - Wideawake Airfield was leased to the US. PanAm operated the Airfield and the base in support of US flights to South Africa (and elsewhere) and supported the NASA site (Ascension is/was one of the tracking stations operated by NASA.) The Americans were self-supporting.

Georgetown - Effectively the home of Cable and Wireless, who used AScension as a part of their world-wide communication empire. Again, self-supporting.

Two Boats - 'the BBC'. Well, sort of ... Certainly a 'government communications' site ... but run by the Beeb and (whoever). Again, self-supporting.

Then along came the RAF. They built RAF Donkey (well, they built it above Donkey Plain, so that's as good a name as any.) The RAF was (and still is?) self-supporting.

There is no indigenous 'community' on Ascension. Labour is imported (as a contract force) from St Helena. If there is no work for that labour, it will return (termination of contract ) to St Helena.

But there IS work. Ascension now has a(n albeit small) tourist industry. - Thanks to the MOD.

The American need has reduced, so it would hardly be surprising if they reduced the amount of money they spend.

Cable and Wireless? - They will stay if they can make money out of it.

Two Boats? - Government funded.

Slow news day and -as I said above - 'paper does not refuse ink'.

I wonder how much the prat who wrote that article got paid for it?

Too much.

[brit bus driver]

Good night in the pub was it.....:ok:

[DADDY-OH!]

Manuel

The large grey stone building (built with Scottish stone) across from The Tasty Tucker in Georgetown has the words ASCENSION ISLAND GOVERNMENT written on it.

The local 'Saints' pay tax locally to said Government.

"...this? Facts! This? Smack on head!"

[pigsinspace]

The Saints pay tax as does anyone else there on all purchases, I can remember it being started and prices rose accordingly.

[Wholigan]

Ascension Island, Welcome page (http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/aig/ascension-island-welcome.htm)

Lots of info/answers here.

[BEagle]

I thought the cats were originally taken to ASI to tackle the rat population which had escaped from the Navy's ships?

Rats being wily and cats being rather less so, it wasn't long before the cats got rather annoyed with this idea and sought easier prey. So they sent out various pussy patrols to have a look around. Back came one fat tigger with feathers around his chops, who announced "You won't believe what I've found, chaps".....

For it seems that the birds had never seen a cat before. They realised that it wasn't some egg-thieving rat, so had tried to make friends. Mistake....big mistake...:\

Since then the cats couldn't be ar$ed with rats any more, dull-witted frigate bird chicks being much easier to catch - and for night-rated cats, baby turtles.

MoD trying to get out of paying for something? There's shurely shome mishtake...:rolleyes:

[Pontius Navigator]

besides Frigate Birds there is the Wideawake Tern.

[Cyprus countrybred]

There was an article on the Today programme last Saturday, where they interviewed one of the councillors who explained that the taxes were needed to pay for repairing roads, running the hospital, pierhead, etc. Listen again at

BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Today, 17/10/2009 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n6v47)

[ORAC]

Background to the present situation: FISCAL AND ECONOMIC REPORT ON ASCENSION ISLAND (18/02/2002) (http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/news/2002/02/fiscal-and-economic-rep-new03861)

Financing public services

The island’s ‘common services’, elsewhere called public services, but including shops and clubs, are provided by a hybrid joint venture – Ascension Island Services (AIS) - directed by a London board of the island’s Users. Funding for these services comes from the Users via an employment levy. This situation functioned for many years but change has come from several directions. The main employers are no longer para-statals but profit-motivated private companies with fixed price contracts in competitive global markets. Changed geo-political priorities and new technologies reduce the strategic importance of Ascension Island’s location. And rising salaries and falling employment levels have significantly increased the cost of the capita levy.

The London board has signalled its intention to disband the joint venture on 31st March 2001. In divesting itself of its responsibilities for providing common services, the London Board leaves a vacuum. A way must therefore be identified of either reviving the current funding arrangement or of replacing it with a more conventional system for financing public services. Whichever route is chosen will determine the future of Ascension Island.

Two principal models for funding service delivery emerged from the on-island consultations: the modified status quo option and the public finance option.......

Current Status: Ascension : Taxing Questions (http://www.the-islander.org.ac/art.php?cat=29)

Taxation was introduced on Ascension in 2002. It replaced the previous arrangements whereby employing organisations operating on the island (known over the years as the LUC, “the Users” and other names) jointly funded and provided services on the island through a joint venture, Ascension Island Services. Those who were here in those days will recall that for example the BBC built and managed Two Boats School and ran the hospital and even took care of recruiting staff. Other organisations were intimately involved in running services on the island in similar fashion. This system came under increasing strain because of difficulties over agreeing on how much each should put in the pot – and finally by the late 1990s the Users announced that they no longer wished to provide services in this way, and wanted to concentrate on their core businesses. The Ascension Island Government took over the running of the common services, and taxation replaced the previous financing arrangements that the Users had relied on.

Under the system drawn up in 2002, revenue is raised through property tax (which is paid by employing organisations only), income tax (paid by individuals) and duties on fuel, alcohol and tobacco. The arrangements for setting up the tax system included an agreement whereby employing organisations gave their staff a one-off increase in pay so that after the deduction of income tax, they were no worse off. In one or two cases the employing organisations pay the employee’s income tax directly on their behalf.

Seven years on it is time to have a rethink of the tax regime operating on the island. Many feel that property tax is unsuitable for our circumstances. One of the problems is that it can act as a disincentive to look after and improve on buildings, as this could then attract a higher valuation, and a higher tax bill. And neither tax takes into account the effect of the downsizing that has taken place since 2002 – resulting in less revenue in property and income tax, and some duties, while medical services still have to be provided, supply ships need offloading, roads repaired, policing provided and so on. Whoever is running the services, whether AIS, the Agency, or AIG, needs to be as efficient as possible to reflect the lower numbers of people using the services, but some things remain constant – a good example is the dentist. We need one whether we have 1,000 people on the island or 500. As I have said in previous communications, the AIG is committed to ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and a process of modernisation and reorganisation is already underway to achieve that.

The Ascension Island Government has commissioned Jeffrey Davenport, a tax specialist from the United Kingdom’s HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs), to examine the tax system, consider the problems and complaints about it, and advise on an alternative tax system for raising finance to provide the services that people living and working on the island use. Jeffrey will be on Ascension from Monday 26th October for two weeks. He will be consulting with the Island Council, employing organisations and other interested parties to ensure he has a sound understanding of our needs and issues so that he can come up with alternative ideas for us to consider. If you would like to bring any issues to his attention you should approach one of your elected representatives, or alternatively you can address a letter to him as follows:

Jeffrey Davenport, HMRC
c/o Administrator’s Office
Georgetown

R P Denny
Administrator
Ascension Island
13 October 2009

[Pontius Navigator]

ORAC, you remind me. In 1984 the LUC contracted out to NAAFI of all people to run the shops. This was a 'different' NAAFI from the military one in that prices differed between George Town and Travellers. Also we were not allowed to shop in the George Town shop on the day the BBC Charter brought fresh food in.

No such restriction applied to Saints who could empty the Travellers NAAFI when they got stock. By the time the troops knocked off for the day there was nothing left.

One item that NAAFI sold was a Commodore 64 computer. In those days you would plug it into a TV. Of course NAAFI didn't sell TVs as there were no TV broadcasts. There was a TV room that the Victor crews used to hog for computer games.

[Dengue_Dude]

Wow, found my old green ASI driving licence the other day - now that was a smart document - must have cost a bomb to produce (and extra for the rusty staple) :)

On balance, I don't miss it - but I DO miss ASI golf course . . . class.

[Stuff]

but I DO miss ASI golf course . . . class.

Just remember to borrow someone else's clubs to play!

Came hellishly unstuck on the 4th when I hit a bloody great big boulder and ended up behind where I had hit the ball from :(

[Manuel de Vol]

I'll post later ... when I'm up to it.

(For the guy who suggested it was a 'good night down the pub'- quick answer:

Probably ... but the pub is too far away (250 yards) and the beer is (at present') "Streng Verboten!"
'
Not a huge problem ... had an accident and I'm taking 'sweeties' (prescribed by the doc) which have me parked semi-permanently on another planet.

Daren't drink (the doc [my friend] suggested he'd buy me flowers if I did) and anyway, I can't walk that far:(

[Manuel de Vol]

Thanks Orac Dengue Dude et al for your updates ... the last time I was on Ascension was in early '86.

It probably was a 'good night in the pub' BRit Bus Driver ... but I wasn't there. - The pub is about 250 metres away and I'm still having problems making the 10 metres to the bathroom ... But you were right if you were suggsting that my posts were chemically influenced.

Oxycodone beats beer any day. (or so they say ...)

Back to the question, which (to me) seemed to revolve around tax liability:

In the early days, Ascension Island was a 'Crown Property' - an Island owned by the Queen. A Crown Possession. IT had no indigenous population, no full-time residents and nobody who could claim any 'right' to live there. The St Helenians who were employed there were employed on short-term contracts.

In 1982, there was no government. - Yes, there was an 'administrator' and the colonies at Two Boats, Georgetown and 'American Base' were both well-established and self-supporting.

When I was there (82-86) it was a happy little world and it worked well with no taxes.

Now - I understand - Ascension is a part of a 'BIOT' and it REALLY NEEDS A TAX REVENUE.

Well, in the 80's it just worked. The people who lived and worked there (in the various communities) paid equitable shares and they made the island work... a good idea.

If you - a resident (apart from the fact that there ARE no residents, it was a crown property - so you were some sort of 'visitor') needed electricity, then you bought it. If you needed anything else, you bought that too.

Now you have to buy stuff from the Governor of St Helena.

And said Governor runs ASI!

And MOD won't pay. (Well, there's nothing new there)

The 'Boss' of Ascension used to be 'The Resident'.

In the early 80s, people on Ascension paid no taxes. They didn't need a tax revenue. - You want something, you buy it. - Why do you need taxes?

Now they need a tax revenue ... this must be progress!

Before the Falklands war, Ascnsion Island was (arguably) the Ársehole of the Universe'- but it was temporary 'home' to a number of people wh - although they didn't have a lot of support- wre quite happy.

When the Brits came, things changed. Some for the better, some for the owrse. I haven't been there for many years, but I suspect that life there is far better than it was before British Forces arrived.

St Helena was served by a tramp steamer. - You want something? - Maybe we can get it for you in 3 months ... If you're lucky.

Nowadays, with the improvements in communications and supply afforded by the Brits, you might be able to get it within a few weeks.

St Helena. Bligh and the Bounty. Neat stuff.

If the MOD gets stuffed for paying money to a BIOT (a territory which can't make its own way in the world and has to extort money from other territories to do so) how will that affect the MOD's ability to pay its own personnel?

If the British government wants to provide 3rd World Aid (and let's face it, that's what we're talking about) to St Helena, then let them do so. Don't let said 3rd World Country (even if it is a BIOT) rape the MOD.

The present government is hardly pro-defence. Whoever forms the next government may not be so keen to support the MOD either.

British Independent Offshore Territories sound really neat, but if they run out of money (and St Helena has never managed to stand alone) somebody is going to have to pay.

Should the MOD be required to use its (limited -and likely to be more so) budget to bail out St Helena? -If so, why?

[glad rag]

Wow, found my old green ASI driving licence the other day - now that was a smart document - must have cost a bomb to produce (and extra for the rusty staple) http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif

On balance, I don't miss it - but I DO miss ASI golf course . . . class.

Don't forget the rod and line fishing either..............:ooh: is that a shark:uhoh::uhoh::uhoh:it is!!:E

[BEagle]

British Independent Offshore Territories sound really neat....

BIOT is actually 'British Indian Ocean Territories' - principally Diego Garcia in the Chagos archipelago. A pleasant spot, particularly since the US has installed many of its usual facilities such as a decent O-Club. But pretty humid; one day the air conditioning in our windowless 'facility' broke down and it wasn't long before the walls were streaming....

[TheSmiter]

They could try claiming back unpaid road taxes from 206 Sqn for the Nimdet MT (circa 1982)

One of British Leyland's finest Minis, with IIRC, a couple of bubble beam windows to make us feel at home .... or is that just me dreaming? :confused:

Anyone got any pix of that superb vehicle?

[Dengue_Dude]

Ascension Island was (arguably) the Ársehole of the Universe'-

No chance, that was and still is . . . LAGOS.

As for Diego Garcia, I remember going through there in 1976, we had to steal the sheets off the beds in the far end of the Nissen hut. That was fine until the Yank P3 crew returned from a sortie at about 0300 - oops. Skipper slept on the beach and was eaten alive by sand flies et al (obviously they weren't fussy about what they ate (Bullen-beef))

We'd been drinking with the Master At Arms (I think nick-named the Sherrif) who was Royal Navy (I think) at some 'pub' with a rattan roof. Goodbye brains.

I think, on balance, ASI was FAR better. Bacardi was 5p a double and a Coke 50p. We used to lay on the cinder path on the way back to Tristar village and look for satellites in that FABULOUS sky.

Nostalgia is definitely NOT what it used to be.

[pigsinspace]

Laying on the Basha roof at Tristar Village (new) was more comfortable but very dodgy to get down from after a few spicey's

[pigsinspace]

Laying on the Basha roof at Tristar Village (new) was more comfortable but very dodgy to get down from after a few spicey's