Through on-going communications with the Falkland Island Maritime Authority, it has been confirmed that 14 crew members have been successfully rescued and are now under care and protection in Stanley. Regrettably, the bodies of nine crew members have been recovered but four crew members remain unaccounted for, and their next of kin have been informed by Argos Froyanes.
It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the loss of lives following the tragic sinking of the FV Argos Georgia.
Due to adverse weather conditions posing risks to on-going search and rescue operations, these efforts have been temporarily suspended. However, plans are underway to resume a focused recovery mission to locate the missing crew members at sea as soon as conditions allow.
Having been registered in St Helena, the FV Argos Georgia falls under the Flag State responsibilities of the St Helena Government (SHG). In light of this responsibility, SHG is committed to ensuring a thorough safety and accident investigation is conducted.
To facilitate this process, SHG is actively liaising with the Marine Accident and Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to appoint the MAIB as the investigative body on behalf of SHG.
It is essential to clarify that the objective of the safety and accident investigation is to comprehensively understand and identify the underlying causes of this incident, including any systemic, human, or equipment factors, to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Our commitment to transparency and accountability remains paramount as we work diligently to address the issues identified and implement necessary corrective actions.
SHG extends grateful thanks and praise to the search and rescue teams and all involved. We also offer sincere condolences to the families of those lost and well wishes to those rescued.
We ask that the public respect that this is a difficult time for all.
We have over the past 48 hours learnt of the loss of the Fishing Vessel Argos Georgia south east of the Falkland Islands. As many of you will know, Argos has well established roots on St Helena and the vessel was flagged to Jamestown.
The South Atlantic Ocean can be unforgiving. The dreadful weather has added to an extremely challenging environment. Whilst several crew members have been saved, we know also there has been loss of life. Identities have yet to be confirmed, but next of kin have been informed by the company.
This is an incredibly sad time and we can only imagine the difficulties involved. I would however like at this time to pay tribute to all those who have been involved in the rescue operation. British Forces South Atlantic Islands, the Falkland Islands Government and all mariners who could respond are doing everything humanly possible. I have no doubt there have been acts of extraordinary bravery, much of it unremarked. Argos and the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are in direct support, as is the UK Government through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Other nations through the regional search and rescue network have also done everything possible.
St Helena is a nation surrounded by the ocean. The people of this island know the sea, its joys and its dangers. Together with the Government of St Helena and as the former Commissioner for South Georgia and Governor of the Falkland Islands, I know all of us want to express our deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and those waiting for news. We give gratitude for those saved.
The Royal St Helena Police (RSHP) are seeking the public’s assistance in an unsolved case involving the death of an infant girl later named by health professionals as Nina Kaye.
On Saturday 23 July 1983, a member of the public discovered an abandoned baby in the Jamestown run around 08:25. The infant was found alive but sadly passed away later that day at the hospital.
Despite extensive investigations at the time, the RSHP were unable to identify Nina’s parents.
Detective Constable (DC) Lisa Winterburn of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is now reviewing the case and is urging anyone with information, new or previously shared, to come forward.
DC Lisa Winterburn commented:
“Any detail, no matter how small, could be crucial in helping us identify Nina’s family. We understand this may be a sensitive topic, and we are committed to providing any necessary support throughout this process.”
The public are encouraged to contact DC Lisa Winterburn by telephone on 22626, quoting “Nina Kaye”, or via email through cid@sainthelena.gov.sh.
Reminder of Deadline for Submission of Nominations
The public are reminded that the last day and time for receiving nominations is 12:00 on Wednesday 31 July 2024. All nominations should be delivered within this time to the Returning Officer, Carol Henry or any of the Assistant Returning Officers Anita Legg, Connie Johnson or Gillian Francis at the Castle, Jamestown.
If more than one nomination is received, a poll will be take on Wednesday 14 August 2024.
Only those persons with their name on the Register of Electors, dated 1 July 2024, will be eligible to participate in the bye-election, with those who are 21 years of age and over being able to stand for election.
Nomination forms are available from the Customer Services Centre, Public Library and Castle Reception and on the SHG website via https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/elections/.
The Falkland Islands Maritime Authority was notified yesterday afternoon of a distress situation involving the fishing vessel FV Argos Georgia, approximately 200 nautical miles east of Stanley, in the Falkland Islands.
The vessel, carrying 27 individuals, encountered difficulties and was subsequently abandoned after taking on water.
A search and rescue operation was launched immediately, utilizing both air and sea assets. These efforts are on-going at this time.
The FV Argos Georgia is managed by Argos Froyanes Ltd and is registered in St Helena.
SHG is in communication with relevant stakeholders. We are closely monitoring the situation and extend our heartfelt support to all involved in the on-going rescue efforts. Our thoughts are with the crew, their families, and the search and rescue teams during this challenging time.
On behalf of the Legislative Council of St Helena, Speaker Cyril Gunnell extended his heartfelt congratulations to Sir Lindsay Hoyle on his re-election as Speaker of the House of Commons, on Tuesday 9 July 2024.
Speaker Gunnell acknowledged Sir Lindsay’s proactive approach in organizing the Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers Conference (COTSC), which addresses the unique problems and challenges faced by these territories.
Speaker Gunnell expressed hope that face-to-face COTSC meetings will continue, reflecting on Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s official visit to St Helena earlier this year and his inspiring address in the House of Legislative Council. He also recognised Speaker Hoyle’s passion for involving youth within communities, noting that St Helena’s democracy has progressed with the re-establishment of a Youth Parliament.
Two development applications have been referred to Executive Council sitting as the Planning Authority, in accordance with the Direction to the Chief Planning Officer, by Executive Council dated 14 June 2022.
An open session meeting will take place on Tuesday 23 July 2024 commencing at 09:30 where Executive Council will consider the following applications:
Retrospective Application for the Installation of a Fence at the St Helena Coffee Shop
Amendments to the Rupert’s Container Handling Facilities, Lower Rupert’s, Rupert’s Valley
Members of the public who would like to view hard copies of the documents should contact the Acting Secretary to Executive Council, Crystal Maggott, at the Castle by telephone on 22470 or via email through crystal.maggott@sainthelena.gov.sh.
Executive Council sitting as the Planning Authority comprises of Governor Nigel Phillips as Chair, Chief Minister Julie Thomas and Ministers Christine Scipio, Martin Henry, Mark Brooks and Jeffrey Ellick. The Attorney General is a non-voting member of Executive Council.
On Friday 12 July 2024, Chief Minister Julie Thomas extended her congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer on his recent appointment as Prime Minister of the UK, following Labour’s decisive victory in the recent General Election. In a letter sent to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Thomas conveyed the warm greetings of the Government and people of St Helena.
Chief Minister Julie Thomas wrote:
“We were heartened to read your Party’s manifesto, particularly Labour’s commitment to regaining Britain’s global leadership on development and to strengthening international development work within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. We are especially happy to note your commitment to protecting the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.”
A second meeting of the Police and Crime Panel will take place on Wednesday 24 July 2024 from 14:30 to 16:00. This meeting will be held at the Education Learning Centre, Jamestown.
Latest index value and inflation rates for Q2 2024
The Statistics Office has released new estimates of the Retail Price Index (RPI) and the annual inflation rate for Q2, 2024. For the second quarter of 2024 the RPI has been measured at 117.3; in Q2 2023 the RPI was 115.3, resulting in an annual inflation rate of 1.8%. This rate is unchanged from the previous annual inflation rate of Q1 2024.
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Trends in price changes
The index uses 203 representative items to measure price changes in nine different major categories of household spending. Since a year ago, 85 items increased in price, 39 items decreased in price, and the price of 79 items remained unchanged. All categories saw an increase in price since a year ago (Q2 2023), apart from the Communications category, which saw a significant drop in price due to changes in the internet access tariffs introduced by the telecommunications provider (Sure) in October last year. This price drop continues to partly offset price increases in other categories, when measured over a one year period.
Price changes in both the UK and South Africa have a strong impact on prices on St Helena, since the majority of goods imported are purchased in those two countries. In May 2024, annual consumer price inflation in the UK was measured at 2.0% (UK Office for National Statistics), down from 2.3% in April, and in South Africa it was measured at 5.2% (Statistics South Africa), unchanged from April 2024. Changes in the value of the Rand compared to the Pound can have a large effect on the price of goods purchased in South Africa, and during the first six months of 2024 the Pound averaged around 23.7 Rand, which is a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2023, when it was 22.5. This change tends to counteract the effect of price inflation in South Africa on the final shop-floor prices on St Helena.
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Price changes by category
The categories which contributed the most to the upward pressure in the 1.8% annual inflation rate are Household Energy, Housing and Transport. In January 2024 Connect Saint Helena Ltd introduced a revised Utilities tariff, with an increase in charges for both water and electricity; further price increases have been introduced in July 2024, but these will only be measured in the next quarter (Q3 2024). Over the last twelve months the Housing category has been affected by increases in the price of water, the price of building materials and maintenance services, and the Transport category has risen mostly due to increases in prices of tyres, delivery charges, and petrol and diesel.
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The quarterly change in the RPI was 0.3% (i.e. Q2 2024 compared to Q1 2024). The three categories with the highest increases over the last quarter were Food (1.0% increase on average), Transport (0.8% increase on average), and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (0.6% change on average). There were price decreases in Household Goods and Services (-1.0% change on average) and Clothing (-12.0% change on average). Clothing prices are relatively volatile as they are often affected in the short term by store stock changes, but clothing has a very low weight in the shopping basket (1.1%) so these changes have a relatively small impact on the overall average inflation rate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is price inflation and how is it measured?
Price inflation is the change in the average prices of goods and services over time. The rate of price inflation is calculated from the change in the RPI, which is the official measure of the average change in the prices of goods and services paid by consumers. The RPI is estimated each quarter, i.e. once every three months, and the rate of price inflation is usually quoted on an annual basis; that is, comparing price changes over a 12-month period. Prices and the RPI tend to go up, but they can occasionally go down – which is known as price deflation.
The RPI is a statistical measure of the change in retail prices on St Helena; an increase in the RPI means that, on average, prices have gone up since the last time they were measured, and a decrease in the RPI means that, on average, prices have fallen. The annual change in the RPI is called the annual inflation rate, and is the usual measure of the change in prices in an economy. The RPI is an average measure: if it goes up, it does not mean that all prices have gone up, and similarly, if it goes down, it does not mean that all prices have fallen.
Why do we measure inflation?
An accurate measure of price inflation helps understand the extent and nature of the impact of price changes on the government, businesses, households and individuals. Inflation rates are often used in budgeting and accounting processes so that costs can be adjusted for the effect of price changes.
How is the RPI calculated?
The basis for the RPI is the average weekly cost of goods and services purchased by households on St Helena, sometimes called the RPI ‘shopping basket’. Items which households purchase more of, such as food, have the biggest share of the RPI basket. The current RPI uses a basket from the latest Household Expenditure Survey in 2017; prices representing the groups of items in the basket are collected every quarter, and the price of the total basket is compared to the price in the baseline period, the first quarter of 2018. By convention, the value of the basket in the baseline period is scaled to 100, and the RPI values are quoted in relation to that baseline. For example, an RPI value of 120 means that average prices have increased by 20 per cent compared to those recorded in the baseline period.
Composition of average household weekly expenditure (Q1 2018 RPI ‘Shopping Basket’)
What happens when items are not available?
If an item of the ‘basket’ is not available then either the previous price will be carried forward from the previous quarter, or a suitable substitute item will be identified and an adjustment calculation made. Care is taken to ensure that this substitute item represents the item category and that it does not introduce error to the measurement of the RPI. An important principle is that price changes should reflect actual price increases and decreases, and not changes in the quality of items.
Please get in touch. We are Neil Fantom, Statistical Commissioner, Kelly Clingham and Justine Joshua, Senior Statistical Assistants and Courtney O’Dean, Statistics Assistant. You can find us in person at the Statistics Office on the top floor of the Post Office, Jamestown. You can also contact us by telephone on our direct line through 22138. If calling from overseas, the international dialling code for St Helena is +290. Our general office e-mail address is statistics@sainthelena.gov.sh, or you can email team members directly (the format is firstname.lastname@sainthelena.gov.sh).
