The Meteorological Station at Bottom Woods (3) Is Fairly Close to the Residential Area
COUNTRY NOTES – ST HELENAISLAND
JAMESTOWN
1
The Island
St Helena is located 703 miles to the south east of Ascension Island and 1,200 miles from the West African coast. The Island is small, about 120km² (47 square miles), with hills and contrasting landscapes. The Island’s volcanic origin means that the terrain is very steep and travel from one part of the Island, while not far in terms of direct distance, tends to take time because the roads are narrow, twisty and hilly.
The vegetation below 350m is very scant. Above that level, with higher rainfall and the proximity of sources of water, the Island is green. This higher part of the Island consists mostly of pasture, land afforested with exotic trees and plantations of New Zealand flax. There are about 20 endemic flowering plants and ferns, one indigenous land-based vertebrate, the Wire Bird, and 10 species of fish peculiar to the Island. The Island is largely free from insects harmful to man, although there are a number of poisonous spiders and centipedes which,fortunately, are extremely rare. There are mosquitoes, especially in the warmer parts, but they are not malaria carriers. There are no snakes. The climate is moderate with warm summers and cool winters. The highest temperatures occur in the lower parts of the Island and there can be a 10 degree variation between different altitudes on any given day. Jamestown is the warmest area on the Island and can experience temperatures up to 30°C, with cooler areas averaging 14 – 22° C.
The People
St Helena was first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, and they used its natural resources to replenish their ships trading in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch then annexed the Island in 1633, but although they regarded it as their own, they did notestablish a settlement, and left the door open for the East India Company to found the first official settlement – Jamestown - in 1659. This gave rise to some aggressive tactics by both sides, but after a short occupation by the Dutch in 1673, which lasted but a few weeks, the East India Company went on to hold the Island under charter until 1834, when it was brought under the direct government of the Crown.
The people of the Islandare UK citizens and are known as “Saints”. They are of mixed origin, descended from settlers from Britain sent out by the East India Company and from employees or slaves from the East Indies and Madagascar, as well as a number of Chinese and Africans. The language of the Island has always been English. The 2008 census shows that there were 4077 Saints living on the Island. The Island has experienced considerable outward migration with many Saints living and working on Ascension Island, the Falklands and in the UK. It is thought that some 10,000 Saints are currently absent from the Island with the effect that the remaining population is disproportionately either retired or female.
The number of expatriates on the Island varies, but averages around 40 people,plus their partners and families, with the majority of these in government posts.
The Economy and Government
The Island is a UK Overseas Territory and part of a single territorial group consisting of St Helena and - Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. The jurisdiction of the three Islands falls under the Governor based on St Helena. The Government Serviceof the Island is headed by the Chief Secretary and there is an Executive Council and Legislative Council and a number of Council Committees. St Helena is dependent on UK and EU aid, which totals around £30 million per year. However, the UKgovernment is seeking to move the Islandtowards economic independence and to achieve this end is investing in a major air access project tounderpin greater private sector economic activity in a range of areas, including tourism. In late 2008, the project was paused pending the outcome of a formal public consultation in light of changed world economic circumstances and its impact on budgets, however, in July 2010, St Helena was informed that air access would go ahead subject to four conditions being met.
Currently, the public sector dominates the economy, accounting for two-thirds of income and a large proportion of employment. Private sector activities are limited and focused on agriculture, fishing, tourism and the provision of local services.
Access
The only access to the Island is by the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) St Helena. The ship calls at the Island approximately every 3 weeks and travels between the Island, Cape Town, and Ascension Island. Travel to and from Ascension takes two/threedays, five to six days in total and 5 days to and from Cape Town 10 days in total. For those moving household items to and from the Island, it is recommended that one of these two voyages be booked as this will avoid additional delays associated with thetransit of goods/possessions through a non-European port, if the start of a contract coincides with one of these trips.
The ship cannot dock at St Helena and disembarkation is by small boats,withfreight being moved to the James Town wharf by lighter and then craned ashore. Landing at the wharf can be affected by the South Atlantic swell and this can result in delays in disembarkation/embarkation.
It canbe difficultto find one-way travel insurance for individuals coming to work on the island for a significant amount of time. Whilst no recommendations can be made we are aware of two companies in the UK: The Post Office and InsureandGo (internet based services) that provide such insurance at reasonable rates.
Living on the Island
Accommodation
St Helena Government (SHG) housing is available in a small residential area known as “Piccolo Hill”,which is managed by the Tourist Office and located in Longwood. These three/four bedroom bungalows are substantial pre-fabricated dwellings, many of which are now cladded with block for extra insulation, and have good-sized rooms. The houses have electricity, water, drainage and telephone. If fax and/or television services are required, these can be installed by Cable & Wireless Plc. The kitchens are equipped with a cooker, fridge/freezer and washing machine. While the houses have all the basicfurniture required for normal living, there is benefit in bringing personal items such as pictures, lamps, cushions, rugs and ornaments. A transit kitis provided, containing crockery, pots, cutlery, bed linen and so forth, for use by officers until their own possessions arrive, the Travel & Housing Executive will then arrange for the‘transit kit to be collected. All power is 240 volts 50Hz,which is the same as the UK, and square pin UKplugs are also used on St Helena. An inventoryis conducted shortly after arrival and also prior to departure from the Island. All houses must be left in a clean and presentable state, ie in a similar condition to that when occupied on arrival.
There is limited private sector accommodation with much of it being let on short term contracts. The HR Directorate/Tourist Office should be able to provide some advice on landlords offering accommodation and may have some information about specific properties. It takes approximately 20 minutes to travel from the country areas to Jamestown.
All rental property, whether Government owned or private is let furnished therefore it is not usually necessary to bring furniture (see pages 8 and 9 for further information on what to bring).
Security
There is petty crime on the island, but overall the Island is much safer than most parts of theUK. However, when taking leave away from the Islandit issensible to ask a colleague or neighbour to keep an eye on the property, as is common practice elsewhere. For those in government housing, the HR Directorate/Tourist Officeshould be kept informed of absences and provided with a contact address and telephone number.Insurance is available from Solomans for house contents. You may wish to bringa small safe for valuables and money.
Communications
The RMS St Helena brings all mail to the Island, with the main deliveries from the UKcoming by airmail via Ascension. Inevitably this makes the flow of correspondence somewhat erratic and it is not unusual to have a gap of a month between deliveries. The cut-off time for accepting outgoing mail is sometimes before the incoming post has been distributed, so there can be significant delays in responding to air-mail correspondence. It is advisable to use your address with the addition of post code – STHL 1ZZ - and add the rider ‘via Ascension Island’so as to avoid mail passing through South Africa. There is no house-to-house delivery of mail, so the usual procedure is to collect it at the main (only)Post Office in Jamestown. Alternatively, you can ask for your post to be delivered to a local store if you live in a rural area, but advice on this should be sought at the Post Office. There are a limited number of PO box numbers and, again, information on these is available at the Post Office.
Cable and Wireless have a monopoly over telecommunications and internet access on the Island and the costs of these services are generally much higher than in the UK:
Phone rental is £4.00 per month for residential customers and there is an installation charge of £30 if no phone connection is available at the property.
Direct dial to the UK:£0.95 per minute.
Broadband services have been introduced to the Island, and there are currently four levels of service offering 1-5 email accounts and different upload/download speeds. The set up charge is £30 and the current service charges per month are:
Gold - £120; Silver - £60; Bronze - £30; Lite £19.99.
Additional information on services and charges can be obtained from the CableWireless internet website:
Many individuals have organised alternative calling facilities such as Skype. These should be researched before coming to the Island, as any connection time for downloading or telephone calls will be at the local rate.
Credit calls (AT & T cards only) are possible to USA, Canada and the UK. Visa, Euro and Master Cards are accepted for payment of telephone calls and other products purchased from Cable & Wireless. (See Cable & Wireless websites above). A commission is charged against the use of credit and debit cards from 5%.
Banking
The Bank of St Helena was created in April 2004 and provides a basic service to the Island. It currently offers a current account,but this doespay 3% interestper annum on the balance. The bankwill cash personal cheques for a fee. An account with the Bank can be opened prior to arrival on the Island through the procedure outlined on its website:
Cheque books and statements are not automatically issued and will need to be requested at time of application or directly to the bank on arrival at St Helena.
The bank does have a link to Lloyds TSB Bank and details of how to transfer funds to St Helena are available on the website. The bank can also transfer funds to all areas of the world, but the charges for this can be high. Currently there is £7.50 charge for a transfer of up to £1,000, which takes between3-5 days to a UK bank.
For those wishing to transfer money to and from the Island, advice should be obtained from your UK bank and from the Bank of St Helena, however, Standing Orders are a cost effective way to remit regular payments.
There are no ATMs on the Islandat present, but the Bank of St Helena does offer cash advances on credit or debit cards that are part of the following schemes:Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Visa and Delta. A service charge of 5% of transaction value is applied, with a minimum charge of £6.00. Please note, an identification document that has a signature and a photograph will be required, and cash is advanced only if the bank can achieve successful online authorisation using its card terminal. UK personal cheques can be cashed to the limit of your guarantee card.
The bank also exchanges Travellers’ Cheques (2% Commission) denominated in any currency.
Exchange of foreign currency will only be accepted in note denominations.
Currency
One St Helena £ is equal to one £ sterling. St Helena currency is only accepted on the Island, the RMS and Ascension Island;
Coins in use have values of 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.
Notes in circulation have values of £5, £10 and £20.
SHG Customer Service Centre, located in Jamestown,also exchanges UK Travellers’ Cheques (2% Commission).
For further information, please contact the Bank of St Helena on Tel: (00) 290 2123/2044,
Fax: (00) 290 2196 or email:
Public Transport, Hire Cars and Taxis
There is a public bus service on the Islandbut services vary considerably from area to area. A copy of the bus schedule can be obtained from the Tourist Officer. Vehicle hire charges are approximately £10/12 per day for a car and £15-20 per day for a 4x4. Taxis are also available. These can be expensive and it is recommended that you agree a price before hiring.
Private Cars
The Island’s roads are not very wide, but are suitable for most makes of car and there is a wide range on the Island. Some officers have opted for small/medium sized cars, while others have found 4x4s useful, but this tends to depend on transport requirements and work/home locations. The car mechanics on the Island are good and will normally manage to keep a car on the road. However, the more common the make the more likely that spare parts will be available, for example Ford. At present, diesel and unleaded fuelis available on the Island. Currently diesel is cheaper than petrol.
The hilly terrain calls for a medium sized engine, i.e. 1400cc and over, with a good turning circle (power steering) to cope with the hairpin bends. It is advisable to bring out adequate spares, including brake pads and linings (which wear out relatively quickly), filters, bulbs and any special parts that may need replacing.
Car ownership is high,but traffic is generally light outside Jamestown. There is a second-hand car market, but these cars may be older and certainly more expensive than in the UK. Individuals seeking to purchase a vehicle once they arrive should look to the expatriate community as an initial search area.
There is no VAT on the Island, but there is local import duty of 20% on a wide range of goods, for more information you should refer to the Customs (Tariffs and Exemptions) Regulations 2011. Individuals with long term government contracts are allowed to bring in one car free of import duty. Additional cars will be charged duty based on 35% of current book value. There is a six month duty free period for the importation of the first car and other dutiable goods. Customs officials must be informed of your intention to import within 1 week of arrival.
New cars that are brought onto the Island may not require a MOT test provided that the officer can provide supporting documentation, seek necessary approval and must be licensed by, the Police Department. All other vehicles will require a MOT test. Every driver also has to obtain a driver’s licence from the Police that must be renewed annually, although it is possible to use existing UK/EU licences for up to three months.
Car insurance can only be obtained through Solomon & Company and may be cheaper than in the UK. If you bring more than one car to the Island, the company requires a separate proof of an existing no-claims bonus for each car. Car insurance can be arranged prior to arriving on the Island.
Further information can be provided by the HR Directorate.
Health
Comprehensive health services are provided by the government for those who are present in St Helena in fulfilment of a contract of employment, of at least one year’s contract are charged local rates. Visitors who areUnited Kingdom residents with British Passports are eligible to pay a rate set locally for medical and dental attention, which is generally lower than UK prescription charges. Non UK residents, except those employed by SHG, pay higher rates.
The Health & Social Welfare Directorate manages a 42-bed GeneralHospital, covering all areas of acute medical and surgical care, with a laboratory and dispensary, an elderly care complex, a centre for the acute and chronically mentally infirm, a centre for the mentally and physically handicapped and six outpatient clinics around the Island. There is a Senior Medical Officer, three medical officers and a dentist. Other specialists make regular visits to the Island; an optometrist and ophthalmic surgeon visit annually. However, major operations are normally undertaken in the UK or South Africa. There are no significant health risks.
As indicated above, dentistry is provided but is limited. There are no facilities for crowns, metal dentures or fixed band orthodontic work. It is advisable that any dental work be completed prior to arriving on the Island.
There is no requirement for immunisation before you take up post although it is recommended that a tetnus injection or booster is obtained from your GP. Your GP may also recommend other inoculations although there have been no reported illnesses, such as yellow fever or cholera, on the Island. The St Helenian population has a high rate of diabetes, hypertension and cancer. There are outbreaks of flu a few times each year.