the threat to the Island posed by the possibility it will be put on a blacklist of "harmful tax jurisdictions'' is well taken.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's moves pose a serious threat to the Island's economic well being and the public deserves to know what Government is doing to combat it.

Bermuda is due to make a presentation to the OECD and this was originally scheduled to take place this month. It now seems unlikely that this will go ahead; this may have more to do with the OECD's own scheduling than any delays on Bermuda's part. All the same, the public needs to be kept abreast.

Members of the public are also growing concerned about the Government's lack of response to the United Kingdom White Paper on the overseas Territories, which also poses major challenges to the Island.

It is wise for the Government to give time and careful consideration to the White Paper before making its response to the UK and tt would be disastrous if the Government was to stake out a position too early and later found that it had to backtrack.

Discussing the lack of response to the OECD, Dr. Gibbons stated in Friday's newspaper: "This could potentially affect confidence among both members of the public and the business sector.

"People are very concerned about Bermuda's reputation and our success as an offshore jurisdiction.'' The same point could be made with regard to the White Paper. The Government needs to take care that its silence does not make the situation more uncertain, not less.

THE RIGHT IDEA EDT The right idea There used to a common business philosophy that there was no need to reward people who were doing a good job because that was exactly what they should be doing.

In most businesses, that idea is rightly dead and buried and has been replaced with concepts like publicly rewarding successful employees and empowering staff to shape the future of a business or industry.

With that in mind, the Tourism Ministry's announcement that it will launch an incentive scheme for outstanding employees in the hospitality industry should be welcomed.

The Hospitality Industry Employee Incentive Award Programme is expected to offer significant bonuses for those staff who shine in their positions. Around 12 awards will be made each year and prizes could be worth thousands of dollars.

That is the kind of scheme which can help to restore the standards of service in the hospitality industry. Not only will it recognise the best employees, it should encourage others to raise their own standards.

This is particularly important in the hospitality sector, where service makes the difference between success and failure and where many employees receive low base pay and depend on tips and gratuities to earn a reasonable wage.