States CAN cut spending by £28m

by GD Fri 16 May 2008, 3:00 pm

Jersey's States could save £28m in five years - according to the island's Comptroller and Auditor General, Chris Swinson.

The States Spending Review is the first independent assessment of how government spends our money and looks at ways costs could be cut.

But Mr Swinson says the public needs to think about what services they want. 'I think that the public should know firstly that in many parts of the States, Chief Officers have been making an attempt to cut costs.

'Secondly there are still ways in which things could and should be done, but that if spending levels are to be cut there are going to be difficult issues for the island to consider about the level and the nature of the services that the island currently enjoys'.

The Public Accounts Committee has hailed the report as the most important on States spending for decades.

Committee chairman, Deputy Sarah Ferguson, believes the report provides a framework for achieving genuine efficiency with a reduction in spending but no reduction in services.

'The Public Accounts Committee notes that the Comptroller and Auditor General has not found evidence of general and wide-spread inefficiency but there are still many areas in which efficiency and the States’ cost-effectiveness could be improved.

'The experience of the Public Accounts Committee is that no organisation can ever be considered to be perfect and that continual and thorough efforts must be made to improve efficiency whilst maintaining effectiveness.

'The report indicates that savings of around £28 Million a year should be achieved in total, mostly over a 6 year period although some reforms may take longer. Some £8 Million is from Departments and some £20 Million comes from States wide issues.

'The Comptroller and Auditor General has made his calculations on a conservative basis, which underlines the fact that this should be regarded as a minimum level to be achieved'. (from CI online)

Get rid of the middle management that will soon reduce the costs...