Public sector could cost £ 1/2 bn next year

Monday 19th January 2004, 12:00AM GMT.

THE costs of running the public sector could top the half-billion-pound mark for the first time next year.

States committees want to add £30m to the overall budget.

If the extra money is sanctioned, the Island faces a £50m budget deficit and a total bill of about £502m to meet the costs of paying for the public sector in 2005.However, the Finance and Economics Committee is intent on trying to find a yet-to-be-identified £20m in savings from the projected expenditure levels for 2005.

‘I’m sure we will get to half a billion at some point, but I hope it won’t be next year,’ he said.The first round of next year’s States budgeting process got under way on Friday at a meeting of committee presidents and chief officers with the Finance and Economics Committee to discuss revenue requests.

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