Cutbacks ‘have reached the limit’
Friday 16th May 2008, 2:59PM BST.
ANY more States savings will have to mean service cuts or extra charges, says the independent spending watchdog.
Comptroller and Auditor General Chris Swinson says that the States have cut back on ‘invisible inefficiency’ to the point at which any more reductions in the £500m per year States budget will mean services being stopped or more charges being passed on.
That message has been welcomed by Treasury Minister Terry Le Sueur, who said that there was no ‘fat’ left in the system.
But Mr Swinson says that public sector workers are paid on average 23% more than those in the private sector — with staff on the lowest grades earning much more than those in the private sector, but those on the highest learning less. If the pay were levelled out, the States would save £30m per year.
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It is all very well stating that any more savings will mean service cuts, but those of us with long memories remember the frivolous spending by the states over the past 25 years.
Now the working class have to be held acountable !
Roll on the elections.
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The fact is that lower paid workers in the private sector struggle to keep up with the high cost of living in Jersey, it is an insult to suggest that lower paid Public sector workers wages should be lowered to match the private sector. The ideal solution would be to reduce the wages of the higher paid earners, it seems some of these people have no idea or experience on their highly inflated wages on just how difficult it is for lower paid workers, both private and public, to keep up with ever increasing bills such as gas, electricty, food etc.
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When Mr Swinson says that no more saving I presume he has just reviewed the 15% of the budget left over after the 85% spent on salaries and wages. This dreadful finance minister says there is no fat left in the system. This in the same week as the £1,000,000 wasted at Bel Royal,(by the way, where were health and safety!!). So there is no savings to be made by looking into the way the 16% & 11% States Final Salary Pension is calculated. Overtime, promotions, and exceptional pay rises in the final year, Policemen and firemen still allowed to retire after 30 years on larger pensions than most people’s salaries and then take up another fulltime job depriving someone else of a job,surely they could be kept on in some other capacity, this is an enormous burden on the taxpayers. Frank Walker said in an interview with the JEP last year that he was looking into abolishing this dreadful system, but nothing has been said since. We have States departments where over 50% of staff are managers which is not just expensive but clogs up the system and reduces efficiency. Archaic working practices that haven’t been changed for many years just to retain staff numbers. I bet they have not had the courage to even try and look into the real threat to the future of the island, much easier to just tax the people. Roll on the elections I have my list of who voted for GST
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