http://www.gov.je/ChiefMinister/News/DraftStatesBusinessPlan2010.htm

[boatyboy]

Big Chris has no political power. Just like a doctor he can give an opinion or build a report, but cannot make political decisions.

I suggested to a Senator a couple of weeks ago, that all States employees earning over £75,000 should have details and a breakdown of their wages and expenses put on the States of Jersey Website by law, to give transparency to who earns what ! It would show the Government really want transparency in our spending and general finances. This would prove that Politicians are open minded and would have the added benefit of thousands of armchair accountants (retired and otherwise ) to pick over the figures. Scare the hell out of them maybe?, Why ? If they are doing a good and necessary job ?

Up for debate first, just get it voted through the assembly. Make it law. The response was we have other problems to deal with first. 

Quote.

The Comptroller & Auditor General, Chris Swinson, OBE examines how public bodies spend money, and looks at how best they can achieve value for money, by managing their finances to the highest standards.

The Office was established by the States of Jersey, under the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 but the Office remains independent of Government.

As well as focussing on value for money, organisational accountability

Continued:-

 http://www.auditorgeneral-jersey.org/


BB

[Norman_Point]

Fifteen years ago, when I was practising in a government-operated hospital in Israel, all civil servants, of all ranks and all grades, working in all government departments and ministries, had to fill out a form detailing all their assets and share holdings.

These declarations were kept in sealed envelopes in their files in the Civil Service personnel division.  If there was the slightest whiff of scandal, or any suggestion of corruption, the employee's declared assets could be compared with their actual holdings.

[Calimachon]

Seems like a very efficient and sensible way of keeping some information secret, and yet available to hand if it is needed. 

Such information is so sensitive you have to have a very leakfree sealed unit to keep it in and also a bribe-free ring of confidence around it too.  My perception is I am not sure if it would work here!  (Whaaaat am I saying?)

Cali

[stoneface]

Every department should post details of every line-item of expenditure on their departmental website. Everything. It can be done - several US States do it.

That would be a nice bit of transparency. After all, if they've nothing to hide then they've nothing to fear.... right?

[boatyboy]

When there is a will there is a way. As mentioned before Government is supposed to be in charge, set up a framework so business can achieve pay taxes and employ people etc. Government being the top dog is supposed to draw a line to stop big business abusing its position. This is how it is done.

BRUSSELS, July 8 (Reuters) - European Union antitrust regulators imposed a combined fine of more than 1.1 billion euros ($1.54 billionor £950 million) on German utility E.ON (EONGn.DE) and GDF Suez (GSZ.PA) on Wednesday for secretly carving up gas markets.

The European Commission, the EU's antitrust watchdog, fined each company 553 million euros for agreeing in 1975 not to compete with one another on their national gas markets when they jointly built a pipeline to import Russian gas.
"
They maintained the market-sharing agreement after European gas markets were liberalised, and only abandoned it definitely in 2005," the Commission said in a statement.

"This decision sends a strong signal to energy incumbents that the Commission will not tolerate any form of anticompetitive behaviour," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said.

She said the agreement had deprived customers of price competition and choice of supplier in two of the largest gas markets in the 27-nation EU.

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSL851519820090708

Boatyboy

[Deputy Dawg]

I have issue with the fact that states members are telling us that they are "already cut to the bone" with regards to savings when it is plain to most Joe's in the street that this if far from the truth. When we ask for savings we get the usual "well we can stop providing XXX which will save £40,000 a year" etc.

The biggest problem is that we have politician with no backbone. The Chief minister tells them they need to be seen to be making savings, and they just go back to the civil serpents and they spend three weeks in meetings, before they decide on the "service" that they can remove to make a saving and make people feel sorry for them.

What they should do is get the departments annual salary lowest to highest. Split it at the median and count the number of employees in each half. Immediately remove 20% from the top half and the money saved will make an immediate saving to the taxpayers and allow the lower median half to get a wage increase. While it is coming from the top half of the median, you are virtually guaranteed that the person will not be missed in their post. (possible exception would be Health).

It won't happen while we have guttless politicians who won't take the bull by the horns themselves and look at the real way to make savings instead of relying on the civil serpents to make the savings themselves (with their own jobs out of the equation of course). 

[Calimachon]

Recent States of Jersey update:

http://www.gov.je/ChiefMinister/Strategic+and+Business+Planning/ChiefMinisterBusinessPlan.htm

So departments are no longer top heavy?

Cali

[imacrappaud]

75 grand 75 GRAND SEVENTY FIVE GRAND! Who the hell justifies this wage, my god I could sit on my arse all day long and make poor decissions for seventy five grand, its no wonder they have no conciensce when they earn almost double the average wage. In fact for 75 grand or more I would be the happiest person in Jersey if i was suspended, did less than the nothing i did before yet still collected my healthy salary. I can only imagine what i would then do if i was suspended on 200k or more what a life of luxury!

Its about time the state of moneymakers was run like a proper business for example at RBS when i was there a while back people came in and sat with you and timed how long it took to get a job done then worked out for example how many payments you should be typing in per hour give or take a sensible allowance for errors etc. They even timed the walks between buildings for the messengers to ensure they were getting their moneys worth out of them.

States are a joke always have been and probably always will be. In my view the only way of sorting it out is an uprising against them but frankly that is never going to happen because now we are an island run in apathy and the majority are well off so the minority is knackered.

Why is it only one rich bloke over here makes an effort each year to give to the old yet all of the rich are apparantly giving loads to this island.

I better stop there as the Stella seems to have kicked in, hope my points above arent completely drunk ramblings!!!

[man in the street]

i must admit that i am with all of the above posts , time and motion would have a field day here, presentism, being the worst culprit. mind you big chris can bring it to the publics attention, then it up to us to try and make a difference by lobbying the elected.
yes i know banging your head on the wall hurts .

i am at home with a can of carling, as the pub and taxi is a bridge too far at the moment