‘Plethora of inefficient civil servants need to be got rid of’
GOVERNMENT should cut the cost of the civil service before asking taxpayers for more money, says a major figure in the business community.
David Ummels, known locally for his cultural work, said there were too many overpaid and under performing civil servants.
‘The sad truth is that there’s a plethora of inefficient and very expensive mid- to senior civil servants, in particular male civil servants because it is the nature of the particular demographics within the States.
‘I think they need to go. This is not a dogmatic statement. It’s a pragmatic statement in the sense that I don’t believe they offer enough value to the taxpayers.’
Mr Ummels said he felt professionally qualified to comment from a broad range of experience, including 30 years of working in debt restructuring and the capital markets.
He also engages regularly with numerous States departments, including in his roles as founder of Art For Guernsey and as a member of the Chamber of Commerce executive.
Mr Ummels said he was speaking as a citizen and concerned father with no agenda other than the wellbeing of the island.
He stressed he was not talking about frontline public workers such as teachers, health professionals and police.
‘I’m talking about all those who are writing questionable and endless policies with no deadline and no delivery. In many instances their salaries are higher than what they would get in the private sector.’
With the States working on a major fiscal review, the businessman said the government should cut the cost and size of this part of the civil service before raising taxes. He saw little evidence of relevant cost-cutting being achieved in the last few years.
Action was also needed on civil service pensions, he said.
‘The debate on taxation will come,’ said Mr Ummels. ‘It’s a welcome debate. As a taxpayer, I’m certainly open to hear that we need to change the tax system, maybe we need to have a wider base or maybe we have to contribute more in some fashion.
‘I think a lot of people will take my view that everybody loves the place. Everybody wants to be constructive. But if you ask us as taxpayers to buck up, you want to make sure that your money is not wasted.
‘I don’t see how the States could disassociate this cost-cutting exercise from the tax debate, because I would have a problem to pay more tax if they don’t do anything about the dead wood.
‘But if they say “look we’re trying our best – we’re trying to tackle the problems”, then they place themselves in a critical position to say “we need a bit more help” and that’s okay.
‘So I think that it’s very healthy for a jurisdiction to demonstrate to its taxpayers that they are running things efficiently and therefore, they can generate much more goodwill.’
Taking action would also enable money to be redirected to good investments, said Mr Ummels, such as infrastructure, connectivity and education.
