Nearly a quarter favour tax changes
TAXATION of various kinds was the most popular idea put forward by people who replied to a survey calling for suggestions to reduce the cost of public services.
Organised by a sub-committee of Policy & Resources, the survey asked people to submit up to three suggestions in three categories – generating more income, restructuring services, and reducing or stopping access to public services.
More than 800 responses were received, including nearly 200 from a survey taken by public sector employees.
Some 1,756 different ideas were identified from the public survey and 447 from the employees, and these were grouped into 12 thematic areas.
Nearly a quarter of the public responses included suggestions for tax changes, with the next most popular idea being the restructuring or rationalisation of the public sector and the States’ property
portfolio. The latter category also incorporated suggestions relating to the States’ relationship with its trading assets and States-owned companies such as Guernsey Electricity, Guernsey Water and Guernsey Post.
Taxation was the second most popular category among the public sector employees, with just over a quarter putting forward ideas relating to restructuring or rationalisation.
Other themes that attracted about 10% of the ideas from the public were investment, roads and transport, benefits and political expenditure.
While employees’ responses also included these themes, the political category received the lowest percentage of their suggestions.
The aim is for the sub-committee to identify and recommend actions that could deliver recurring cost reductions of at least £10-£16m. within five years.
The ideas have been rated on their popularity using a scoring matrix and the sub-committee will consider which should be taken forwards.
Member Sasha Kazantseva-Miller thanked everyone who had taken part: ‘The themes that are emerging are interesting, but there’s still a lot of work to do to analyse the many suggestions,’ she said.
‘All of the suggestions are being reviewed, not only the ones that came up more frequently.’
Meetings are also taking place with States committees and suggestions have also been invited from individual deputies.
