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Slowdown in public spending… Coalition lights fire under Permanent Secretaries to speed up

Feb 09, 2018 News

With just under three years in office, public spending had fallen to worrying levels. But there has been improvement in the last eight months, as the Coalition Government has been reading the riot act to its accountants and project officers.
According to Ministry of State, Joseph Harmon, for a while now, the administration has been holding monthly statutory meetings with Permanent Secretaries and technical officers from the Ministry of Finance to ensure efficient disbursement of Public Sector Improvement Programme (PSIP) funds.
The PSIP is the main mechanism for the government’s capital programme spending.
It is the budgeting and strategic planning tool available to translate the administration’s policies and plans into tangible projects and programmes.
Speaking during the post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Harmon revealed that a significant sum of money allocated under the PSIP in 2015, 2016 and 2017, was not efficiently disbursed and several contracts had been poorly administered and had rolled-over.
It is against this backdrop that cabinet resolved to institute all measures necessary to ensure contracts awarded under the programme will be executed in a timely manner, and appropriate penalties are applied to defaulters.
The State Minister explained that the recently concluded meeting with the Permanent Secretaries and technical officers involved a review of spending for 2017, and work plans for 2018.
“For the 2018 work plan the following were presented; preparations for procurement plans for all agencies, a format for PSIP monitoring reports, and a format for preparations for various analysis. Also, highlighted for effective short-term spending are prioritising disbursement for small nontechnical projects, while also planning for large technical contracts, compulsory training for relevant staff, institutional strengthening and improved working relations for relevant agencies,” Minister Harmon said.
Harmon also highlighted issues that affected the efficient and timely spending of PSIP funds.
It was however noted that there have been improvements in the performance of the various ministries, for which the Permanent Secretaries were commended.
Projects and programmes under the PSIP represent investments in the country’s economic and social infrastructure. It is also designed to improve the standard of living of the citizens and provide the foundation for economic growth and human development.
As the capital expenditure component of the National Budget, the PSIP is focused on projects and programmes that would achieve sustainable development.

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