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Cullen flags up potential of Executive procurement savings

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Wednesday, 31 October, 2012
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Harry Cullen, NI Conservatives’ finance spokesman, has highlighted a failure by Sammy Wilson’s department to coordinate and improve procurement processes within the public sector, which could be costing Northern Ireland £140 million.  

“The finance minister has repeatedly rubbished the prospect of devolving powers to lower Corporation Tax in order to create jobs, by referring to the apparent cost to the block grant”, Harry explained.  “But has Mr Wilson been doing all he can to cut waste, in order to protect public services, and perhaps to pay for the very initiatives which can get people off the dole queue?  The Northern Ireland Audit Commission’s report on procurement certainly suggests that he hasn’t”.

“If the minister of finance had set the same targets as other UK jurisdictions in tackling waste, by getting the public sector to coordinate its procurement of services, the Auditor General estimates that the savings could have amounted to £140 million.  His calculation is based on figures which the administrations in Great Britain are currently achieving successfully.” 

“Once again the executive, and in particular Mr Wilson’s department, appears to be lagging behind, when it comes to offering the people of Northern Ireland value for money.   Perhaps, when the finance minister next tries to trot out his propaganda against lower Corporation Tax and the jobs it can create, he should pause to think about the waste which he has presided over in the executive and how the savings could have been spent in order to make people’s lives better.”

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