Jersey Government Reform Continues Apace

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

29 July 2002

A report in the Jersey Evening Post last week revealed that work on streamlining the structure of governmnent on the Island is continuing apace.

Speaking to the newspaper on Thursday, Policy and Resources Committee President, Senator Pierre Horsfall announced that the proposals to restructure the current 25 States committees into 10 ministerial departments had been approved by 38 votes to 7, and speculated that nothing short of a massive change of heart on the part of the States authorities could now halt the process.

According to the JEP, the process of streamlining will begin in earnest when the States reconstitute themselves in Decemeber, after the autumn elections. Initially, there will be 13 committees, but this will later be reduced still further to constitute the final line-up.

When the governmental restructuring is complete, the departments in place will be: the Chief Minister's department, Economic Development, Education, Sport and Culture, Environment, Health and Social Services, Home Affairs, Housing, Public Services, Social Security, and Treasury and Resources.

Senator Horsfall told the newspaper that he was 'absolutely delighted' with the outcome of last week's vote, and stressed that the streamlining of the structure of government in Jersey is something that he personally has been pushing for since the early 1980s.

Recommended