Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my pleasure to present the comments of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure regarding this secretariat. Referring to the 24 options, the standing committee suggested that the Financial Management Board Secretariat should develop proposals for sharing its staff and services -such as payroll and other human resource related functions - with health boards, education boards, hospitals and related agencies in the regions. Further, the FMBS should also develop further proposals to devolve compensation services and other human resource related functions to departments. While options have been developed by FMBS for consideration, the standing committee recommends that specific proposals be developed and provided to the committee for evaluation by June 15, 1996.
Staff Housing
As the government agency primarily responsible for expenditure control, the standing committee feels that the FMBS should be more active in developing and implementing creative solutions to the government's expenditure crisis.
Committee Members would like to see the FMBS encouraging government departments to implement more cost-saving measures, such as:
- requiring that all air travel be on excursion-fare tickets;
- replacing grants to third parties with low-interest loans, where possible;
- reimplementing an incentive program for employee suggestions;
- amalgamating regional boards and authorities, where practical; and,
- gearing income support programs towards job creation and away from handouts.
Committee Members feel strongly that much of the government's budgeting and spending problems can be corrected through creative measures such as these. Thank you.