You may have heard discussions on national news this morning in relation to future PFI contracts. Stop The Cuts Alliance have issued this response, in their own words. Ed
This morning the Conservative Chancellor, George Osborne, announced that he will carry out a “fundamental reassessment” of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in a bid to cut costs.
The government statement highlighted that PFI costs have prompted criticism, with taxpayers facing rising bills over contract terms which can last decades.
Mr Osborne said the coalition government wants “a new delivery model….at a lower cost to the taxpayer and with better value for public services”.
Will news change council’s position on highways PFI?
The Alliance asks “will this ‘fundamental reassessment’ cut any ice with the mandarins at County Hall? Or will they plough on regardless with their ill-judged roads PFI scheme?”
For months now Alliance members have been calling for a halt to the PFI plans and have shown, at various public meetings, that the council’s calculations do not add up and that public money would be saved in retaining the current in-house system.
“Figures just don’t add up”
Alliance spokesman, Steve Goodman, said “You would think that our local Tory councillors would pay some attention to their own Chancellor of the Exchequer when he is voicing concern over the cost and running of PFI projects.
“On a day when Councillor Pugh has publicly asked for input from the Alliance we have to wonder why he has not heeded our advice in the past regarding this expensive and risky roads PFI scheme.
“We have attended many public meetings organised by the council on this issue and have shown, on each occasion, that their figures just don’t add up and that our calculations regarding in-house retention of road maintenance show a much cheaper and less risky use of Island taxpayers’ money.”
