PHILOSOPHY FOR PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM Government's ...

White Paper on Public Sector ReformThe annual Estimates of Expenditure reveal the large sums of moneyappropriated for the payment of salaries, wages and other administrative coststo keep the state apparatus functioning. Indeed, for the financial year 1995-96,the sum of $518,000,000 has been allocated, representing 43% of government'scurrent expenditure. Funds for this purpose come from taxation or domestic andforeign borrowing. The government of Barbados must therefore manage itsfinances efficiently to provide value in terms of service for the revenue it hasraised from the public.Public Sector Reform will seek to bring about fundamental change in thetraditional system of Financial Management in the public sector. The changeswill -• provide improved facilitation in the use of financial resources by agencymanagers to enable them to meet their programme targets and produceresults, and• ensure that the cannons of financial propriety are not abused ordisregarded to invite opportunities for corruption in public sectorfinancial dealings.A special committee, set up in the Ministry of Finance has maderecommendations for improvement in the system. In addition, a team ofconsultants is working on institutional strengthening of public expendituremanagement, in close collaboration with the committee and governmentfinancial and revenue agencies, to ensure that needed improvements arerealised.The following actions are proposed -