Shake-up 'should go further’

Press, 6 July 1988, Page 6

Shake-up 'should go further’

PA Wellington The shake-up of Government departments and agencies should be taken a lot further, says the secretary to the Treasury, Mr Graham Scott.

Speaking yesterday to the conference of the New Zealand Institute of Public Administration in Wellington, Mr Scott commended State-owned enterprises for their gains in efficiency and savings. However, he urged closer monitoring of policy options and said Parliament needed to be given more information through the public accounts. Mr Scott said devolution of Government powers to other agencies had to involve accountability and it was important to have

clear objectives and incentives for agencies to meet those objectives.

Lines of responsibility often became blurred when there was a policymaking body standing between the Government and the local authority responsible for services. Another complicating factor was the responsibility of the politician to the voter.

Mr Scott said the State Sector Act was a considerable improvement in setting clear guidelines for chief executives in the running of their departments, but he said there were grey areas and a fair distance to go in ensuring good performance by government agencies.