Finance Minister has welcomed the approval of
the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill and the Fiscal
Council Bill in the Assembly.
Speaking following the debates, the Minister said: Good
legislation plays an important role in delivering better outcomes
for all. It helps shape effective public services while ensuring
strong accountability through clear legal responsibilities and
oversight.
Working collaboratively across departments, my department brought
forward the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill to
deliver a range of measures through a single streamlined piece of
legislation.
The Bill also places a number of existing activities, previously
reliant on the Budget Act authority alone, on a clearer statutory
footing.
These measures will strengthen accountability, modernise public
services, and give us better tools to support the economy, the
marine environment and education sector as well as protecting
people and delivering better outcomes for communities.
The Minister added: The Fiscal Council has made a significant
impact in improving the transparency, scrutiny and understanding
of our public finances since it was established, on a
non-statutory basis, in 2021.
The finalised legislation secures the Council's independence,
providing it with a broad and flexible remit to assess and
comment on our public finances and their sustainability. I
welcome the continued scrutiny to improve the transparency and
understanding of our public finances, that these safeguards will
inevitably bring.
