Provincial departments warned against last-minute spending sprees
Posted Mar 19, 2010 05:51:13 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Nova Scotia government is warning civil servants to think twice about splurging to max out their departmental budget by month’s end.
Finance Minister Graham Steele says “March Madness” will not be tolerated as this fiscal year winds to a close.
“If departments, or units of departments are running under budget, then they should stay under budget and not simply spend for the sake of spending,” Steele said.
Steele says the public raised concerns during his “Back to Balance” campaign about departments wasting money in an effort to spend their entire budget before year’s end.
He says he’s fighting a perception among civil servants that if they don’t spend every penny in the budget, the following year’s allowance will be reduced.
“We’re trying to change the norm in the civil service where coming in under budget is, and is seen to be a good thing and the proper thing to do,” he said.
Treasury Board Chair Frank Corbett says there will be no punitive action for any departments that take steps to spend every dime, but there will be consequences.
“The consequence would be that it would have to be returned and the purchase wouldn’t be supported,” he said.
Corbett says he’s directing all cabinet ministers to ensure any surpluses in operating budgets are applied to the $525 million deficit.
Steele says it’s not clear how much money will be saved.
