Public encouraged to get involved in revenue raising consultations

Date published: 9 November 2023

In September, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP directed NI departments to launch public consultations on measures to support budget sustainability and raise additional revenue.

Speaking at a stakeholder event held in Belfast today DoF Permanent Neil Gibson said: “The cost-of-living crisis, the deepening climate change impact, changing demographics as well as the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic are all placing increased demand on our already stretched services. Falling rates of real pay across public sector workers is also placing severe strain on those who deliver our public services.

“Just like household and business budgets, departmental budgets have been severely impacted by sharply rising prices because of inflation. Sustained high inflation has fundamentally reshaped the price of what the public pound can buy. The public sector needs to think differently about how it works and consider new ways to respond to increasing demand, deliver public services and provide better outcomes.

“My department has launched two consultations, one seeking views on other aspects of fiscal sustainability that could be considered alongside revenue raising options and the other consulting on a range of domestic and non-domestic rates relief. Our job as civil servants is to provide the evidence for political decisions to be taken; and this should be done from the most informed position possible. I would encourage citizens and businesses to give us their views to help inform the government’s policy development.”

Information on the DoF financial context consultation can be found here. The domestic and non-domestic consultation can be found here.