Hon Paula Bennett

Minister of State Services

9 August 2016 Media Statement

Government keeps back office numbers down

New Zealanders are benefiting from the Government’s continued focus on front-line services and restraint of bureaucracy, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

The latest report of the public sector cap shows a decrease of 190 to 35,917 full-time equivalent positions in the core public service compared to the previous year.

Currently set at 36,475 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions within core government administrative roles, the cap was introduced in 2008 and reset at the present lower level in 2012.

Overall, numbers are 559 under the present cap and 2,942 below the original 2008 cap.

“Back office numbers blew out to by 10,000 to over 45,000 under the previous Government, while families and businesses carried the cost with little to show for it,” says Mrs Bennett.

“The cap complements other work the Government is doing to cut bureaucracy and deliver results, including the ambitious Better Public Service targets and the recently released Rules Reduction Taskforce report.

“Under this Government, we have made it a priority to focus resources on the things New Zealanders expect their public services to deliver, like more teachers, doctors and nurses, instead of what suits institutions in Wellington.”

ENDS

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