(多伦多15日加新社电)安省执政自由党周二说，省府锐意削减巨额赤字，决定裁减或合并13个省属机构。
反对党说，自由党挥霍无度，它说裁减和合并省属机构，以减紧缩开销，无非门面功夫，为今秋的省选做准备。
省府今年1月已宣布，安省基建(Infrastructure Ontario)与安省地产公司(Ontario Realty Corporation)合并，还会吸纳安省体育馆公司(Stadium Corporation of Ontario)。
安省财政厅长邓肯(Dwight Duncan)发言人科农齐(Andrew Chornenky)说，体育馆公司帐户内的420万元用作偿还安省债务，省府也会出售体育馆附近一座公有停车场。
新措施包括：安省按揭公司(Ontario Mortgage Corporation)与安省按揭及房屋公司(Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation)合并。其他11个机构完全消失，包括社会支援检讨委员会(Social Assistance Review Board)、多伦多地区公共交通营运机构(Toronto Area Transit Operating Agency)、东安省及北安省发展公司(Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario Development Corporation)，预计每年可为省府节省20万元。
邓肯已承诺裁减全省259个机构的12个，他在声明中说：“我们超过原本裁减5%机构的目标，我们还会实现和超越目标，发挥每一元公帑价值，将资金集中在安省家庭看重的事务上。”省府说，一些机构的功能可以在政府内发挥，或者停止运作，其他有重复职责，可以合并。
反对党说，政府此时裁减省属机构，只为省选装饰门面。保守党财政事务评议员米勒(Norm Miller)说，自由党限制开支，包括去年承诺冻结公务员薪资，都是“彻底失败”。他说：“他们挥霍无度，这些举措节省的资金，不到一天就会耗尽。”
新民主党经济发展评议员汉普顿(Howard Hampton)说，政府几年前还吹嘘的机构，现在却要裁减。他预计自由党政府为平衡帐簿，可能要裁减更多部门。
Ontario Eliminating 14 Government Agencies
March 15, 2011
McGuinty Government Delivering Better Value For Taxpayers
Ontario is moving forward with its plan to reduce its number of government agencies by five per cent. In total, fourteen agencies are expected to be closed or merged.
Some agencies have functions that could be performed within government or cease to exist, and some have overlapping responsibilities or could be amalgamated.
This includes:
-Combining the Stadium Corporation of Ontario into the proposed Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC) merger. The new IO/ORC entity would be responsible for disposing of the real estate assets currently owned by the Stadium Corporation, which will maximize the return to taxpayers.
-Merging the Ontario Mortgage Corporation and the Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Additionally, 11 other agencies that would be dissolved are:
-Biopharmaceutical Investment Program Marketing Advisory Committee
-Commodity Futures Advisory Board
-Crown Timber Board of Examiners
-Healing Arts Radiation Protection Commission
-Northern Ontario Grow Bonds Corporation
-North Pickering Development Corporation
-Ontario, Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario Development Corporation
-Ontario Network of Excellence Advisory Committee
-ORTECH Corporation
-Social Assistance Review Board
-Toronto Area Transit Operating Agency
The province has also accepted the recommendations made by Rita Burak in her December 2010 Report Of The Special Advisor on Agencies. Greater efficiencies, service levels and accountability will result from the implementation of these recommendations.
These actions build on the steps the Ontario government has already taken requiring agencies to be more accountable and transparent and to follow strong governance and expense disclosure rules. These measures are all part of the government’s Open Ontario plan to improve accountability, eliminate waste and find savings.
QUOTES
“Since taking office, we have brought efficiency and accountability to government and the broader public sector. We’ve gone beyond the goal we set to reduce the number of provincial classified agencies by five per cent. We will continue to meet and exceed targets, get value out of every dollar and focus funds on the priorities of Ontario families” – Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance
“We are committed to running an accountable, transparent and efficient government. We will continue to take action to ensure strong oversight of classified agencies.” – Harinder Takhar, Minister of Government Services
QUICK FACTS
-Better use of technology and stricter travel rules helped reduce government expenses by $30 million last year, and is expected to save an additional $10 million this year.
-Ontario passed the Public Sector Expenses Review Act, 2009 which gives the Integrity Commissioner the authority to review expense claims of senior officials in 22 of the province’s largest agencies.
-Rita Burak, O.Ont is President & CEO of the Network Executive Team, Management Consultants, Inc. She is former Secretary of the Cabinet for the Government of Ontario and both the former Chair of eHealth Ontario and Chair of the Board of Hydro One.
LEARN MORE
Read how the McGuinty government has been working hard to find savings and efficiencies to ensure the best use of public money.
The expenses disclosure website provides regular updates on expense claims of cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants, political staff, government appointees and senior management in government ministries.
Read the news release on the government’s plans to merge Ontario Realty Corporation and Infrastructure Ontario.
