UK govt. must stop privatizing public services, IfG says
The IfG urges British government to slow down privatizing public services due to lack of skill and information.
British government has been urged to slow down its large-scale programs to privatize public services after the institute for government (IfG) warned the Whitehall lacks skill and information to insure such deals.
The IfGâ„¢s report comes a few days after an analysis of the governmentâ„¢s controversial £100 billion Å“outsourcing” programs found private firms, including G4S and Serco, have overcharged the taxpayer and the government by tens of millions of pounds.
The private firms are reportedly Å“gaming” the system by Å“creaming off” easy cases where they could make profits while Å“parking” service users with complex needs.
The leading think-tank urged the government to review its programs, saying it does not have the skills or information to design and manage complex contracts.
Å“The current pace and scale of reform is a clear risk and weâ„¢re calling for government to think carefully about how fast it is going,” said Tom Gash, the IfGâ„¢s director of research and lead author of the report.
The British government has accelerated the privatization of public services, in areas such as education, employment services and health since 2010.
MOS/HE
Republished with permission from: Press TV