Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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There may be changes ahead in the way the UK’s local authorities procure goods and services… In a statement released today along with the publication of the National Audit Office’s report on the Government’s spending review, NAO head, Amyas Morse, said:
“Time and again, we find that problems in the delivery of public services can be traced back to the way Government goes about planning and managing business in pursuit of an administration’s policy objectives. Instead of an enduring framework that supports coherent strategic planning, effective business management and accountability, the current approach amounts to a collection of top-down, set-piece processes and guidance that fail to make the most of the understanding and expertise across government. Government must make a cultural change if it is to make a lasting difference to its performance and narrow the gap in accountability and transparency.”
The report finds that while there have been improvements in the way Government plans and manages public sector activity, insufficient attention has been paid to longer-term funding decisions and their impacts. There is not a coherent, enduring framework for planning into the medium-term and beyond, which would allow any government to make achievable plans, know whether it is on track, adjust its approach where necessary and provide clear accountability. There is a lack of long-term, joined-up thinking and the result is poor value for money.
Talking of money, were you around when the UK ‘decimalised’, or when the Euro was launched? Or do you live in a country that adopted the Euro in later years? I understand that in every scenario, vendors used the changes as an excuse to increase prices. I don’t know how it happened regarding the Euro (only that it did) but decimalisation encouraged vendors to ‘round everything up’ to the nearest penny, rather than reduce it. Yes I know it was only a penny but back then they were worth something and when everything was added up, the rounding up made a big difference to a household’s monthly spend.
Today we’re running a ‘Soapbox’ from a delivery company whose competitors are using ‘Brexit’ to increase prices by 10%. This is not the first time this practice has been brought to my attention.
Whether for business or pleasure, the Internet has given us enormous knowledge and great communication and made us expert at shopping around. Raised prices thanks to a flimsy excuse will result in customers buying elsewhere. Be warned…
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Yours,
21st July 2016