Tuesday 13 October 2009

Selling Wales - at a price

International Business Wales[IBW] is charged with selling Wales to the world. Selling anything has a price. But, and there's always a but, is the price right.
Today a list was produced by KPMG after a forensic investigation of Expenses at IBW. The found that there were 781 transactions(11%) where there may be breaches of policy and may require further investigation. But there were already a number of cases that breaches of procedure had occured.
The Welsh tax payer has paid:-first class air travel at a cost of £6125.63, when Business class was available; Credit cards used to withdraw foreign currency for 'hospitality'; the purchase of children's school text books at a cost of £553.87; AA membership - £203.54; electrcity bill for a residential address - £345.22; clothing - £74.00; football kits -£150.00; dishwater for the office (including 3 year warranty) - £280.30 and an item called "personal care" on a department store receipt £45.30. They spent £3,394.44 overseas on a Wales v South Africa rugby match.
Now this might be small beer in the Welsh Assembly's total budget but for the rest of us who pay our own bills it an another example of public servants living the high life on the back of the Welsh taxpayer.
It's not as if we're been overwhelmed by inward investors. Value for money, it is not.

No comments:

Post a Comment