AT the same time as unveiling the Budget for 2027, ministers have spelled out their strategic priorities for the next four years.
The list of 11 key priorities is spread across four so-called “pillars”, aimed at tackling the cost of living, restoring competitiveness, investing in Jersey and maintaining financial stability.
The document states: Taken together, these pillars explain why the government’s programme combines targeted action on the cost of living, competitiveness, investment, and sound financial management. They are mutually reinforcing: a stronger economy creates the capacity to invest; investment supports homes, infrastructure and productivity; targeted support helps Islanders manage immediate pressures; and stable public finances ensure that progress is sustainable beyond this term of office.”
Sitting underneath these four pillars are commitments to take targeted action to ease
cost-of-living pressures and to deliver a leaner and less complex public sector with lower running costs.
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said: “These priorities reflect the issues that Islanders consistently tell us matter most to them, not least ahead of the election held earlier this year, where a lot of these messages came across loud and clear: housing, public services, the economy, affordability… they all remain concerns and strong issues for the public.
“These priorities include measures to support families with the cost of living, strengthen our economy, deliver more homes and infrastructure as part of the Investing in Jersey programme, and continued investment in health and education, all underpinned by maintaining stronger financial, strong public finances.”
Among the 11 headline priorities that will underpin this government’s course of action between now and the 2030 election are to reduce regulation and red tape, increase the provision of lifelong learning, secure Jersey’s finance sector including responding to the effects of AI and securing Jersey’s competitive edge for the local economy.
The government has also said it will provide more homes, improve community safety, health services and the public realm and to revise the Carbon Neutral Roadmap to deliver an affordable transition to net zero emissions.
Paul Wylie, who will officially take up the role as the government’s new chief executive on Thursday, said:
“Within each of the 11 priorities, there are specific actions, and the council minister is going to be holding the government to account to deliver those.
“In working to maintain our financial stability, we are signing up to a leaner, less complex public sector with lower running costs. At the end of this period, we will have balanced budgets – that’s one of the key actions – and also we will have increased the Island’s Strategic Reserve.”
