« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Foreword
By the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
The SNP entered government with a firm belief that there was a better way to fund our vital public infrastructure than traditional costly PFI.
We knew reform of PFI was essential to delivering the infrastructure Scotland needs to raise our economic performance and create the wealthier, smarter, greener and healthier nation that we all seek.
This paper sets out our plans for that better model for public procurement - a model that as a first step will direct the excess profits made from traditional PFI funding back into our communities and as a second will secure savings for the public purse through greater partnership, improved management and better value borrowing.
Together this is a package that will deliver clear short and long term benefits for Scottish taxpayers and for our public services - it is a package that secures best value and the best outcomes.
As a start, by making non-profit distributing organisations the core of public-private partnerships, we can remove the element of PFI that delivered the most extreme and unwarranted profits.
And then, as we work to the next stage of the Scottish Futures Trust, we will build up the potential of the public sector in Scotland to secure both the best deals and the best financing. These twin pillars of best value are central to our approach.
The consultation paper sets out in more detail the Government's proposals for the Scottish Futures Trust initiative and seeks general comments as well as a response to some specific questions. I hope you will take the opportunity to let the Government have your thoughts on this important subject.
Scotland has a proud history of developing financial models that serve the needs of today and stand the test of time - we know how finance works and through the Scottish Futures Trust we can make it work better for the people of Scotland.
John Swinney MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
« Previous | Contents | Next »