MBIE to provide payment range for contractors after new way of measuring
16 May, 2021 02:19 AM
3 minutes to read
MBIE expects to put out the first benchmark data later this year. Photo / 123rf
RNZ
A new way of measuring what contractors are charging the Government will set out the range of what is paid for each type of job.
The public sector is under orders to rein in contractor spending, and also rein in employee pay rises.
But while employee pay has been carefully tracked for years, contractor and consultant fees have not been until now.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment expects to put out the first benchmark data later this year.
Photo: 123RF
The public sector is under orders to rein in contractor spending, and also rein in employee pay rises.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment expects to put out the first benchmark data later this year. The data for the first year will not demonstrate [percentage] rise as it will be a benchmark, a spokesperson said in a statement to RNZ. It will establish a range per job/contractor.
For example, project managers being paid between $x and $x. The aggregate information rolled out by MBIE . for the quarter 1 October-31 December [2020] will identify the rates for each agency, the providers involved, and will enable agencies and MBIE to compare and monitor rates paid.
Concerns over council spending Lewisham Council has been accused of “frivolous” spending after paying double what it originally planned to for a consultant. Following a public question at full council from Cheryl McLeod, of campaign group Catford Against Social Cleansing, it emerged last week that Lewisham has paid Studio Egret West “in the region” of £300,000 for work on the Catford town centre regeneration plans. SEW, an architecture and urban design consultant company, was contracted by the council in 2018 and is still working on the plans. A Freedom of Information request from Ms McLeod revealed that Lewisham originally capped what it would pay SEW at £150,000 for a 10-month contract.