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Calls from Northern Ireland's business leaders for public service reform have been met with key changes to boost investment and tourism. The province's finance minister, Peter Robinson, has announced an efficiency drive and initiatives aimed at ending its reliance on the public purse. Radical changes will increase the use of private sector providers, and slim down public bodies. Northern Ireland is struggling to develop its economy after decades of violence which curbed inward investment. Business leaders have voiced concern that public sector wage settlements had not been linked to service reforms. Public expenditure is higher in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK, and public sector pay levels have left the private sector struggling to compete. But Mr Robinson, warned: ‘I am simply not prepared to stand back and leave, unchallenged, the countless instances, large and small, across all our public bodies where taxpayers' money is being wasted in over-staffing, absenteeism, poor working practices and a resistance to radical change in the way we go about delivering services.' To drive investment, the NI Executive has also revealed plans to overhaul the rules for planning applications for major developments to speed up infrastructure modernisation and regeneration projects. There are also plans to roll out a broadband network. A target has also been set to attract 500,000 more tourists every year with the aim of boosting the economy by £150m. The tourism drive gained an added boost with the announcement this week of six new European flight routes to European destinations, including Spain and Switzerland. Alan Clarke, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, said: ‘The arrival of new, low-cost airlines and the new Belfast routes will be a great boost for Northern Ireland's tourism industry.'

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BUSINESS

Firms warn of high pay 'threat' to NI economy

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