Plans to streamline Jersey government's IT system to cost double the estimate

Plans to centralise Jersey's government services and put them online, have gone £30 million over budget. ITV News understands the cost for the project was meant to be £28 million, with a budget of £40 million in the Government Plan. However, in a briefing earlier today, Chief Operating Officer of the States of Jersey, John Quinn revealed that the project will now cost more than double the estimate - which has been revised to £63 million.

The idea is that a 'digital back office' will be created to streamline and centralise government services, including procurement, billing and stock management.

The bulk of the additional costs is the internal cost of government staff being used for this programme, to avoid becoming too reliant on suppliers. At its peak approximately 100 people's jobs will have to be backfilled, as they are re-deployed to work on this programme. The States Chief Operating Officer says the original estimates were unrealistic.

Deputy Wickenden, who led the e-gov programme which set out to deliver the foundations of a streamlined digital system, says this is just a continuation of the work he started. The money for it will come mostly form the government plan, although they have been allocated an additional sum of nearly £8 million for this year already, from existing capital programmes. The department will then have to re-apply in the next government plan for money to be able to deliver the project.

Work on the new system is expected to start later this year, but will take a few years to deliver. It is hoped to be complete by 2024.