Hamilton examines OECD reforms

Finance Minister Simon Hamilton has visited the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in Paris, to find more about best practice in governance. The OECD’s membership covers most Western economies.

The meetings were “extremely constructive and helpful,” he said afterwards, pointing out that the organisation is developing a database of international best practice in innovation.

“It is working with member states to collect and disseminate new and creative ways of delivering public services,” Hamilton explained. “I believe that there are huge opportunities for Northern Ireland to not only learn from this repository of best practice but also feed in what we do well.”

In a separate external visit, Hamilton addressed the Finance Leadership Network’s national conference in Cardiff. He remarked that Northern Ireland had followed Wales’ lead by introducing a small business rates relief scheme and the principality had used the province’s empty property relief model. Both administrations, he said, faced similar challenges and needed to pursue a “robust” efficiency agenda.