THERE are challenging financial times ahead for the States of Alderney, according to the chairman of its Policy and Finance Committee.

Ahead of the island’s next States meeting on 21 April, at which members will be asked to approve the 2009 accounts, Richard Willmott warned that the island would use up its remaining unspent balances during 2010.

In 2009, he said, keeping expenditure and income in balance had required the use of £117,000 of unspent balances, while the remaining £116,000 would be exhausted during the rest of this year, with £77,000 having already been included in the 2010 budget and the committee agreeing that the remaining £39,000 will be spent on the road reinstatement programme.

‘The results for the year reflect the considerable efforts made by all staff to contain costs and to further extend the user-pays principle to charges,’ said Mr Willmott (pictured).

‘The net result is that although the deficit is less than budgeted in October, we have been reliant on unspent balances to balance the accounts. This option will not be available to us going forward.’

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