The B.C. government expects to save up to $3 million by shutting down a Victoria centre that distributes office supplies to ministries.
Citizens Services Minister Andrew Wilkinson said the private sector can do the work cheaper and more efficiently.
“I think we all know that you can order almost anything off the web and get it delivered promptly,” he said. “That wasn’t the case 10 years ago, so this is really a matter of us catching up with the rest of the economy.”
Wilkinson said government’s core review process estimated that the change will save about 10 per cent or up to $3 million over three years beginning in 2015-16.
The ministry will work to find jobs elsewhere in government for the 18 employees affected by the decision, he said. “We don’t anticipate any job loss at all.”
The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union confirmed it is working with the B.C. Public Service Agency to find other jobs for its members.
“This is actually something that’s been flagged for a while,” union spokesman Oliver Rohlfs said. “The core review has just followed up … so it’s not so surprising.”
Rohlfs said the union will be meeting with the centre’s employees to assist with the transition.
Wilkinson said the government will issue a request for bids from the private sector in the next four to six weeks, and hopes to transition to a new supplier by fall. All qualified bids will be considered, he said.
“You don’t have to be one of the giants,” he said. “We’d be delighted if a local supplier won the [request for proposals].”
Wilkinson said the savings will go in the “big mix” and likely appear in next year’s budget. The core review process was tasked with finding $100 million in savings over two years.
