A Deputy has questioned whether the public could “reasonably” understand the States’ accounts, after admitting he struggled to follow them himself during a scrutiny hearing.
Professional economist and strategist, Deputy Andy Sloan said: “Can I hold my hands up? I can’t follow the accounts very readily.
“If informed deputies struggle to identify the true financial position, then how can we reasonably expect the public to follow?
He made the comments during Thursday’s Scrutiny Management Committee meeting examining the 2025 accounts, and whether increased technical detail may have come at the expense of clarity.
In his opening address, the Scrutiny President asked whether the accounts had “improved transparency… or made the accounts more difficult to follow.”
Deputy Sloan repeatedly pressed ministers on whether the figures actually helped explain Guernsey’s financial position.
He said some points needed to be inferred “from the numbers”, rather than being explained in the document.
“My question is, is that clear for the public? I struggle to see that it is,” he said.
Deputy Sloan also questioned how key figures – including the estimated £50m funding gap – were derived, saying he had “lost track”, arguing they were not clearly set out in the accounts.
‘A lot to take in’
Policy and Resources members acknowledged the accounts were complex.
First-term Deputy Andrew Niles said reviewing them in detail had taken “the best part of the day,” going through them “page by page and line by line” with the help of the external auditors.
Deputy Charles Parkinson, Treasury Lead, said the move to international accounting standards had made the accounts longer, adding that whether they improved public understanding was “a moot point”.
However, he said the changes had improved transparency and allowed Guernsey to be compared with other jurisdictions.
Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, P&R President, said the accounts were only a “snapshot” of a single year and must be read alongside other reports.
She added the narrative was designed to make the figures more accessible, saying the States was “not trying to just produce reams of numbers that might not make sense to people”.
Clarity vs complexity
Despite that, the hearing exposed a clear tension between technical accuracy and usability.
Scrutiny members argued the accounts relied heavily on explanations outside of the core figures, making them harder for non-specialists to interpret.
Deputy Sloan said the presentation was “not helpful to understanding the underlying fiscal position” and questioned whether the accounts alone provided a clear picture of the island’s finances.
The States is due to debate the accounts later this month.
