The government's aim is to have a balanced budget by 2012 and have a ratio of operating to capital expenditure of 75 to 25.

While speaking at the Public and Private Sector Consultative Forum on the 2010 Budget today at the Novotel Convention Centre in Lami, Permanent Secretary for Finance John Prasad said civil service reforms will be accelerated from 2010 to reduce the operating expenditure.

Prasad said cabinet has already approved that the Finance Ministry should be working with each ministry to ensure that the overall objectives are achieved.

He said issues like the 42,000 people currently on the different payroll systems are being analyzed to look at where the labour is sitting in each ministry and the costs attached to them.