The States of Guernsey now concedes that at least £42 million has been squandered on two failed IT projects. Deputy Marc Laine, Policy & Resources’ newly appointed IT adviser, has stated publicly that this figure is likely to rise as further failures are uncovered. The Revenue Service system, which has cost taxpayers £24 million, may need to be abandoned entirely. As for the £18 million MyGov platform, States Chief Executive Boley Smillie has been blunt: “It is that stark – we have spent £18m. on that project and from my perspective, there is literally nothing to show from it.”
Mr Smillie, who is leading an investigation into the failures, has confirmed that malfeasance cannot be ruled out. Asked whether wrongdoing or misconduct might be found in the way the MyGov project was handled, he stated: “I have seen no evidence to support that, but at this stage it would be foolish to rule anything out.“
Deputy Laine has attributed the disaster to thirty years of neglect and what he terms “under-qualified executive management around technology.” He anticipates that further waves of risk will follow, arising from cultural and structural deficiencies within senior leadership. The States, he warns, will be required to spend many millions more over the coming eighteen months to address technical deficits across government.
This is not news to those who have been paying attention. The broader £200 million Agilisys contract was terminated early following a damning Scrutiny Management Committee report which found that the States had signed a contract without understanding its own systems; that senior management had effectively abandoned oversight; and that the civil service lacked the technical competence to manage the partnership. Deputy Helyar previously noted that management ineptitude had caused millions of pounds’ worth of equipment to be destroyed and had come close to losing all States data.
It is that stark – we have spent £18m. on that project and from my perspective, there is literally nothing to show from it.
Chief Executive Boley Smillie
The pattern is familiar. As we documented on The People’s Trust Guernsey, the Agilisys failure exposed severe governance deficiencies, which, for an island of approximately net 15,000 taxpayers, amounts to over £13,000 per person. The civil service culture of evading accountability, shielding shortcomings through defensive internal reviews, and discrediting complainants has persisted for years. The absence of enforceable mechanisms, including a Freedom of Information law, has allowed these failures to remain hidden until their scale became undeniable.
As I have argued on the State of Guernsey website for several years, public servants must answer to those who pay them. Guernsey’s small talent pool, combined with salaries matching those of UK cities, attracts candidates who may not meet the standard required. The protective syndicate that has evolved shields incompetence; those who should resign do not. Complainants are isolated; whistleblowers are discredited.
Deputy Gavin St Pier has described the £42 million loss as “an unconscionable waste of public money.” Yet the question remains whether anyone will be held accountable, or whether the investigation will produce yet another internal review designed to protect the status quo.
The frontline staff, as P&R has been keen to emphasise, are not responsible. The failure lies with those who managed and oversaw these projects and those who permitted years of drift without intervention. Whether the current administration possesses the will to address the cultural and structural issues that have permitted this scale of waste remains to be seen.
Sources
Guernsey Press:
- More States IT failings are likely to be uncovered (9 December 2025)
- Shorthand States: £42m down the drain (28 November 2025)
- ‘The worst example of waste in the public service’ (27 November 2025)
- Tens of millions ‘wasted’ on failed States IT projects (26 November 2025)
The People’s Trust Guernsey:
State of Guernsey: