Inniss: Productivity suffers from poor accountability within system

Higher levels of transparency and accountability must become the norm to drive productivity in the public sector says Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce
and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss.

Responding to queries recently from members of the Customs Brokers and Clerks Association about the length of time it took in many cases to receive replies to correspondence or acceptance to applications from various government departments, the minister said that it was unfair that no one was taken to task for such delays, which were hurting many businesses.

“I have no problem with transparency of the system, because we ministers get blamed for a lot of things that we do not know about. If you send in an application six months ago and someone sent in one for a similar concession last month and they go to the same department where they may be handled with the same officers; please explain to me why the person who sent in theirs last week got theirs, and you who have submitted six months ago, did not get yours?” he queried, stressing that, “this friends and family thing needs to stop!” Inniss went as far as to say that in some cases, government must be taken to task.

“Quite frankly, and maybe I should not say it as a minister, but the government needs to be sued a little bit more. Sometimes it may take that to show people how their actions are costing people money across the country,” he said.

He pointed out that antiquated rules and regulations were also hindering the progress of the country.

Speaking on his own personal experience when trying to pay road tax days before it was due with a new insurance certificate, but being informed that he would have to bring in the expiring insurance form to be permitted to make such a transaction, he said, “this is the reason why sometimes there are unlicensed vehicles on the road because we make it so difficult sometimes.”

“It is the little things we talk about like getting things through the port on time. It is these that can help us to solve the macro issues like the fiscal deficit,” he added.

Inniss later remarked, “The bigger issue that we have in the system is that we have good policies, but there is too little accountability. When people are not held accountable for their actions then a culture takes root in society which says you can do whatever you want to do. That is where I think the problem lies. Government takes too long to hold people accountable.” (JMB)