Holness takes aim at red tape

WESTERN BUREAU:

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is placing a spotlight on Jamaica’s public-sector bureaucracy, accusing elements of the administrative system of frustrating hurricane recovery efforts and placing rigid procedures above the urgent needs of citizens struggling to rebuild their lives.

Speaking at yesterday’s reopening of the Black River Hospital in St Elizabeth, exactly one year after Hurricane Melissa devastated sections of western Jamaica, Holness declared that the Government would move to address administrative inefficiencies that he said were delaying the delivery of critical services.

The comments echoed, but were less accusatory than, a statement Holness made a day earlier, when he said he had been coming to the conclusion that some public-sector officials “are determined to sabotage – and I don’t say it lightly – delay, derail policies, programmes and initiatives of the Government”.

Yesterday, Holness said the successful rehabilitation of the hospital, at a cost of more than $300 million, demonstrated what could be accomplished when government officials were prepared to challenge administrative obstacles and accelerate decision-making.

“As a people, and I’m speaking to you now as my family, we have developed a kind of public administration that is inflexible,” said Holness. “It is ultimately rules-based, which it must be, but it is at risk now of becoming irrelevant to the needs of the people. In other words, it is at risk of serving itself rather than serving the people.”

Holness’ toned-down criticism of public-sector personnel came against the backdrop of continuing frustration among hurricane victims, many of whom remain without adequate housing and are awaiting assistance under the Government’s recovery programmes.

He also acknowledged that the pace of recovery had fallen short of his expectations, particularly regarding the disbursement of grants to affected households.

“I have been on record to say I am not satisfied with the pace of the recovery grants and, generally, the pace of the public bureaucracy in responding to the disaster. I don’t need anybody to tell me that. I’ve seen it for myself,” he declared.

Holness said his ministers frequently encountered resistance from technocrats when attempting to expedite projects, with procedural objections becoming obstacles to urgently needed interventions.

“We are faced with technocrats telling us, ‘You can’t do this. You can’t do that. The answer is always ‘No’,” Holness said.

He insisted that his administration was not advocating the abandonment of established procedures or accountability mechanisms, but rather, a more practical and responsive approach to public administration.

“We are not saying you must not follow the rules. We are saying that you must follow them quickly, don’t delay,” he said.

Holness singled out Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton for his determination to accelerate the rehabilitation of Black River Hospital, which suffered extensive damage during the Category 5 hurricane.

The facility, which previously accommodated 150 patients, has been rehabilitated with an expanded capacity of 180 beds, improved operating facilities and a reinforced concrete roof.

Holness said the project, completed in approximately eight months, demonstrated the importance of decisive leadership in overcoming bureaucratic impediments.

However, he warned that other government projects had not progressed with similar urgency.

“I want you to appreciate that there are many projects in the Government that have not been delivered because people are not pushing hard, no care about the people suffering,” he said. “Well, we will change that. We will change that, and I get the sense from the people that they want to see that change.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com

Despite his criticism, Holness maintained that accelerated implementation must not come at the expense of transparency.

“Everything that we do as a Government must withstand scrutiny,” he said. “We do not shy away from public scrutiny. In fact, come and scrutinise what I have done, and then judge me on how fast I have delivered.”

He also argued that public-sector performance should be assessed not only on compliance with established procedures, but also on efficiency and the speed at which essential services are delivered to citizens.

“Judge us on how efficient we have been, how quickly we have delivered,” Holness urged.

Meanwhile, Tufton, who also spoke at the event, apologised to those he acknowledged he had forcefully directed on how to carry out their jobs to get emergency works done following the devastation of Black River Hospital.

“I want to apologise to those who I may have been very forceful with, because if we had followed some of the procedures to restore this facility, we probably would be [just] half-way there today,” he said. “We wouldn’t be celebrating the opening of the facility, but emergency requires emergency measures.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com