THE Prime Minister Rowley is quoted in the press as stating that 'experts' from the private sector should be made permanent secretaries. What makes these private sector people 'experts' in public administration? It is always easy to talk about the private sector and its perceived successes but what the Prime Minister does not talk about is the many legal restrictions within which the permanent secretaries must work.
Dr Rowley is quoted as saying, 'I can tell you, getting houses built from the idea of where you gonna build it to handing someone a key, you have no idea the amount of slow walking that could take place and the molasses rate that can apply to the decision-making that's taking place. And that usually comes from a lack of vision in the public service because many of the decision-makers do not associate themselves with the outcome of their day's work.'
These are not decisions made by permanent secretaries but by technical officers in the ministry. Furthermore, the final decision is always that of the Cabinet, which often ignores advice from the very permanent secretaries and does whatever it believes to be in ministers' political interest.
He is further quoted as saying that this lack of awareness stemmed from the fact that most permanent secretaries were not experts in their ministries, but simply people who ascended based on their seniority.
Clearly the Prime Minister is misinformed about the level of qualifications that many of these public sector professionals possess. It would surprise the Prime Minister to know that many permanent secretaries are very qualified, up to the master's degree level. It would further surprise the Prime Minister to know that many of these patriots refuse the temptation of leaving the public sector for more lucrative offers in the private sector.
This is another attack on the members of the civil service by the ministers of government, who are of the view that they should have unbridled control of the public service. These attacks will not stop because they are all a part of an apparent plan of this Government to attack the public service and its unions who stand in the way of the Government's unbridled quest for maximum power.
Dr Rudranath Capildeo must be smiling wherever he is because he saw the possible inherent danger when there is political control of a country's public service. Therefore in 1962 he demanded that the public service be independent of the politician so that they can protect the public purse. He further demanded that there be established an independent Public Service Commission that would protect the public officer from cronyism, nepotism and victimisation that can occur when there are no mechanisms to fetter government.
When one examines the attacks against the service commissions and the massive reductions in funding to these bodies, there is a clear picture emerging at this time. This Government is intent on destroying all the mechanisms intended to protect the country's patrimony and preserve the principles of fairness, justice and e
