Dear Editor,
One of my colleagues told me that he went to the Central Housing and Planning Authority on 28th March to look after an urgent matter and arrived at approximately 1.30 pm but was told by the security guard that the agency was closed for business since around 1200 noon for a “function.” My colleague tried to get some more information but could not, however, he told me that he looked around to see if any Notice was posted advising of this closure but did not find any. He also told me that someone else arrived a little after seemingly from the upper East Coast and that person was irate having spent money to come with a taxi only to find this most important Government Agency closed.
I learnt also from another reliable source that the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs was closed for public business sometime after 130 pm on said day Holy Thursday and this person told me that because his purpose of going there was frustrated that he will have to stay in Georgetown at great cost and loss of time to complete what he had to get done.
Editor after learning of these two premature closures of Government offices I decided to do some checks on some Facebook pages and found out from a news agency that the Ministry of Health was also not opened for business until regular closure time of 4 pm.
I am shocked to learn of this situation and I am asking through your esteemed newspaper to find out what were the reasons for these incidents of premature closure at a time when Government agencies should be serving the Public as they are paid to do until 4 pm particularly in the circumstances where we have two public holidays related to Easter, that is, Good Friday and Easter Monday. Mr. President we already have a lot of taxpayers’ money being wasted at government offices with staff reporting at 830 am and taking long lunches and frequent time off. We the taxpayers demand that this type of delinquency be arrested immediately.
I also ask through your news medium if other Ministries were closed early as well.
Finally, the Government and the Opposition should note that this country is a secular Republic and Christian observances cannot take precedence over any other. I wonder if a Hindu Minister decides to close a ministry early for Diwali or Phagwah if this will be allowed or if a Muslim Minister shuts shop early for Eid if this will be authorized? In any case the taxpayers and general public are being short-changed.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
