Dear Editor,
I watched the video where President Ali chewed up and spat out Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, engineers and other officials over a huge number of Government projects being four or more months behind schedule. (See “President berates, ministers, PS’s, engineers over delayed projects,” SN, Nov. 13, 2024). I have never seen such a name and shame effort but that is what it probably would take to get efficiency in Government projects. All those ministers and government officials who usually act high and mighty like little gods, were appropriately cut down to size. I now know whom I will complain to when NIS, Regional Ministry, GRO, Education, Health, Water, Housing, Home Affairs people and others don’t respond. It’s a toxic culture when Government people don’t do their jobs efficiently and where a culture of “nobody cares” predominate across Government. The poor people suffers. Thanks to the President for caring!
I had called before for an Efficiency Czar to be appointed. I have no tolerance for Government being unresponsive, with no sense of customer service, as it provides “slow motion” services to our people. In America, employees apologise to you profusely if you have to wait a few minutes to get served. Their Customer Service operates on this basis: Rule No. 1 – “The Customer is always right.” Rule No. 2 – “If you don’t believe the customer is always right, see Rule No. 1.” Imagine if we practice such customer service values how revolutionary it will be for the working masses and the country. In Guyana’s top-down system, rich people don’t have to go through what poor people go through. They have “lines” with the big boys and don’t have to sit in a waiting area in an office to get services. It’s the poor people who go through hell getting government services.
It should not have to take a President’s involvement to get things done on time. If the President has to intervene, it means the ministers and other people he entrusted and put there are not doing their jobs, and are letting him down and embarrassing him. The President should fire some of the bad eggs so the country will know he means business about efficiency. Fire them up, or fire them! Truth be told, since Independence we have still operated in largely colonial systems geared for control and sloth, not efficiency. Nobody, from minister down, by design, wants to change these bad systems because if you do, it will close down the bribery and corruption industry going on now at all levels to speed things up. Editor, the President is on the right track. He will be the people’s hero if he weeds out all the ineffective and inefficient folks we have now in Government. Follow President Trump’s example where he has appointed Elon Musk to be the efficiency czar and set up a Government Efficiency Commission. I can do the job for $1 a year, but you have to give me the power to fire the deadweights embarrassing our Government!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
Civil Society Advocate
