JaRistotle’s Jottings | When you live in a glass house

The Prime Minister's (PM's) recent lamentations regarding the level of inefficiency in the public sector and the unnecessary bureaucracy confounding local authorities and other government agencies, whilst accurately describing the malaise dogging tax-paying Jamaicans, did not go far enough. He ought to have addressed the political aspect of the issue and how that fuels lower-level problems. But I am not surprised; when you live in a glass house, you have to be careful how you throw stones.

The PM's rebuke targeted bureaucrats, but who are these bureaucrats he speaks of? I will assume he was referring to the administrators - the civil servants who are supposed "to make things happen in the right way". After all, politicians articulate policy, and the public servants make things happen!

But what happens when policies are flawed or come with directives as to how they are to be implemented, especially directives suggesting that things be done other than in the right way? Either they are not done as directed, which translates to inefficiency in the eyes of some, or the flip side of inefficiency, as in corruption, rises to the fore.

Malaise dissected

Think of ordinary civil servant Joe, who, having listened to the PM's lamentations, reflects on, for example, Minister Ruddy Spencer's alleged promise of increased assistance through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority for the Jamaica Labour Party supporters under the party-appointed chairman. Who do you think implements such cockeyed 'promises' once they are converted into 'policy directives'?

Joe also reflects on the many opportunities for promotion and appointment, for which he was a credible front-runner, that have been diverted to politically aligned non-performers and 'yes-people'. And we wonder why Joe, like so many other hard, working civil servants, is despondent? Why go the extra mile when nothing meaningful is likely to accrue in recognition of one's efforts?

The inefficiencies and corruption that the PM spoke to are invariably products of a higher scheme of notoriety.

Rules and discretion

I agree with the PM that whilst rules should assist in ensuring integrity, transparency and fairness, they should not be obstacles that facilitate corruption. However, according to him, "bureaucrats have taken on a perspective that their job is to stop things from happening. There is no enterprise, no entrepreneurism in bureaucracy in Jamaica".

Ironically, bureaucracy has spawned entrepreneurism here in Jamaica, albeit of a nefarious nature. Time is money, and if we want to transact business at government agencies, where delays can be quite costly and where the expediency of transactions rests with individuals who have discretionary powers as granted by the same rules that were meant to ensure, integrity etc, then chances are we better be prepared to pay 'under the table' or suffer the price of officious despondence.

The PM's outpouring of frustration would have been far more resonant had he addressed the issue in a more holistic manner, rebuking the real blockers of enterprise and ultimate beneficiaries of corruption rather than singling out the product and ignoring the cause. Not so, with self-serving and tribal politics being the cause, and him living in a (political) glass house.

Speaking of self-serving politics, it is no wonder that the politicos have done little to eradicate the culture of inefficiencies that the PM lamented on. How else would they be able to manipulate official systems to their own errant ends? Having yes-people in strategic positions is par for the course, as is the plausible deniability that bureaucracy facilitates.

PM, you have spoken the truth, albeit not in its entirety. But we understand; you live in a glass house.