Be zealous and inflexible

The Editor, Sir:

Our contractor general has been called overzealous as if that is a bad thing. I do not want the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) to have flexibility. I want its officers to be zealous in getting people to follow the letter of the law.

The best analogy is with zero-tolerance by traffic police. In order to prevent the line of traffic doing 45 in a 30 miles-per-hour zone, the police need sometimes to tighten up dramatically, and it works. As long as it is applied equitably, people are happy to follow the rules. I do not want traffic police to be able to give people a 'bligh' without logging it so they can explain what circumstances made it necessary. More flexibility encourages corruption. And if everyone travels at 30, it allows us to see the need for and recommend a limit of 40, if that is what would be better.

Flexibility

The OCG has had marked success, such as the ministry reports they now receive, simply by refusing to be flexible and allowing them not to be done within the required time-frame.

There are many other areas where the flexibility needs to be removed so that rules are followed more closely. The Customs Department has tightened up on the flexing in their area and has provided much more duties, as well as cutting some of the corruption. Where should be next?

So, stop complaining about over-zealous and follow the rules.

I am, etc.,

STEPHEN HODGES

carphen@cwjamaica.com