PUBLIC SECTOR wages at $35 billion are grabbing up 34 per cent of the recurrent budget. Even as Minister of State for Finance, Michael Peart, was giving these figures in this year's Budget Debate and speaking of rationalisation, the Civil Service was expanding. The Government's own figures are indicating that there are 184 more persons in the direct employment of the Government over last year's figure of 39,587.
Now we hear that an overseas review team, headed by an eminent British public servant is coming to advise in the overhaul of the system. The Government for years has been running a Public Sector Modernisation Project and a Citizen's Charter Programme without apparently making much headway. The problem is twofold: the quality of service to the taxpaying public as clients, and the implementation of public policy and projects in a timely and efficient manner. On both counts, we have far less than an adequate Public Service.
The Government has been making a great issue of Executive Agencies as the key but seems unable to proceed beyond the first few. The whole Civil Service cannot be converted into Executive Agencies and these Agencies are not panaceas.
The Civil Service has been extensively studied and analysed. It is time now to push a serious reform programme. In a shrinking liberalised economy where the Government has shed a number of responsibilities, both the size and functions of the Civil Service need serious adjustment.
It is not likely that the overseas review team will tell us anything new. And what they certainly will not be able to do for us is to provide the will for action. The track record of the last several years of public sector reform is not very encouraging and, in many ways, the Government is less able now than them.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.
