IN THE early days of Prime Minister Patterson's administration, he proclaimed citizens' charters as tools for improving public and monopoly services. As he works towards his planned exit from the political stage, he should fast-track the development and use of these charters.
After all, he has already fast-tracked roads, land distribution and housing through Operation PRIDE at the cost of billions of dollars, some of which have not been properly accounted for, some of which have been wasted.
He has attempted to fast-track the creation of information-technology jobs with less than favourable results. Cost-sharing for secondary school students has been put on the tracks for elimination by 2003.
It is harder to be remembered as the Prime Minister who did the most for the reform of public service delivery since this may be a quiet, low-profile revolution out of the political limelight. But there are few more important tasks that a head of Government could undertake as a lasting gift to all the people he has pledged to serve. And the cost to the public treasury is minimal compared to most other fast-track schemes of providing memorable benefits. In fact if done right, the improvement of public service delivery is a cost-saver, as any business person in the private sector can tell the honourable Prime Minister.
There are few other areas in which poor service has drawn more public ire than in the utilities. The three major utility companies, in fact, have charters and have publicly re-committed themselves to compensating their customers if they fail to meet specified levels of service in the delivery of services in electricity, water and sewage disposal, and telecommunications. These charters need much wider publicity and the participation of users in their design and operation.
The level of compensation being offered for non-compliance is so paltry that it cannot possibly serve as an incentive for complaining and claiming. But that may be the objective: to operate a token system which nobody will bother to use. The JPSCo is offering $150 to residential customers and $750 to commercial customers for any failure on the company's part to meet a number of specified service delivery deadlines. The claim procedure itself will easily cost the user more in time and effort. A fairer way to proceed, it seems, is to provide compensation as a percentage of average rates in defined consumption bands. The OUR's J. Paul Morgan's surprise at the lack of claims is the real surprise.
In any case, the idea of service charters with user participation and which facilitate complaints and provide redress is a good one in the process of seeking to improve monopoly services provided by the state or private companies. It is more than worthy of a busy Prime Minister's attention, even as he leads his final campaign. After all, governance is about service.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
