Herbert Lewis, Guest Columnist
Herbert Lewis
THERE IS a culture of fear in our society today. Fear that if one speaks out, some harm will come to him or her. Fear that if one speaks out, that individual will be labelled as a supporter of that party or the other. Consequently, things are done with scant respect for transparency and accountability.
We are not supportive of each other on issues which affect us as Jamaicans. As one man puts it, if Jamaica was invaded now by a foreign force, there are Jamaicans who would be happy to show the invaders where our soldiers keep their weapons. We don't have a collective interest in or support for our country or for each other to ensure that we are not taken for granted and that our best interest is protected at all times.
POLICE CLAIMS
The police have put in their claim for an increase in their pay and improved working conditions since January and, according to reports, they were not even paid the courtesy of an acknowledgement of their letter. It is not until they stage a sickout that someone in the Ministry of Finance realised that these men and women needed attention to be paid to their business. As a result of the sickout cases which were to be heard in courts all over the island had to be rescheduled due to the absence of police from court duties. The people's business was not attended to. Who really cares?
The situation with the nurses is no different. They had to take to the streets before anybody was prepared to talk with them about their business which is also the country's business. Again, who suffered? The sick, many of whom had to be sent home from the various health institutions because nursing services could not be guaranteed. The people's business again put on hold. Who cares?
ABUSE OF OUR CHILDREN
Our children are at risk and it is disturbing to know that many parents and many of those whom we expect to protect them are abusers. When a church seeks to defend its deacon in a child sex case and is alleged to claim that the member of the congregation who leaked the information would experience God's vengeance, we have reached the bottom of the barrel. To consider the reporting of incidents of this nature as selling out one another to unbelievers, explains how depraved and base are some people's thinking and the extent to which they will go in covering up evil and protecting evil-doers.
BILL PAYMENTS
And what is all this madness that we now have to pay to pay our bill? We all enter into contracts with the utility companies (NWC, JPS, Cable and Wireless) that they will provide us with a service and upon the provision of a bill, we will pay for the service. There are many instances when these utilities fail to provide a bill, and when payment is not forthcoming the service is disconnected. That is bad enough. But they have now varied our contract arrangements by contracting with a third party to collect on their behalf, which places their customers in a situation which requires them to pay a fee to pay their bills. Could there be a legal action against the utility company if the customer refuses to pay the additional fee and the utility company discontinues service because its collector refused to accept the billed amount without the payment fee? Any legal opinion on this? Who cares about the people?
A week ago, the entire country was plunged into total darkness for hours. We have been told that the cause of the black-out has not been determined as yet. After one week it would have been expected that there would have been an answer already. To date there is no answer. What is going on? For heaven's sake, can we know what is happening?
CONTRACTS OVERRUNS
It is estimated that over the past five years, cost overruns on government contracts is about 50 per cent of our fiscal deficit. And over the past 17 years, overruns on these contracts are about $18 billion per year. Persons who have already looked at the White House hotel overrun estimate that the amount is about 50 per cent of the cost of the Portmore highway. What is happening with that highway and the people of Portmore is another matter.
If the Government's role is to provide basic social services for its people, as indeed it is, then those who are charged with the responsibility, must ensure that the scarce resources which are available, are husbanded in the most efficient manner. On the face of it, this is not the case and it is full time that answers and accountability be demanded. The expression in the society, rightly or wrongly, is that what is going on is nothing short of crony capitalism, where a few are making it real big at the expense of the many.
How can these massive overruns be permitted to be to the benefit of a few when we can't find money to pay our teachers, doctors, nurses, police and other public servants? How are we looked at by foreign investors and international institutions when we allow these things to happen without bringing to book those who facilitate these acts?
As the saying goes in the horseracing industry, "Somebody needs to get the reins between the fingers" and bring this wild beast of corruption, waste and overrun to a quick halt.
People everywhere, locally and overseas, are asking: What the hell is happening?
Herbert Lewis is an industrial relations consultant and past president of the Jamaica Employers' Federation.
Email: herblewis@cwjamaica.com.
