Tweet
Cutting corruption
published: Tuesday | November 27, 2007
Devon Dick
Recently, my brother told me that in the 1980s when he worked at the Public Works Department (PWD) and the now Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, was then the Minister of Housing, an officer of the PWD obtained money by corrupt means. Golding told the officer to either pay back the money or face imprisonment. The man paid back the money. Golding's crusade against corruption is not a recent conversion.
Stopping efficiency
Corruption stalls productivity. It is an unfair way of distributing resources. It negatively affects the national psyche. It distorts what is right from wrong. It also affects Gross Domestic Product. About seven years ago, a Jamaican student at a Florida University showed, using graphs and data, the negative impact of corruption on the GDP of Jamaica.
Recently, former minister Phillip Paulwell said he did not believe that it was the allegation of corruption that cost the PNP victory at the polls. He cited opinion poll findings, which did not place corruption as a main issue of Jamaicans. Nevertheless, leaders ought to attempt to lessen corruption in public life. Paradoxically, it was Paulwell, when he was executive director of the Fair Trading Commission, who placed ethical practices on the table. He even instituted the limit to the cost of gifts one could receive as a public official. These issues are, and must still be, relevant today.
Corruption is a serious issue. It is well known or alleged that parish council officials and traffic cops take bribes and that journalists and columnists will write a good story after an expensive donation or gift.
Declaration of assets
In 2002, the Carter Centre did a study on corruption in Jamaica entitled 'Fostering Transparency and Preventing Corruption'. In it there is a foreword by Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States. It is out of that process that civil servants were required to declare their assets, an anti-corruption commission established and the Access to Information Act passed.
Sadly, the country has forgotten that document. Otherwise, civil society could have used the Access to Information Act to determine if proper procedures were followed in the appointment of the new executive director of National Solid Waste Management Authority.
There is also an article in the document by Mark Davies, executive director of New York Conflicts of Interest Board. If writers to The Gleaner had read, or remembered, this report then they would not try to redefine what is conflict of interest. Conflict of interest has nothing to do with the integrity of the office holder and all to do with the office holder having a potential conflict of interest.
The Government should press on with legislation to punish persons who break government guidelines in hiring persons, awarding contracts and procuring materials. However, the politicians must also start with themselves. After the deadline had passed for declaration of election spending in the August general elections only 14 JLP MPS and 12 PNP MPS had made the statutory declaration. There needs to be sanctions on the politicians.
Greatest corruption
Perhaps the greatest area of corruption has to do with campaign financing. This is not unique to Jamaica. Over the past weekend in Britain, David Abrahams admitted to donating £400,000 to the Labour Party through agents when the law required that the original donor must declare amounts over £5,000. Golding said he could not declare his campaign financing donors because they fear victimisation. However, since his party has won the elections, that argument has become baseless. The JLP needs to declare the source and sums obtained for financing its campaign.
The PNP claimed that they will do it, if the JLP does it. Nonsense! They all need to display moral courage and declare their sums and sources. This lack of transparency, especially regarding campaigning finances, is a main area of corruption that needs plugging in order to cut corruption.
Rev. Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of "Rebellion to Riot": the Church in Nation Building"
published: Tuesday | November 27, 2007
Devon Dick
Recently, my brother told me that in the 1980s when he worked at the Public Works Department (PWD) and the now Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, was then the Minister of Housing, an officer of the PWD obtained money by corrupt means. Golding told the officer to either pay back the money or face imprisonment. The man paid back the money. Golding's crusade against corruption is not a recent conversion.
Stopping efficiency
Corruption stalls productivity. It is an unfair way of distributing resources. It negatively affects the national psyche. It distorts what is right from wrong. It also affects Gross Domestic Product. About seven years ago, a Jamaican student at a Florida University showed, using graphs and data, the negative impact of corruption on the GDP of Jamaica.
Recently, former minister Phillip Paulwell said he did not believe that it was the allegation of corruption that cost the PNP victory at the polls. He cited opinion poll findings, which did not place corruption as a main issue of Jamaicans. Nevertheless, leaders ought to attempt to lessen corruption in public life. Paradoxically, it was Paulwell, when he was executive director of the Fair Trading Commission, who placed ethical practices on the table. He even instituted the limit to the cost of gifts one could receive as a public official. These issues are, and must still be, relevant today.
Corruption is a serious issue. It is well known or alleged that parish council officials and traffic cops take bribes and that journalists and columnists will write a good story after an expensive donation or gift.
Declaration of assets
In 2002, the Carter Centre did a study on corruption in Jamaica entitled 'Fostering Transparency and Preventing Corruption'. In it there is a foreword by Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States. It is out of that process that civil servants were required to declare their assets, an anti-corruption commission established and the Access to Information Act passed.
Sadly, the country has forgotten that document. Otherwise, civil society could have used the Access to Information Act to determine if proper procedures were followed in the appointment of the new executive director of National Solid Waste Management Authority.
There is also an article in the document by Mark Davies, executive director of New York Conflicts of Interest Board. If writers to The Gleaner had read, or remembered, this report then they would not try to redefine what is conflict of interest. Conflict of interest has nothing to do with the integrity of the office holder and all to do with the office holder having a potential conflict of interest.
The Government should press on with legislation to punish persons who break government guidelines in hiring persons, awarding contracts and procuring materials. However, the politicians must also start with themselves. After the deadline had passed for declaration of election spending in the August general elections only 14 JLP MPS and 12 PNP MPS had made the statutory declaration. There needs to be sanctions on the politicians.
Greatest corruption
Perhaps the greatest area of corruption has to do with campaign financing. This is not unique to Jamaica. Over the past weekend in Britain, David Abrahams admitted to donating £400,000 to the Labour Party through agents when the law required that the original donor must declare amounts over £5,000. Golding said he could not declare his campaign financing donors because they fear victimisation. However, since his party has won the elections, that argument has become baseless. The JLP needs to declare the source and sums obtained for financing its campaign.
The PNP claimed that they will do it, if the JLP does it. Nonsense! They all need to display moral courage and declare their sums and sources. This lack of transparency, especially regarding campaigning finances, is a main area of corruption that needs plugging in order to cut corruption.
Rev. Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of "Rebellion to Riot": the Church in Nation Building"