Tweet
ALESIA EDWARDS, Observer staff reporter editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
OCHO RIOS, St Ann - Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker says failures within the public sector are due mainly to the incompetence of some managers and is calling on his colleagues to hold themselves accountable for their own actions.
Addressing members of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce in Ocho Rios on Thursday, Walker said the country can no longer afford a public sector that is under-performing. He said the failure of some public sector managers and supervisors has resulted in the Government losing millions of dollars.
"If those who are paid as managers in the public sector are not managing and delivering, mechanisms must be put in place to remove them. This country can no longer afford a non-performing public sector, we just cannot afford it," Walker told the business leaders.
Walker said if the public sector is to grow and perform at a satisfactory level, all persons in authority must be held accountable for the entity he or she leads. He was speaking against the background of new measures implemented at the Customs Department to prevent under-invoicing.
The customs boss said the days of supervisors turning a blind eye to fraud was near an end as he will be holding managers and supervisors accountable for some of what is happening within their respective departments.
"We have sought to tighten that up, where all the goods must be declared, and we expect to see duty paid or we are coming after those companies," Walker warned, adding that the department will continue vigorous checks on all importation to ensure that all the necessary duties are paid.
He also reiterated his intention to go public with breaches and embarrass the offenders.
Thursday, he also disclosed that scanners will be installed at the island's airports by next month to help detect undeclared items. The scanners, he said, are intended to reduce the number of manual searches.
The customs commissioner also disclosed that the department is also looking at reintroducing the K-Nine division.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
OCHO RIOS, St Ann - Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker says failures within the public sector are due mainly to the incompetence of some managers and is calling on his colleagues to hold themselves accountable for their own actions.
Addressing members of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce in Ocho Rios on Thursday, Walker said the country can no longer afford a public sector that is under-performing. He said the failure of some public sector managers and supervisors has resulted in the Government losing millions of dollars.
"If those who are paid as managers in the public sector are not managing and delivering, mechanisms must be put in place to remove them. This country can no longer afford a non-performing public sector, we just cannot afford it," Walker told the business leaders.
Walker said if the public sector is to grow and perform at a satisfactory level, all persons in authority must be held accountable for the entity he or she leads. He was speaking against the background of new measures implemented at the Customs Department to prevent under-invoicing.
The customs boss said the days of supervisors turning a blind eye to fraud was near an end as he will be holding managers and supervisors accountable for some of what is happening within their respective departments.
"We have sought to tighten that up, where all the goods must be declared, and we expect to see duty paid or we are coming after those companies," Walker warned, adding that the department will continue vigorous checks on all importation to ensure that all the necessary duties are paid.
He also reiterated his intention to go public with breaches and embarrass the offenders.
Thursday, he also disclosed that scanners will be installed at the island's airports by next month to help detect undeclared items. The scanners, he said, are intended to reduce the number of manual searches.
The customs commissioner also disclosed that the department is also looking at reintroducing the K-Nine division.
Comment