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MARK WIGNALL
Thursday, May 28, 2009
There was no way of escaping the controversy. Jamaica, a small, struggling island nation of 2.8 million souls, known for producing Bob Marley and reggae music, Usain Bolt and a never-ending string of top international athletes, famous for its sun, sea and sin tourism, but hobbled by a perennially underperforming economy, a crippling rate of violent crime and the lack of a roadmap to better times.
MARK WIGNALL
Between May 11 and May 14 - four days - Jamaica's 75-member contingent to a Commonwealth Local Government Conference held in The Bahamas was the largest delegation, excluding the host country's. A comparison of the other Commonwealth members who attended showed Nigeria in second place at 43, South Africa third at 38, followed by Belize, Botswana and Canada, each at 12.
When this is placed alongside the local effects of the global economic recession, Prime Minister Golding's pronouncements on cost-cutting measures, our own long-term acquaintance with local economic recession, a JLP administration that at its best, was never brimming over with popularity and the old, fixed perception that those in all areas of our politics are thieves and liars and good at it too, the announcement of Jamaica's cost to attend - $10 million -would have had to result in public outcry.
A significant number of elected members making up all political administrations in this country believe that because they were elected and have been mandated to "represent" the people, those who criticise public spending must prove their point publicly before elected officials justify the spending allocations.
On the other hand, most matters of public spending are usually judged in partisan tones. The fact is, although political debate among the public may sink to extremely low levels at times, some believe that that is matched only by the degree to which elected officials will sink to make off with parts of the public purse.
Although I believe that not many Jamaicans would have done the division ($133,000 each), the criticism was centred on a few factors. First, there was the belief that a small country like Jamaica need never, on any official overseas visit, send 75 people anywhere at any time. Second, an economic crisis was on and the government did not take sufficient pains to justify the expense. Third, local government seems to be that area where there is always controversy on spending. Fourth, any benefits to come as a result of the "bloated" visit would be promised, but over time, would become lost in the political forest.
Last Thursday, I attended a press conference held at the Department of Local Government where Bobby Montague, state minister (OPM) with responsibility for the reform of Local Government, spoke and fielded questions. Local Government is not a ministry as "sexy" as National Security, neither does it claim many political lives. So, it needed the controversy because it needs Jamaicans to view it in an "active" light.
The minister himself said at the conference, "I am glad for the controversy because it allows me the opportunity to explain to you the benefits that Jamaica has received for the money spent. Ten million dollars is a lot of money and this is now our opportunity to explain the facts to you."
One of the best areas of defence in the minister's explanation of the large number of those who attended was the modular structure of the Local Government Conference. According to him, "If the conference was designed to accommodate a lesser number of people attending, it probably would have lasted for well in excess of a week. Many of the workshops (seven per day) were held at different venues at the same time. It was therefore necessary to split up the delegation so that as many of those workshops could be attended."
Attending the conference were eight representatives from the USA, including four from Microsoft. According to what has already been publicly announced, the Department of Local Government will acquire from Microsoft a Child Exploitation Tracking Software (estimated cost: US$200,000) free of cost.
At $18 million, that by itself more than recoups the J$10-million cost, but as two people at street level said to me last week - first a bar operator, "How come yuh neva ask di minister if wi coulda did get di software without going to di conference?"
The other, a taxicab operator: "Mi agree wid yu seh wi mek back more dan di money wi spend. But, we woulda mek back more if wi did spen' less."
To a question asked by a radio journalist, the minister said, "The conference began at eight in the mornings and ended eight at nights. If some people wanted to have a good time and spend a little of the per diem, that was the wrong conference to go to. There was just no time for anything other than work."
I asked Minister Montague the following question. "Minister Montague, much of this controversy, I believe, springs from the perception built up over many administrations that Local Government is that entity where pork is distributed. What have you done or can say to us now to indicate that local government is not the place which epitomises pork politics?"
Among the items in his answer were, Parish Development Committees (comprising non-elected citizens) and Local Authorities (LAs) working in close collaboration, Development of a Performance Management and Reporting System and, to me - the most important - Local Public Accounts Committees which have been established in 13 LAs actually sitting in Parliament and reporting to it when needed.
It was noted that over 130 municipal officers have been recruited and trained to assist in the maintenance of public order in urban centres. These are also being used in "revenue enhancement" through improved compliance of fees and other user charges.
When I asked the minister why MPM representatives were approaching vendors in the KMA giving them notices of removal, he said that the MPM was not removing anyone. "It is about maintaining order. We simply want to collect user fees. The very same people who are complaining that the garbage must be collected on a timely basis must also see the relationship between them paying a small, annual user fee and garbage collection or drain cleaning."
The brochure under "Achievements" listed that there was record collection of property taxes of $2.3 billion in 2008-2009. It is projected that in the 2009-2010 financial year, collections would improve to $3 billion.
Was it worth it to send a 75-member delegation to the 5th Commonwealth Local Government Conference, in the process spending $10 million? I believe it was. If you don't, give me your reasons.
observemark@gmail.com
Thursday, May 28, 2009
There was no way of escaping the controversy. Jamaica, a small, struggling island nation of 2.8 million souls, known for producing Bob Marley and reggae music, Usain Bolt and a never-ending string of top international athletes, famous for its sun, sea and sin tourism, but hobbled by a perennially underperforming economy, a crippling rate of violent crime and the lack of a roadmap to better times.
MARK WIGNALL Between May 11 and May 14 - four days - Jamaica's 75-member contingent to a Commonwealth Local Government Conference held in The Bahamas was the largest delegation, excluding the host country's. A comparison of the other Commonwealth members who attended showed Nigeria in second place at 43, South Africa third at 38, followed by Belize, Botswana and Canada, each at 12.
When this is placed alongside the local effects of the global economic recession, Prime Minister Golding's pronouncements on cost-cutting measures, our own long-term acquaintance with local economic recession, a JLP administration that at its best, was never brimming over with popularity and the old, fixed perception that those in all areas of our politics are thieves and liars and good at it too, the announcement of Jamaica's cost to attend - $10 million -would have had to result in public outcry.
A significant number of elected members making up all political administrations in this country believe that because they were elected and have been mandated to "represent" the people, those who criticise public spending must prove their point publicly before elected officials justify the spending allocations.
On the other hand, most matters of public spending are usually judged in partisan tones. The fact is, although political debate among the public may sink to extremely low levels at times, some believe that that is matched only by the degree to which elected officials will sink to make off with parts of the public purse.
Although I believe that not many Jamaicans would have done the division ($133,000 each), the criticism was centred on a few factors. First, there was the belief that a small country like Jamaica need never, on any official overseas visit, send 75 people anywhere at any time. Second, an economic crisis was on and the government did not take sufficient pains to justify the expense. Third, local government seems to be that area where there is always controversy on spending. Fourth, any benefits to come as a result of the "bloated" visit would be promised, but over time, would become lost in the political forest.
Last Thursday, I attended a press conference held at the Department of Local Government where Bobby Montague, state minister (OPM) with responsibility for the reform of Local Government, spoke and fielded questions. Local Government is not a ministry as "sexy" as National Security, neither does it claim many political lives. So, it needed the controversy because it needs Jamaicans to view it in an "active" light.
The minister himself said at the conference, "I am glad for the controversy because it allows me the opportunity to explain to you the benefits that Jamaica has received for the money spent. Ten million dollars is a lot of money and this is now our opportunity to explain the facts to you."
One of the best areas of defence in the minister's explanation of the large number of those who attended was the modular structure of the Local Government Conference. According to him, "If the conference was designed to accommodate a lesser number of people attending, it probably would have lasted for well in excess of a week. Many of the workshops (seven per day) were held at different venues at the same time. It was therefore necessary to split up the delegation so that as many of those workshops could be attended."
Attending the conference were eight representatives from the USA, including four from Microsoft. According to what has already been publicly announced, the Department of Local Government will acquire from Microsoft a Child Exploitation Tracking Software (estimated cost: US$200,000) free of cost.
At $18 million, that by itself more than recoups the J$10-million cost, but as two people at street level said to me last week - first a bar operator, "How come yuh neva ask di minister if wi coulda did get di software without going to di conference?"
The other, a taxicab operator: "Mi agree wid yu seh wi mek back more dan di money wi spend. But, we woulda mek back more if wi did spen' less."
To a question asked by a radio journalist, the minister said, "The conference began at eight in the mornings and ended eight at nights. If some people wanted to have a good time and spend a little of the per diem, that was the wrong conference to go to. There was just no time for anything other than work."
I asked Minister Montague the following question. "Minister Montague, much of this controversy, I believe, springs from the perception built up over many administrations that Local Government is that entity where pork is distributed. What have you done or can say to us now to indicate that local government is not the place which epitomises pork politics?"
Among the items in his answer were, Parish Development Committees (comprising non-elected citizens) and Local Authorities (LAs) working in close collaboration, Development of a Performance Management and Reporting System and, to me - the most important - Local Public Accounts Committees which have been established in 13 LAs actually sitting in Parliament and reporting to it when needed.
It was noted that over 130 municipal officers have been recruited and trained to assist in the maintenance of public order in urban centres. These are also being used in "revenue enhancement" through improved compliance of fees and other user charges.
When I asked the minister why MPM representatives were approaching vendors in the KMA giving them notices of removal, he said that the MPM was not removing anyone. "It is about maintaining order. We simply want to collect user fees. The very same people who are complaining that the garbage must be collected on a timely basis must also see the relationship between them paying a small, annual user fee and garbage collection or drain cleaning."
The brochure under "Achievements" listed that there was record collection of property taxes of $2.3 billion in 2008-2009. It is projected that in the 2009-2010 financial year, collections would improve to $3 billion.
Was it worth it to send a 75-member delegation to the 5th Commonwealth Local Government Conference, in the process spending $10 million? I believe it was. If you don't, give me your reasons.
observemark@gmail.com
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