A
nation's development is badly hindered and retarded by individual greed;
corrupt public officers, bias reporting, unfair hiring practices, slow justice,
unbalance dispute settlements, unlawful opinions, compromised records, a lack
of transparency, general back room dealings, selling executive influence,
misusing presidential privilege, laws to benefit the few rather than the many, practices
and actions which have to be avoided, rooted out, dealt with and, ultimately
replaced by Good Governance.
Governance,
with 4.39% of the nation's total annual estimated expenditure budget up 0.58%,
is the category of post, offices, agencies and ministries that monitors good,
moral and ethical, behavior.
The
Ministry of Public Administration and
Communications (MPAC) & The Personnel Department hosted a four day Open
House on the ground floor of the National Library and Information System
Authority (NALIS) building in commemoration of United Nations Public Service
Week 2016, where over 20 Government Ministries and agencies showcased their
improved and innovative public services. The ministry officially opened and
handed over the Ministry of Education Tower. The ministry launched free public
Wi-Fi on 13 specific public buses.
The Judiciary & The Industrial
Court performance data have to be understood in the
prevailing national cultural and economic context, including the existing
infrastructure and available resources, as preparations and adjustments continue
to be urged and pursued in order to effect the long-term transformation. Vision
involves the ability to appreciate the big picture; to take a systemic view; to
understand concepts like case flow management and the fact that the Judiciary
is only one part of the administration of justice and that dysfunction in any
one area affects the whole.
The
Ministry of the Attorney General and
Legal Affairs recognize that the promotion of the rule of law, and the
protection of individual freedoms and property rights, can have the greatest
effect on national development if institutional linkages are formed and
maintained. The focus at the Ministry has therefore been to endorse the
harmonization of policies and work towards common ideals and performance
measures in the law and justice sector at the national, regional and
hemispheric level.
Other
Heads of Expenditure involved in Governance, mostly serving
at the pleasure of the nation's president, consisting mainly of statutory boards
and other bodies which select, appoint, regulate, monitor and examine
decision-makers and their decisions, to foster and employ the best practice; behaviors
and efforts, under and within their remit while, carrying out duties for the public
good.
The
Office of the Prime Minister, forms and conducts
the nation's executive cabinet, facilitated and negotiated trade, financial and
production relations with numerous countries and international operators, combined
the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Communication, replaced
the Minister of Housing and Urban Development.
The
President & The Parliament, via statutory bodies
and parliamentary committees examine the effectiveness and efficiency of
decisions, the moral and ethical conditions of actions, and redress lack of
decisions and actions to deliver public services.
The
Ministry of Public Administration and Communications & The Personnel
Department, with 45.10% of the Governance funding, must continue to relocate
ministries, divisions, and units into publicly owned premises or into adequate buildings
that would reduce it rental bills. The ministry of communication hopes to
finalize policies regarding its media investments. The Personnel Department faces
several union negotiations which will be difficult and with the potential to
retard the economy.
The
Judiciary & The Industrial Court, with 17.86% of the Governance estimated
expenditure, has no control over, but for which it always seems to take the
blame, things like the slow turnover of forensic analysis; the absence of a
Public Defender’s Office; the persistence of the system of preliminary inquiries;
the underfunding of the Director of Public Prosecution DPP’s office; an
under-resourced probation department; poor evidence gathering; shortage of
physical plant; no video remand suites; push back in some quarters against the
introduction of video recorded interviews; an archaic legislative regime; the
fact that night courts were a failed experiment that keep being proposed by
those who have no idea of how the system works, etc, etc. The Judiciary doesn’t
pass legislation; The Judiciary doesn’t build judicial complexes.
The
Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, with 13.75% of the
Governance funding, will continue its two
separate constitutional roles; a governmental role responsible for the
administration of legal affairs and a role as the guardian of the public
interest, acting independently in a quasi-judicial capacity,
representing the community at large.
Other
Heads of Expenditure involved in Governance, with 8.35%% of the Governance
estimated expenditure, include the Integrity Commission, Elections and
Boundaries Commission, Public Service Commission, Public Service Appeal Board, Tax
Appeal Board, Police Service Commission, Teachers Service Commission, Environmental
Commission, Equal Opportunity Tribunal and Recognition and Certification Board,
which will review and control the respective responsibilities.
The
Office of the Prime Minister, with 9.17% of the Governance funding, reshuffled
and replaced the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, the Minister of
Public Utilities, Minister of Works and Transport, Minister of Local Government
and Rural Development, and will sign an agreement between neighboring Venezuela
and Trinidad and Tobago to supply the Caribbean twin-island nation with as much
as 500 MMcfd of natural gas from the Mariscal Sucre region.
The
President & The Parliament, with 5.77%% of the Governance estimated
expenditure, must continue to serve
the citizenry and make laws. Noting, all Bills passed in both Houses of
Parliament must be assented to by the President before they become law. Remembering,
The President also appoints Members of Commissions and other senior officials.
Rationale
T.A.J & Associates Company Limited uses this occasion to comment on topics that have been covered, both academically and by the mainstream media, to add its opinion and point out investment opportunity, not to invoke any social action.
