This category, allocated 4.31% of the nation’s
total expenditure, as reported by the office of the Auditor General 2018 and 4.21% in the 2019 revised estimates,
while estimating 5.55%
for 2020 up by 41.43%, as published by
the Ministry of Finance, consist of positions, offices, agencies and ministries
that monitors good, moral and ethical, behavior. Noting that, 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.
This Governance category depends on the Ministry of Public Administration with The
Personnel Department, Ministry of Communications, The Judiciary & The Industrial Court, Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Other Heads
of Expenditure involved in Governance, The Office of the Prime Minister,
and The President & The Parliament.
The Ministry
of Public Administration and the Central Administrative Service–Tobago, oversees
over 20 Government Ministries and agencies showcasing their improved and
innovative public services, offers and manages educational scholarships to
suitably qualified nationals and provides all the essential processes, training,
tools and facilities to execute the work. The Personnel Department having been relocated, continues to provide
all Human Resource Services; employs, promotes and disciplines public officers
and faces several difficult union negotiations with the potential to retard the
economy. Hence, the implementation of Government policies, programmes and
projects across all public offices, agencies and ministries, are actually done,
with 40.71% of the
Governance funding, by these public officers using said public assets.
The Ministry
of Communications, with 7.05% of the Governance funding, must also continue to drive the
National Information Communication Technology (ICT) Strategy by helping to
develop realizable and implementable initiatives to help; both public and private
sectors and academia via the National Library and Information Systems. The
ministry has finalized policies regarding its media investments which includes Trinidad
& Tobago Television Company Limited (TTT). The Ministry received specialized
audio/video and computer equipment as well as software for a digitization
system to facilitate the conversion of audio and video analogue recordings of
historical and national significance, to quality digital recordings, in line
with international archival, digital preservation and industry standards for
the National Archives.
The
Judiciary & The Industrial Court, with 16.97% of the Governance funding,
enforce existing laws and settles disputes. The Judiciary performance
data must 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 to effect the long-term
transformation. The Judiciary doesn’t pass legislation; The Judiciary doesn’t
build judicial complexes. The 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.
Several Masters of the High Court have been
appointed to better case management, issue Special Event Licenses, along with
the expansion and the establishment of special purpose courts, and electronic
court payment, are all initiatives designed to improve efficiency. While, issues
still to be addressed are; the slow turnover of forensic analysis; the absence
of a Public Defender’s Office; the existence 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.
Ministry
of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs (AGLA), with
12.22% 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. Executive Policies
are vetted by the Office of the AGLA to
ensure that it conforms to existing laws. While, the ministry recognizes 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, with 9.11% of the Governance estimated expenditure, include the Office of the Auditor General, 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 Registration, Recognition and Certification
Board, which will review and control the respected
responsibilities. With members 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 Electorate indirectly elects and gives
the Prime Minister, the power to make and implement policies that influence
daily lives, through various ministries. The Office of the Prime Minister,
with 8.62% of the
Governance funding, forms, reshuffles and conducts the nation's executive cabinet,
facilitates and negotiates trade agreements, financial and production relations
with numerous countries and international operators.
The People collectively transfers its moral
authority to the Office of the President. The President & The
Parliament, with 5.32%
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 and is the Commander and Chief of all
the nation’s Armed Forces. The President via statutory bodies and the parliament,
through established 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.
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.
