Government to Change Inefficient Institutional Processes

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has disclosed that the Government is to make changes to institutional processes that are slow, cumbersome, unnecessary, duplicative and complicated.

Dr. Holness, who was addressing the Permanent Secretaries’ Board Retreat at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St. Ann on Friday (August 14), emphasised that greater use will also be made of technology to improve the operations of these systems.

“We are now at the point where we will be making changes to many of the institutional processes that have been established that are not serving us, that are slow, cumbersome, unnecessary, duplicative, and complicated,” Dr. Holness said.

“We will go through them, and we will change them to more efficient processes that utilize greater technology that is available to make the systems work much faster,” he added.

The Prime Minister noted that Jamaica has strong institutions and has continually sought to strengthen the laws governing them.

“We review them, we change the laws, and we’re constantly finding ways to not just strengthen the existing laws, but to add new laws on top of what we have,” he said.

“Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t take the time to review the laws that are not necessary anymore and remove them. So, we are effectively over-institutionalized,” Dr. Holness added.

He said Ministers have a responsibility to examine processes that take too long and pursue changes to the laws governing them.

“What he/she should be doing…as a minister is looking at the process. Why does the process take so long? Change the laws that govern that process, so that no one has to call him individually to see why this service or this approval or this permit is taking too long. That’s what the minister is responsible for,” he added.

Dr. Holness acknowledged that there has been some reluctance to make changes to existing legislative and institutional frameworks.

“There has been, I must confess, some fear which has led to some reluctance in touching the existing legislative and institutional frameworks that exist. Let me assure you, I have no such fear,” he said.

The Prime Minister underscored, however, that public officers must continue to operate within existing rules while the Government undertakes the necessary changes.

“So, we’re not asking you to break the rules that exist. We’re asking you to work faster within those rules and where we can make those rules more relevant to the current situation, we will change them,” he outlined.

Dr. Holness said there is a clear distinction between the responsibilities of public officers and those of Ministers in this regard.

“Your duty is to work faster within the rules. The minister’s duty is to make sure that the rules are relevant and adapted to the current situations that we face, and that’s what we will have to do,” the Prime Minister noted.