Diaspora Speaks » Where Is The Transparency? : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Where Is The Transparency?

By David Mullings

“And what are going to be the priorities of our government? Transparency and accountability in government and the elimination of corruption”

- The Honourable Bruce Golding’s inaugural address at the swearing-in ceremony as Prime Minister of Jamaica

The Jamaica Gleaner (Nov. 12) carries an article titled “Gov’t mum on advisers salaries” in the business section (this should be front page news in all honesty). The article contends that “The Government on Tuesday failed to come up with answers to questions about the emoluments of consultants and advisers contracted by the Bruce Golding administration.”

Is this an example of the transparency that the Prime Minister so boldly proclaimed at his swearing in?

In light of the selective disgust with salaries in recent months: J$30 million for consulting is “value for money”, J$60 million to not live in “squalor” is fine but J$14.5 million salary and J$24 million for housing and maintenance is “repugnant”, it is imperative that the government of the day reveal what was requested. If in fact, salaries are the issue, I am sure that the Bruce Golding administration will not incur a single black eye when the reveal the salaries of these advisers and consultants, for they would not be burdens on the taxpayers or seem “repugnant” to the public.

Or so one would expect when stones are being thrown for we know of the “glass house syndrome” that afflicts Jamaican politicians.

While we are at it, I would like to request that the salaries of advisers and consultants hired under the PNP also be released so we can get some context and truly understand, as taxpayers and the employers of these politicians, advisers and consultants, how much we paid and what we were getting for the money.

The Prime Minister CANNOT justify cutting a single person from the public service in the name of saving money until the advisers and consultants’ salaries are made public and those are first eliminated or reduced.

Jamaicans around the world await the promised transparency.

Older Entries

Newer Entries

The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.
The Gleaner reserves the right not to publish comments that may be deemed libelous, derogatory or indecent.
To respond to The Gleaner please use the feedback form.

4 Responses to “Where Is The Transparency?”

enyad says:

November 15, 2009 at 5:27 pm

I am a Jamaican, living here in Jamaica, and I am not one of those who is waiting, expectantly for a reply to this request (a fine article I must opine, however).

I am yet to see a government that is so “indebted” to the private sector, extricate itself from the vice-like hold that having such a devil for a master, has on its back. Too verbose, well, to put it tacitly, we are never going to see any form of transparency from this government as it is just a lackey for the private sector.

I am yet to see, but not expecting to be obliged, a hint of statesman quality in this new Prime Minister. I would have thought that after pining for the post for such a prolonged period, and after all the theatrics and gymnastics he performed to be promoted the position of Prime Minister, Bruce would have proven to the political pundits and the Jamaican populace, here and abroad, that he is fit for the job.
junior says:

November 17, 2009 at 11:53 am

I am in total agreement with this article.waiting to see what will be the response of the government.
Duncan says:

November 18, 2009 at 6:17 pm

Mullings,I hope you maintain this level of vigilance and never waiver. The country needs people like you to run for office and clean up the mess.
TrevDiMan says:

November 24, 2009 at 11:18 pm

Transparency, accountability – these are just words tossed around so that folks can get elected and both the PNP and the JLP resort to using them to trick folks into voting for them come election time. None of the major parties have ever practiced what they preach and we already know that they don’t keep their promises so why expect change. Unfortunately, it will take a generational change for things to truly change and it is not going to happen.
As for the compensation packages paid to outside consultants and advisers, it’s probably too much but the (by now) old ‘value for money’ excuse is used to justify their pay. It’s just like the idiots on Wall St. claiming that they need to pay exorbitant bonuses to keep and attract ‘good talent’ – the kind that brought the global economy to its knees. I guess W.C. Fields was on to something when he said ‘There’s a sucker born every minute.’