The Office of Public Sector Reform needs a new director. As long as Michael Archer remains in the position OPSR is doomed.

Archer is only interested in getting his salary at PS level. Can you imagine how many times a week this gentleman bombards me to ask the Head of Civil to put him at PS level. Even though he knows little about the functioning of the public service. He does precious little from his office to improve the public service.

Radical change is needed in OPSR and soon.

David I have two questions that has nothing to do with the post. Question one how is it that the Nation newspaper cannot find no one to publicly say something positive about the $600 million stimulus program the government plan to execute all I have read so far is critics about the program. Question two how come the same newspaper have been conducting mini polls has never done one for the same stimulus program that had been the talking point since the estimates. Await your response.

April first …. I ain’ tekkin none ah wunna serious …

The way the way the West Minister works the public is to be given the impression that the Political players are the check and balance to the Public Sector administrators. The truth is, they both have their short comings and are prepared to use the knowledge of each others as a tool to prevent serious change. “Yes Mr. Minister” and “Yes Mr. Prime Minister” sounds familiar.

But of course don’ le’ me stop wunna, talk ya talk man …!

@ David I can understand BU’s position but my question again with Nation newspaper…. is there no economist out there that can say to the public of Barbados that the program can work because all I am reading is that it can not work an all it spells for Barbados is doom or is this just political because here we have a MoF and his advisers presenting this package and all we read about from “independents” is that it will not work who is tell the truth

@Zeus

Perhaps what is required is for the government’s Chief Economic Advisor Sir Frank to lead the way followed by government’s banker.

Public Sector reform is merely a set of slogans. Owen Arthur recognised the need for reform but he provided no direction. They just set up a group of people and told them that they needed to reform the Public Service but no specific goals were set. Neither did the Office of Public Sector Reform recognise the need to set short, medium and long term goals. They are like a rudderless ship.

@ Zeus
“because all I am reading is that it can not work an all it spells for Barbados is doom or is this just political”
You are exactly correct. The Nation newspaper’s coverage of the DLP government continues to be biased and negative. No one can dispute that.
Sanka Price repeats every point that Clyde Mascoll raises and abuses his position as the Friday and Saturday editor to promote his BLP bias.
Pat Hoyos continues to use his Sunday column to blatantly campaign even after the election. He refuses to be fair or balanced in his analysis.
Rickey Singh wrote an article in the Jamaica Observer that I wondered if it was paid for by the BLP- very biased and misleading.
With all this obvious support from the biggest newspaper in Barbados, it is obvious why some in the BLP were so frustrated that they could not win the election.
The Nation newspaper will only employ columnists whose political leanings are BLP. The evidence is there for all to see. It is a national disgrace and a blatant attempt to promote the BLP.

@lemuel

sir frank and his wife both taught me at elementary school and his way of speaking has not changed. He always spoke like that.

Sorry to read this to be the case Caswell. You may recall we had an exhaustive discussion about this matter when we discussed the BPWCCU AGM.

To The Point
I defer to you position on this matter of Sir Frank’s speech pattern.

On a sidebar………….IMF is warning the islands in today’s nation news that who don’t do commodity trading are now in neck high doo doo debt wise…………I am sure the dancing governor of the central bank will come out later today and say “not true, all lies, misinformation, Barbados has no debt problem. only country in the world that is debt free”…………until IMF drops that hammer.

Zeus

Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking. I appreciate you feedback, and will take it on board in any future writings.

@lemuel “lofty position” hmmmmm I wonder why you would use that word to describe my position

This is only the fallout from a mayoral election…………just imagine if there was evidence of paying the public. We do in functioning public sector reform, but who is willing and able to do it…………..

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/fbi-busts-state-sen-malcolm-smith-mayoral-election-rigging-plot-article-1.1305327

Mr. Archer and his team are fighting an up hill battle with little support from the public, the politicians, and the civil servants. They are an easy target to be shot at when anything is wrong but their efforts and determination should be aplauded. Reform in a democracy is evolutionary, if it were revolutionary ( sudden and extreme) it would make the society, private investprs and the service very anxouse and untrusting. the system would appear unpredictable and then the public would hoard money, privsate investors would not invest as they would be unsure if it is safe and profitable and the public sector would become dispondent and unproductive.

@Lemuel
To say that Sir Frank has accomplished little or nothing is somewhat disingenuous.He and his good lady have together given Barbados four beautiful daughters,all doctors to boot.

Gabriel
All I am saying is that back in the day Sir Frank was hailed as this economic guru. Now the country is in crisis, and Sinker and the big head man at the central bank make more sense than him. All I am getting is this accent, which i understand he had back in the day. I get more from OSA, the economic society cartel and Clyde mascoll than him. Something is wrong.

However ya look at it, PubliC Sector Reform is EVERYONE’S business. so for people to believe that a few officers led by archer or who ever is the end all and be all, you are making a mockery of the system. Even some politicians aint even know what that office does, When you can get up in either House and talk about not getting your secretary and implying that it is a Public Sector Reform issue, it boggles the mind. Politicians have to be more prone to want change and not change for their benefit but for the public at large. PSs believe that to have serious reform you would have to get it sanctioned by Ministers. A load of crap! You have the power to make small changes to help your entity run efficiently and make you AND the minister look real good.
The Public Service is accountable but the politicians have to take their paws out and let it run fair and clean. Stop the partisan behaviour and stop encouraging it. Let Reform work the way it was intended to. we have a lot of bright officers today, people who are willing to give of their time and expertise, for next to nothing but because some nitwit does not want to reform HIS/Her ministry, those officers are frustrated beyond measure. It is not easy working in the public service, it is a thankless job but if the public officers dont do it, I don’t see which of the others blasting it will.
so my original thought stands, give the OPSR the help it so desperately needs, stop centering its ascendency to the tails of one man, the office is far bigger than he is and will be in existence long after he goes. Give the office the tools it needs and stop blaming it day after day for ALL the ills in the Public Service because somebody wants someone to blame!
Stop harping on the negatives and look to highlight the positives it has done for its entire tenure! READ, RESEARCH and HELP yourselves because at the end of the day it is our taxpayers’ money that paying the same civil servants that we ALL lambasting.
Public Sector Refomr is you and it is me, let’s do our bit to make our public service the envy of the Caribbean.

Gabriel Tackle

What five years are you talking about? Do you really believe that this administration can last a full parliamentary term? The party elders will not always be around to exert pressure to bring these MPs in line. Don’t let Estwick get his way and hell will break loose. The last time he relented for the party’s sake and return to Agriculture. But remember time longer than twine.

Gabriel Tackle

I am almost certain that I heard the Governor of the Central Bank saying that stimulus packages won’t work for economies like ours, when a $60 million package was proposed by the BLP. Can you tell me what is his position on the $600 million package.

Bear in mind the ‘stimulus’ is a capital works program of about 290 million and the rest is government breaks/relief. No cash stimulus in the way you describe Tackle.