Friday, August 15, 2003

Towards Greater Efficiency

I have heard on occasions persons in the private sector refer, both publicly and privately, to the inefficiency of the various government processes. The word inefficiency seems to have become somewhat of a cliché for some people and is used freely to explain every situation. A recent experience I have had with two government ministries has led me to question the source of inefficiency.

RECENT EXPERIENCE
Over the past few weeks, the Managing Director of my organization and I have had reasons to interact with the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance. On one of those occasions, he intimated that the reason for the seemingly inefficient operations in Government is, in many instances, a result of the behaviour of the private sector. This led me to reflect on what we had experienced over the preceding days in dealing with these ministries, which, for the most part, was pleasant and fulfilling. In fact, our particular problem emanated from inadequacies in the communication between the private companies involved, thus, causing us to call upon the Government for a speedy resolution at short notice.

Despite this short notice, the Government personnel were able to deal with our problem expeditiously without any complaints. I found that their willingness to meet our needs was driven by their desire to satisfy the market.

I thought about Government personnel with whom I have been in contact over the past two years and the professional and courteous manner in which they have dealt with various issues. I am in no way saying that the service level is where it should be but, in my opinion, that has more to do, today with the archaic systems than the personnel. The truth is that the Government bodies have been gaining in efficiency.

BENDING THE RULES:
There is no doubt that the business processes in Jamaica require far too much interaction with Government bodies which, in many instances, have arduous rules to follow, but beneath all of that is a reason for the procedures. Much of the seemingly difficult rules put in place by the Government have resulted from the private sector’s own actions. In many cases, we try too much to “beat the system”, and many times boast about the successes in doing so.

Many will, no doubt, have heard references to persons who will try to “beat the gate”, even though the function being attended is free. This type of behaviour is not restricted only to the man on the street, as many businessmen will try to buy favours, even when it costs more, in the long run, to beat the system than to do the right thing first time around. They are always trying to get ahead by bending the rules in their favour but, if someone else tries to do the same thing, they themselves will publicly call for that person’s head. This is not the only source of inefficiencies in the systems, resulting from the “red tapes” put in place by Government, but also our lack of international competitiveness, as we do not seem to have what it takes to compete fairly.

My own experience with Government has also made me aware that the reason Government bodies put legislation and rules in place is to ensure that the private entities (companies and individuals) do not take unfair advantage of a situation. The problem with our society is that the “beat the system” mentality seems to be so (pervasive?) that it has become a way of life for many. To counter this type of behaviour, therefore, the Government, in many instances, has had to put procedures and rules in place to prevent the abuse of the system by some to the disadvantage of others. This has resulted in having processes, which are both time-consuming and inefficient. Hence, the build up of a slow-moving and unfriendly investment environment, which hinders serious investors.

BEHAVIOURAL TRENDS
Our private sector has called, time and time again, for protectionist policies and has only taken advantage of those policies without adding any real value to the economy, thus, questioning our inability to survive globally, when this protection is lifted. This is, however, not the case in all situations, as some industries do need protection but, in some cases, the intention is not about national development but rather self-interest. This type of behaviour develops from the individual level where, for example, we will go into a bank and head to the front of the line and ask our friend for a favour, or we speak highly against indiscipline but refuse to pay our monthly housing maintenance fees or rent.

One of the problems that have contributed to the proliferation of this type of behaviour is our outdated laws, which are unfriendly towards investment capital and, ultimately, development. Over the years, Governments have placed band-aid solutions on this by offering incentives to certain investments, but this will not work, if we are serious about development, as we need to apply fundamental changes to our underlying structures, if we are to effectively deal with the problems.

PROPER REGULATION:
We have seen the benefits that can accrue to us from a competitive and well-regulated market from the examples of the telecommunications and media industries. The introduction of multiple players has resulted in increased economic activity and greater benefits for all. This would not have been possible, however, without the efforts of the Broadcasting and the Fair Trading Commissions to ensure that there is a level playing field for all players. These are the models that we need to emulate in the development of other sectors.

The Government must continue to lead the change process, as they have been doing, as the private sector may not be capable of doing this effectively, due to self-interest. The Government has begun the process of change and this is evident by the type of persons they employ and the increasingly efficient ways in which issues are addressed. There is still a need for improvement in many areas but, over the past few years, the wheels have been turning in the right direction.
The private sector needs to be cognisant of the role they must play in the country’s development and, in this process, towards greater efficiency.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital
to assert that I get actually enjoyed account your blog posts.

Anyway I'll be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently quickly.

My webpage; best registry cleaners

Anonymous said...

First of all I want to say excellent blog! I had a quick question
which I'd like to ask if you don't mind. I was interested to
know how you center yourself and clear your head
before writing. I have had a difficult time clearing my thoughts in getting
my ideas out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it
just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are wasted just trying to
figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or tips?

Kudos!

Feel free to visit my blog; best registry cleaner for windows 7

Anonymous said...

Excellent post. I was checking continuously this blog and I'm impressed! Extremely helpful information particularly the last part :) I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this particular info for a long time. Thank you and good luck.

Check out my weblog ... bmr calculator to lose weight

Anonymous said...

Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than
just your articles? I mean, what you say is valuable and all.
Nevertheless think about if you added some great photos or video clips to give your posts
more, "pop"! Your content is excellent but with pics and video
clips, this blog could definitely be one of the greatest in its field.
Amazing blog!

My web site :: bmr calculator to lose weight

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading
it, you are a great author. I will remember to bookmark your blog
and will come back from now on. I want to encourage
continue your great job, have a nice evening!

my webpage; calorie burn calculator

Anonymous said...

Wow, marvelous weblog layout! How long have you ever been blogging for?
you make blogging glance easy. The total glance of your web site is magnificent, as
well as the content!

Here is my website how to lose weight fast for women

Anonymous said...

Good web site you've got here.. It's hard to find high
quality writing like yours these days. I seriously
appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

Feel free to surf to my webpage waist to height ratio ranges

Anonymous said...

Hi, I check your new stuff like every week. Your humoristic style is witty, keep up the good
work!

my webpage: what should i weigh

Anonymous said...

Heya! I understand this is sort of off-topic however I had to ask.
Does running a well-established blog like yours take a massive amount work?
I am brand new to writing a blog but I do write in
my diary every day. I'd like to start a blog so I will be able to share my personal experience and thoughts online. Please let me know if you have any ideas or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers. Appreciate it!

Here is my web page diets that work

Anonymous said...

wonderful submit, very informative. I wonder why the opposite experts of this sector do not understand this.
You must continue your writing. I'm confident, you've a great readers' base already!

Visit my homepage: calories burned walking

Anonymous said...

naturally like your web site however you have to test the spelling on quite
a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and
I to find it very bothersome to inform the reality on the other hand I'll definitely come again again.

my web page: Best Anti Aging Product

Anonymous said...

Appreciate the recommendation. Let me try it out.

my site :: rejuvenexblog.com

Anonymous said...

Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally,
it seems as though you relied on the video to make your
point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why
waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your
weblog when you could be giving us something informative to read?



my page; Pure garciniacambogia review

Anonymous said...

This site was... how do I say it? Relevant!
! Finally I've found something which helped me. Thanks!

Also visit my homepage Stem Cell Cream

Anonymous said...

Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and
sources back to your site? My blog is in the very same
niche as yours and my visitors would genuinely benefit from
some of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this alright with you.
Appreciate it!

My website: Slim Helper Diet Patches

Anonymous said...

Great beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site,
how could i subscribe for a blog website? The account helped me
a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this
your broadcast offered bright clear idea

Also visit my webpage: Auravie Skin Care Review

Anonymous said...

I like reading an article that can make people think.
Also, thanks for allowing for me to comment!

Here is my webpage :: Diet Patch Today

Anonymous said...

I every time emailed this weblog post page to all my contacts, since
if like to read it after that my contacts will too.


My blog - Lift and Glow Pro Skin Care

Anonymous said...

My brother suggested I may like this web site.
He was once totally right. This submit actually made my day.
You can not imagine just how a lot time I had spent for this
information! Thanks!


http://gobookface.com/MiguelEll

Check out my site raspberry ketone

Anonymous said...

Link exchange is nothing else but it is simply placing
the other person's web site link on your page at appropriate place and other person will also do similar for you.


http://tinacash.jigsy.com/entries/general/weight-loss-supplement

Feel free to visit my site: weight loss supplement

Anonymous said...

Thank you for some other informative site. Where else could I am
getting that kind of info written in such an ideal approach?
I have a mission that I'm simply now operating on, and I've been at the glance out for
such info.

Check out my weblog - Revolyn review

Anonymous said...

Keep on writing, great job!

Review my web blog; Loss weight now

Anonymous said...

Fantastic beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog site?
The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit
acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept

http://www.euclock.org/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=DarrinWea

my web-site: buy Dermolyte

Anonymous said...

Heya i'm for the first time here. I found
this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot.
I hope to give something back and help others like you helped
me.

Feel free to surf to my web-site - www