(L-R) DANVILLE WALKER and GREG CHRISTIE... Independent-minded public sector leaders.
Observer column | JEAN LOWRIE-CHIN | Monday, November 23, 2009
"Haven't you heard?" asks my droll friend. "Jamaica has moved up again. in the corruption ratings!" Well, if you don't laugh, you will cry. The next day, we heard that Moody's Investors Services had downgraded Jamaica's local and foreign currency bond rating to Caa1 from B2. Are we not seeing that there is a direct link between corruption and the lowered confidence of local and foreign investors alike?
In this "dark night" for Jamaica, we have to believe that a brighter day is about to dawn. The past five years have seen an increased number of interdictions of corrupt police, more probes of questionable practices in both public and private sector, and the appointment of independent-minded individuals to the top posts of contractor general and commissioner of customs. We have civil groups that we may not always agree with, but whose role in keeping us more honest cannot be denied.
Commissioner Walker has come under attack from those who have had their "dolly house" mashed up by his stricter regulations. He has acknowledged that some of the bribes may have resulted from an inefficient system and has sped up the process by applying newer technology. There are "no-man's lands" in Customs, in the police force, in inactive offices at government ministries for individuals of suspect behaviour who cannot be placed on the front line, but whose jobs are still protected legally. This business of corruption is costing us dearly.
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