Morris Cargill

THE MORE I read about the salaries and weird allowances of our millionaire public sector executives, the more I wonder how those people have, for so long, been getting away with what is no less than a major racket at the expense of taxpayers. The latest reports indicate that this handful of people has been sharing more than $1 billion in annual salaries and allowances. But even so, this is not the full story. For it appears that in addition, they get large gratuities, which total more than $1 million in some cases. The whole thing is so widespread that it is virtually impossible to deal with individual cases, though, it seems the Jamaica Tourist Board has been doing itself proud. Even so, there are still allowances the extent of which we don't know, such as children's school allowances, payments for vacation not taken, subsidised telephone bills, credit cards and petroleum allowances.

I don't know how we should begin to reduce this situation to sanity. As a start, however, we could pick on one or two departments. We could profitably begin by getting rid of most of the people in the Tourist Board. Fay Pickersgill is very pretty, but I doubt whether she has increased our tourist arrivals by even one person. It seems to me that she and most of her colleagues are luxuries we can't afford. Why do we not leave the promotion of tourism to the top hoteliers, like Butch Stewart and John Issa who, after all have a vested interest in the success of tourism. We could also make another start by cleaning out the JAMPRO stables and leave potential investors to be advised by bank managers and the Chamber of Commerce and even by the Minister of Investment and Industry, especially if the Minister could disentangle his own investment disaster.

I believe that if we abolished at least half of our extravagant departments, the country would not only notice the difference, but we might be able to save enough money to help us mend the gaping hole in our budget. In any case, this enormous public scam will have to be brought to an end.

I note that the Cabinet has put a temporary freeze on packages above $3 million. I hope that this means no more phony allowances. I think, too that the "cap" should have been $2 million. On that figure anyone can live comfortably in Jamaica unless he is extravagant and greedy.

The Corruption Act

Great credit must be given to the efforts now being made to control and expose corruption, but I do not know whether the Act that is now proposed will include public scrutiny of the affairs of politicians and others. It seems as if the only people entitled to scrutinise the affairs of politicians and others are other politicians, who will then have to decide whether to make a report to the heads of political parties or perhaps to the public prosecutor. But as we all know all politicians are very careful to protect their own kind. Until all accounts and information are thrown open to public scrutiny, we can be pretty sure that no effective action will be taken to expose corruption in high places. Look how for so long the public sector racket has been going on. It is only now that public exposure has been made that it is likely that any kind of corrective measures will be taken.

Old magazines

The greatest collection of old magazines to be found today is in the waiting rooms of physicians and dentists. It was in one such that a friend of mine discovered an edition of a magazine called the "Money Index" dated February 25, 1987. He was fascinated to read in it in an article by Mark Ricketts on the subject of bankers. What particularly interested my friend, was a statement "people's continued disposition to have tremendous faith in our financial institutions - is a fact we take for granted but a phenomenon which has been built up over the years because of the success of several of these institutions."

Mark Ricketts then goes on to write, "we have been lucky to have been spared the trauma associated with a surfeit of banking failures. Our long experiences of success in the banking area has provided Jamaicans with a tremendous sense of confidence in the banking system."

The wonderful faith in our banking system might indicate some naivety on the part of Mark Ricketts, but I can't help feeling that for a man of his sophistication, he might have been indulging in some very heavy-handed sarcasm. The next time you go to see your physician or dentist, I suggest you try to read some of the ancient publications that you will find there. Glimpses of the hopes end and aspirations of the past can be very revealing.