A diet for Gov't
published: Friday | January 31, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Regarding your editorial, "Need For A Vision," you do 'hit the nail on the head' in terms of how the Government is structured. I have always thought that the Government workforce was too large and that there are too many ministries and constituencies. There is no reason why there should be 60 seats and 220-plus Parish Council positions. These contribute to bloated government and inefficiency.
You are right that there should be ministries only for things such as education, security, and the like. For example, have the Attorney-General be the Security/Justice minister as in the US. If you cut back on MPs by, at least, a third, and on parish councillors by anywhere from one half to 75 per cent, imagine the financial savings realised.
Then you ask for accountability and increased productivity from those who are left. At a time when taxpayers are being asked to pay high government salaries and to make sacrifices, it is only fair that the Government goes on a diet. After all, people are warned of the dangers of too much fat in their diets and no exercise. This is a warning that the Government should also heed.
