Permanent Secretaries should not be political appointees

Sep 14, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
Peeping Tom continues to demonstrate the narrow vision of his name, Peeping Tom. When a person peeps he can only see so much and sometimes what he sees is not the true picture. Our Tom seems to find fault with everything the government does without giving any background perspective of his innuendos and thus he cannot be taken seriously in anything he says.
However he must be taken seriously because he poisons the minds of the gullible. Where was he when many purported PNC public servants lost their jobs in the twenty three years hegemony of the PPP cabal? It should be argued that the same ways these people lost their jobs under the PPP are the same ways the PPP special appointees are losing theirs. He cannot bring himself to utter this basic truth but continuously try to portray the past government as a shining beacon on the hill.
In a democratic developed society a whole group of people does not become jobless when a political opposition party comes into power, only political appointees (Ambassadors and Cabinet heads are liable for dismissals)
Guyana can do better if permanent secretaries are apolitical appointees with extensive experience in the functions of their ministries and they are the ones who hire and fire on merit, not on political affiliations. What the present government should presently do is to root out all permanent secretaries who are card carrying member of a political party and put them in the office of the president (the political dumping ground). They should be men or women with extensive knowledge of their ministries from the bottom up. Ministers should not be allowed to hire or fire anyone nor pressure the secretaries to do so.
Peeping Tom continues to bemoan the theory that the private sector is crumbling under the present government. Where was he when the previous government elevated some of these men and women to governmental positions and they profited from insider information? If he had done any historical analysis he will find that many types of people suffered under the PPP and their only escape was public sector jobs. Does he know that certain Guyanese are not given the same level playing field by the business people when compared to the other major groups in the country?
Unfortunately, Guyana is a government dominated economy and the government needs to get out of the business of creating jobs. This should be task of the private sectors. It was good to see in your paper the sourcing of government contracts but these should be out of the hands of Cabinet and into the hands of the permanent secretaries. Each ministry should have a budget for a one, five and seven year period and cabinet should scrutinize their progress. Peeping Tom must be truthful when comparing the action of the present government and stop his mischaracterization of them.
John Williams

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