This is a plea to the Ministry of Finance to be cognizant of the fact that there are heads of departments who use the corporate plan in a manner that can be classified as misappropriation of tax-payers’ funds. It is serious selfishness and myopic thinking to use tax-payers’ money for things that add no value, except to furnish one’s friends with positions.
In the previous piece mentioned above, it was shown that the Customs and Excise Department made requests for some positions which would not enhance the service to the public, would not enhance the revenue collection and would not bring any benefits (whether tangible or abstract) to the department or the government.
THE QUESTION THEN ARISES, WHO DOES THESE REQUESTS BENEFIT IF NOT THE DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT OR CITIZENS?
There are department heads who make requests for the creation of certain positions for their “advisors” or friends to get these lucrative and non-essential posts. This is done under the guise of improving or streamlining processes for the department.
However, in actuality there is no logical or rational basis for the request of some of these positions. These heads of departments play on the ignorance (in the sense of being uninformed) of those personnel at the Ministry of Finance.
Some serious “red flags” should be raised by the Ministry of Finance when they see:
- A head of department who continues to make requests to the Ministry of Finance for the creation of positions when most of the attendant management team are not in agreement with these particular positions.
- A head of department who makes a request for a new and non-essential position for their closest adviser, while asking that same adviser to write the job description and requirements for the requested position. Sounds confusing? Basically, the adviser of the head of department writes a job description, for a new position, to suit the adviser’s qualifications and experience to ensure that he/she is the only one or best suited one for this non-essential post.
IS THIS THE WAY THAT TAX-PAYERS’ MONEY SHOULD BE UTILIZED?
- A head of department who requests a position just to reward an adviser or friend. That is the sole purpose of the request. Is that why tax-payers pay customs duties and taxes? Is it to allow a head of department to create his/her own team of “SUPER FRIENDS”?
This problem is not limited to one tax collecting department. It is also present in other ministries and autonomous departments. The Ministry of Finance cannot be blamed as they are hoping that the head of a department would be honest, smart and transparent in the use of tax-payers’ money, however; that is not always the case.
Also, the head of department can take advantage of the fact that they “have or claim to have a better understanding” of their own department than the Ministry of Finance so they can easily mislead or misinform the Ministry of Finance to suit their agenda.
I believe there may well be a time when we have independent auditors to peruse corporate plans and interview these heads of departments, while also getting feedback from other management personnel.
I believe that there may well be a time when a corporate plan should be signed by all managers involved in its deliberation, with a section for those who support and those who do not (with various reasons being given for the lack of support).
We, tax-payers, need to hold the users of our money accountable; otherwise these department heads will continue to misappropriate our funds for their own pleasure and not for the benefit of staff, government and citizens.
THE PEOPLE’S MONEY SHOULD NOT BE USED ON A WHIM BY A HEAD OF DEPARTMENT; ESPECIALLY IN ECONOMICALLY STRAITENED TIMES LIKE THESE. SO, EVERYTIME YOU SEE A POTHOLE, OR A ROAD WHICH IS NOT FIXED, OR HOSPITAL LACKS MEDICATION OR THE CT SCAN MACHINE IS DOWN, REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE SOME HEADS OF DEPARTMENT USING OUR HARD EARNED TAX-PAYERS’ MONEY TO INVEST IN SELFISH, SELF-SERVING PROJECTS WHICH ADD NO VALUE TO SVG AND THE MAJORITY OF CITIZENS.
Concerned Tax Payer