Let this be a consequential speech, Mr PM
Prime ministers have to make a copious amount of speeches during their tenure. It goes with the territory, meaning that speech-making is part of the package, and so does the necessity for speech writers.
But a speech being delivered by a leader of Government needs not be a mere collection of fancy words meant to impress, only to be forgotten as soon as the event is over. Pronouncements by a prime minister should be consequential and often an outline of future policy.
We don’t know if anyone is keeping a tally of the speeches by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, but six days ago he addressed the Permanent Secretaries’ Board Retreat at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St Ann.
We sincerely hope it was not just a collection of thoughts to show off the prime minister as a good speaker. He has already demonstrated that he is.
We in this space would like to believe that it is, or will be, one of his most consequential speeches for the critical importance of its content.
Obviously trying to awaken the public service — often known to be apathetic and listless — Dr Holness urged the permanent secretaries, call them the CEOs, to position the service as a facilitator of investment and development, as Jamaica competes globally for capital, technology, and talent.
The speed and quality with which government agencies process approvals and other regulatory requirements can influence Jamaica’s competitiveness as an investment destination, the prime minister suggested. This can’t be a new thought to any permanent secretary who is worth his/her salt. But it’s worth repeating and as frequently as possible.
“Our civil service must, therefore, increasingly see itself as a facilitator of development, rather than a gatekeeper of development,” he stressed, explaining that this approach does not mean lowering standards or disregarding regulations.
It doesn’t mean, he said, that regulations were to be ignored or that special treatments for particular interests were to be created. Neither should facilitation mean favouritism and speed was not the same as recklessness.
The relationship between the public and private sectors is critical to Jamaica’s development, and one does not exist without the other. Government does not create development alone.
Much of the investment, employment, housing, tourism development, manufacturing capacity, technology, and economic activity that Jamaica needs will come from private capital, so the job of the public service is to work closely with private capital to make sure that the country’s economy is growing, Dr Holness said.
It is also well known that Jamaica competes with countries globally for major investment which generally require interaction with the State, through planning and environmental approvals, licences, permits, land matters, utility connections or tax administration.
It is also an endless truth that the investment committees of international entities are considering multiple opportunities and destinations, and they will not wait around for Jamaica to make decisions.
“So, like it or not, as a public sector or permanent secretaries, you are part of Jamaica’s economic prospects. You are an asset for our economy, if we can say that Jamaica’s public bureaucracy is efficient,” Dr Holness could not be more correct.
That is a serious message that we hope will not fall on deaf ears.