#BTColumn – Government’s bloated public affairs

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today Inc.

by  Michael Ray

Just after the appointment of a number of contractual staff working between the Ministry of Information and the various portfolios of the Prime Minister, several concerns were raised in the public domain and across various news media.

Questions were asked about jobs for party supporters without the assent and ratification of the government’s Personnel Department.

Many of these jobs are publicly and very well known as “political jobs”.

A specific question was asked why not upgrade, retool and utilise the Barbados Government Information Service in order to disseminate information and also interface with the public of Barbados.

With the country in a lurch and staggering from a global recession, it was expected that prudence and due diligence would be the order of the day when dealing with government’s expenditure.

However, a bloated and overloaded workforce beyond the perimeter of central government has become the new normal.

The establishment of a Department of Public Affairs appears to have superimposed itself on the Government Information Service and the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, creating the blurring of roles, responsibilities and function.

Other questions are now likely to be asked: Will there be further dimunition of staff within central government while there is ongoing creation of jobs beyond the purview and sanction of the government’s Personnel Department?

Under such tough financial constraints, along with cutbacks among permanent government employees, who is underwriting the salaries of this oversized body of workers?

Of course, there are always more questions than answers.