THE STENCH of corruption and cronyism at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is overpowering. That much is clear from the report of the Contractor-General tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. The report confirms what we have reported in our publications over several weeks earlier this year. The cavalier manner in which management personnel at that quasi-government agency handled multimillion-dollar contracts - many of which went to pals of the governing People's National Party - smacks not only of arrogance but contempt for the people of Jamaica.
Yet, for all the reports over an extended period of improper management practices, connected party persons at all levels were allowed to continue engorging themselves at this particular trough. This is a real disgrace and Prime Minister Patterson must take tough action to stop the alarming level of corruption under his watch. Those who were in charge of running the solid waste agency and allowed this kind of wanton waste to take place, for example, should be banned from sitting on any boards in this country. We note that the Government has now sent the report to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for him to determine what further action, if any, should be taken. This follows the insistent demands for such action from the Opposition benches as the responsible Minister Portia Simpson Miller came under fire in the Gordon House chamber on Wednesday.
As whatever legal consequences flow this unsavoury episode in the coming weeks, the public should be wary of becoming caught up in personality conflicts rather than focusing on the real issues at hand - a flagrant disregard for established procedures resulting in a waste of public funds at best, and the apparent corrupt lining of the pockets of party favourites at worst.
The scandal has thrown into sharp focus the need for better monitoring of the awards of contracts, especially those involving millions of dollars. Surely, no one individual or set of individuals should be allowed to circumvent established guidelines repeatedly without any form of censure. Mr. Patterson must take steps to tighten the screws relating to the awarding of government contracts. He is asleep on the job.
The Government needs to move swiftly to avoid a repeat of
the stench at the solid waste agency. The stench at the NSWMA suggests that party affiliation is more important than character or competence. This must stop. National benefit must be restored to the primacy of public concern.
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