Contract breaches dim Jamaicans' hope for serious shake-up

Dennis Morrison, Contributor

Dissatisfaction with elected officials and governments is running high worldwide, driven, in many instances, by economic austerity and the hardships arising from the global recession.

In the United States, the Democratic party suffered heavy losses in the 2010 mid-term election because of the bad economy, and with unemployment still at a high of nine per cent, President Obama's job-approval rating has been judged harshly. His re-election chances are seen as very difficult, as the US economy is not expected to resurge in the short term.

The electorates in the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland and Portugal dumped incumbent parties, and the signs are that the Spanish will follow suit in national polls being held Sunday, judging by the results of local and regional elections held earlier. In many cases, governments are extremely unpopular: some leaders have been pushed aside, and protest movements are springing up against widening inequalities.

It is not only harsh economics which is driving this dissatisfaction; voters everywhere are becoming more intolerant of abuses of power and corrupt practices by politicians. Both in the UK and Ireland, and most recently in Italy, corruption and alleged misconduct by members of parliament and Cabinet ministers led to humiliating firings and resignations. These were factors in the demise of governments in several countries.

In an age of instant communication where access to information has never been as easy, including secret government communications (WikiLeaks), people believe that they have a right to, and demand greater transparency and accountability from, their leaders and governments. Especially in these harsh economic times, voters are incensed by wasteful government spending and corruption.

But in Jamaica, it would appear that neither economic hardship nor abuse of power has raised the dissatisfaction level to the point where our people are ready to insist on systemic changes to our politics.

disaffection with politicians

It is a fact, however, that disaffection with politicians and public officials has been rising for some time now - even before the economic downturn - and is mirrored in the declining voter turnout rates in elections over the past two decades.

Currently, there is a huge trust deficit for those who hold public office. The lack of trust, deep suspicion and cynicism is due, in large measure, to the fact that, except for a few cases, no one is held accountable for breaches of procedures, guidelines and regulations.

This is reinforced by the widespread perception that the extravagant lifestyles of an increasing number of public officials cannot be supported by their legitimate incomes. The perception is most often voiced in relation to members of the police force, with allegations of criminal links to the underworld. In the case of the politicians, it is questions of impropriety that have fuelled suspicions that they have enriched themselves through their positions in public office.

Jamaica has not been slow to institute wide-ranging and strict procedures and guidelines for procurement by public-sector agencies. In my personal opinion, these have gone too far in overcentralising the procurement system and making implementation more inefficient.

This criticism aside, has there been anyone held to account or punished for major breaches revealed in the numerous investigative reports submitted by the contractor general's office? From the way these cases have been handled, is there evidence of any will to prosecute those responsible for violations?

jamaicans desensitised

Over the years, the Jamaican people have become numb to the recurring cases of what appear to be outright breaches of regulations governing procurement by state agencies and divestment of public assets. I fear that we have got to the point where cases involving even the most blatant and costly mishandling of procurement will hardly trigger any public outrage.

It is no longer shocking to hear of irregularities, and political patronage will most likely continue to be a big factor in determining how contracts are shared. With campaign financing being so dependent on those with 'deep pockets', shouldn't we expect that contributors will expect lucrative returns on their 'investments'?

Jamaican governments have gone even further in putting into law reporting procedures that public bodies are to adhere to, with serious penalties for non-compliance. Much has been made of new laws governing fiscal responsibility that are in line with current international practice. But are these laws being acted upon, and how do we stack up against the best-performing countries?

Like the contractor general, the auditor general has brought to public light, through special investigations, a number of cases where administrative and financial rules have been violated. These findings, too, have not caused heads to roll, and it is not in our tradition for ministers to resign or be fired when there are foul-ups in their portfolios.

Are our citizens going to demand a change to this order? Will they punish politicians who flout the rules? After all the talk of reform of our governance systems, are there any among our political leaders ready to overturn the existing order?

Dennis Morrison is an economist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.