Hosein: Local govt must get closer to the people

Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein is calling for a more public-oriented approach to planning and drafting amendments for the Local Government Reform Bill. He said government systems ought to be more accessible and convenient with people in mind.

Speaking at the tenth and final Joint Select Committee on Local Government Reform at Parliament this morning, Hosein called on officials from the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR), to do their part in making certain processes easier and smoother for the public to access.

Recalling his own experience with slow customer service in the public sector, Hosein said more needed to be done to improve the pace of operations.

"I have seen this in the public service, things take long. Really long and I'm talking about up to three years. I have been in San Fernando and a simple thing like getting rid of vehicles, in the Ministry of Agriculture, in the police service, in whatever corporation, it takes ten years and the same thing happens in other corporations where things take up to five years to get done.

"I am not blaming anybody, but you as the leaders of a system have to make sure things move along in a little more timely manner. It doesn't have to be two weeks, it can be within six months even, but that's just my experience. I have seen it happen where surveyors take 15 years. I left San Fernando with some derelict vehicles causing mosquitoes and vermin and come back to meet them still there."

Hosein said he wanted to see an improvement in the quality of service from the public sector and said he looked forward to better, more timely management of activities in the future.