Relax dress code, improve service to public

THE EDITOR: At a function in 2018, President Paula-Mae Weekes said the public service has developed a reputation for inefficiency and this stigma had to be remedied.

For this, she was excoriated by then president of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke, who called on her to apologise to public servants. It was a most disingenuous position to take by Duke as unless one lives under a rock, everybody knows the service in public offices in Trinidad and Tobago is appalling!

Workers in government offices shake their heads at members of the public when asked questions instead of answering properly.

In many cases, there are just one or two cashiers out of a possible nine or ten to service very long lines, while other employees casually mingle and make small talk in full view of the stressed-out public.

The government might as well remove telephones from all public offices and save some revenue because nobody answers the phone! And I could go on and on.

So when I heard Minister of Public Administration and Digital Transformation Allyson West say that the dress code for citizens is not high on the agenda, I would like to submit that it should be. What’s the use of citizens being required to “dress properly” when entering government buildings when the service is so poor and improper?

What should also be high on the minister's agenda is the need to addres the lack of proper service given by those working in the public service.

ROGER MOHAMMED

Piarco