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JAM | Sep 29, 2021

PSOJ rips Gov’t over ‘lack of urgency’ in passing new regulations for public bodies

/ Our Today

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The Hope Road headquarters of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), located in the capital Kingston. (Photo: psoj.org)

The Keith Duncan-led Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has decried what it labelled the Government’s lack of urgency in having Parliament consider and pass regulations aimed a bringing greater accountability to the management of public bodies, and noted “with great concern” recent revelations of continued impropriety on public boards.

In a statement Wednesday (September 29), the PSOJ reiterated that it has yet to see any urgency from the Jamaican Government in passing the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Regulations, 2020 into law. 

“We are disappointed with the lack of urgency displayed by the Government and the length of time it has taken for these regulations to progress through the approval process.”

Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica

“While we acknowledge that the Minister of Finance and the Government have taken several steps to improve governance in the public sector, we reiterate the call made last year by the PSOJ and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce along with other private sector associations and members of civil society for the government to urgently pass the Public Bodies Management and Accountability (Nomination, Selection and Appointment to Boards) Regulations, 2020,” the PSOJ noted.

“We are disappointed with the lack of urgency displayed by the Government and the length of time it has taken for these regulations to progress through the approval process,” the organisation added.

RE-TABLE REGULATIONS IN ‘SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME’

The PSOJ, continuing, recommended that the regulations be re-tabled in Parliament in “the shortest possible time frame and for their urgent approval” so that the requisite preparatory work can commence. Once completed, the legislation would offer sound governance over the next set of board appointments. 

“The passing of these regulations has been lagging for far too long. They must be prioritised and a timeline for completion communicated publicly,” the PSOJ argued.

“The continuing misuse of already limited public resources cannot be accepted as normal. Corruption and the perception of corruption only serve to fan the flames of increasing mistrust in our society, eventually normalising corruption and accepting it as endemic,” the entity remarked further.

Keith Duncan, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica.

The way the PSOJ sees it, each member of the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament, as the elected (or appointed) custodians of the resources of the people, should be “extremely disturbed about the erosion of confidence in their leadership and management of public institutions”.

“There are scores of competent Jamaicans who are trained and willing to serve their country through board participation and leadership. The new regulations will help to, amongst other things, establish a competency-based system for appointment, institute term limits, improve transparency and deal with both independence and conflict of interest,” the PSOJ bemoaned.

“Let us get this done and take this action in restoring public confidence in our leadership. The proposed regulations provide for a quantum leap and should be advanced with alacrity and without any further delays,” the organisation added.

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