Gov’t managers, wake up!

When department heads seek for additional funds in their budgetary submission, it goes without saying that most are probably oblivious to current reality of major reduction in annual revenue generation. Hello?

Such callous attitude also illustrates the usual public sector mentality that the “good times” are still here, therefore, the urgency to ask for more at a time when most businesses have either closed shop or downsized, considerably.

May we reiterate once more that “bad economic times” are here and will be around for quite some time whether we like it or not. Therefore, it behooves all government managers to engage in reality check of the assaults on the local economy by the Asian crisis and its devastating effects on revenue generation.

If you will, we have reported through the pages of this newspaper, the closure of more than 2,000 tourist related businesses. Furthermore, such closure has translated into less revenue to work with since two years ago. In fact, how sad that nearly 80 percent of such revenue generation or tax contributions will go into salaries of public sector employees. The balance would have to be divided among the most essential departments such as PSS, health and public safety.

The effect of the Asian crisis has also reduced jobs in the local labor market. Imagine some 270 applicants submitting applications for a menial government job. Such is also true in the private sector where businesses have released employees as they downsize operations to muddle through the deepening crisis. This is reality today in terms of plummeting revenue generation.

If anything, government managers and the 4,000 plus strong public sector employees must learn that local revenue generation has declined substantially. It is for this reason that reduction in work hours has been implemented by various agencies and the warning words of the governor about revenue reduction is no fairy tale either.
It is as real as you wanted it to be.

Finally, it behooves each public sector employee to build a sense of responsibility and accountability in the expenditure of public funds. The government isn’t an abstract concept. You are the government in every sense of the word and it is for this reason that you too must pitch-in in the efficient delivery of more public services for less. Si Yuus Maase` yan ghilisow!