The Jamaican Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) has expressed its frustration at the slow pace of public sector transformation.

Chair of the PAAC, Edmund Bartlett said neither the Cabinet Office nor the Public Sector Monitoring Unit (PSTU) could find any evidence of work proceeding on Medium Term Economic Program targets required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Mr Bartlett said his Committee’s main interest now was having timelines from the Cabinet Office related to specific outcomes in terms of the “sticking points” with the IMF.

He said one of these “sticking points” was public sector rationalisation and there was a need to complete the process so that savings could be realised and its cost effectiveness improved.

Opposition member of the PAAC, Marisa Dalrymple-Phillibert questioned whether the policies and actions of Public Sector staff already in place had resulted in any significant savings for the country.

“The fact that whatever is happening is not resulting in any savings for us really doesn’t amount to too much and this is why, as a committee, we are anxious to have the timelines that everybody seems to be dodging,” Ms Dalrymple-Philibert said.

Cabinet Secretary, Douglas Saunders said not everything could be identified with a timeline.

“There are some things that will be achievable before; there are some things in respect of which activities are already underway,” Mr Saunders said.

“We are not twiddling our thumbs, while we are waiting for a complete sign off.”

Chief Executive of the PSTU, Patricia Sinclair-McCalla said hers was a small Department of the Cabinet Office and it was the Permanent Secretaries of the various Ministries who were responsible for implementing the policies.

“They have to own the process, because if we go in and do it for them, it’s not theirs,” Ms Sinclair-McCalla said.

“They have to be responsible for the changes.”

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