Why we need ministry of efficiency

THE EDITOR: When I wrote in one of my letters to the editor about the formation of a ministry of efficiency to superintend the other ministries in this present administration, I was giving this advice as a result of months/years of frustration and stress build-up. Let me give you a reason/example, why such a ministry is needed. Today (28/9/04), I wanted to get in touch with the Stamp Duty Section to obtain some information regarding the formation of a company. At 10 am my secretary called 623-1211 and the long list of other numbers and got recorded messages in a voice with a US or Canadian accent saying “hold on your call is being transferred to the appropriate section” (same message you get from RBTT). In the end she got zilch - no where.

As I needed the information as soon as possible, I decided to try and get it myself while my secretary did other work in connection with the formation of the company. I spent the greater part of one hour trying to get through to Stamp Duty Office without success. I said to myself “let me try the round about way.” I called the Legal Department of Inland Revenue in Port-of-Spain and got the number for the Stamp Duty Office in San Fernando. I called that number and each time it was busy. After 20 minutes of frustration another idea came to me “Let’s call Stamp Duty, Tobago.” So, I called the Revenue office over there and told them of my difficulty and enquired if there was such an office in Tobago. The helpful young lady made enquiries and came back with a number. I called and the person who answered gave me the correct number 639-2410 (Stamp Duty, Tobago). At last I said to myself I will get the information I needed. I proceeded to call Stamp Duty Tobago but alas the line was busy and continued to be so when I decided to write this letter. This was at 1 pm (28/9/04).

I know that I have not encountered the sort of frustration over all the years I spent in Canada, the US or for much shorter periods, in the UK.
Why does this sort of stress-creating incompetence continue in this country? I can also tell you that this sort of stupidness happens in most, if not, all the Government ministries. Can we get some help from the UN or some other international organisation to set up the ministry of efficiency?

M HOTIN
St James