Trust
GOOD GOVERNMENT REQUIRES PUBLIC TRUST
As with any society, our quality of life as Barbadians is directly and fundamentally impacted by the quality of our government. In going about our daily lives, even as casual observers, we see what is working well and what is not, we see where progress is being made and where we appear to be going backwards – we see success and we see failure. From our own personal observations and from our exposure to public information and opinions expressed in the media, we develop a sense of comfort or discomfort with the government of the day.
When we go to the polls every five years to exercise the power, limited as it may be, of our periodic vote as a citizen of Barbados, we should be revelling in the opportunity to select between political parties and individuals who have thoughtfully laid out for us their different policies to move our country forward on its path to development. Unfortunately, in casting our ballots it seems that we are more often motivated by an intense desire to rid the country of an administration which we have concluded is incompetent, corrupt or both. If this happens repeatedly and becomes the norm in what is essentially a two-party state, then the resulting cynicism among the voting public represents a fundamental problem which will seriously inhibit our national development – a loss of trust in government.
It is generally recognized that, for there to be good, effective government, there must be a high level of public trust in government and its institutions. Only with a high level of public trust will individuals be motivated to respond positively to public policies and to comply with regulations. Individuals and companies will not be motivated to pay their taxes if they are not confident in the management of public funds. Without public trust in government, there is no foundation for social cohesion, the investments so critical to development will not be made and those investments that are made will attract suspicion.
According to one international body, “evidence shows that government’s values, such as high levels of integrity, fairness and openness of institutions are strong predictors of public trust. Similarly, government’s competence – its responsiveness and reliability in delivering public services and anticipating new needs – are crucial for building trust in institutions.”
Here in Barbados, the office of the Auditor General has a crucial role to play in building public trust in government and its institutions. The Auditor General’s Annual Report has become a yardstick by which the public seeks to assess the quality of management of the country’s financial affairs by our public servants. In performing his vital role, the Auditor General is pleading for help in two key areas – (i) the proper resourcing of his office with adequate staff and (ii) the enactment of the legislative tools necessary to allow his office to hold our public servants accountable through meaningful sanctions for a lack of cooperation with his auditors. Integrity Group Barbados absolutely agrees – it must become a serious offence for any public servant to withhold information from or mislead the office of the Auditor General in performing their work in the public interest.
Government needs to urgently respond to Mr. Trotman’s very reasonable requests. In doing so, our Prime Minister would do well to echo the words of Stephen Harper, the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada – “There’s going to be a new code on Parliament Hill: bend the rules, you will be punished; break the law, you will be charged; abuse the public trust, you will go to prison.”
The Integrity Group Barbados Inc.
June 30, 2021