Barbados Today

Veteran attorney-at-law and Independent Senator Sir Trevor Carmichael Tuesday made a plea for the modernization of the public service, with the help of retired persons.

Speaking in the Senate during debate on the 2017-2018 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, Sir Trevor said it was high time that “major offices and processes where stumbling blocks are now the norm” were brought up to speed with the use of technology.

He made specific mention of the Registry of Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property, the Supreme Court Registry, the office responsible for the processing of police certificates of character, the Land Tax Office and the Department of Immigration, as well as the overall management of traffic flow in the country as areas where the use of technology would make a major difference.

“It would make us more productive, more encouraging of business makers, business users, developers and not to be forgotten, a happier and maybe more loving population,” Sir Trevor said.

He suggested that the involvement of retired persons and other volunteers who have the skills and experience would leave a positive and lasting impact.

“It affirms love and self-belief at a personal level. Selection of persons in such a grouping is always critical, but it is a task that could be delegated to Barbados’ Independent senators in collaboration with one person from the Government and Opposition benches. The legal intricacies would need to be followed as regards giving the whole arrangement its rightful validity.

“Some may say that this proposal is repugnant to the Westminster model system, but I say that rules when necessary are broken and . . . system change has been at the core of post colonial condition. I say it is an idea whose time has come,” he advised.
(NC)