Holness signals imminent changes to tackle red tape

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says in the coming days the government will be announcing measures aimed at increasing efficiency across Government, making the bureaucracy more functional and improving service delivery to Jamaicans post-Hurricane Melissa. The prime minister says the changes are necessary to increase the capacity of the Government to respond to current challenges. Holness gave the update when he addressed a group of private sector leaders who attended an event on Thursday at the Terra Nova Hotel in St Andrew. The event was hosted by Cabinet Minister Daryl Vaz. "We are a free country socially, but we are not a free country economically," Holness said. "If we are going to address the issue of poverty in our country, we must address the issue of our bureaucuracy. "We can't get rid of bureaucracy, but we must make our bureaucracy make sense, it must be efficient," the prime minister said. The prime minister pointed to red tape for the lengthy time it has taken for the delivery of modular homes to families impacted by Hurricane Melissa. "We imported the modular houses almost six months ago, and we are still not able to have them rolled out and built quickly... between the logistics, the contracting, the permitting, procurement, it is as if no one cares that it's an emergency," Holness said. He said it was critical that Jamaicans in need are able to receive assistance much more quickly to mitigate their distress and improve their well-being and welfare. "In the coming days, the government will be making certain announcements which will signal a change in how we do business," Holness said.