EY report not dictating PPM agenda
Premier Alden McLaughlin in the LA, 6 May 2016
(CNS): The premier has defended his government’s approach to dealing with the public sector reform recommendations made by management consultants Ernst & Young in a report published in 2014, but he made it clear the report is not dictating policy. Alden McLaughlin stated that the public sector reform agenda, which will drive the efficiency and effectiveness of government services, has been set by the government’s political priorities and described the report as a “useful stimulus” for the reform programme, now known as Project Future.
Addressing the Legislative Assembly on Friday, the premier railed against a newspaper editorial criticising both the approach to reform and the head of the unit steering the reform projects, and said Project Future will see the implementation, in full or modified form, of many of the EY recommendations and a number of others.
McLaughlin said the projects were being tackled in phases over the next 5 years. Work has started on some reforms that will be finished before the 2017 elections, while others are not expected to be delivered until after the elections, he said.
“It is right for the government to take a long-term view and to put in place the delivery of the reforms this country needs,” the premier told his political colleagues, as he defended the approach to public sector reform during this term. “If we remain bound to electoral cycles, we remain bound to short-term action that will not tackle some of the fundamental issues we face. “
McLaughlin stated, as he did last year when he made an announcement about the programme, that there were 16 recommendations from the report that would not be implemented because they conflicted with the PPM administration’s policies. He said that raising fees runs counter to the commitment government has made to try and cut rather than raise levies and charges.
“We also excluded recommendations where the analysis indicated that the benefits were not sufficient to justify taking the ideas forward,” he added.
Defending the head of the Project Future’s implementation unit, Mary Rodrigues, who was directly criticised in the editorial, McLaughlin explained the division of powers:
“We, the government, are the decision-makers. We have selected the projects to be explored and we decide which business cases documents are approved. The deputy governor and his chief officers are responsible for implementation. Mrs Rodrigues and the Strategic Reforms Implementation Unit (SRIU) are responsible for developing the implementation strategy and providing tools and guidance to help chief officers and their teams to deliver the projects,” he said, noting that the SRIU work had already earned the regard of external consultants and officials from other overseas territories.
“While there has been a significant learning curve for government and the civil service alike, and we have faced some challenges, as a government we have declared our objectives and we are making progress,” McLaughlin said, adding that he would be making further announcements on the progress of the initiative later this month during his Budget Address, which would be published for the media and the public.
Statement in the LA on Project Future by Premier Alden McLaughlin, 6 May 2016
In the GovTV video below, Premier Alden McLaughlin reads the statement beginning 55:07
Category: Government Finance, Politics
I’m glad to see the Premier call Legge out and expose his crassness. The quality of this editorial is so poor-even for the Compass!
When I saw that crackpot EY suggestion that the government sell Radio Cayman, it took away all credibility from the whole laundry list for me. What a stupid, lunatic, idea to deliver our national radio station into the hands of the private sector – it’d be like an on -air version of that totally special -interest driven joke of an American rag, the so called “Cayman” Compass, for pity’s sake, who even refuse to use the Queen’s English for some insane reason or other. (Hey, Dan, why not head over to the U.K. and suggest the government over there sells the BBC?!)
EY are not dictating the agenda. The Lodge is dictating the agenda.
The problem with EY was that their report correctly identified most of CIG’s major job creation schemes and pointed out they were all a complete waste of public money. If the report was being fully implemented hundreds of public sector employees would now face unemployment and, as they are also voters, that isn’t going to happen is it?
What good is job creation when the hordes of benefit sucking Cayjamians would rather stay at home and drink beer.
Where can I sign up?
Join Mac’s wote buying club….you’ll even get a new fridge for your beer.
Really! One quick one would have been to amalgamate the Ministry and Department of Education. Has that happened NO. Is it likely to happen NO. It is a glaringly obvious and relatively easy quick win. Yet that recommendation is ignored. Ome simple question Alden, WHY?
12:50, In the words of her Rhianna; “Wuk, wuk, wuk, wuk, wuk.”
Well, they have started doing things now. 2 years to late of course, this should have started a long time ago..but hey, its Cayman.
Legge is just a Johnny-come- lately who stepped off the plane and into Cayman Status (no waiting for him; no proof of anything required). And what has he done in return? Introduced ambulance-chasing, National Enquirer-style reporting, with a lot of innuendo but no facts- just a lot of personal attacks. And don’t forget he launched a media campaign in the US to try to destroy the Cayman Islands!
Why not editorialise about your private sector cronies? Why not some investigative reporting on all that they get up to? Who are you to try to tell the Government what to do and the people of the Cayman Islands what to think?
Legge, dressing up in a tuxedo once in a while for a charity event doesn’t count!
The Marl road started in Cayman, unless you are saying that is OK for Caymanians but not “Johnny come latelys”, who also happens to be a Caymanian? So what Mac and all the others spout is OK? But not Legge? Double standards here are amazing. Worst part is, you are lying to yourself if you cannot see it. And that would make you the biggest fool of all.
Do you think you might be over-reacting just a wee bit. I mean certainly the government needs oversight. Theve shown time and again they will undertake one hare brained scheme after another. Sure legge has his agenda (like getting fat mac back in control of the piggy trough) but we need the press or those _____ will sell the rest of the island to dart, the Chinese AND their buddies in the US of A
So it’s not just me convinced that Legge is Mac’s personal PR guy to get him back into power, with Dart pulling the strings.
The politicians are not going to do anything to upset the largest voting bloc in the land. That is all.
This is all just a lesson in Politricks 101.
Fix the damn dump Alden or go away!
The trouble with the PPM is that they are honest and don’t go into projects to line their own pockets.
Can’t help but think. Who ever wrote the Premire’s response makes him sound like a spoilt little child.
“Mommy and Daddy left ME in charge, and if you don’t like it, then tough and boo whoo on you. Na-Ne-Na-Ne-Boo-Boo. Stick your head in (you know the rest). I gonna call mom and dad cause you na listening me. I think I gonna cry. I going home and I gonna take the ball with me cause unnah don’t want play by my rules”.
I’m just saying that that is what is sounds to me like he doing.
What a bunch of hogwash!
If not , why are you acting on EY reports.? Or is it that you can say that’s what EY recommend in the report. .
Why the heck did we pay for it then? To look at?
Thank you Premier. This change agenda is history making and takes time. The work being undertaken in the civil service as result of this report together with the Governance structure developed is simply outstanding.
I don’t expect many CNS posters to actually understand what is happening and will probably mention the stupid Miller Shaw Report.
If you were that smart, you would explain to us “posters” what you think is happening. But you did post that comment at 1AM, so the coffee’s probably worn off then aye.
come on Kitty read the statement….
Just hit the troll button on the Franzplants and move on Kitty. Seems they are now in competition for attention.
agenda…what agenda?
‘do nothing ppm’. end of story
The PPM Agenda may not be clear to some who think that politicians have all the answers(not inclusive), who believe that politicians should just act and “feed” the people instead of teaching them to fish, who believe that politicians should prosper from their jobs and help all their friends at the same time while giving away Government’s money to those who should be able to help themselves.
Good governance practiced in a democratic way that will benefit ALL the people not just for a short time but into the foreseeable future DOES take time!
Crash and burn change will only create chaos and eventually lead to the Government having to help more people! Please think before you posts. Think back on the previous Government and how much funds were wasted in rash decisions without and policies or frameworks. How quickly we forget. Cha! Good ole Caymanian kiss teeth( did u hear it?)
Oh man, talk about drinking the kool aid. Your post is called a “straw man argument”. Nobody posting that the PPM has done nothing advocated hand outs or “crash and burn change” or the return of the UDP. You’re arguing with things that have never been said.
The point is the country has a lot of issues and nothing has been done to solve them.
Unemployment.
Dump.
Welfare abuse.
Size of government.
Cost of living.
Cost of doing business.
The port.
Crime.
You name it, the PPM has done nothing about it.
Sooo, you want mac daddy back?
Actually, to be fair, they did take a functioning immigration system and broke it.
Unemployment. – down to 6.2 from 10.5
Dump. – strategy being progressed
Welfare abuse. – being addressed
Size of government. – under control and being reduced
Cost of living. – reduced substantially – look at your CUC bill – CPI went down last year by 2.3%
Cost of doing business. – reduced substantially
The port. – proper process being followed
Crime. – lower in some respects – still a problem but not just a gov issue – a societal issue
GDP – up an average of 2% annually
That is the positive reality you would deny.
@6.25 For the record:
Unemployment is down
Work on the dump has started
The size of government is exactly what Project Future is about
Cost of Living is down as a result of reduced taxes on fuel
Cost of business is down through lower fees
The Port is being tackled in an open transparent way
Crime remains a problem largely driven by the drugs
i don’t know anything about welfare abuse as I work for living
And the airport expansion has started without anyone getting kickbacks.
The spend A LOT of $$$$ doing nothing. Am I the only one who sees this?
You are not supposed to see that. Please look the other way or stick your head in the sand. It is most inconvenient that you see it.
Yes! You have a gift.