Moving online, removing red tape may curb corruption in public office
Removing some of the cumbersome ‘red tape’ that hinders the free flow of business may help to abate some of the corruption seen in public office.
This was the view shared by Territorial At-Large Representative and Junior Trade Minister, Shereen Flax-Charles, during a recent sitting of the House of Assembly.
Relating a personal anecdote, Flax-Charles said she was previously offered a bribe in exchange for fast-tracking a businessperson’s trade license application at the Trade Department.
But the first-term legislator said she refused to take up the offer. Instead, she suggested that the person get the license legitimately.
“I can recall saying to that person, ‘My dear, I do not approve or deny trade licenses. I do not even see these trade licenses when they get to [the] Trade [Department].’ There is a process,” she related.
She then urged that legislators, as persons in authority, remain honest and careful not to fall prey to such instances.
“They are looking at it from the [perspective] that I need to get this thing fast, time is money. ‘How can I evade the system without having to go through all of this red tape?’“ Flax-Charles said of persons who make such illegal offers.
As a remedy to this, she said the government is on a mission to ensure that the services it provides are consistent and expeditious.
“That would eliminate a lot of the challenges that we are faced with and that is why we must bring every single thing online,” the Junior Trade Minster reasoned.
She added: “It eliminates a lot of the chances for persons to say, ‘listen, I need this I will give you $1,000.’ Because the process itself will be seamless and we wouldn’t necessarily have to have anyone basically, I would say, disrespecting that public official or that representative or politician.”
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So this one is admitting that there is corruption but I thought that the big chief said there is none?
@ heckler
Read again, that is not what I get from the article. Someone tried and now she is trying to find a better way for the businesses and improve government process.
some of you have so many negative cells that prevent you from thinking anything positive even if it warrants a positive feedback. Try reading to understand mehn.
Just another dumb a** posting without reading just to attack the government.
Heckle yourself pato.
Maybe they should’ve called KS! He sees the trade applications even if you don’t and fast tracks who he wants. This Government really thinks we are fools!
That’s why they appoint ‘advisors’ to do the corrupt deals and organise the ‘donations’ to the party or other non profit.
Going online would help the small corruption but the big stuff to do with contracts and land would still happen.
Still waiting for mine after two years of being approved and sitting on Ministers desk to be signed.
Lady, A thousand dollars is peanuts, What kind of bribe is that little pocket change. Why were you not offered the going rate.
Lord!!! ayo got jokes sah!! wha you mean $1000 is peanut change? are you saying my Legislator is selling herself cheap?
WHAT !!! there’s curruption by government employees ! Such a silly thing to say ?
and you didn’t know ?
Putting something online to ‘fix’ an administrative problem in the BVI is like trying to build a rocket and fly to the moon using local contractors.
The process is the problem. Fix it please. That’s your job.
Walking around using words you don’t understand only makes things worse.