Straight out of Yes, Minister
I thought the government had appointed, last year, some kind of committee for the reduction of red tape, headed by Labour MP Michael Falzon?
But today Times of Malta reports a fascinating episode from the cult TV series Yes, Minister:
NEW COUNCIL TO CUT GOVERNMENT RED TAPE
A General Coordinating Council has been set up by the government to improve synergy and communication and cut down on red tape.
The council will be presided by the Principal Permanent Secretary and the Commissioner for simplification and reduction of bureaucracy.
The members are all the permanent secretaries, the Commissioner of Police, the commander of the AFM, the presidents of the regions and the executive heads of various government entities.
Meetings will be held at least one every quarter.
Six units have also been formed to focus on the infrastructure. Valletta 2018, the social sector, the economy, national matters and security and Gozo.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140211/local/new-council-to-cut-government-red-tape.506403#.Uvpp1_tKjxR
Now there’s a courageous decision.
Ambitious
Why can’t tape be tape?
Why is Joseph politicizing tape?
Maybe he has this red tape in mind.
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/RUZ_1744.jpg
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Muscat-in-car-at-Australia-Hall.jpg
Sir Humphrey Appleby would be so proud.
Jim: Who else is in this department?
Sir Humphrey: Well briefly sir I am the Permanent Undersecretary of State known as the Permanent Secretary, Wooley here is your Principle Private Secretary I too have a Principle Private Secretary, and he is the Principle Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary, directly responsible to me are ten Deputy Secretaries, eighty-seven Undersecretaries and two hundred and nineteen assistant secretaries, directly responsible to the Principle Private Secretaries are Plain Private Secretaries, and the Prime Minister will be appointing two Parliamentary Undersecretaries and you will be appointing your own Parliamentary Private Secretary
.
Jim: Can they all type?
Sir Humphrey: None of us can type Minister, Mrs McKay types, she’s the secretary.
This is a parallel structure to the regular civil service which, despite its many frustrations and inefficiencies, is subject to controls and checks on excesses.
By mashing up his ghouls with the AFM and the police, Muscat has, effectively, usurped the power of the civil service and undermined the autonomy of the AFM and the police.
For his next trick, he’ll neuter parliament and the law courts and his Mintoffianisation by stealth will be complete.
….and who is the assistant bottle washer to the bottle washer?
http://www.rubberturnip.org.uk/yesminister/shawn.html
We are going to finish up with half the working population working somehow for the government. And the rest paying for them.
No wonder our government had to come up with the innovative idea of selling our birth right.
“We are going to finish up with half the working population working somehow for the government. And the rest paying for them.”
Yepp. That’s half the population working for the government, and the other half working for them.
Another talking shop.
I’m glad the Commander of the AFM is on this bureaucratic committee to cut bureaucracy – his opinion on administrative matters will make a huge difference.
They have no idea how to achieve results so they create a PR stunt to be seen to be doing something – incompetent amateurs!
Presidents of the regions? Did we miss something? I know Silvio Parnis occupies a sinecure for the south but are there others?
The Malta Independent online, reporting on the murder in St Paul’s Bay, alleges that the police stated that the murder weapon ‘was also elevated’. What on earth does that mean?
More like an episode straight out of North Korea.
The head of the police, the head of the army, the heads of all ministries…sounds like a meeting of the Supreme Soviet.
Sounds like a war on red tape.
Buns all around?
Just cherries on the icing.
Well, at least the whole crowd involved in the ‘simplification’ process (numbering fifty, if not more, by my estimates) will be meeting at least ONCE every quarter.
That should leave them all ample time to continue carrying out their as yet ‘un-simplified’ functions in the respective offices they hold.
Again, a little proof-reading would not have been amiss in this case, too.
I distinctly remember that episode. The fundamental difference here is that the Prime Minister gets to choose his own Sir Humphrey.
It’s good ‘ere, innit? A laugh a minute.
I think this qualifies as creating more red tape.
Who are “the presidents of the regions”?