To varying degrees, the misdirection of state assets by functionaries is a region-wide phenomenon. Whether or not governments have, over time, worked to eradicate this phenomenon is open to question. Across the region there exists the widespread view that stealing from the state is regarded as a perk of political office never mind the fact that, to varying degrees, the practice robs the hapless countries of resources for channeling into legitimate pursuits.
One suspects that the practice of stealing from the state here in the Caribbean varies from territory to territory as does the level of urgency associated with remedying the problem. One imagines, as well, that governments in the region are not unmindful of what, these days, is the enhanced sense of urgency reflected in the uncoded messages from the international lending agencies like the World Bank, the IMF and the IDB that have to do with profligate spending and the questionable channeling of public funds.
Currently, in Trinidad and Tobago, the exertions of the government of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley in the matter of responding to this challenge would appear to be manifested in its efforts to pilot what is termed The Whistleblower Bill through the House of Representatives.
In the course of his exertions Dr. Rowley has had quite a bit to say about what can only be described as the sheer scale of what, sometimes, is the cynicism and barefacedness of the manner in which state agencies under his own administration...
China has removed all medical advertisements on national television channels containing false claims as of the end of March, the National Radio and Television Administration said on Thursday. The ...