Belize City, Friday, 31st March 2023 

EDITORIAL

Policy Coordinator or Administrator

Recently, the unions took issue with the fact that this government is not following through on their manifesto promise to revert back to the system of Permanent Secretaries in the Public Service as opposed to the actual politically appointed Chief Executive Officers.

The Permanent Secretary System is a model used in some commonwealth countries, like New Zealand, where the Permanent Secretary is appointed independently of ministers and has functional independence from the political directorate. This creates a truly independent public service, where the minister's role is to set broad-based-level policies, and it is left up to the Permanent Secretary to bring those policies to life via well-thought-out programs and initiatives.

In contrast, CEO’s, Belize's political appointee’s CEO’s serve for the term of the government, and their role is more of a policy coordinator than an administrator. This model has resulted, according to critics, in missteps and a lack of accountability, as seen in the recent case of Forestry Officer Daniel Chi.

The government's response to the unions' demand for a change is to await the recommendations of the People's Constitution Commission (PCC). However, the PCC's recommendations are not binding, and there is a possibility of a repeat of history, where the majority sides with the politically appointed CEO structure.

The Political Reform Commission (PRC-2000) recommended that Permanent Secretaries no longer be the most senior permanent position in the public service but instead be political appointees of the government in office. The government had already committed to bringing back Permanent Secretaries, but the unions were advised to await the recommendations of the People's Constitution Commission (PCC). It is possible that the PCC may call for this type of reform, but it is also possible that there is a repeat of history, and the majority sides with the politically-appointed CEO structure.

However, there is a far higher probability of successful reforms in this area if the government is called upon to stick to its Good Governance Motion of reverting to the permanent secretaries. Simply reverting to the pre-2000 status quo is not sufficient, and stakeholders should examine structures like the one New Zealand employs for its Permanent Secretaries. The functional independence of the chief executive is a significant contributing factor as to why New Zealand is ranked as among the top-three least corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index for 2021.

It is imperative that the government sticks to its Good Governance Motion and brings back Permanent Secretaries, creating a truly independent public service. It is not sufficient to revert to the pre-2000 status quo. Instead, stakeholders should examine structures like the one New Zealand employs for its Permanent Secretaries, where they are appointed independently of ministers and have functional independence from the political directorate.

The government must prioritize governance reforms that promote transparency, accountability, and functional independence. It is time to move away from the political appointee system and towards a system that benefits the people of Belize.