- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 01/Jul 03:27

Optics of bloated cabinet

THE EDITOR: On June 26 the UNC published photos on its official Facebook page showing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar chairing her cabinet meeting at the Red House. At first glance the images were clearly meant to project authority and control – dozens of ministers seated in a grand chamber, gathered around the PM at the centre. But the optics raise far more troubling questions than they answer. Roughly 30 to 35 individuals are pictured, making up one of the largest cabinets this country has ever seen. For a population of just 1.4 million, it is hard to justify an executive structure of that size. It signals excess, not efficiency. Each additional minister means more salaries, more perks, more vehicles, more security details – all funded by taxpayers. This would be concerning in any economic climate, but it is especially jarring now. The country continues to face serious fiscal challenges and remains heavily exposed to energy market volatility. Citizens were expecting stability and direction. Instead, what we’ve seen is a focus on political purging: the sacking of the Central Bank governor, the removal of WASA’s CEO, and other high-profile dismissals without explanation or policy clarity. We were promised responsible, forward-looking leadership. What we’ve received so far is finger-pointing, partisan showmanship, and a bloated cabinet that seems more about internal political arrangements than public service. The Red House – our colonial-era parliamentary building – was likely chosen for its grandeur. But that same grandeur now throws the excess into stark relief. The ceremony cannot hide the fact that, two months in, there is no clear agenda for economic recovery, institutional reform, or service delivery. The country deserves better than theatrical governance. If this is the model being rolled out, TT may find itself repeating the worst patterns of the past under the gloss of recycled promises. MICHAEL E DHANNY Diego Martin The post Optics of bloated cabinet appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.