Will this work? Isn't the MOF to be the Oversight?

[Assasin]

Oversight committee to monitor gov’t compliance coming

7:44 am, Tue February 12, 2013
The Finance Minister Monday night announced that an economic oversight committee is to be set up to monitor conditionalities under the IMF agreement.
It will comprise Government officials, the private sector and trade unions.
“…to among other things monitor the compliance and progress of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies with regard to the implementation of the IMF agreement with full authority on their part to inform the public of their findings. This is an unprecedented step of public accountability and transparency,” said
Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips.
A coordinating and implementing unit will also be established in the Finance Ministry.
It will be staffed by persons from within and outside the public sector.

[Plush]

THe problem is the Politicians don't trust themselves or who them work with. Why do we need an overisighet committe? This is becasusae nothing we have now is working..PArliament, PAAC,...whatever whateve...people show up when they want and do whatever the want...We have permanent secretaries..what it means..they never gonna go anywhere...why the hell should they worry about accountability then. Some actions I think are required.
Paycut for all Cabinet members and minsiters: they failing at their job because we living in a failed sate..ship out or reduced salaries
Increase court fees, fines, etc: why should we spend >10,000 (judge, court and staff, police) to prosecute a man for a 100 or 200 dollar fine)?
3. Force early retirement and realignment of workers in the Public Sector
4. Get more aggresive on Tax Compliance
5. Review tax/duties on luxury items
6. Tax waivers a must...we have to enable our products to compete against foreign markets
7. We must increase our exports...we need minister of trade to be on the international market inking deals
more to come

[Lazie]

Well the Economic Oversight Committee is something various stakeholders have been asking for. The question is, will all the data be made available to the committee? Secondly, if the EOC sees that the gov't isn't following thru, will they have the teeth to hold the gov't to their word? Or will the gov't dismiss them like how they deal with the OCG?

[Assasin]

If its not working why do we think and extended committee with businessmen and trade unionists going to work. Only thing they are going to do is end up blaming each other and taking a year to do something that should be done in weeks. This oversight committee shouldn't involve either. It should involve people directly employed by the minister of finance with background in economics and Project management and in the area of development and productivity.

The problem with tax waivers is we don't use it smartly. Every politician and his friend have it and kickbacks can easily be given as the politicans decided who get what. Waivers must be properly regulated it must be taken out of the hands of politicians. It was one of the main thing that killed agriculture in the 90s and people dump cheap goods and get waivers. No way our farmers could compete. Yes for sensible project that will get the economy moving we need waivers but as it goes in Ja "the good have to suffer for the bad"

For too long we buy into the idea that we can't export enough as places like the US can produce in volume and we can't. The US pay higher salaries, they have to pay shipping cost, we need to charge duties and we need to produce to compete. When I am talking about production I am not talking about buying foriegn goods and put reship them in any form, because with that even if the dollar reach 200 to 1 it makes no difference.

We have to find unique ways to export OUR PRODUCTS. Similar to how Jamaica Producer stop giving away banana to England and concentrate on the chips market where they put 2 fingers of banana in a bag and sell it for 2 US dollars. We have to find products that will sell and earn foriegn exchange.