Diana Mahabir-Wyatt

Last Saturday, short on free time, I read only one newspaper. I am a media addict, and subject to early-morning work obligations, usually read all three dailies.

I confess that I do so with pen in hand, because, with an editing background among my youthful indiscretions, my right eye starts to twitch when I come across poor grammar, punctuation, and crooked spelling. It is a daily occurrence, I am afraid, so it keeps my facial muscles well exercised, while my brain gets to work on the gravamen of what is happening in TT on a deeper political scale.

Last week it happened to be an excellent issue of Newsday, so I was able to read all the way through without being distracted by compulsive copyediting.

What leapt out at me was the galloping tendency of senior members of government to make directive statements. As they were all newly back from a Cabinet retreat at which I imagine - as happens at the many executive business retreats where I have been present in one capacity or another, over the years - policy was discussed, and recommended, to be made the foundation of the organisation's strategy plan for the coming year (or two or five).

And speak out they did, announcing the totalitarian directions they intend to pursue.

Does anyone read these announcements before they go out? Do they know how they sound?

The implementation of a remote-work policy for the public service was one announcement. There was no indication of why, or any intention of thereby improving service to the public, however: it is to make it easier for the government employees. Perhaps service to the public is no longer a priority?

Will this new policy improve the communication service? When was the last time you tried to get service by telephone from any government ministry or agency? I acknowledged the familiar experience of Richard Lobo in his letter to the press that day, pointing out his four-hour attempt, via chat, Facebook, and Messenger, to get a response from one such organisation.

We don't even try the phone any more, as we know there will be no response.

With the budget looming and still no resolution of wage and salary negotiations, the government was moving to rule by directive, not by discuss-and-agree.

You will also notice the announcement in the same issue of Newsday that applications for licences for certain agricultural imports and exports will now only be done online.

Isn't that dictate going to hamper the entire community of farming folk who are not able to afford or able to utilise online apps? Or all they all working online in areas that have free access to the internet?

Columnist Vaniesha Baksh pointed out the 'callous and insensitive' statement by the Education Minister about soaring temperatures that would have led to her removal from office anywhere else, but here didn't even rate an apology. So that's all right, then? And the Trade Minister said, in handing out Lutterloh pattern-making kits to 50 aspiring entrepreneurial seamstresses, that each kit they were gettin