On the first day on the job as Planning Minister, Maxie Cuffie has promised to look into reasons why members of the public can no longer access public assistance in filing their taxes at Inland Revenue Division at the corner of Edward and Queen Streets, Port-of-Spain.
Members of the public have complained they were being turned away as that service was no longer available.
The T&T Guardian during a visit to the office yesterday was told by one of the security guards the service was permanently stopped.
No reasons were given, only that it was a "directive from management," he added.
However, Cuffie, who was fielding questions from members of the media after meeting his staff at Public Administration and Communications at the National Library building on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, said he was unaware of the reasons for the unavailability of the service.
"I know that office is in transition but I do not know the details of why that has happened. I will take that as my first complaint to resolve," Cuffie said
On what specifically he would be doing to improve the public service Cuffie said he would have to examine the policies of the public service and how that had impacted on the ordinary man.
"My main, main thrust is ensuring a positive impact on people and on the public so that we can ensure that all the money that is spent by the Government always go to improving the lives of the people," Cuffie said.
Customer service, which has been branded as an ongoing sore point in the public service, also needed to improve.
That, Cuffie said, was a reflection of a bigger problem.
"It is not just the treatment you get when you go before a public servant but it is also when you make a request... even public officials suffer from the fact that the system does not work.
"Sometimes you retire and you have to wait five years before you can get pension and gratuity and it’s all tied to policies and procedures. What I am going to do is insist that we look at the end and its impact on people," Cuffie added.
Pressed on how long the public would have to wait to have an efficient service, given that repeated assurances have been made, Cuffie said he could not give a time frame.
"I don't want to give a time frame for anything because today is my first day in the ministry. I can't set a time frame without even hearing what the challenges and constraints are, so give me a little while before I put deadlines," Cuffie said.
Asked whether he intended to restructure the Board of Inland Revenue which has also been deemed inefficient, especially in the tardy payment of pension, Cuffie said Government had a plan to reintroduce the revenue authority, adding that Finance Minister Colm Imbert would be leading that charge.
‘Inefficiency leads to corruption’
In addressing his staff Cuffie urged the delivery of public services was vital, saying this must be improved.
"When people talk about corruption a lot of responsibility falls on the public service. I am not saying public servants are corrupt although we have problems across the society.
"Whenever there is an inefficient delivery of public services it encourages corruption because that is the way people seek to exploit the system to get things done," Cuffie said.
The public service has just over 66,000 employees and commands just under $10 billion annually of Government resources, Cuffie added.