Today’s news that a great deal of pending business licences were approved will no doubt be well-received by the persons concerned. The backlog goes back to late last year and was said to be due to the election period, the formation of a new cabinet and the delay in appointing the Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs.
There were reports of investors being forced to postpone the start of operations for many months, with all possible consequences. One must keep in mind that this can affect not only them, but their future employees, suppliers, etc.
Some will have to wait a bit longer, as the Minister is off-island this week and plans to tackle the remaining batch on her return. However, this supposedly involves a much smaller number.
It could, of course, be argued that governing is continuity and neither going to the polls nor a change in government should lead to an interruption in service to the community. Also, an interim Minister in office isn’t necessarily justification, because civil servants are in charge of preparing the relevant documents for public administrators to sign and if all is in order the latter ought to be a formality.
In addition to issuing business licences in a timely fashion, it’s just as important to monitor their proper use by the private sector, so that no unfair advantage is gained by one entrepreneur over another. For sustainable growth to occur, competing on a level playing field is essential.
