Time to Clean up Their Act
Government wants to push for a private sector-led growth, but the attitude of some civil servants put off people from starting up a proper business...
The Ministry of Economy has done a lot to improve our ease of doing business in the country, including doing away with a business license requirement.
But all the good work by the Economy Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and his team, will be pointless, if we continue to have civil servants in some areas who are still ignorant about the changes in policy and unwilling to help young businesspeople.
One example
A young man in Nausori, encouraged by the change in policies and the opportunities provided to business houses decided that he wants to open a mini-mart near his residence. His plan is to employ two people when the construction of the mini-mart is complete. He has already employed three construction workers who have been working hard to complete the task. Happy that he no longer has to get a business license, the young man goes to the Tobacco Unit, which is under the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Suva, to pay for a cigarette license. He takes time off work to complete all related applications in one day. Upon reaching the Tobacco Unit, he is informed by the enforcement officers that he needs to get a business license from the Nausori Town Council. He informs the officers that a business license is no longer required, but the officers are adamant that he needs to have one.
Not wanting to give up, the man goes back to the Nausori Town Council and asks for the application form for a business license. He is correctly informed that the council no longer issues the business license and that it was no longer required. Feeling a bit annoyed, he goes back to Suva, back to the Tobacco Unit and informs the same officers what he was told by the Nausori Town Council staff.
What next? The Tobacco Unit enforcement officers insist that this budding entrepreneur go back to the Nausori Town Council and get this advice in writing. When he insisted that he would not spend more money on travel, the enforcement officers gave him their manager’s number and asked that the budding entrepreneur call him up and ask what could be done now. Exasperated, the young man decided that this was not acceptable, but thought to give it one more shot. He goes back to the Nausori Town Council to ask for the letter stating that they are no longer issuing a business license. He was told that the decision not to issue a business licence was made by Government and that the council would not be able to issue a letter. Where does this leave the trader? Going around in circles until he decides that it is no longer worth trying to set up a business? This is the reality of our civil servants in some areas right now.
What was the problem?
When Fiji Sun called the Tobacco Unit, we were informed by the enforcement officers who had attended to the young man that the requirement for a business license was part of their application form and that they cannot amend the form themselves, adding that it would be best to seek clarity from their manager. Repeated calls to their manager remained unanswered.
No matter how honourable Government’s intentions are towards stimulating the economy, we will continue to put off aspiring businesspeople because some of our civil servants are either plain ignorant or do not have public service skills.
It should have been the responsibility of the Tobacco Unit to amend their cigarette license application forms. They should have dealt with this matter in a much better manner.
Who is losing out here? Government is. Government wants to push for a private sector-led growth, but the attitude of some civil servants put off people from starting up a proper business and this gives rise to black markets.
The demand for service is there, but people are put off by some civil servants who are unable to do their part.
Here is a man who would have created employment, paid taxes and give back to the country, help the economy grow, but instead of removing hurdles from his path, we have civil servants putting forth an obstacle course, all because they cannot amend an application form.