Palace to review performance of gov’t offices

Malacañang will undertake a performance review of government agencies and their personnel in January to ensure efficient public service and weed out lazy and corrupt officials, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said yesterday.

In an interview with Radio Mindanao Network, Ermita said his office will be in charge of the review, which he stressed is an important component of the administration’s drive to reduce red tape and graft and corruption.

"The people are looking for reforms in the way agencies are run so President Arroyo ordered that there should be a review of the entire bureaucracy, to include Cabinet members and heads of agencies, when the new year comes," Ermita said.

"We are also reminding heads of departments and agencies to improve their public information drive," he said.

Ermita said the administration will exert all effort to improve the delivery of basic services, reduce red tape and intensify its campaign against graft and corruption.

He pointed out, however, that many agencies have been performing well. Also, there are numerous honest officials serving the public although they have not been widely reported by the media, which, he said, contributes to public perception that the bureaucracy is inept and corrupt.

"In order for the people to know what the administration is doing, we should have effective communication so the people will understand that the government of President Arroyo is concerned with the welfare of the people," Ermita said.

Ermita’s statements came after the Palace undertook various bureaucratic changes in the past months, the latest of which was designating Trade Secretary Peter Favila as the new overseer of the Subic-Clark Alliance Development (SCAD) program, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).

At the same time, the Bataan Technology Park Inc. (BTPI) will also be placed under the SBMA.

The President has already signed an executive order placing the BCDA and its subsidiaries and attached agencies under the policy supervision of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Two more separate EOs, Favila confirmed, will be issued by Malacañang for SCAD and the transfer of the BTPI to the SBMA.

Favila explained that the transfer of supervisory power to line departments is part of the ongoing devolution of government agencies and other services presently attached to the Office of the President.

Placing the SCAD, SBMA and BCDA under the policy supervision of the DTI is also intended to give more focus to the government’s economic and investment promotion.

It will be recalled that Mrs. Arroyo also signed last year the Lateral Attrition Law, which provides for a system of rewards and punishment for officials of revenue-generating agencies, including the Bureaus of Customs and Internal Revenue.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Tarlac Rep. Jesli Lapus, principal authors of the law, said the law could increase revenue collection by as much as 20 percent.