Dear Editor,

This is an open letter to Ms Merris Haughton of Tax Administration Jamaica

Good day Ms Haughton,

I would like to take you through what I call the harrowing experience of renewing my driver’s licence on May 3rd, 2013, my birthday.

The Journey

I arrived at the tax office on King Street at approximately 8:50 am. The security guard told me to pay the fee in line one and then proceed to the first floor” I proceeded to where the cashiers were, was promptly attended to (where I paid $6,000), and then made my way to the first floor. I was very impressed with the speed at which this was going and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking this should not take me more than 45 minutes max, and I would be back at work by at least 10:00 am.

The horror

As I stepped into the room on the first floor I read the sign as to where individuals dealing with licensing should go and proceeded to join the line.

I noticed a number of persons who were sitting and standing and waiting (of course to my mind I had no clue what for). The young lady instructed me to fill out a form, which I did and returned it.

I was told to “have a seat and wait for your name”. So, as directed, I took a “standing seat” as that was all that was available, and based on the number of persons standing I practically had to “rent-a-tile”.

It was now approximately 9:00 am. I waited for nearly an hour (standing) for my name to be called. This was after I went back to the young lady and asked if she had indeed submitted my documents. Within approximately two minutes of making the enquiry my name was called

I went into the photography room where there were three attendants, had my picture taken and came out in less than five minutes. I then went back to my “standing seat” and again waited another half-hour to receive the finished product.

Questions

1. Why is it, in the year 2013, I have to wait three hours to renew (not take out a new) driver’s licence?

2. After paying $6,000.00 and having to wait, wouldn’t it have been better to have done so comfortably?

3. Is it prudent to assume if you are renewing your driver’s licence you have to take a vacation day from work?

Suggestion

Seeing that the wait to take the picture is what took up most of the time, I suggest that the Tax Administration Department should give the public the specifications for their picture size, background, etc. The customer can then take the photograph and email it to the tax office of choice and pay by credit card at the time of emailing.

The customer would then need to only go in with a printed receipt and collect his/her driver’s licence. I would hope that something like this could be instituted (after you have examined the finer details) soon, so that in the next five years (and I am sure more money) I will not have to encounter such a nightmare again.

Eileen Stewart

my_marj1@yahoo.com