Dear Editor,

In November 2025 I submitted a complete set of documents for processing at a Government-run entity in Jamaica. To date, I have not received any status updates. Each time I e-mail the intermediary office for a progress report the responsible person does not respond. I also attempted to contact her via the ministry’s phone line, but was unsuccessful.

Consequently, I have had to expend considerable resources — gas, toll, and time — to visit her office in person for a response to the unanswered e-mails sent in April, May, and June of this year.

During my in-person meeting with her last June, I was told the documents would take time to be reviewed as there is a backlog of filed cases. When I asked if several months — from November 2025 to the day of our exchange — was not sufficient, she nonchalantly explained that others have been waiting for much longer.

I am now left to wonder if we have institutionalised delays, inefficiencies, tardiness, and non-responsiveness in Jamaica. It is not unusual to contact persons in government offices without receiving a response. Many staff members seem to disregard daily e-mail and phone calls, and never follow up with promised replies when you eventually reach them. Even in some local educational institutions, the same issues persist. Some educators and administrators are habitually late and slow to respond, yet they insist on students being punctual and timely in assignment submissions.

Admittedly, many organisations are understaffed and overwhelmed, but this substandard service cannot continue. The cost can be deadly! Citizens may lose trust in government institutions and feel an all-round sense of powerlessness and helplessness. Beyond this, the country’s reputation and ability to attract lucrative investments may be undermined if we remain unbothered by our inefficiencies and unchanged by this and other appeals.

Accountability mechanisms must be strengthened across government institutions so the staff is compelled to respond to clients in a reasonable time frame. Additionally, processes with implications for people’s health, livelihoods, and professional advancement should be handled with care, empathy, and urgency. We cannot drag our feet!

Let us change the narrative by cultivating a culture of efficient service delivery and enforcing consequences for low productivity.

Shawna Kay Williams-Pinnock

shawna201@gmail.com