Today's news that the signing authority has been taken away from the head of the Social Department might lead some cynics to wonder whether the whole island or certainly everybody in the public sector is corrupt. While their concern is understandable, such a conclusion would be not only a gross generalisation, but also premature.
For starters, everyone is innocent until proven guilty and there is up to now no mention of hard evidence regarding any major wrongdoing. The fact that no – other – disciplinary action such as a suspension apparently has been taken so far against the high-ranking official involved would indicate that the "inconsistencies" found are not that serious.
Instead, Minister Cornelius de Weever spoke of "errors becoming too common" and affecting people's lives. His take for now seems to be to make sure clients receive what they are entitled to based on objective rules and without favouritism, rather than going on a witch-hunt.
One can also look at this story as proof that perceived irregularities within the civil service at least are being addressed and the result is not always going to be pretty. In the end, this process of "cleaning up" government is in the general interest, however.
This is also why yesterday's report that the Tax Department and Receiver's Office are working together to update their databases and go after defaulters is most welcome. Ever since the former president of the Chamber of Commerce declared that less than half the companies registered there had so-called CRIB numbers to pay taxes, law-abiding citizens were left with a bad taste in their mouths.
The idea that only some of the businesses are complying with their fiscal responsibility goes against every basic sense of justice. Not only are those who evade their civic duty putting an added burden on others to finance the budget, but they also are creating an unlevel playing field for their legitimate competitors.
Equal treatment under the law is the cornerstone of any democracy. That goes for social services, but also for taxes.
