After the announcement that local and international accounting firm Ernst and Young (EY) had been engaged to wield the axe on Cayman’s civil service, the government organised a press briefing last Friday (16) to tell us more.

Please see iNews Cayman story published May 19 2014 “Details of review by EY of the Cayman Islands Civil Service” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/details-of-review-by-ey-of-the-cayman-islands-civil-service/

Premier Alden McLaughlin admitted at the briefing that the major problem with producing Cayman’s budget this year to comply with the parameters contained in the terms made by the United Kingdom was Cayman’s civil service requiring 174 ‘vacant’ jobs.

This was not possible.

EY, therefore, have been engaged to solve the problem.

Any suggestion by anyone an axe job could be executed within the civil service would be bordering on insanity.

The civil service is a beast and it loves to grow and grow – to create more jobs for itself.

It has another fire that might need stoking if the proposed Disability Policy Bill is approved. Some department has to be employed to oversee it. More staff.

Even worse, charities are soon to come under inspection and this could really create a monster. Unless the majority of the charities fold because of the proposed rules and regulations successive governments have tried to implement become law.

If that happens then government will have to provide the services and come up with the funds they would have had if they had left well alone.

However, governments don’t work that way. They pass rules and the civil service expands to implement them.

I wonder if the mandate that EY has been given to identify all the services local government provides, to find areas it can outsource/sell off to the private sector, government departments that can be combined, and departments that no longer have a relevant purpose, will include these proposed additional entities?

I doubt that. EY have a tough enough job as it is.

The Premier and the Deputy Governor are hopeful of an end result that will lead to a more efficient civil service.

Everything top heavy falls over. Every beautiful rose bush needs pruning.

What worries me is that how many of these expensive studies executed by professionals at taxpayers expense actually get enacted on?

This one might. And if it does we have to thank the United Kingdom. They are making us become more efficient.

Maybe we should thank ex-premier McKeeva Bush. His fight with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office invited this oversee.

No, that’s wrong too.

Bush blamed the previous government for fouling up the works and it was because of them.

The previous government to Bush’s UDP was the PPM.

And the government now is the PPM. Full circle.

So we have the PPM in partnership with the EY who are investigating the CS paid for by the CIG.

And don’t forget the FCO and the UK.

I am not forgetting the AXE. I hope it is sharp.