Former Cabinet Secretary Hazel Spencer says rotating staff across government departments could help restore accountability and reduce corruption, citing his experience as a customs officer where regular reassignment was standard practice.
Speaking during the question-and-answer segment of the Vehicle Gate town hall meeting, Spencer said one of the biggest weaknesses in today’s system is allowing employees to remain in the same positions for extended periods, which he argued fosters familiarity, complacency, and sometimes collusion.
“In my days in the Customs Department, we were rotated,” Spencer recalled. “Sometimes you end up down at the distillery, sometimes at the airport, sometimes you board a ship — all different functions in customs. You could not get too comfortable in one place.”
He said regular staff rotation not only improved efficiency but also served as a deterrent to corruption by limiting opportunities for officers to form inappropriate alliances. “That’s how we maintained integrity,” he said, adding that consistent changes in assignments helped create a natural system of checks and balances.
Spencer recommended that the same approach be reinstated across key ministries and statutory bodies, especially those handling procurement and public finances. He said this kind of administrative reform would strengthen internal oversight and help prevent future scandals like the alleged EC $17 million vehicle procurement controversy currently under public scrutiny.
The former Cabinet Secretary emphasized that internal safeguards such as staff rotation must operate alongside strict financial procedures, including Cabinet approval, Finance Ministry verification, and Treasury oversight. He said these measures only work if supported by honest leadership and a culture of discipline.
“People talk about systems failing,” Spencer said. “But systems only fail when people stop doing what they are supposed to do. Rotation reminds officers that public office is about service, not comfort.”
His remarks added to a chorus of calls from panelists at the town hall for reforms to strengthen accountability, promote transparency, and rebuild public confidence in the government’s financial management systems. Spencer said good governance depends on both strong institutions and ethical conduct from those entrusted to run them.
