Red tape

As a foreigner, I have noticed this "why should we care" attitude in government departments during the course of my helping to run a business here. The red tape in the bureaucracy, the gross inefficiencies, the overwhelming time consuming (wasting?) processes and at times sheer laziness of some government staff to give any meaningful assistance or show a real sense of urgency. These are, to my mind, some of the major reasons why foreign business stays away from the Philippines while those already here complain about the difficulty in doing business and getting anything done in a reasonable time frame. And without having to "pay off" someone to achieve it.

One would think such efficiency would make government departments here squirm with embarrassment, but not so. They merely shrug their collective shoulders and don’t seem to care. After all, they’re not there to serve the public. They are there to look after themselves!!! And the government’s spokespeople (i.e. spin doctors) wonder why the country is at or near the bottom of the heap in so many world and regional rankings.