Dear Editor: Minister West should focus on better service at public offices, not dress code

“[…] In many cases, there are just one or two cashiers out of a possible nine or ten to service very long lines while other employees casually mingle and make small talk in full view of the public, who are already agitated by the poor service! 

“The government might as well remove telephones from all public offices and save some revenue because nobody answers the phone! And I could go on and on…”

The following Letter to the Editor, which asks whether it is fair to demand professional attire from the public in government buildings when people are treated shabbily there anyhow, was submitted by Roger Mohammed of Oropune Gardens:

At a function in 2018, President Paula-Mae Weekes said the Public Service in Trinidad and Tobago has developed a reputation for inefficiency and this stigma had to be remedied. 

For this, she was excoriated by then President of the Public Services Association (PSA), Watson Duke, who called on her to apologise to public servants. 

It was a most disingenuous position for Duke to take as, unless one lives under a rock, everybody knows that the service in public offices in Trinidad and Tobago is appalling! 

Workers in government offices shake their heads at members of the public when asked questions, instead of answering properly. In many cases, there are just one or two cashiers out of a possible nine or ten to service very long lines while other employees casually mingle and make small talk in full view of the public, who are already agitated by the poor service! 

The government might as well remove telephones from all public offices and save some revenue because nobody answers the phone! And I could go on and on. 

So when I heard the Minister of Public Administration, Ms Allyson West, say that the dress code for citizens is not high on the agenda, I would like to submit that it should be. 

What’s the use of citizens being required to dress properly when entering government buildings when the service is so improper?

More from Wired868

Dear Editor: Why current criminals make me miss the ‘fowl tief’

“[…] The old Caribbean fowl thief occupied a strange cultural category. He (mainly men were the culprits) was a criminal, Read more

Dear Editor: $3,000 vs $87,847—pension gap between citizens and parliamentarians is outrageous

I write on behalf of the thousands of working men and women of Trinidad and Tobago who spent their entire Read more

Dear Editor: In wake of maxi strike, can we forget politics and talk rapid rail again?

Monday morning, 5:45am, Curepe junction. Three maxis pass me—full. Fourth stops. Driver leans out: “Only Sa Wa.” I begged to Read more

Warner: “Inequality in T&T is no longer subtle—we’re entering dangerous territory”

“[…] Trinidadians and Tobagonians are resilient people. But what citizens rarely tolerate for long is inconsistency. Once people begin believing Read more

Demming: SLAPP-ing away our rights; T&T must address lawsuits meant to silence citizens

Silence is not peace. It is the beginning of social decline. Too many of us are witnessing lawsuits used not Read more

Dear Editor: HDC contract scandal proves Gov’t must routinely release procurement data

“[…] As we navigate 2026, we find ourselves facing a rather curious paradox: the very mechanism designed to illuminate public Read more

Letters to the Editor

Want to share your thoughts with Wired868? Email us at editor@wired868.com.
Please keep your letter between 300 to 600 words and be sure to read it over first for typos and punctuation.
We don’t publish anonymously unless there is a good reason, such as an obvious threat of harassment or job loss.