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Human rights advocate and blogger Susan Goffe is describing as bureaucratic neglect the delay in appointing new government boards after the tenures of the previous boards have ended.
Her comments follow recent concerns regarding the absence of a functional veterinary board since January.
Ms. Goffe is sugesting that the process of appointing boards should begin at least a year in advance to prevent such extended periods of dormancy.
"I think that that also is a little of carelessness, because when you are told that it takes a while for the new body to be formed, what it means is that nobody is paying attention because it's not that the boards just out of the blue end their term. It is known when the term of any particular body is going to expire," she pointed out.
Meanwhile, Director at the Animal Welfare Advocacy Group, Dr. Barbara Carby, said these boards and mechanisms ensure public participation in governance.
"The whole essence of democracy is that it should be participatory. So these boards and other mechanisms ensure participation by the public in the governance processes of the country. Now, the state really should avoid sending the signal to us that it is only high profile things that matter. All aspects of governance are important," she insisted.
Both women were speaking Monday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.
The Jamaica Veterinary Board oversees the practice of veterinary medicine including the registration of new veterinarians.
Similar concerns were raised by the parliamentary opposition in late 2023 over the delay in appointing a new pharmacy council. A new council was subsequently appointed to serve for three years.
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