Nazif's world
By Salama A Salama
Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, now in his third year in office, believes that some of the problems impeding the country's ability to change have been removed. Not only is the government revamping its thinking, he says, but large segments of society, people who used to think that the government would have to do everything for them, are now taking action instead of waiting for things to happen.
Talking off-the-record to the prime minister, one would be tempted to think that Nazif is no different from those who preceded him in the job, most of whom had been staunch supporters of socialist thinking and central planning until all of a sudden they became ardent advocates of private business and free economy. But Nazif is not one of those. He stands accused of not being a politician and of not having enough interest in politics. It is actually an accusation I find reassuring. We've had plenty of politicians in this country. What we need are people who are reliable and incorruptible.
I wonder, however, if Nazif and his team have a comprehensive vision of the policies they implement, or do they get those policies ready-made from the kitchen? One of the things that bother the public, I told him, is that the National Democratic Party (NDP), and particularly the Policies Committee, tends to come up with projects as if from thin air. Take, for example, the project to plan Cairo until the year 2050. The hype makes it quite hard to know whether these projects are the sudden brainchild of someone within the NDP, or the outcome of careful studies. The way such projects are so suddenly thrust upon us makes one a bit sceptical.
This was my opinion, and needless to say Nazif didn't agree. But I have another example. A debate ensued over the new wage scale for teachers. The government initially left out Al-Azhar, then had to allocate additional funds in a hurry. The teachers were all underpaid, and there is no question that the government needed to act. But I wonder if it did the right thing. Would our education improve as a result? Would the private lessons economy disappear once and for all from the scene?
Why is the government always thinking case-by-case? Why does it not put together a new salary scale for all government employees of all categories and be done with it? Why are we always reacting to special interests? Every group wants its own salary scale, and the one that speaks louder gets the best benefits. It's an every-man- for-himself situation. Judges, professors, doctors, policemen, the military, workers, and now teachers all have their own wage scale. This differentiation between various categories of society is not conducive to cohesion, nor does it encourage equality, citizenry and harmony.
Nazif says that the government is contemplating a unified civil post law that would replace the current system. The new law would link salaries to job descriptions. It would thus help the government restructure its employment and eventually bring down the number of supporting jobs -- including office boys and the like -- from their current level of one million. The new law would also reduce wage differences among various professional categories. The scheme is still under study.
The Smart Village -- where Nazif's new office is located -- is a far cry from the poverty, pollution and traffic jams of the capital. This country has a long way to go, but it cannot do it on investment alone. It needs the participation of the people, which is not to be expected unless political reform takes place. Our economy may be growing at seven per cent per year, but this improvement is hardly felt by the majority. Economic growth is a fine pursuit, but without political reform it would remain slow and fitful.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/852/op4.htm