Opinion
By Panayiotis Kaparis
Only a young John Kapodistrias, with his wit and cunning, can rescue this troubled land from the folly of officials and citizens. Former President George Vassiliou, a groundbreaking leader who reshaped the economy during his tenure, advocates taxing public sector overtime at a lower rate.
He emphasizes that experience is the ultimate asset for an employee, surpassing degrees and resumes. Vassiliou discerns the private sector's merit-based nature, contrasting it with the public sector's inefficiencies fueled by excessive holidays.
George Vassiliou's realization that the public sector needs reform prompts the Civil Service Commission to revamp employee evaluations starting next year. Even managers will undergo promotion exams and attend refresher courses, raising eyebrows among businessmen who question the absence of productivity criteria.
In the private sector, goals drive performance, leading to bonuses or dismissals. The call for responsibility and measurable criteria extends to subordinates evaluating superiors, fostering a more meritocratic approach.
The detrimental civil service mentality has also been forcibly introduced into the General Health System (GHS), with the restriction on surgeries by competent doctors.
The result is that incredible waiting lists are created, leaving desperate patients practically unable to choose good doctors since, on paper, they all appear excellent. Control over the results of operations is practically non-existent, and the OAS has already started to pay multiple times more to correct errors.
Similar issues persist, and even worsen, with the "leveling" of personal physicians. The good ones are few and far between, with no room to follow new insureds. One might question the existence of personal physicians when all medical data is in the system. Each insured person should choose the doctor, as in private insurance.
Allowing excellent doctors to work as long as they want would undoubtedly improve the situation for patients. "Flattening" is another form of fascism, leading to the dismantling of businesses, administrations, and public services.
Overtime is advantageous when performed by the excellent but is a recipe for disaster when carried out by the incompetent. May God help us and save us from the irreplaceable.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
