Taken together, the reopening of the Troy bridge, the auditor general’s findings on the National Water Commission (NWC), and the intense debate surrounding NaRRA tell a remarkably consistent story about Jamaica’s public sector.

It is a story of a state that has become very weak at implementation and execution.

On paper, Jamaica has built what appears to be a first-class compliance and regulatory architecture, but the delivery mechanism is lagging very badly. In fact, the problem runs much deeper when we recall that many of the recommendations flowing from the findings of the various agencies are often ignored. In a new and somewhat troubling development, public servants are now challenging the findings of regulatory and compliance agencies in court to block information.