HOW IRONIC that the state organisation responsible for pulling the tourist industry out of the current malaise and halting its steady decline is a total mess. Things have become so bad at the Cyprus Tourism Organisation that Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides described the situation as “sick” and issued a public warning to the bickering staff.
He sounded like an exasperated headmaster telling off disobedient schoolchildren on Tuesday at the House, saying he would take control.
“The CTO had its chance and plenty of time. From today, though, no tolerance will be showed to all behaviour. I am prepared to order administrative and disciplinary investigations, so that the organisation will operate properly.”
He gave no details of how he would become involved in the operation, nor did he explain why so much tolerance had been showed until now.
What is the role of the CTO board if the minister has to interfere to put things right? In theory, this ministerial vote of no confidence in the board should lead to the resignation of its chairman – if not all its members. According to the minister, the chairman has failed in the job the he was appointed to do by the president. In his defence, the chairman could argue that the problems were caused by the general manager, who cannot be sacked because of public sector employment rules.
The CTO’s problems go back quite some time. For two years it was without a general manager, with the erstwhile board running the show. Once a general manager was appointed, she tried to re-organise the operation by moving managers to new departments, but the departments ignored her orders and the board stood by them, undermining her in the most blatant way.
The general manager had also incurred the wrath of the unions by deciding to participate in staff evaluation committees; she also fell out with the board chairman who was appointed last summer.
We do not know who is to blame for this mess but when the general manager is prevented from performing her duties by the unions and the board, what hope is there of a smooth-functioning organisation? Why were department heads, who had brazenly disobeyed the GM’s orders, backed by the board and unions instead of facing disciplinary action? Perhaps the GM is to blame for all the problems but it is difficult to make such a case, considering she is not allowed to do her job.
The real problem is that the CTO – like all semi-governmental and state organisations – is run along political rather than business lines. There is no meritocracy, as unions and political parties run the show and sound management practices are shunned. If we still have a tourist industry it is in spite of the mess that is the CTO.
