I have been watching on YouTube Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), unmask corruption and wasteful spending in the Federal Government of the United States of America. The results of his department’s work, which are nothing short of astounding, are tracked in terms of millions of dollars saved. US citizens can monitor gains in this anti-corruption drive in real time.
A few weeks into this job, he has saved the US government (and taxpayers) nearly 40 million dollars. He said in a speech supporting President Trump that his efforts will save the federal government 2 trillion dollars if his recommendations are adopted by the President.
Very interesting. There are several takeaways from this process.
First, to succeed it must have the support of a President who encourages a successful and proven entrepreneur like Elon Musk to do the job and disseminate the results of his efforts over social media.
Second, show immediate results, not long-winded research that takes years to produce outputs. A few weeks into President Trump's term, there are already tangible changes that will result in cost-cutting not only in personnel but also in project identification and policy design.
Third, use earth-shaking examples of inefficiency and negligence. In the US, at the top of this long list of agencies to be investigated is the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which was spending huge amounts of money on activities that Trump and his administration oppose, such as the Program on Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI).
And quite surprisingly, DOGE is also targeting the Department of Education and the Department of Defense. No agency is exempt. This is an effort that emphasizes lesser government regulation and a slim but effective bureaucracy.
Fourth, seek the assistance of a person who has demonstrated excellent management skills, like Elon Musk, the world’s richest person. This strategy emphasizes capability over connections.
Fifth, call a spade a spade. President Trump called USAID’s spending as tainted with kickbacks. He and Elon Musk explained the process at USAID of enlisting Democrat Non-Government Organizations and giving them contracts for projects and consultancies. The officers of these NGOs get fat salaries and then contribute huge sums to the campaign fund of the Democratic Party. Trump describes these malpractices as corruption.
Can we have something similar in the country? Sadly, I do not think so. For one, such a move would be revolutionary and has never been done before, with the closest example being the massive reorganization under the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. under Presidential Decree No. 1.
As a sweetener that will encourage federal employees to accept their retrenchment, a separation pay of up to eight months pay is offered to those who will agree to be retrenched and lose their jobs.
This is reminiscent of the Early Retirement Plan implemented by the Philippine government some twelve years ago but the US plan is much sweeter.
As suggested by the title of this piece, the practice of corruption is not the monopoly of Filipinos. I have learned of corruption taking place in Africa, Russia, Ukraine, and even Japan. Thus, we are in “good” company.
What is happening in the US effort proves that with strong and consistent presidential resolve backed by popular support, fighting corruption is doable. And the winner in this fight is --- the taxpayers.
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