The consultant conundrum

A general view of Prime Minister's Office building at Putrajaya. Consultants are still working for the government today. The question is how much will it cost and what will be the return on investment for the rakyat? — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

THERE is often criticism of how governments, including ours, use big-name consultant firms to conceive major plans.

These firms create wonderful plans, get paid a lot of money, but are not responsible for executing those plans. There are many plans that fail to achieve their intended outcomes, but who is taking responsibility?