The new dress code to enter government offices, introduced by Minister of Public Administration Allyson West, has some implications.

It is said that no entry will be allowed to people in swim wear, obscene prints or who are bareback. When a customer enters an air-condition office wearing a sleeveless top, it is likely many may complain of the coldness. Wearing a jersey and sandals, not merely slippers, seems more appropriate.

The transformation of dressing for visits to all government and private offices should resonate with our freedom of speech policy. As vulgarity is banned from our airwaves, likewise it must be banned from the way we dress generally. And it will become a respectable patriotic habit.

In our tropical climate, we admire the man or woman dressed in jacket, shirt and tie, but when the heat is unbearable, taking off the jacket or tie is the main option, even for health reasons. One can just imagine the feeling of our security forces in their attire.

Finally, certain public and private institutions request that customers remove their cap. It seems that every face is needed upon entry, probably for security reasons. Added to the new dress code, there ought to be great consideration for neatness and appreciation for law and order.

GREGORY NEPTUNE

Tacarigua