Government should lead by example and cut spending now instead of adopting a "wait and see" approach, the head of the International Division of the Chamber of Commerce, David Ezekiel said yesterday.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette after attending a lunch for the Ruark Insurance Advisors' First Annual Conference, he said in the wake of the September 11 attacks Government should act quickly to prepare for any crisis that could occur in stead of "hoping or praying" any shortfall would be met.

"I think we need to see some more specifics, but lead by example," said Mr. Ezekiel. "I mean we are all used to having plans that we have to re-think given changes, and I think the Government should show that it is flexible enough to not simply say that it has to be business as usual and that everything we had in mind has to be completed. I mean they have got to take a look and say `do we defer some stuff now'."

Mr. Ezekiel spoke after Acting Premier and Finance Minister Eugene Cox was asked last week if Government spending would be cut.

He said it would not, and that budgets would remain the same as they took a "wait and see" approach in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

Mr. Cox said that any short-fall in income would be made up by reserves held by the Government.

Mr. Ezekiel said: "Words like zero based budgeting, what is it? What you are saying is we know our income is going to be low, but rather than saying but we will find the income from somewhere - which isn't necessarily going to happen - we have got to say lets assume that the income is going to come out less and how do we plan the way ahead.

"And we have to make sure that we cut our expenses to match our income as opposed to either hoping or praying that the income is going to rise enough to match our expenses."

The Government has been criticised for its low profile since the attacks and Premier Jennifer Smith has been attacked for being away for such a long time.

She has not appeared publicly in Bermuda since the attacks over three weeks ago.

Mr. Ezekiel said that business was looking to the Government for leadership.

He said: "I think business both local and international is looking for Government to lead and reinforce the message that I think many of our employees are getting that maybe a period of retrenchment for a while.

"No one is giving doomsday message, there is a lot of speculation, but you know, when business in nervous it tends to pull back and wait and see exactly see how the land lies before it decides to expand again, that is the situation we are in."

When asked what he thought about the Premier being away at this critical time, he said: "I do not know enough about her whereabouts to comment on that."