Linton P. Gordon
As we welcome 2015 we must all plan for all contingencies as well as for matters we know will constitute a challenge during the New Year. There are several challenges we faced in 2014 and it is likely that they will continue to face us in the New Year.
There were widespread protests against the bad road conditions in a variety of communities throughout the country. The bad roads are an indication that the local authorities, parish council and councillors, are failing to provide leadership and representation to the communities from which they are elected. It is also a failure of Central Government to appreciate that, while it is important to develop the highways and the bypasses that they are now developing, they must at the same time provided resources to maintain the parochial roads in a condition that will at least ensure that citizens can enter and leave their homes and communities without falling in the huge pot holes and puddles of water that are common to these bad roads.It is now a common practice by political representatives both at the parish council and parliamentary levels to ignore the concerns of citizens until there are demonstrations and road blocks. This practice is a failure by our political representatives to communicate effectively with their constituents and to provide the political representation they promised when they offered themselves for political representation.The provision of a reliable water supply to communities continues to elude us. We are now having a period of regular rainfall. However there is no word from the minister of water regarding a plan to address the matter of storage and to ensure that we no longer go through the annual water lock offs which affects everyone but especially schools and health institutions.Crime continues to be at the top of the list of concerns we all have. The security forces and the Ministry of National Security are rightly celebrating a decrease in serious crimes across the board. They should all be commended for this and we can only hope that the decline will continue until we reach a level where crime is no longer the main concern for the citizens of this country.
However we must face the reality that unless the Government addresses the various issues that create the environment for criminality in our communities we will continue to face this challenge.
Unemployment continues to haunt a wide crosses section of the population but especially young people who are seeking a job for the first time. Having passed a number of IMF tests, the Government needs to go into “second gear” and that gear should be employment creation. The citizens of this country have made long and difficult sacrifices for us to succeed at these IMF “tests”. The IMF and international capital have all benefited from these sacrifices in that the country is repaying their debts. However the Government needs now to show in a tangible way how we will and can benefit from the sacrifice made so far.
STIFLING BUREAUCRACY
There is also an urgent need to address the stranglehold places on initiative and commencement of business by some areas of the public service. Steps must be taken to reduce the time one has to spend conducting a simple transaction such as transferring a motor vehicle at the tax office. There is no doubt that the business environment has become a bit friendlier. However there is need for much more to be done and the Government needs to hasten its effort in this regard.Finally, the Government needs to ensure that all students at every level who have the ability and potential are afforded the opportunity to receive education. The Government should do all it can to ensure that the economic problems we are a having are not used as an excuse to deny children of the poor the right to education. If only the children of the rich are able to gain access to our educational institution especially tertiary institutions then a grave injustice would be committed against the several talented children of the poor and the Government would be guilty of continuing to deny the poor an opportunity for upward mobility. I wish for all readers of the North Coast Times, and all Jamaicans a peaceful, successful and pleasant 2015. I sincerely hope that all your dreams and your wishes will come through. God Bless.
