COMMENT

A Bajan New Year wish list

Times in Barbados have been tough these last several years, and while we have to give credit to the Mottley administration for taking the proverbial bull by the horns, most Barbadians are still struggling to cope on many fronts.

So many problems can’t be solved at once, especially with limited resources, and in a turbulent world, but we thought it an opportune time to offer up a wish list, to which, we feel, most Bajans would subscribe.
Agriculture – We wish for our legislators to enact laws to eradicate the praedial larceny that is a bane to farmers on the island, and to give our police force the means and authority required to stamp out this evil practice – which means that not only the thieves, but also those who buy stolen goods should be targeted. We wish for better co-operation between our farmers and our supermarkets and wholesalers, so that local produce is affordable and supply stable.

Benevolence – Barbados is oft compared to Singapore, and we are encouraged to follow their example – but it is not always recognised that Singapore’s success may have had more to do with the benevolent dictatorship of Lee Kuan Yew, than their economic choices, policy and framework. Perhaps we are already headed that way, with our Prime Minister’s hands-on approach – Singapore may have had Lee Kuan Yew, but we have Mia Kan Do. We wish, though, for our version of benevolent dictatorship to evolve in a way that does not create a bottleneck and undermine the ministers and senior civil servants, who might grow to fear independent thought and action, resulting in a crippled administration dependent on the health and sustained dynamism of one brilliant star.

Civil Service reform – We’ve heard it repeatedly from investors, experts in international business, advisors to the Government, Central Bank Governors – if we want to attract and retain investors, we’ve got to drastically reduce bureaucracy. The problem with our civil service is not just the decades of jobs-for-the-boys politics, resulting in a swollen civil service, square pegs in round holes and demotivated career civil servants – it’s old and outdated processes and paperwork in a world that has not only changed technologically, but practically as well.

Also, our regulatory framework is in need of trimming and streamlining – and maybe we regulate what no longer needs regulation, in some cases. So we wish for a time when we can offer fast decision-making, a civil service of facilitators, not security guards, and, above all, when we can offer investors certainty and clarity of policy, process, incentives and term. We wish for accountability to become a key feature in the management of the civil service, and for the process of dealing with poor performance to be streamlined. We wish for last-in, first-out employment policies to be replaced by a system of hiring/retention on merit, so that we can have a great civil service once again.

Culture – We wonder if many of our societal problems might not have stemmed from 50 years of social policies focusing too heavily on providing a social safety net, and perhaps the pendulum has now swung the other way. Some say that we have become a mendicant society, or, at the very least, a culture of entitlement. We wish, instead, for a society of people who ask what they can do for the country, not what they are entitled to from the country. We wish for people to see no shame in giving a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, but shy away from receiving pay for no work, or stealing time; to not cut corners, but do quality work; to follow the golden rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”; to place value on human life; to respect other people’s property, and right to enjoy same; to take enough pride in their surroundings and choose not to litter, and keep their own property neat and tidy; to not look to Government for handouts, but take responsibility for their own problems and shortcomings; to care for their fellow man, regardless of race, religion or politics; and to respect their elders.

We wish for parents to play the lead role in reversing the alarming trend of foul language and cursing that has crept, uninvited, into our children’s vocabulary, and for our teachers to support that imperative in our schools.

Health – We wish for a time when we can visit our hospitals and find their state-of-the-art medical equipment all functioning, medicine cabinets all fully stocked, facilities clean and well maintained, an elegant sufficiency of medical staff of all kinds, and an emergency care facility filled with people who need urgent care, not geriatric care, and who are seen and treated promptly.

We wish for private sector insurance medical plans to process claims efficiently and make settlements without delay, and to recognise that the public knows that limiting physician charges to rates last seen in Methuselah’s time is just another way of reducing claims.

We wish for the resumption of regular garbage collection services, and for crews to put our bins back where they found them!

We wish for mosquito vector control and vermin control to be provided with the resources needed to bring the problem of mosquitos and rats under control. And while they are at it, to find a solution for the exploding monkey population and the crop damage they cause.

Politics – We wish for politicians who will always put country above party, and above self; who eschew the tentacles of corruption, and who prosecute those of their members who fail to meet that standard; who refuse to allow good governance to be compromised by offering jobs for votes, or other political panderings; who hold their members accountable for their deeds, or lack thereof.

Port and customs – We are hearing more and more complaints about difficulties in getting commercial goods out of our port on a timely basis. We wish for better co-ordination between Port hours and Customs officers hours, so that greater efficiencies can be achieved and the flow of goods is not impeded; we wish for old computer software to run parallel to new software being introduced, so that the system does not collapse in the interim, and cause disruption in the supply of goods.

Power – Whether from renewable or fossil fuel sources, local or foreign ownership, we wish for a consistent supply of clean power – the way it used to be. We wish for more people and businesses to convert to Solar PV home and business installations, and to electric cars, and greater tax incentives to encourage that shift, which will result in less fuel usage and emissions.

Roads - Those of us who have vehicles wish for roads that are always in good condition, where potholes are few and far between, and don’t wreak havoc with our rims and suspensions. We wish for co-operation and co-ordination between the authorities who control digging up our roads and those responsible for repairing them. We wish farms and plantations to help make our roads safer, by keeping their hedgerows trimmed and roadside gutters clean, as they used to do years ago. We wish for greater co-ordination and communication on road work sites, between workers and the Ministry responsible for supplying materials and equipment, so that workers are not sitting about waiting for materials for long periods.

Schools and education – We wish for teachers that see their profession as a calling, imparting knowledge and providing guidance and inspiration for future generations; we wish for teachers to turn up for classes, putting our children’s education above all other personal concerns; we wish for discipline in our schools again, and for parents to realise that they need to work with, not against teachers, to make their children the smartest and best that they can be; and we wish for our Government to recognise the importance of teachers to the development of both our society and our economy, and to compensate and facilitate them accordingly.

We wish both parents and teachers to better understand the extra-curricular influences in children’s lives that promote aggression, indiscipline and hatred – like many video games, and gangster rap “music” - and to eschew those bad influences for more wholesome and rounded ones – like team sports, or learning music; We wish parents to understand that they are primarily responsible for their children’s attitude and behaviour, and to become the role models children need; we wish parents to motivate their children to take pride in their surroundings and keep them clean, both at home and especially in schools.

We wish our university professors to teach work ethics, and to make their students aware that their qualification is but a stepping stone on the journey- they have not arrived, they are neophytes in their chosen field, learning how best to apply their formal learning in the real world. It is the ability, enthusiasm and initiative they show when they land a job that will ensure that they profit from their qualifications down the road.

Transport - We wish to have a national bus service that we can rely on to run on schedule, and buses well maintained so they do not breakdown. We wish to see ZR and minibus drivers that obey traffic laws, and that are courteous to all drivers and aware of and respectful of their responsibilities as drivers on our roads, and as guardians of their passengers.

Water – We wish our mains to be repaired or replaced, so that we don’t lose as much of our water supply as we do now; we wish for running water in every home in every parish; and we wish for a consistent supply of clean, clear water; Zenophobia – we wish that proud Barbadians learn to temper their emotions and recognise that no man is an island – we need foreign investment, tourism, and can benefit from foreign workers in our midst. There is no room for zenophobia in today’s world.

And last, but not least, we wish for God’s blessing on this little island and its people, providing hope for the future of our children.

Barbados Advocate

Mailing Address:
Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc
Fontabelle, St. Michael, Barbados

Phone: (246) 467-2000
Fax: (246) 434-2020 / (246) 434-1000