WELL, the moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived – it’s January 2021. We officially take this time to wish all persons here in Barbados, a very Blessed and Happy New Year!

Now that 2020 is behind us, given how that year has treated us, there may be a few “wishes” that we may desire in the New Year, at a national level. There will be some issues that will cross over into this new year that seriously need to be addressed. The issue of some persons finding gainful employment following the COVID-19 pandemic is one of them. Last year, unemployment figures skyrocketed, as the tourism sector and small, medium and even large enterprises took a beating from the COVID-19 pandemic which visited us. Government had to adjust its expenditure in order to deal with the largest number of unemployment claims before the National Insurance Scheme.

Whilst initial quotes placed the unemployment figures at around 40,000, it was later noted that that figure jumped to somewhere around 75,000 on account of the layoffs which surfaced. Even though some persons went back to work or found another job to provide them with an income stream when the lockdown period was lifted last year, a significant number of persons are still without jobs and so, the unemployment issue still lingers as the country on a whole is still looking to surface fully from the economic woes that resulted on account of this ongoing pandemic. For sure, there are some wishing for a job as the New Year rolls around.

The issue of violent crime, namely fatal shootings, is a troublesome issue which seemingly will be with us for a while. It was here long before the pandemic hit us and may be here a while after. This issue of firearm-related crime, which has escalated over the last couple of years, resulting in numerous fatal shootings, is something we could do without. We are aware that there is a surplus of illegal guns in this country. Some have even suggested that they are coming through legitimate ports of entry.

To truly address this issue, what we need to see is a tougher stance taken where firearm-related crime is concerned and those who decide to live as if they are in the Wild West, should feel the full weight of the law, as we cannot allow gun-toting bandits to destroy the place we have to live and call home. The issue must be dealt with, with a firm hand, as it is already costing us as a country as it continues to escalate. So we are wishing that in 2021, some real deterrent against such crime is put in place by the relevant authorities and we can see a reduction in the number of firearms being made available to facilitate such violent crime.

There has been some industrial unrest and this too may continue in 2021, given the fallout from the pandemic as well. What we need to see is employers treating employees in a fair manner and following the law when it comes to how they part with workers and dish out what is due to them. Even if we lay blame on the COVID-19 pandemic for layoffs, there is still a way to go about the process that is fair and transparent.

There are many more issues at the national level that need to be addressed. What we may need to do is to itemise them and then work to ensure that the challenges faced in the year 2020 that do linger, are addressed in 2021. This is key if we are to truly advance and move forward.