Jamaica's negativity in a positive space

Delano Seiveright, GUEST COLUMNIST

The heavy weight of negativity by some Jamaicans overseas is unbelievable yet understandable. Like many resident Jamaicans, the major sources of information of current affairs are major news outlets. The unfortunate reality is that after 10 to 30 years of living in a foreign land and relying on news from The Gleaner's website, for instance, one would, undoubtedly, form a highly gloomy view of Jamaica.

The poorly handled Manatt and extradition saga is a huge distraction. With more than 20 months of back-to-back headlines, editorials and polls blasting the Government on various aspects of the saga, we cannot fault many Jamaicans for their deeply pessimistic outlook. Mixed into this negative cocktail are potent drops of hysteria and wild misinformation and untruths that will take time to detoxify. Not surprisingly, key sections of the official Jamaica Diaspora, sections of Jamaica's government apparatus overseas and the saturation of Opposition-influenced commentators and activists make matters worse. The PNP amazes us at just how sturdy its base of supporters is and persons' overt relentlessness in serving their party above all else.

It is deeply disturbing, however, at just how meddlesome they are in affairs of state and their continued dominance in sections of government here and overseas. Following a visit to New York City recently by JLP Chairman Mike Henry, myself and other G2K and party officials, it became patently clear that considerable effort will have to be extended to deal with the toxic environment of negativity greatly induced by a highly negative media in Jamaica that propagate sensational news daily.

Matters may have been worse had it not been for social media, inclusive of Facebook and Twitter. These non-traditional media outlets have advanced us deeper into what the information age is truly about. With hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans engaged in social media, we have been able to circumvent the negativity of traditional media and get into the information diet of Jamaicans overseas the reality of the circumstances faced by the Golding administration and the litany of game-changing developments that have now put us firmly on track for sustained growth and development.

INHERITED A MESS

After less than four years in office, it is extremely important that Jamaicans not lose sight of the circumstances that the Golding administration inherited.

The society was plagued with a myriad of social and economic problems. The Golding administration was confronted with a decade-and-a-half-old stagnant economy, a trillion dollars of public debt, widespread corruption, mismanagement and failing government policies, an unwieldy bureaucracy, rampant criminality and social disorder, among a host of other dilemmas. To complicate matters, even more large sections of the country were battered by Hurricane Dean which visited just two weeks prior to the general election.

FURTHER CHALLENGES

Despite an already disadvantageous inheritance, the government was hit by rounds of natural and man-made disasters. This included very bad weather that devastated already weakened public infrastructure, an international food crisis, an international oil crisis and the biggest global recession since the Great Depression of 1929. Mixed into this depressing cocktail is the dual-citizenship problems, the poorly handled extradition and Manatt saga and man-made miscalculations that cost the Government.

The spoonful doses of negativity are, however, easily countered by the heavier doses of positive developments brought on by the Golding administration. Prime Minister Bruce Golding's Budget presentation illustrates some of the game-changing successes of the administration to date. His announcement that Jamaica has emerged from recession following modest growth for the January to March 2011 quarter is welcome news.

HEARTY COMMENDATION

The Government and Finance Minister Audley Shaw deserve hearty commendation for pursuing economic policies that have been painful but of tremendous benefit in the medium and long-term. The entering into a standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the re-engagement of financial multilateral institutions to access loans at very low interest rates, following through with the Jamaica Debt Exchange and cementing strict fiscal discipline are beginning to bear fruit.

Simultaneously, low inflation, low interest rates, a stable exchange rate and high foreign reserves never seen in 40 years are the result today! The Government must ramp up its focus on tax reform and Jamaica's tangling bureaucracy to further boost Jamaica's growth possibilities.

RATIONALISATION PROGRAMME

Media reports focused heavily on Prime Minister Golding's announcements about job losses, resulting in the need to rationalise our bloated public sector. What may have missed many who consumed the slanted news stories is that following a census, approximately 118,163 persons are employed to Government and that the rationalisation programme intends to bring this number down to around 108,000 or 109,000. Natural attrition will account for some of the reduction and we must note, too, that the Government has on its payroll:

5,137 persons at or above the age of 60 who are now due for retirement;

10,520 persons between the ages of 55 and 60 are eligible but not yet due for retirement;

12,800 persons between the ages of 50 and 55 can retire without loss of pension benefits.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

Other achievements include:

Tuition-free education up to secondary level.

Abolition of hospital user fees

Establishment of the Constituency Development Fund.

Expanded Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education, a much-needed safety net for poor citizens, with allocation moving from J$1.7 billion in 2007 to J$4 billion today.

The almost halving of major crimes, including murder.

US$400-million major road-rehabilitation project (Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme).

Revitalisation of the train service after nearly 20 years in the wilderness.

Divestment of the sugar industry.

The recalibration of the agriculture sector.

Revitalisation of mining sector following the recession.

Increased successes in tourism despite unprecedented challenges. Jamaica is outperforming almost every other country in the Western Hemisphere.

The coming developments in our energy sector, inclusive of energy diversification, a strong energy policy and energy-efficiency and conservation programmes.

Passage of Charter of Rights.

Fundamental developments in education, including centres of excellence, ASTEP, Career Advancement Programme and the best CXC passes in English and mathematics last year.

Anti-corruption initiatives.

Establishment of the Independent Commission of Investigations.

PM delivering on listed items in the atonement package announced during his national broadcast regarding the extradition saga.

Completion and success of Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier.

Long-awaited reforms at Students Loan Bureau - lower interest rates, longer repayment periods and lower insurance costs.

Amazingly, the Government is delivering exceptionally well on its promises made in its 2007 manifesto. Despite the repeated criticisms, the public-relations efforts of the administration cannot depend solely on the traditional media for a variety of known reasons. Other avenues will have to be used to maximum effect.

Delano Seiveright is president of Generation 2000 (G2K), the young-professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party.