What's at stake in the election (Part 2)

Culture and Sport

Since at least the National Industrial Policy of 1997, and, arguably, long before that, it has become clear that Jamaica's global reputation in culture and sport, and in particular, music and athletics, is a major national asset. Today, the potential income from that asset is still untapped, even as record companies and sporting goods marketers announce record profits from the Jamaican brand name.

The Government should provide the support for the training of young people in cultural practices and sports in schools, and insist that they become integral to the academic curriculum. Too many schools have had to cut back, and in some cases, cut out programmes in culture and sports because of the loss of budgetary support. In this regard, successful musicians and athletes should be encouraged to donate equipment and time to support the development of young persons in their respective fields of excellence.

In addition, facilities to train managers of artistes and athletes should be established to enable their charges to maximise the income they earn in the international markets. At the same time, the Trelawny stadium should be expanded to a true multi-purpose complex for hosting international cultural shows and sports events. The stadium is ideally located with respect to the Montego Bay airport and the hotels of the north coast to support a stronger thrust into entertainment and sports tourism.

Social Policy

The vulnerable population has been growing with the economic recession. It was estimated that in 2009, about 16.5 per cent of households with approximately 450,000 persons were poor. PATH has now registered 388,000, which means that there are many more who are eligible for support, and many more persons who are bordering on the poverty line.

Certainly, there is a strong case for increasing the PATH benefit from about $2,300 per household of three persons per month, which is about nine per cent of the consumption expenditure of households in the poorest 20 per cent of the population. A study of Jamaica's social-protection system showed that the benefit received by households on PATH compared unfavourably to the benefits of similar programmes in Mexico and Colombia, where the monthly benefit met 22 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, of the consumption expenditure of the poorest 20 per cent of households. With the resource constraints of the Government of Jamaica, it is not likely that much more can be done in the foreseeable future.

It would be best if the Government prioritise children, whose poverty rate has consistently been above the national average, for special attention among the vulnerable population. After all, the child born in 2011 will be 19 years old in 2030 when Jamaica should have become "the place of choice to live, work and raise families and do business" under the long-term strategy of Vision 2030.

Next in order of priority for social policy is to continue the fight against crime, by maintaining the trend towards smart policing, while continuing the fight against corruption and police violence against innocent citizens. The efforts in the latter regard have won public support for the police, and this is the most important weapon in the fight against crime. Further, the oft-repeated commitment to provide training and employment for young people, particularly males, in volatile communities must be honoured.

The Government must not forget the World Bank study of the perceptions of poor persons that was titled They Cry Respect, highlighting the importance to the poor of the injustice of life for the ordinary person in Jamaica. More specific, the reform of the justice system must be given the same priority that saw the Government finding the resources in a matter of weeks to enable the Electoral Office to prepare for the general election. What is to be done to reform the system has been well-established by various studies. What is needed is the commitment to make the difficult changes, and the resources to implement them.

Health care

Despite the extreme pressure, the health system has held up, largely because of the heroic efforts of all the categories of health professionals and other workers. Even an occasional word of official appreciation, and certainly no disrespect, would go a long way to keep their energies flowing. Somehow, the public-sector reorganisation must reallocate resources to sustain the system for those who cannot afford health care. Equally, it is beyond debate that the system's survival depends on the reintroduction of cost-sharing by those who can afford it.

Similarly, the importance of education to global competitiveness extends far beyond the resources affordable by the public purse. Cost-sharing must be reintroduced to enhance the resource base. Further, the Government must give serious thought to promoting cooperation among schools for administrative services to get more impact per dollar spent. There is no reason that one good bursar cannot manage the accounts of several schools with a single laptop.

Similarly, there must be possibilities for sharing maintenance services between institutions, especially where they are in proximity to each other.

The impact per dollar spent has to be increased here, too, with better-quality education to produce better-educated and trained graduates. A GOJ-Jamaica Teachers' Association strategy to target improvement in math, English, sciences, and select foreign languages in secondary schools is urgently needed. There is a strong case to be made for well-paid master teachers working across several schools, with the support of teachers based in the respective institutions.

The new Government must immediately redefine and expand National Youth Service programmes to mobilise tertiary students for work in the public sector, the education system, the health services and other priority areas of public life in return for the subsidies paid for their education. Jamaica can ill-afford the waste of the energies and creativity of the young people, for whom there are endless distractions, too many of which encourage and facilitate antisocial behaviour.

Finally, by way of priority, food security must be on the top of the Government's agenda. GOJ will have to strengthen the promotion of domestic agriculture for domestic consumption, and re-emphasise processing for commercial use and for home use.

Governance

The election is a competition for power between two parties whose public esteem is less than desirable. To earn higher levels of esteem, the new Government must commit to and implement a style of governance that is transparent and intolerant of corruption. Both parties will agree with this, but the public will have to decide who they believe will do more to implement it. This style of governance is the only way that the challenges outlined above can be met.

The new Government must embrace meaningful participation in all policy spheres. Empty public consultations over predetermined policies must give way to consultation that has meaning and content, for obvious reasons. Of the many current examples, the Palisadoes project is perhaps the most well known for the empty formality that was belatedly granted as a consultation under great pressure from committed NGOs. Even now, the public cannot get clear answers as to what is planned in such a mega project, and the rationale for it at this time.

Unlike the meaningless consultation for the Palisadoes project, it is essential that the new Government lead a national process of rethinking the organisation of the delivery of government services to increase the impact per dollar of fiscal expenditure. Meanwhile, the current phase of tax reform must be completed, again with strong emphasis on meaningful public consultation.

The new Government must find a proper balance between leadership and management, in which the political directorate exercises more leadership than management, while relying on the civil service to manage the activities of the State. Leadership in setting and maintaining high standards for social behaviour is critical to earning the esteem that validates governance. The GOJ will be strapped for resources for a long time to come. But there is no reason it cannot use words and deeds to champion even a small set of social values, such as justice and equality for all, discipline on the roads, in the schools, and in the workplace, honesty, peaceful resolution of conflicts, respect for the environment, and so on. Of course, the words will ring hollow if it is at odds with actions for self-aggrandisement, the corrupt use of power, and the promotion of injustice and inequality.

The Long Term

Both parties have endorsed Vision 2030 in its conception, and in its implementation. This is an important step in charting a national path of development. Vision 2030 commits the Government to sustainable development as the strategy to deal with the social developmental needs, as well as to mobilise the adaptation of the economy and the society to climate change. The projected changes in the climate of the Caribbean will impact severely on Jamaica, especially the coasts and the steep mountain slopes, as well as the society's health and living standards. The long term is lived in short terms, and that is why the coming election must address the short-term needs in a way that is consistent with the long-term vision.

This brief discussion highlights some of the main issues at stake in the coming election. Many more need to be aired in public discussion with a view to galvanising a national consensus. How much of our island itself and other public assets should be taken out of public trust and sold to private individuals? What will we do to give Jamaicans access to land? Or is it okay for foreigners to buy all they want, and Jamaicans take the hindmost?

Can we continue in the 21st century with the level of illiteracy and the low levels of education that still hamper our productivity? Are the high levels of remuneration of the managerial classes compatible with a competitive economy? Now that the foreign agencies are cutting back their grants to fight HIV/AIDS, will we allocate the required resources to stop the ravages of the disease? What should we do about the other lifestyle diseases, like diabetes and obesity? Should there be even a little more space in our radio and television programming for our creative genius?

It remains to be seen how well the manifestos of the contending parties match up with the programme of challenges and the suggested approaches set out in this brief discussion. Behind the manifestos will be the record of achievements of the contending parties and the competencies and commitments of the teams of persons who are putting themselves forward to represent the people in the new Government. What we can say now is that the issues posed will certainly become more pressing sooner than later if they are ignored or neglected.

Michael Witter is senior research fellow at Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, UWI. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michael.witter@uwimona.edu.jm.