Dear Editor,

As we welcome 2025, it is impossible to ignore the uncomfortable truth looming over the country: Jamaica is running out of time.

Though it sounds funny, Jamaica’s Vision 2030 plan, our bold declaration to transform the country into “the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business”, now feels more like a distant mirage than a roadmap. How did we get here? Why do we continue to fumble with such a critical promise to ourselves?

Crime and violence remain relentless shadows haunting this nation, tearing at the very fabric of our society. Despite years of empty promises, high-profile summits, and fleeting initiatives, our communities remain trapped in a cycle of fear and insecurity. How can we build a prosperous Jamaica when citizens are afraid to walk their neighbourhoods after dark or send their children to school without worry? A country in which mothers are forced to bury their sons, robbed of their futures, cannot claim progress — it can only mourn failure. Each senseless act of violence leaves families shattered and communities fractured, deepening the scars of a nation struggling to fulfil its potential.

The impact of crime extends far beyond the individuals it claims. It discourages investment, stifles economic growth, and erodes the sense of unity essential for societal development. Young people, confronted with poverty, unemployment, and a lack of opportunities, are often drawn into crime as a means of survival, perpetuating a vicious cycle we have failed to break. Policing alone will never solve this crisis; but the true change requires addressing the root causes of violence through meaningful reform in education, economic development, and social justice. If we do not act decisively, crime will continue to rob us of more than lives — it will rob us of the Jamaica we envisioned in 2030.

In addition, our health care and education systems, the cornerstones of any developed and thriving nation, remain plagued by inequity and neglect. While urban elites may enjoy relative privilege, with access to better schools and modern health-care facilities, rural communities are left to grapple with mediocrity and systemic disregard.

Children in these areas still walk miles to attend dilapidated schools where resources are sparse, classrooms are overcrowded, and teachers are overburdened. Meanwhile, families seeking medical care often endure hours-long waits in understaffed and underequipped clinics, where even basic services can seem like luxuries. This divide speaks to a failure in delivering the equality of opportunity that Vision 2030 promised.

Such disparities are more than an injustice — they are a direct threat to our nation’s future. Education should be the great equaliser, yet for too many Jamaican children it is an unfulfilled promise. Health care, a fundamental right, has instead become a privilege for those fortunate enough to live near urban centres or afford private options.

These inequities leave behind entire segments of our population, perpetuating cycles of poverty and limiting the potential of future generations. This is not the Jamaica we were promised, and it’s certainly not the Jamaica our people deserve. True progress demands urgent investments in rural schools and clinics, a commitment to equitable resource allocation, and a national will to prioritise the dignity and welfare of all Jamaicans — urban and rural alike.

And let’s not even talk about the environment. Climate change isn’t knocking on our door anymore — it has kicked it wide open. Hurricanes grow stronger, the seas rise higher, and yet we continue to destroy our forests and pollute our coasts. Are we trying to doom ourselves? But the real question is this: Where is the leadership?

Transparency and accountability have become buzzwords rather than guiding principles. Corruption festers while critical funds are siphoned away from the people who need them most. How can we trust a system that seems more concerned with padding pockets than solving problems? Yes, there have been wins. Renewable energy projects and digital advances are worth celebrating. But let’s be real — small victories cannot mask the glaring failures. We are running out of excuses, and more importantly, we are running out of time.

With just five years left to Vision 2030, we need a revolution of action — not more committees, not more summits, action! If the Government cannot lead with urgency and integrity, then the people must demand it. Civil society, the private sector, and ordinary Jamaicans must rise together to hold our leaders accountable and force the change we so desperately need.

Jamaica is at a cross roads. We can let Vision 2030 go down as yet another unfulfilled promise, or we can seize this moment to rewrite the story. The new year is upon us, let it mark the beginning of a national reckoning. We deserve better. We must demand better. And we must work for better.

The time for complacency is over. Six years to go. Let’s make them count.

Dave Foster

davefoster456@gmail.com