Fayval Williams (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
March 19, 2025
The economic growth imperative
The 2025-2026 budget presentations have officially begun with the minister of finance, Fayval Williams, presenting the Government’s position for the next financial year. This was followed by the presentation of the Opposition spokesman on finance, Julian Robinson.
The presentation by Williams was measured. This was her first as minister and as the first female minister of finance to boot. She is to be congratulated for this signal development in her career.
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Many who care about these activities at this time of the year were anxious to see how she would perform. I believe she might have surprised many by her grasp of the subject matter, but even more so for her homespun, anecdotal approach, which, though it might not have matched the flair or flamboyance of her predecessor, nevertheless signalled that there is more to her as a public speaker than some might have imagined.
Indeed, the merit of her presentation rested not on style but on substance. And there was a lot of that in terms of what the Government has achieved to date and what it hopes to achieve in the future. There was absent the “run wid it” gimmickry of a distant past, especially in the context of a looming parliamentary election. The minister was mindful of this fact and sought to reassure the nation that there was financial and fiscal sobriety in the contours of her presentation. We will see what the future portends.
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Robinson’s presentation was also measured and laid out some of the policies that the People’s National Party (PNP) would engage if it should form the next Government. The party seemed to have been stung by public criticism that it has not presented any credible indications of what its policy intentions are or how it would fulfil the many promises it has been making. To say that the present Administration would steal its ideas if they do is an insult to the intelligence of the Jamaican people.
The party, through Robinson — and you can bet Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding when he makes his presentation — seems to have realised that this puss in a bag mentality will not cut it with an increasingly sophisticated electorate. The big question remains: Are the PNP’s ideas worthy of theft?
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Well, Robinson, in a sense, tried to answer this question. He carried the heavy burden of setting the record straight. Some of the PNP’s policy propositions were sound, such as its support for the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector and the thrust towards economic growth, but as is well acknowledged, the devil is always in the details. So we will see what the Opposition Leader Golding will lay out in his presentation.
Haunting the presentation of both Williams and Robinson was the imperative of economic growth. All well-thinking Jamaicans know that we have come to an important fork in the road as far as growing the economy is concerned. As Robinson rightly pointed out, it is not sufficient that the fiscal or macroeconomic strength of the country is good. Both sides of the political spectrum have made their contribution in achieving this, so the crucial question facing Jamaica at this time as we barrel towards a general election is: Who is best able to lead the country on the path towards robust economic growth and prosperity? The wicket might have been well rolled, but the verdict is still out as to how many runs can be placed on the scorecard by those who are posturing to face the bowling.
And with the chaotic economic mess being created by the Donald Trump Administration to date, we are now moving in a direction in which the bowling may very well become more fast-paced, the googlies more difficult to ferret out, and the spins more tricky to identify and send to the boundary. Cricketing analogies aside, we are in for very interesting times as far as our economic prospects are concerned. There are profound impediments to economic growth in our country, beginning with a largely untrained labour force to meet the economic exigencies of the day. Not only is there the urgent need for the robust training of our labour force to meet the needs of both the private and public sector, but there also needs to be a seismic change in the productivity of our people, the way they approach their work, and the compensation given for work done.
There needs to be a vast improvement in their work ethic, which goes to the very heart of our self-esteem as a people. Very little attention is paid to the extent to which poor self-esteem functions as an impediment to productivity and a robust work ethic. Walk into any government agency and you see this poor self-esteem at work.
The National Land Agency is an exception here. I single out the Mandeville branch for special mention, and while one can only speak more eloquently of one’s experience, the atmosphere in that office is one of efficiency and appreciation for the value of the customer. There are even leather chairs in which you can sit in comfort. You leave with the strong sense that they are invested in good customer relationships.
But just go a few blocks from there to the Flow office and you get a different picture. You join a long line, and when you do get seated, you wait inordinately to be attended to. And this is a private sector outfit that is assumed to be more efficient than those in the public sector.
You cannot help but be empathetic to the cries of people, especially the elderly, about the torture they have to endure when interfacing with government agencies. The treatment meted out by some in the private sector also leaves a lot to be desired.
I often speak of the little “irritations” that Jamaicans, especially those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder, have to contend with in Jamaica. Although the improvement to our roads, through the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement in our Road Network (SPARK) programme, should be a strong incentive for moving goods and services more efficiently across the country, there is the need for ongoing road maintenance.
A pothole starts as a little hole, but then in no time it becomes a pond as a result of neglect. I am watching a pothole in a section of the road in the very necessary and much ballyhooed Essex Valley Irrigation project that was just completed. Last August, when I first saw it, it had just opened up. Now, in March, it has gotten wider. If it is not attended to and fixed it will soon reach pond status. When SPARK was announced I wrote a piece literally begging the Government to ensure that there is a good road maintenance programme in place or within a short period we will be right back where we were. I see this emerging in Essex Valley. As someone who grew up in the area where the pothole is located, I am watching this one with interest, as it might very well be a microcosm of what is to come. I will report to you on it.
I believe that the Government is seized of the notion that the Jamaican people are tired of pretty speeches. We want to see results and we are demanding that we do. Our politics has become more transactional, so promises coated with honey no longer work. We must be convinced that those who we employ to govern our lives have it in them to do so effectively. If there is any doubt, it is best to err on the side of not employing them. We need robust economic growth. Period.
Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life; and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. He hosts a podcast — Mango Tree Dialogues — on his You Tube channel. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.
