THE EDITOR, Sir:I BELIEVE that a new Minister of Finance ought to be assigned by the Prime Minister. Minister Omar Davies has been in this for over a decade and has clearly not put the economy in a position of sustainable growth and development over his tenure thus far.
From time to time the P.M. makes ministerial shifts as he sees fit but for one reason or another the Ministry of Finance has not been touched in this regard. The Ministry of Finance is the most important government entity because it is the powerhouse which other ministries rely upon in order to operate. If the Ministry of Finance is not in a position to adequately satisfy the demands of the other ministries a negative domino effect will ensue.
With the national debt crisis looming large over our economic landscape, the future of our nation is skating on thin ice. I believe that Minister Davies must be commended for keeping inflation at single digits but if the economy is not growing at a satisfactory rate via foreign investment and production and if the national debt continues to consume a sizeable portion of tax revenue, then the economic outlook looks bleak.
In any field of endeavour if, at the end of the day, targets are not being met and the economy is continually, decade after decade, in shambles, then it is time for change. If there is not a change of Government then at least there ought to be a change at the ministerial level. It's time for Omar to step aside and for the P.M. to appoint a new Minister of Finance. No minister of Government is irreplaceable, no political party is invincible.
I am, etc.,
PATRICK A. GALLIMORE
pagalley@hotmail.com
Via Go-Jamaica
