Beverley Anderson-Manley

There is a story which says that Lee Kwan Yew was on his way to his office with the person in Singapore who is the equivalent of the head of Jamaica's JAMPRO. They are passing a school at recess time and he looks at Lee Kwan Yew and says that he had better hurry and get to his office because he wants to ensure that there are jobs for all those children when they leave school.

It is a simple story, but one worth telling. The emphasis here is on the way he sees his job. It is not only to bring investment into Singapore, but most importantly to do so with urgency and passion. It reveals an understanding of the need for this investment to 'trickle down' so that, apart from anything else, people can get jobs.

Investments have been coming to Jamaica. But there is much more that needs to be done if "trickle down" is to take place. This is one of the areas in which our policymakers are lagging behind. We need to move more rapidly to change the mindset in Jamaica from one based on welfare to one that is entrepreneurial.

With the change of this mindset, we can accelerate efforts to make Jamaica more business friendly. It is still so challenging to do business here. Why is it so difficult to change some of the ways that retard rather than enhance competitiveness.

The Competitive Index

A look at the competitiveness index shows the six most problematic factors for doing business in Jamaica - crime and violence heads the list - followed by access to financing, inefficient bureaucracy, poor work ethic, corruption and the sixth factor - inadequately educated workforce. (From a list of 14 factors, respondents were asked to select the five most problematic factors for doing business in their country and to rank them between 1 (most problematic) and 5: Source - World Economic Forum - 2004)

Perhaps one of the reasons we have not been able to overhaul the unfriendly business climate is because we have been doing it on a piecemeal basis. What we need to do is enhance the conversation that can lead to a whole new system within which these ideas for transformation can co-exist.

For example - we need to move to the kind of constitutional reform that allows for more balance and the sharing of power. We need a system that is open to genuine participation, which includes communities.

In addition, the code of secrecy that undergirds the Westminster system must go. We need transparency and accountability. The ongoing Air Jamaica issue is an excellent example. We should be able to get the figures particularly since so much of our hard-earned taxes are thrown into the Air Jamaica budget.

Another area that is at the heart of the Trafigura imbroglio is of course to do with political party campaign financing. By now, it is well established that it costs both political parties hundreds of millions of dollars for general and Local Government elections and we could add for leadership races.

How much longer are we going to ignore this critical area. Those who pay the piper - call the tune - whether they are international, regional or local funders. These contributions are used to do all kinds of things, including the buying of votes.

A Systems Approach

Taking a systems approach enables us to make the links between all of the above issues. Something happens in a system and there is a reaction in another part of the system. We need to begin to see the links. For example - lack of significant growth in the economy has an impact on levels of poverty, which in turn, has an impact on levels of anti-social behaviour; crime and violence, which in turn has an impact on the degree of corruption that exists in our society. I could go on and on. Since it is individuals who make up systems, we need systems that allow for the brightest and best - the most competent, no matter their party affiliation.

Enough is enough!

Beverley Anderson Manley is a political scientist and gender specialist. Email: emanley@kasnet.com.