Delroy Chuck

Needlessly, Jamaica drifts aimlessly and, everywhere, things get worse as the nation yearns for sound leadership, proper governance and available resources. The sad reality is that while our leaders argue, avoid responsibility and blame one another, the people suffer and die. The collapse of the Broadgate/Mahoe swinging bridge in St. Mary on Sunday, causing serious injury to over a dozen users, is another testimony to poor maintenance and poor governance.

Needlessly, this bridge, like so many others, has been allowed to deteriorate and fall into disrepair. Across the country, bridges, roads, gullies and other government infrastructure are in urgent need of repairs, regular maintenance and upgrading, but a government that lacks resources simply ignores the people's plight. In truth, the Government is aware of the decay and deterioration of the bridges and gullies, but when the relevant ministers and agencies are contacted, the usual response is that there is no money. In fact, the Mayor of Port Maria, Bobby Montague, has correspondence to show that the Broadgate/Mahoe swinging bridge was brought to the attention of the authorities but nothing was done. The injured should take out a class action against the Government.

Whose responsibility?

Needlessly, we argue over which agency of government is primarily responsible to clean and beautify Kingston and the main towns as we prepare for Cricket World Cup. Who is really responsible for the overall state of our country? The Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, should be ashamed and should apologise to the nation, for announcing the expenditure of 635 million dollars in her first presidential address to clean up our cities and towns without knowing if and where that money could be found. Now, ignorant, partisan and dishonest commentators are blaming the JLP-controlled parish councils for the dreadful and filthy state of our towns without acknowledging that the PNP-controlled Westmoreland Council is similarly handicapped and that parish's towns are in an abysmal mess. In truth, the parish councils have got no additional allocations to prepare for Cricket World Cup and have actually been starved of needed resources to carry out their basic functions.

Needlessly, our country becomes further entrapped by mounting indebtedness. After 18 years in office, the Government seems more entangled in debt and the nation approaches the trillion-dollar national debt with relentless fervour. Borrowing at home and abroad is now the main preoccupation of our Minister of Finance. We pay in excess of 80 billion dollars annually in interest and over 140 billion in principal payments, while the rest of the budget to govern the country is around 110 billion dollars. If half the interest payments were available for maintenance of our facilities, Jamaicans would have been spared the pain and misery of their daily existence. But, payment of our debt is a priority and the main preoccupation of this administration. Actually, debt management consumes a growing bureaucracy in the Ministry of Finance.

Jamaica can do better

Jamaica does not deserve the dirt and grime that is seen everywhere. Jamaica can do without the decaying facilities that our people use perilously every day. Jamaica can do better but it needs leadership that can overcome the scarcity of resources. In many areas of government, civil servants are idle as there is no resource to occupy them. At every turn, the constant cry is lack of money and resources. Until we have a government that understands that the most important priority of government is to focus on economic development and spur the entrepreneurial energies of our people, we will forever be drowning in debt and lamenting the scarcity of resources.