The Editor, Sir:

As the Prime Minister continues to extend the olive branch, it is hoped that this gesture will become a prevailing principle throughout the country promoting harmonious human relations. Therefore, the concept of inclusiveness should be relentlessly pursued in all aspects of our daily life.

Suggested elements that could contribute to the process of moral reform, particularly in inner-city communities, should include skills training, employment, community beautification, community spon-soring etc. Employment should be accorded high priority as it aims to address the tremendous amount of idle hands hanging around the street corners and who are vulnerable to anti-social behaviour.

The objective is to get at least 100 of these idle hands from each inner city community to alleviate the problem.

There needs to be an alliance between public and private sector entities to address the major element contributing to moral decline - crime and violence.

The Private Sector organisation of Jamaica has indicated its willingness to cooperate in this regard. Therefore, we need to identify products that are in demand; identify business enterprises to establish a special company that will undertake the manufacturing of these products on a large scale to employ these idle hands.

Government's input would include incentives e.g. tax relief etc. Low interest or no-interest funding sources, international or local, would facilitate the process.

Employee share-ownership programmes would facilitate optimum productivity levels as well as motivate employees.

Manufacturing location/locations such as the unoccupied factory spaces in the Kingston Freezone could be renovated and equipped appropriately. A potential product for manufacture is footwear as statistics indicate that over 84 per cent of the footwear consumed in the country is imported.

I am, etc.,

ALFONSO F. JACQUES,

Justice of the Peace

Padmore, St. Andrew