THE BEGINNING of each new year brings with it hopes of renewal where stagnation has set in or a change for the better and overall improvement in aspects of the nation's life. The messages from our national leaders published elsewhere in this edition attest to those hopes.
It is also an opportune time to reflect on the status quo personal and national and to make a determination to begin a process of setting right those things that are out of sync.
Perhaps as we do so at the individual and national level, we would be well minded to remember that the Chinese characters for 'crisis' are comprised of two that mean 'danger' and 'opportunity'. Already the prospects for the year ahead suggest a deepening crisis that would cause even the most stout-hearted to stumble. Nine months after the 2003/2004 budget was presented by Minister of Finance, Dr. Omar Davies, the Government is engaged in frantic and inelegant gymnastics to find funds to meet its recurrent expenses.
Indications are that the public sector will have to be trimmed significantly which, all things considered, is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps now is as good a time as any for the Government to level with the Jamaican people and give a frank and fulsome report on the state of the economy. The published reports from the International Monetary Fund's assessment of the economy do not provide much reason to have hope.
On the other hand, Jamaicans have shown a tremendous capacity to mine gold from seemingly impossible places, overcoming tremendous odds to eke out a better standard of living for themselves both at home and overseas. Wherever there is a success story the name Jamaica is not far out of the loop. Regrettably we have also made our mark in aberrant, anti-social behaviour.
The country is in need of a vision and leadership to galvanise the energies, intellect and creative imagination of the majority of our people. The Government has its hands full but it must engage the Jamaican people with frankness if any thrust to improve social and economic circumstances is to succeed.
Among the problems that have to be tackled are the deep institutionalised corruption, political cronyism, bungling bureaucracy, and rampant indiscipline at all levels. Government must play a crucial part in setting the tone for the year ahead. But the task is not for Government alone the church, civic organisations and media all have a role. It is a cliché that we are in a crisis, wherein there is much danger, but perhaps if we look hard enough, we can be inspired to look beyond the dark clouds, see opportunities and in the first instance arrest the downward slide in the social and economic arenas.
In the year just ended, many of our people did us proud. They performed well in the world of academia, sports and business. And we celebrated with them. Let's dare to hope that this year will be even better.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
