WHILE THE Government has found good cause to celebrate what it describes as good news on the economic front, it should be concerned about the almost parallel bad news about lawlessness and criminality in various parts of the island.
The Government's upbeat mood would have been buoyed by the Ministry of Finance's report that it raised 200 million euros in the overseas markets double the original 100 million euros on offer because of a heavy demand.
This latest offer helps to close the financing gap in the budget and means that the Government will be in a much better position to meet its fiscal targets and general economic goals. Given these latest funds also, the Finance Ministry will therefore no longer have to be active in the local money market.
As a result, this will enable the Ministry to revert to its strategy of pulling down short-term rates faster.
Those gains notwithstanding, we are clearly not yet out of the woods. While this latest successful bond offer is definitely a positive development, there is a definite disjuncture between the gains in the economy's agenda and the social realities. This is vividly demonstrated with the recent sharp increase in the murder rate. Then, there were the disturbances in Spanish Town that brought commercial activity to a grinding halt. This was in addition to inadequate fire and water supply services and deplorable road conditions all of which provide fuel for protests and social discontent. The social agenda is lagging behind the economic gains.
Elsewhere in this issue, we've reported on the president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Michael Ammar, expressing alarm that crime is now the biggest threat to national recovery, stability and future improvements. He has suggested a meeting to examine how more resources might be obtained to assist the security forces to get necessary technology and equipment.
The fight against crime has to be more than providing the security forces with the latest technology and politicians and businessmen distancing themselves from criminals. In much the same way there is an intentional focused approach to tackle the economic problems, so too must the social agenda.
A quick compromise must be found concerning the need to move expeditiously to bring the social situation more in concert with the gains and optimism of the broader economy. If we do not act quickly to address the social agenda we run the risk of overturning the proverbial economic apple cart.
The outbreak of criminality cannot be blamed entirely on the absence of economic opportunities, but neither can it be separated from the equation.
As a nation, we need to think holistically, and tackle the problems including crime from that perspective. Time is running out.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
