NATION BUILDING
A strong and proper building needs firm soil, a solid foundation to support strong pillars which are connected by sturdy walls upon which a secured roof is placed. Similarly a nation needs to have a good foundation of law and order, and a well informed populace, upon which a successful society can be built. This foundation will support the pillars which are the essential activities for any society to survive in a meaningful way. These pillars will enable activities essential to the growth and proper functioning of the society to take place. These activities can be equated to the walls. Other measures which ensure the well-being of the populace including those unable to cope, will serve as the roof thus completing the nation.
THE SOIL
The soil on which our nation is built is the beautiful island of Jamaica which is blessed with great beauty and a wide range of natural resources.
THE FOUNDATION
The foundation of any nation has to be a secure environment in which its citizens can freely go about their business in a disciplined manner. In the event that their rights are infringe upon by either the state or any citizen, there must be proper channels through which he/she can seek redress resulting in the punishment of the guilty party and the compensation of the victim to restore him/her to the position that they would have been in if the breach had not taken place.
Lawlessness and indiscipline must be curtailed through public education along with enforcement to bring offenders to book. Any casual observation will show that the most successful families, communities, institutions and countries are the ones where a high level of discipline is maintained. A major civic program to educate the public on the functioning of the society, their rights and responsibilities, and how to get redress if their rights are infringed will be done. Effort will be made for everyone to feels as a part of the society, and end the feeling that it is ‘us versus them’. The primary duty of the state is to ensure the well-being of its citizens and to ensure that they can obtain justice where their rights are breeched. All the needed resources will be allotted to the security forces, and new and more effective methods of policing will be introduced. Steps must be taken to establish neighbourhood watch in all communities, and to build a strong relationship and trust between the police and communities right across Jamaica. New laws will be enacted where necessary, to help control and eliminate all types of crime.
The Justice system will also be given the necessary resources as a priority to clear the backlog of cases and keep new cases current in both the criminal and civil courts. The quick and fair dispensation of both criminal and civil justice will be a major plank of the effort to curtail crime. At present most complaints are unable to access civil justice and the offenders will only face the criminal court to answer the charge. The complainant need to have quick and easy access to seek compensation from the offender for the crime committed against them. This will serve a great deterrent to offenders, knowing that they will have to face the civil as well as the criminal side of justice. Security and justice as well as educating the populace on their civic duties will form the foundation of the nation and be given the greatest priority.
THE PILLARS
The pillars of society are housing, agriculture, education, health, local government and the environment. Effort will be continued to provide low cost housing and to regularise squatter settlements where they exist and prevent the establishment of new ones. Thousands of houses across Jamaica are locked up and left to disintegrate. Attempts will be made to get these houses back into the rental market or sold to prospective purchasers.
Praedial larceny, irrigation and the use of agricultural chemicals need to be addressed right away. Agricultural lands must be zoned and not be allowed for any use which will prevent such land from being used in the future for agriculture. RADA services must be expanded to better assist farmers. Greater discipline must be instilled in our school children and an environment conducive to learning be established. More powers must be given to school boards, principals and teachers who along with parents will work together so as to enable them to establish such an atmosphere.
The health of the nation is of extreme importance and measures to expand and improve the health care system must be made. Lifestyle changes will be encouraged to avoid and control certain diseases instead of depending only on medical treatment. A major goal will be to free up some resources of the hospitals by drastically reducing the number of persons seeking treatment for injuries from motor vehicle accidents, shootings and domestic conflicts. These resources will be channeled to improve the care given to persons admitted and those seeking elective surgeries and out-patients care.
Local issues are best dealt with by persons who have a vested interest in the outcome of these issues, therefore the system of local government is of utmost importance. As it now exist, the local government system is extremely ineffective and serve to greatly contribute to the difficulties faced in our society. A great amount of the problems existing in our communities can be directly link to the very poor system of local governance that now exist in Jamaica. Local laws are breached in every respect with impunity and nothing is done about it resulting in flooding, conflicts, lowering of the standard of living and the degeneration of communities. Local government must play a greater role and its provisions must be entrenched in the constitution thus preventing it from continually being used as a political football. The local government system must be completely reorganised to attract competent and capable persons to fill the elective seats and other positions within the local government authority.
Policies for the protection of the environment must be formulated by central government but for them to be successful, their implementation must take place at the local level.
THE WALLS
Transportation, works, labour, industry, trade, tourism and energy are essential in meeting the needs of the populace. These activities will serve as the walls of the nation. A comprehensive study of the transportation needs must be done right across the nation especially in the rural areas and measure will be implemented to improve it. The rail service will need to play an important role in transportation in the future and though resources will not likely allow for its revitalization at present, lands must be identified and reserved for its future expansion.
Maintenance must be actively carried out by the Works Ministry on all publicly owned buildings and infrastructure. As it stands at present very little maintenance is being done and where it do occur, it is not being done in a timely manner but instead when thing have reached into a state of disrepair. Buildings, roads, bridges and other facilities which are the responsibility of the Works Ministry must be better maintained which will result in savings and better infrastructure over time.
For industry and trade, measure must be put in place to help manufacturers modernise their factories and increase outputs. Taxes, duties on raw material and other inputs need to be looked at in order to enable the best prices for consumers and make our products more competitive at home and overseas. Small industries and individuals must be encouraged and facilitated to look overseas for markets for their products. The customs department which has proven to be nightmare to businesses will have to be reorganised as necessary.
Emphasis has to be placed upon improving the tourism product in order to get a larger share of the top-end market and have more repeat visitors. Medical tourism will be promoted where person can come and have medical procedures done at a much cheaper cost and recover in a relaxed setting away from home with all it demands and distractions.
The uncertainty in the cost and supply of fuel make it very important for us to look toward renewable and cheaper sources of energy. Too often there is a push toward it when the cost of fuel goes up but this goes away once the price of fuel has dropped. Cheaper and more sustainable forms of energy must be pursued regardless of what the cost of oil is.
THE ROOF
Sports and culture does not need a ministry but they are very important in the cohesiveness of the nation and they ought to be given the adequate attention for them to grow and expand. Technology is very important in the modernization of the country but it too does not need a ministry. Any modernizations that are needed are best done under the ministry that is responsible for that area. For example, the Tablets in School program should be done under the ministry of education.
Social security is extremely important especially for the many persons who have reached retirement or is in need of the state assistance. Over the years this ministry has not been given adequate attention or resources and many of its function have now been taken over by MPs and councilors and have been politise thus preventing deserving persons from benefiting from these services. These services must be restored to the ministry of Social Security where they can be carried out by civil servants and MPs concentrate on legislating, which is their core function.
Good relations with other countries are of utmost importance and must be based upon shared respect. Mutual beneficial agreement must be pursued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The treatment of Jamaican nationals at all ports of entry overseas and within all countries must be closely monitored and the necessary actions taken when the rights of our citizens are breach.