Time to press reset button

Stemming lawlessness, the nation’s top priority, must not only include ensuring the police have the tools of their trade - more cars, more equipment, more officers - but must also tackle the causes of crime. The Selwyn Ryan Report on At Risk Youth, which lists factors that push youngsters towards criminality remains a blue print for action with the salient question as a backdrop: how can we - in our schools, our religious groups, our communities, our NGOs and our families - tackle these contributing factors and the causes of crime? The Ministry of National Security must give an update on its Citizen Security Programme and National Mentorship Programme, the “softer” aspects of policing but those with probably the most lasting impact. The Ministry must say how do these programmes positively interact with ground-level activism to win back our citizenry from the lure of criminality? How can the Ministry and the voluntary sector help each other, as policy-makers, facilitators and executors of plans? Another area in which individuals can better their nation is the economy. Energy Chamber head, Dr Dax Driver, has suggested that the TT economy is now not simply in the trough of a sinusoidal curve with prospects of a rebound, but rather is in a “new normal” reality of restructuring to a lower level.

Hitherto TT’s energy prospects have not been rosy due to a subdued world oil-price and TT’s geology of new oil discoveries being in small, isolated pockets in deep marine waters, but the Juniper field could improve this outlook in 2017. Parliament’s Energy Committee has vowed to pursue seeming lost revenues from our liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, even as Jamaica touts itself as an LNG transshipment hub.

The country needs to press the ‘re-set’ button of our expectations, and shift gear from energy to non-energy earnings. Regarding private/public sector collaboration, the Government must facilitate the efforts of individual entrepreneurs who are striking out bravely in the non-energy sector.

A simple start would be trying to quickly stem the recent fall in TT’s rating in the global Business Competitiveness Index, including ease of doing business here. Amid the foreign exchange cash crunch, can the Government offer more incentives to farmers to grow local and so cut the size of the food import bill? Business, Labour and Government have opportunities to re-register their commitment to tripartism - that is collaboration for the good of TT - rather than harmful stand-offs as now looms at Petrotrin.

Political bipartisanism – now a seemingly difficult prospect - is also needed between Government and Opposition to relieve fears of the country’s financial system being hit by blacklisting by the United States over non-compliance with FATCA. The prompts continue to see crime and the economy as TT’s top concerns, and are areas in which we can each help to better our nation. We have put many an idea on the national desk top. All is not lost. It is just time to press the re-start button.