Enemies of progress

This is now a matter for serious national debate which in my view should include Peruvian public intellectual, Augusto Salazar Bondy’s view: “Underdevelopment is not just a collection of statistical indices. It is also a state of mind, a way of expression, a form of outlook and a collective personality marked by chronic infirmities and forms of maladjustment.” A bit harsh, but words deserving attention.

My interest in this country’s progress was sparked by bpTT’s pulling back construction of its million-dollar Angelin gas field from this country.

No doubt, significant employment, financial and engineering capital are being lost to us. bpTT explained: “Given the compressed project timelines and other competitiveness factors for the Angelin project, local fabrication is no longer a feasible option.” Quite a wellgreased explanation.

With righteous indignation, La Brea MP and former energy minister, Nicole Olivierre quickly said that La Brea lost out and “part of the reason is their constant protest action which has discouraged investors.” In other words, Ms Olivierre was saying the “constant protests” reflect a maladjusted set of counter-productive attitudes – enemies of progress.

She talked about the loss of taxes and 150 to 175 jobs to this country. “It is only a small group of people protesting and blocking roads and of course no investor wants to set up in La Brea then have delays to their work.” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley did rightly emphasise that our business and labour sectors should realise that we compete not only among ourselves but moreso with the outside world. Last Thursday, former Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Mariano Browne, warned: “No one owes this country a living. This country has a culture of how not to work. We have a poor work ethic.” That is, attitudes and behaviours geared more towards underdevelopment than towards progress and development. The value of labour to a developing country is known.

But we now face hard times. Adjustments - especially psychologically - are needed all around to help pull everybody over the hill.

The “enemies of progress” are all around, moving Colin Fortune to write: “In truth, we have created a very corrupt, deviant culture and the rot of our indiscipline has become unbearable. The decline must stop. We must change course.” (Newsday, April 7).

After one appearance to another in Parliament, our state companies, from the Land Settlement Agency, Petrotrin, Educational Facilities Company, Caribbean Airlines - all around – it’s the same sad story of corruption, incompetence and no public accountability – all enemies of the country’s progress. Hear Valentine Young: “Instead of progressing and moving forward, we have delved into darkness. The ones that were given the mantle to rule failed us miserably. They squandered and pillaged our economy with nearly nothing much to show for the economic windfall we were blessed with – after 50 years of independence.

Where are we heading?” (Express, April 6) Part of the answer comes from the appearance of the Estate Management and Business Development Company (EMBD) before Parliament last Wednesday. In perusing the company’s audited financial statements (2008-2010), it was found that “in some cases, contracts started off at millions but eventually ran into billions which the EMBD management could not explain.” And you know, once again, nobody will be called to publicly account! The EMBD were not able to present audited accounts for 2011 to 2015.

Public Accounts Enterprise Committee member Shamfa Cudjoe noted that a particular EMBD contract started at $67 million and zoomed up to $334 million! The new EMBD chairman complained: “I find it difficult to understand how an organization can be awarded a $6 million contract and end up with a $600 million contract?” The enemies of our progress are all around.

Businessman Richard D Lau bitterly complains: “What is the city of Port-of-Spain doing about illegal vending, vagrants and violence? This is serious. Get the agencies mobilised to bring back order on the streets. The vagrants are doing damage to the city. In many places the stench is horrible. They defecate on the streets.” (Express, April 6). We anxiously await the Tamarind Square vagrants’ court judgment.

T h e enemies of progr e s s are all around.

Our attitudes to deve lopm e n t m u s t change.