Home-grown questions

The Prime Minister met with executive secretary of ECLAC, Alicia B?rcena and other members of the Commission’s executive team. The Prime Minister indicated that “Trinidad and Tobago has the ability to produce much more goods and services than our population can absorb and therefore it is imperative that we look towards other markets.” In addition, the Office of the Prime Minister indicated that the meeting centred on discussions on how ECLAC could partner with Trinidad and Tobago, to utilise its research capabilities to assist our country in making more data-driven decisions in the formulation of social and economic policies.

The Prime Minister holds the view that the data from ECLAC will be useful in helping this country to make the economic changes that create an environment where everyone can enjoy the best possible standard of living.

A number of concerns arise from these statements. In the first instance, we must be forgiven for asking what has happened to the work that we thought was being undertaken by the Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB). Were they not mandated to develop an economic plan for the country? Was this ever presented to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet? Was it presented and rejected? What was the role of the draft diversification roadmap reported in the daily newspapers on March 26, 2017? What has happened to the notion of an economic plan? Have we abandoned it? What does “ECLAC using its research to expand our economic base” mean? Is it that ECLAC will provide studies to assist with the drive to diversify our economy? So far very little use has been made of studies for any government decisions. What has happened to the Carnival Study? Has this been started? Has any impact analysis been conducted? Are any local consultants being utilised to provide studies to guide any economic decisions over the last year and six months? Has the quality of the work of local consultants been sub-standard? What about the quality of the work coming out of EDAB? Has EDAB produced less than satisfactory work? Has Terrence Farrell been sidelined? If so, who has replaced him? Of course, it appears that the data coming out from ECLAC is viewed as far more reliable. What about the Cabinet approved committee to guide the restructuring and transition of the Central Statistical Office to the National Statistical Institute? Is the failure of this committee to produce a cohesive and unified report the act that forced the Prime Minister to abandon all hope of a National Statistical Institute to produce data for policy decisions? These are all troubling because it appears to sideline the domestic capability and seemingly value only that which is foreign. The Prime Minister once again seems to be suggesting that home grown solutions are not possible. One wonders if there has simply been an abandonment of long-term planning. Instead, short-term projects that can be implemented and completed within the next three years are given emphasis.

The question then remains – is the focus on short-term planning the best approach to address and come up with solutions for the long-term economic problems facing us? The ball is squarely in the court of the Honourable Prime Minister.