Perspective: Shameful?

AS a small Island state we are plagued with outdated systems and policies which oftentimes condemn us to certain poverty and dependency from so called first world nations.   This apparent cancer of underdevelopment is like a crab trying to climb out of a barrel … every time he tries to come up the side of the barrel he slides back down. This is like a recurring decimal.  No progress in the long or short term.  This is the only way to describe the plight small island states find themselves in.  Jamaica in this case is the victim of inefficient workman ship, corruption and all that contributes to unsuccessful outcomes and ultimately retardation of progress or growth… low or no debt and an economy that is growth oriented.

High Marks

We have been getting high marks from the IMF for our economic reforms and our hither to stagnant economy has grown 1.4 percent (2016) recently after negative or low growth for some time.

The IMF has indicated that we are on track for growth, but in my perspective if we continue to be short changed by inefficient public servants, private contractors and those entrusted to deliver goods and services then we will be like the crab in the barrel. … little no progress in the long run. Any gains made  will soon evaporate.

Barbican Road Improvement

You will recall that recently Vision posted a story of a senior citizen on Barbican Road, St, Andrew,  whose antique shop was demolished for road widening.   The widening is in progress, but unfortunately a wall build as a perimeter fencing to replace the one torn down at the Barbican Baptist church,  almost next door  to the antique shop  has collapsed.  This is a brand new wall … between to 3 months old.

The national Works Agency (NWA), a government department financed through taxpayers dollars, have a lot of questions to answer.

• Was substandard material used to build the recently constructed wall that collapsed after a strong shower of rain?
• Was enough and the right sized steel used to hold the weight of the wall?
• What was the level of supervision during construction of this now collapsed wall?
• Was the foundation dug deep enough?

Lives could have been lost ,  luckily this did not happen this time around.  A hotel worker was not so lucky recently in Negril, that was a private contract at an investor’s  construction site.

As usual the verdict is yours, we do not cast aspersions … only ask questions in the public interest.  This is our perspective, what is yours?

Over to you Mr. Stephen Shaw,  et al Manager Communications, NWA.  We urgently call for an independent investigation into this contract, execution and the construction of this wall.  We patiently await the answers in the public interest.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is SIC for newspaper.