Brett Wong, managing director Coldfield Manufacturing Ltd

There are diamonds in the salt

When President Barack Obama said that he wanted to press the reset button, he didn’t realise the world was doing the same. In the past year, the world’s largest economies have collapsed. Like those massive skyscrapers — and let’s not forget those Ponzi schemes — the world’s perception of success was propped up by unreal expectations, and like those building prices and schemes, our perceptions came crashing down.

In 2010, I think the world will be more conservative. People will be saving and seeking pleasure in the simple things like renting a movie versus a Cirque de Soleil show. Businesses will stretch their resources to the limit before reinvesting, and competition will be fierce for the few customers willing to spend.

However, in all this gloomy chaos there are still many opportunities. Changing customer tastes are creating new markets. Small, nimble companies can outmanoeuvre larger ones to grab these new markets. There are valuable stocks at bargain prices, and interest rates, at least in other countries, are at an all-time low to encourage rebuilding. Diamonds in the salt if you will.

In Jamaica, the story is a little different. The same opportunities for renewal also exist here, but I think we lack the will to want to go forward. Be it the two that have passed, the 18 before, or the entire 47 years since Independence, we have made little progress except in petty partisan politics, and developed a knack for avoiding hard decisions.

My outlook for Jamaica, like many of my friends, is uncertain. If the political will swings the right way, I believe Jamaicans will be filled with hope that the country will be on the path to better days — ready to suffer a bit for our lovely land.

They will work harder and admonish criminals instead of adore and harbour them. Businesses will invest in the future and employ more people, and the country will eventually grow.

If it swings the wrong way, it won’t be lovely for very long. So many people in the world, including myself, see great potential for Jamaica, but we must be brave enough to release it no matter the cost. Potential does not stay long. Like soda in a bottle it eventually goes flat.

My family company, Coldfield Manufacturing Ltd, will be turning 20 this year. In the 13 years that I have been with the company, we have been able to expand our market share by focusing on our distribution, taking the product to our customers.

Our distribution network has enabled us to forge a partnership with a major company, diversifying our product line. We have also continued to bring new, innovative products to the market, and will celebrate our 20th year by relaunching our iconic Big Jo, and Country Style brands, which will join our new Fruit Jazz drinks, and premium Pure Country juice line.

Personally, I love my country and pray to be able to raise my family here. Jamaica has blessed me with a good life and I have a wonderful person to share the rest of it with. Having travelled to and read about other countries, I know that Jamaica’s circumstances are not unique, and by far not the worst. Jamaica is, however, at a tipping point and the start of a new decade is as good as any to start tipping in a positive direction.

Christopher Berry, executive chairman Mayberry Investments Ltd

Security and economic growth

1. Same level of security for all Jamaicans, uptown and downtown, in town and out of town.

2. Fiscal deficit of 4.5 per cent of GDP.

3. GDP growth of 5 pper cent.

John Azar, managing director KingAlarm Systems

A chance to seize new opportunities

As we contemplate what 2010 will bring for us as a country and as a people, I firmly believe that, despite the fair share of challenges it will inevitably bring, it also presents us with new opportunities to set the nation on a path for recovery, and, ultimately, growth.

If we as a people are to survive and prosper in 2010 and beyond, the crime monster MUST be tamed! The law-abiding among us need to truly understand that the present unacceptable level of criminal activity is not a problem that the police alone must…or can… solve. It is OUR problem, not only theirs.

We all have a vital role to play in this fight and the tide will only start to turn when we have true and fulsome collaboration, along with social intervention providing real hope and opportunities, and an alternate lifestyle to that which the “gangster” culture currently offers our youth.

The leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force must work hard throughout 2010 to improve their intelligence-gathering machinery and must work tirelessly to win back the trust and confidence of the Jamaican people, because it is only through the full co-operation of the public that the police can ultimately achieve success.

My vision for 2010 includes our politicians ceasing to pay lip service to the very important matter of national security, and actually leading the charge by showing the political will, determination and courage to slay the beast, and dedicating the necessary resources to aid the law enforcement agencies in the carrying out of their duties.

The face of crime is evolving worldwide. We must therefore also evolve in a proactive manner to remain one step ahead. This will not happen by accident and, along with the political will, the Ministry of National Security must refine its policy and work closely with the leadership of the JCF and JDF throughout 2010 in seeing to its efficient execution on the ground.

While no one will question that 2010 will, in all likelihood, be a difficult year for our country and its people, we must remain positive, as pessimism can so often be a self-fulfilling prophesy. We must, as Jamaicans, stop seeing things as orange and green, and instead focus on the black, green and gold! At the risk of sounding like a cliché, all Jamaicans must come together to address the 2010 challenges head on, as talking or wishing our way out of our problems will simply not achieve the desired end result.

In relation to the economy, unpopular decisions will inevitably have to be made if the Government is to curtail its expenditure. Like any successful business, or even a prosperous household, one cannot continue to spend more than one earns in perpetuity. That is the situation we as a country now find ourselves in and the result of remaining on that path can only be disastrous.

In closing, yes I see 2010 as a difficult year, but also a year in which we can seize the opportunities to rechart our current direction and hopefully position ourselves to fulfil our true potential as a nation once the worldwide recession has passed. We are a tough and resilient people and those characteristics will certainly be put to the test in the New Year.

William Mahfood, managing director Wisynco

Need for strong leadership

Leadership

First and most important, we need to see leadership that is strong. Jamaica is the most amazing country in the world, we all live there, we are passionate about the land, the beauty of our people and our indomitable spirit to keep on going when all seems lost. We are an individualistic, strong, bold and powerful people excelling at so many things except in the leadership of our various organisations that run the country at all levels, and also in the opposition.

We need to adapt a style of visionary, strategic, long-term management for the country in the same way that many executives in business have done. We need to have a charter for the main areas of responsibility of government that involves the private sector which speaks to health, education, and security. This needs to be signed by both parties and they must be held accountable to this charter regardless of their politics.

Investment, trade and commerce

There are so many opportunities for investment in Jamaica, we need to focus on becoming more self-sufficient. The minister of agriculture needs to be recognised for the job he is doing in this area, but much more needs to be done. We need to change our status with Caricom, and possibly become more like The Bahamas or Cayman. As a friend of Caricom, we can still get most of the benefits, but will incite investment from some of these southern markets in manufacturing here to Jamaica if they have the incentive to do it.

That incentive, unfortunately, will come in the form of tariffs in the short term on their products. However, these same tariffs will have the effect of making up some of the revenue shortfall for the country.

More needs to be done for the cottage industries, such as making development financing needs readily available for this category of businesses or they can’t get off the ground. Why is the casino gaming legislation/regulation taking so long? This should have gone through and passed within three months of the new Government and the construction of at least two large casinos well under way.

We desperately need a clear unification/merger of the various private sector lobby groups/voices. They are far too splintered now and therefore do not have the ability to really challenge the status quo.

People

I pray for the people of Jamaica, that they may ask more of our politicians, that they may work in harmony to create stronger communities and focus on ways to educate their children as priority number one, as education is the only way that we will be able to alleviate/reduce the effects of poverty in our country. I also pray that we do not suffer the effects of any devastating catastrophes in 2010.

Wisynco

For Wisynco, I just have to say that we have one of the strongest teams that exist in the industry on all fronts and that I hope and pray for the entire staff complement safety throughout the course of the year as I do for all Jamaica. To them I say, keep up the good work, and the rewards that we have received will continue.

Donovan Perkins, CEO and President Pan Caribbean Financial Services

Take the tough decisions and start shedding the weight now

2010 will be a challenge-filled year for most sectors in the domestic economy. We are faced with three factors that will affect consumer behaviour and business decisions, which are:

(1) the recent tax package;

(2) lower interest rate prospects; and

(3) the pending IMF programme.

The tax package is likely to have an inflationary impact, but falling demand for goods and services will likely force more competitive pricing for consumers at all levels in the domestic market. Imported inflation (from currency depreciation) is likely to be muted in the short term as currency stability will be realised from higher BOJ reserves via the IMF agreement as well as seasonal tourism flows.

Lower interest rates, higher taxes and external loans from the IADB and World Bank should reduce the GOJ’s appetite for domestic borrowing in the short term. Lower rates will also benefit borrowers.

The IMF programme has not yet been finalised or announced, however, the expected impact of any conditionalities is short-term sacrifices for long-term development. The IMF agreement opens a window of opportunity for forward thinkers.

The reality is that Jamaica has engorged itself on debt over the last decade, with domestic debt up 500 per cent and external debt up 100 per cent. We are now like a 350lb runner, wanting to get to the Olympics. We just can’t compete. The only way for Jamaica to have a chance at an “economic medal” in the future is to go through the pain. Take the tough decisions and start to shed the weight now. As a country, we have no choice but to all share the pain, recognising that some have the capacity to share more pain than others.

Jamaica’s private sector leadership must ensure that this pain is not in vain. We should recognise that the options are few and the choices quite clear. Collectively, the country can decide to build a bridge to a future with the expectation that the public sector will efficiently deliver in the not-too-distant future, what we require as a country — decent health, quality education and a safe environment. However, losing the weight to cross this narrow bridge requires courage. And we must ensure that our leaders in Parliament remain courageous.

Look on those succeeding around us in our midst. They succeed through leadership, planning, execution and an unswerving resolve to excel. I believe our challenges are fixable. However, without the resolve now, that window will close and the bridge will collapse, making it more difficult for our 350lb runner to medal in the future.

Chris Williams, outgoing managing director, NCB Capital Markets and CEO and president-elect, Proven Investments

Bring on 2010!

“These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life or the repose of a Pacific station that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero.” — Abigail Adams

(Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams. She wrote this quote to him in a letter dated January 19, 1780. John Adams was the second president of the United States)

The world economy seems to have turned the corner from the recent global recession, with worldwide economic growth finally in the positive, led by strong performance from the Asian economies and stabilisation or modest growth elsewhere.

The recent recovery in commodity prices has helped many of these economies, with further signs of recovery coming from improved consumer confidence, firmer housing markets, stronger equity markets, stabilisation in retail sales and an up-tick in world trade.

This global recovery is, however, expected to be slow and protracted and global unemployment levels are expected to remain at high levels.

To my mind, going into 2010 two things are clear:

1. This is not the first or last crisis the world will face; and

2. Jamaica will recover as the World recovers!!.

As such I am excited to be given the opportunity to live in this period. Bring on 2010!!. Jamaica…. we can do this!!… let us OWN our own destiny… let us NOT let any criminal… any economic crisis… any politician STOP our PROGRESS. “The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues”.

Mina Robertson

A 14-year-old’s view

“If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change.”

— Siedah Garret and Glen Ballard

This year I hope everyone will bear this in mind. I would like to see all Jamaicans work towards their own personal goals and towards reaching their full potential. This year, I would like for everyone to return to our basic values and principles, and in turn use them to help uplift each other. I would like to see all of us treat our neighbours in the manner we would like to be treated. We need to get back to when a helping hand was a friend request and we spoke to each other without boundaries and worked well with each other.

My name is Mina Robertson and I am 14 years old. My friends and I have many ideas as to how we want this country which we live to be like this upcoming year. As young persons we are often led to believe that we cannot make a difference and that we are only to “speak when spoken to”. This year I would like this mindset to change. The youths of this country have to deal with so many issues every day, and have a lot to say. I would like to see this power and voice of all young people being channelled towards making a difference.

This year I would like to see the practice of getting an education become easier for our youth. For example, I want the public bus system to tighten its ropes and eventually I would like a school bus system to be implemented. It makes me angry when I look beside me and know that the seat is empty because the bus was not on time.

This year I do not want to see any children on the Ananda Alert. As a country we cannot afford to have so many of our youth go missing. In 2010, more facilities need to be put in place where children can go after school and be safe. I also would like to see adults walking groups of children home after school.

This year every street light needs to be on at night, this alone will help decrease the number of children being abducted. Every person needs to become involved and become our brothers’ keepers. The Government alone cannot do it; we must all become proactive rather than reactive.

This year, as a country, let’s think more positively. Music is such an influential part of our culture and lifestyle. Where can one go and not hear the radio on? If the content of our music became more positive and we sing positive lyrics all day, eventually we will think more positively and then our actions will become more positive.

It’s a chain reaction which starts with our music, and I implore our artistes to take that into consideration as their target audience is my age group. In 2010, I would like to see our audio-forced culture become a more literate one. I want to see our youths read more, and as such I would also like to see more book drives to make reading easily accessible.

I hope to see all which I have said become a reality. Jamaica, let’s make 2010 our best year ever.

Earl Jarrett, general manager Jamaica National Building Society

Take advantage of opportunities

The reassessment of the Government’s new tax initiative on December 23 provides some measure of balance for the financial and productive sectors, and establishes a consensual basis on which the Administration can enter into an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

As a Mutual Society, serving thousands of Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora, we at the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) are acutely conscious of the severe impact of the global recession on our economy, and, therefore, our expectations for 2010 are linked to effective leadership and trust, to take full advantage of new opportunities.

Within the context of the IMF agreement, management of the state should cost less, hence, the need to shape a leaner, more effective public sector. And the reduction in the size of government will expand the economic space available for private sector initiative. In addition, the Ministry of Finance and Planning must be committed to meeting the defined targets for revenue collection and expenditure.

We expect that interest rates will be reduced, and this will provide some stimulus for resources to be shifted from the financial to the real sector, as well as a basis for job creation and new investments, particularly in the small business sector.

However, the matter of trust is critical. A 2006 study by the Centre for Leadership and Governance at the University of the West Indies noted that there is “a low level of trust in the governance of our country”. The absence of trust does not facilitate the kind of co-operation that we will need in 2010 to shape a just and productive country.

Our leaders must, therefore, build trust in the society by paying keener attention to the tone of their exchanges in the House of Representatives. They should also be conscious that their own lack of confidence in the systems that we have created since independence will negatively impact on our people and consequently on national development.

Internationally, there are projections that the global economy will continue to improve, and, therefore, Jamaican entrepreneurs will be able to explore global opportunities and access markets created through the trade agreements signed over the past few years.

Arising from the unprecedented high profile of Jamaica internationally, we have the opportunity to access previously untapped markets; we can therefore expect tourism to see an expansion and, with more funding being made available to the private sector, the foundation will be laid for meaningful growth.

At the same time, the public sector needs to increase its communication and information streams so that our people can more fully appreciate national goals and take advantage of emerging opportunities in the New Year. In the final analysis, the successful outcomes for 2010 will be entirely dependent on Jamaicans adopting a proactive stance in order to capitalise on the opportunities ahead of us.

Christopher Issa, hotelier

Make Jamaica world class

My hope for Jamaica as we enter 2010 is that we will follow the example set by our world-class athletes and begin to run Jamaica in a world-class way.

2010 will usher in a new age for the world economy. Countries will be competing for scare resources and dollars. “Nuh Linga” Jamaica, or we may become the world’s fastest “declining” economy. I hope we will become tired of the poverty and want to try some prosperity. Prosperity, I believe, is sitting on our doorstep but can only be achieved if we make the right decisions.

I believe if we follow these five points to prosperity we will all have a better Jamaica: Pleasing; Proportioning; Producing; Planning and being Pro-Active.

Pleasing

In Jamaica, most decisions are made by trying to please everyone. My hope is that we realise that when we try to please everyone we will end up pleasing no one.

Proportioning

I believe our Government has grown out of proportion for what it needs to accomplish. It is too big, too costly and too bureaucratic for our nation.

The signs on the doors of all Government agencies need to say “Open for Business” and mean it.

Productivity

We must encourage productivity in every way. Small is the new big. Small and medium-sized businesses and projects are what will take Jamaica to economic growth and prosperity.

Planning

We need to plan for tomorrow and not just live for today.

We should by now have more confidence in our own country and our own abilities and the future we can create with proper planning.

Pro-active

We all know very well our ‘Political Activists’. What we need now are more ‘Pro-Activists’. I hope that a new generation of Pro-Activists for Jamaica will emerge and become passionate about causes to improve all aspects of life in Jamaica. My hope for 2010 is that we will run Jamaica in a world class way and make Jamaica world-class in every way.

Ras Kassa, Filmmaker

Increase opportunities for young minds

In 2010 I hope Jamaicans will be able to free themselves from the shackles of partisan politics and approach the development of the country and the well-being of our people as a united force.

I would also like to see our leaders increase the level of communication with the nation not only on days of national importance or at political rallies. They do very little to encourage or inspire the Jamaican people and provide no vision. A people without vision or hope for the future will perish.

Increasing the number of opportunities for your young minds is also one of my wishes for 2010. Too often our brightest stars have to leave Jamaica to achieve their personal goals because they are unable to attain them at home.

Additionally, very close to my heart, is the level of incentives available for the local film industry. I hope that this year will mark the beginning of a realisation by the powers that be that there is potential in this field and Jamaica has such tremendous talent waiting to be harnessed and supported.

I hope 2010 sees an increase in the appreciation for our local culture. We need to understand the merit in our own “Jamaicaness” and refrain from copying all things American. There is so much to gain from preserving Jamaican culture. All that’s required is a little creativity to flip it for today’s generation, make it cool and relatable and ultimately we will be proud to call it ours.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

— Nelson Mandela

Imani Duncan, group marketing manager JMMB

Three wishes

It’s the times when the future is uncertain and challenges abound, that the resilient human spirit rises if we choose that response. As we prepare to enter 2010, it seems those times are indeed upon us. As such, I have three wishes for my country, my beloved Jamaica and our people, for 2010.

My first wish is for us to remember who we truly are — expressions of God and as such we are all beautiful. Furthermore, as a people, we come from a lineage of resilience, creativity, love and faith. So as we face each day in this new year, let us draw on the strength and love of God, draw on our history, remember who we are and affirm with gratitude all the good in our lives… our health, family, home, job, friends. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude, even for the smallest things in our lives, helps our spirit to rise each day — and this is the year for our spirit to stand strong.

My second wish for Jamaica is for all of us to place family back at the centre of our lives. Even in the midst of challenges for our country, if we get back to basics and nurture the core — our families — then our communities will thrive as family is the centre for building our moral fibre. In putting ‘understanding love in action’ with our families first, we can’t but help take that into our daily lives as we interact with others whether it be at work or on the street corner. Choosing to create this kind of environment every day will also impact our children, nieces and nephews as they seek to understand how to live and interact in this world. ‘Love in action’ in our homes makes real the possibility of ‘love in action’ in our wider lives.

My third wish for Jamaica is for a renewal of our collective patriotic will. There is so much that each of us can do in our own way, if we see the value in sacrificing short-term gain and perhaps experiencing some pain, all for long-term peace and prosperity. This requires trust at many levels but with the country’s ‘back against the wall’, this may be the impetus for ALL of us to make smart choices for Jamaica, which ultimately will redound to each of us individually.

For the mother living in our inner-city communities who faces the tough choice of giving up her son to the police because he chooses to wreak havoc in our society, I wish for her all the strength and love to make the right choice. This is for the ‘good’ policeman to be able draw on his inner courage and trust to report ‘corrupt police’ so he can do his part to ensure the justice system has a chance of providing real protection for our people.

This is for our business leaders who may have to choose to sacrifice short-term profits for Jamaica’s long-term prosperity as well as band together to ensure our many hard-working Jamaicans are able to take care of their families. This is for our Government — those in power and those who comprise the Opposition — may you choose collaboration and meaningful mechanisms to build trust and co-operation so that we, the Jamaican people, can experience tangible results of good governance. May you have the will to choose two or three things to work on collectively and call all of us to action in support of our country, our Jamaica, inspired by you putting aside the political differences because we share a vision for Jamaica and believe we have the power to make it happen.