PRIME Minister Bruce Golding and his entire government have my unwavering sympathy and I genuinely wish them and Jamaica the very best. These are indeed trying times. Even so, the Jamaica Labour Party was fully aware of the hand it was dealt when it assumed leadership of the country in 2007. It knew of the challenges. It knew of the policy options and tough decisions that would be necessary to realign not only the economy, but also the society on a path towards stability and growth.

The JLP was also fully cognisant of the unpredictable nature and dynamics in the sphere of geopolitics and the negative impact these would have on tourism, bauxite earnings, international capital market, fuel and on other commodities. What it did not know and could not have factored in its plans were fallouts from the global financial crisis; these things do happen, and it is for these reasons that contingency planning is essential.

But I refuse to accept as rational the nonsensical argument that the present administration was unaware of the extent to which the economy and society were ailing before the global crisis. This rationalisation would have been credible only if members of this administration were permanent residents on the planet Mars and with no access to Earth. We all knew of the antecedents, but alas, the travails were insufficient to impel the policy unit within the JLP to engage in serious deliberations and evidence-based research, with the view to develop bankable policies.

For, as I have repeatedly said in these columns, except for the few bright sparks, the executive branch is replete with gross incompetence, unpreparedness, inexperience and lack of foresight. The organisational shabbiness with which it has been operating is unprecedented, as is the lack of co-ordination between the various functional areas. The right hand never seems to know what the left hand is doing, and brainstorming seems to be the end to all consideration. Mr Golding’s Cabinet and his armada of consultants had better realise that brainstorming is inchoate; albeit an important first step in problem-solving, but the more crucial steps require evaluation, elimination and rigorous analysis before implementation, as not all ideas are bankable.

I mention this because this government, through its pronouncements and actions, seems unable to distinguish between brainstorming and implementable ideas. The recent untidy handling of the $22-billion tax package should eliminate all doubts about the haphazard approach of this government. Blaming the past administration cannot suffice all the time. So, it is churningly nauseating to see Generation 2000 (G2K), the professional arm of the JLP, through a series of public relations initiatives play “political footsy” with the collective intelligence of the Jamaican people. Instead of puppetry, the G2K should utilise its energy helping the government develop credible macro-economic and social policies.

There is hardly any value-added from pursuing a political agenda so fixated on looking backwards that it runs the risk of causing a cricked neck, a condition in which the limitations could cause derailments and possible destruction. Now is not the time to waltz with the shadow of the past with the hope that people pay more attention to the performance of the ghost than to the real McCoy. After all, we are not stupid. It is an open secret that the previous People’s National Party government made terrible choices and pursued some of the most egregious economic policies – policies that gave rise to the potpourri of problems the country now faces.

But even Christopher Columbus would be reluctant to call this a new discovery; since the PNP’s record has been the subject of myriad discussions and analyses. In all honesty, how long does the JLP expect to waste time by continuing to prick the PNP’s stale sore as a strategy to deflect blame? Nothing is wrong with providing historical context to understanding present-day realties, but everything is wrong with using it to excuse inertia and to mask incompetence.

The imposition of an accumulated tax package of $41 billion in a single fiscal year will increase the misery index and this could lead to widespread social unrest, especially in the absence of firm but compassionate leadership. We did not need the Economist Intelligence Unit to tell us that. And while the government “smartly” forfeited its initial plans to tax basic food and other essential items, there can be no delusion about the gravity of the collateral damage the action to compress consumption is going to have on the economy. With less disposable income, demand could fall, economic growth decline forcing higher unemployment and fall-offs in tax revenues, which could prompt massive public-sector layoffs.

Nevertheless, 2009 is history, even though several “matters arising” from the old year will take centre stage in the new year. Yet, it is not too late to change gears and deliver effective and inspirational leadership. A fresh start requires a reduction in the size of the Cabinet and the number of ministries. It requires the removal of Audley Shaw as finance minister. It requires an articulation of a clear and cogent macro-economic framework that includes elements for economic growth and development, debt-management strategy and an announcement of a team of “wise men” that includes some of the country’s most eminent financial experts.

This is necessary as building social capital is critical to national development, and the government cannot continue to displace civil servants out of sheer political “witch-hunting”. The country needs the expertise. It is clear that a paucity of knowledge and experience exists at the executive branch, which is ironic as all hands are needed on deck. So it behoves the prime minister, his coterie of ministers and squadron of special-interest friends to put the past in context and leave it there, but to enter the new year with a commitment to provide decisive, transformational and visionary leadership.

The second change requires the shifting of James Robertson from the ministry of energy. The country will not realise its true potential without a comprehensive energy policy and Mr Robertson has not demonstrated the slightest understanding or appreciation of these requirements. The third change requires the prime minister to take over national security, as everything depends on a safe and orderly society. The current crime environment is unsustainable and does not bode well for us.

It would also be appropriate for the government to summon the collective will of the Jamaican people whose followership is critical to success. And although the prime minister is non-charismatic, he must become mobiliser-in-chief in a way that gives hope to the hopeless. This requires the infusion of “cause-branding” built on an ideology and philosophy that can elicit national consensus and bipartisanship. Mr Golding will have to start by rebuilding his leadership credentials, beginning with the issue of credibility and he must approach it with unbridled sincerity and seriousness of purpose, for in the end this is our Jamaica and we cannot give up on the promises or ideas that could make it much greater.

burnscg@aol.com