Dear Editor,

I have been taking note of my country and its problems; in particular, its budgetary constraints, and I have decided to share my opinion with readers.

* It is a fact that the government owes the public sector workers $13.4 billion and at this time can pay them only $2 billion.

* Government workers are in a panic as to when they will lose their jobs.

* Garbage is being piled up across the island because of a lack of funds.

* In order to get the US$1.2 billion from the IMF, the government has no choice but to “clean house”, and this has been a long time coming.

The way forward:

(1) Establish Quality Control Measuring System in the government ministries with Non-Financial Indicators (NFI), to measure their performances. If

they produce nothing, it means that they do not need to be in a job and need not be remunerated. Therefore, they should be relieved of their jobs. I suggest that over the long term, the government invest in the ISO9000, an application software used in management worldwide, to measure productivity and reduce waste.

(2) With regard to the balance of $11.4 billion owed to the public sector workers, government could, through the National Land Agency, identify unused government lands, sub-divide them into lots and transfer them to public sector workers at below market value, in lieu of the balance owing. This reduced price would be a motivation to capitalise on such an offer.

Here’s how this becomes a win-win for both parties:

* Civil servants who are owed by the government would now have something tangible to call their own; they would have instant equity in the lands as market value would be more and they could choose to resell on the open market or carry out construction work.

* The government’s debt obligation would be lessened.

* The various government agencies would be busy producing and now putting into play the NFI-recommended above, and now more deserving of their salaries.

* More lands would be brought under the Registration of Titles Act, thereby guaranteeing increased revenue from property taxes to take care of their obligation with the National Solid Waste Management Authority which is currently cash-strapped.

* The resale of lands would increase as more people would now have a Certificate of Title, thereby increasing revenue in terms of transfer tax and stamp duty to the government.

* Increased revenue to the National Housing Trust and other mortgage companies as more land owners would now have a Registered Title to capitalise on build-on-own-land loans at affordable interest rates by the NHT.

* An increase in building construction and the creation of jobs.

* A reduction in crime and violence as a result of these activities.

This seems like increased activities and government is cash-strapped; save and except the Jamaica Public Service Company which is no longer fully owned by the government.

Government owns land so there is very little or no capital expenditure; human resources required are all there in the various ministries already being paid their monthly salaries, whether or not they produce.

I thought it would be instructive to look at all the government agencies that are already paid to work and could keep their jobs as a result of increased productivity.

The National Planning Agency would become more visible ensuring sustainable and orderly development, local parish councils, the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, National Works Agency, National Water

Commission, Jamaica Bauxite Institute, Ministry of Finance, Land and Valuation Division, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Construction, Natural Resources Conservation Authority, Geological Survey Department, Ministry of Construction and Works.

Upon implementation of the above, I invite you to do the maths and see how much the government could save and reduce its wage bill.

By the way, is the National Housing Development Corporation producing? How many developments have they completed over the past two years? Maybe the prime minister could make them become self-sufficient and further reduce the country’s debt.

In summary, the government would be using non-productive assets to reduce debt which, in the long run, would become productive assets.

Doreen Buchanan

azanellproperties@yahoo.com