How we navigate these swirling waters will depend a great deal on the policy directions of the government and especially on the resilience of the new minister of finance, Dr Peter Phillips.

One hundred days in the life of a new government is not necessarily a long time to make any grave or critical assessment of that government’s performance in office. But it does give a certain window from which to see the direction in which the government is hoping to take the country; the veracity of certain promises that were made to the electorate during the election campaign, and the willingness of the government to stay true to a path of openness and transparency in governance. It is on this platform that the government will be judged. A lot has been said by the incoming administration regarding transparency. I will only remind them that in a country given to political cynicism, action will speak louder than words.

In no area will this transparency be more necessary than that of the economy and the financial viability of the nation. This is so, for the economy remains the dominant issue with the looming IMF agreement the critical variable facing the country. There is no doubt that we are headed towards treacherous economic waters. How we navigate these swirling waters will depend a great deal on the policy directions of the government and especially on the resilience of the new minister of finance, Dr Peter Phillips.

Apart from a few stumbles, he has brought an adroit seriousness to his portfolio. He seems to recognise the parlous state that the economy is in and that we cannot continue with the insane policy of borrowing our way out of our dilemma. We have to grow our way out and this means recognising that ultimately this depends on no one else but ourselves. The IMF may provide a cushion, but this is not intended for us to sit on our laurels and when faced with penury to believe that a major plank of our foreign policy is to argue for a status that will make us more likely to get financial help from abroad. Our economic fate lies in our own hands and Dr Phillips seems to understand this. His challenge, and that of the government he represents, is to convince the country that this is so and motivate Jamaicans to work towards making this so.

It may be early days yet, but one does not get the impression that Dr Phillips is willing to countenance the “run wid it” recklessness that was characteristic of a past era of PNP governance. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he will look at the greater interests of the nation rather than narrow partisan interests in carrying out his responsibilities. As a strong voice in his government and one who is at the forefront of becoming president of his party and hence presumptive prime minister, Dr Phillips must help to restrain the voracious appetite of his colleagues in government who would want to waste the people’s resources to fulfil personal and partisan agendas. He, with his prime minister, must urge them to exercise careful stewardship over the people’s resources.

As he crafts the budget he will be performing a delicate balancing act. With the economy in turmoil, he has little wiggle room and certainly no room for costly experimentation regarding the finances of the country. He must be open and transparent with the Jamaican people, not seeking to suggest anything that will mask their pain. This speaks to credibility and the recovery of trust and confidence which, frankly, his predecessor in the ministry was seeking to build until that fateful day on December 29, 2011. I can understand why politicians are so willing to hide painful and unpalatable truths from the people. They do so to buy time or to postpone the inevitable consequences of those truths. Also, to speak the truth will cause them to lose favour with the people. They would rather obfuscate or downright lie to make things appear to be what they are not. In the final analysis, it is the people who end up reaping the sad consequences of their folly.

So the eyes of the nation will be upon Dr Phillips as he sets out to give his maiden budget speech on May 24. Along with many others I am willing to cut him some slack on the delay of its delivery. After all, he and his party stumbled into power and had to regain their composure before settling down to the serious business of governing the country. The minister would be well advised to avoid empty rhetoric and lofty promises. Quite a lot of these were given in the run-up to the last elections such as the removal of the GCT on electricity and the vaunted two-week negotiations with the IMF, among others. It should be no secret to Dr Phillips and his colleagues that the people have had enough of this rhetoric and empty promises. They have been down this road before and all they have to show for it is their continued impoverishment, the decay of the physical and social infrastructure of their country, the cauterisation of a hopeful future for them and their children, and a brutish life, despite the great resources with which their Creator has endowed them.

Apart from the ever-ringing cry for justice, the people cry out to be taken into the confidence of their governors. The politician who spoonfeeds them with soothing palliatives does not wish them well. Neither is the one who plays upon their fears or appeals to their base nature to promote his own ambitions. Blessed will be the politician who will tell the people the truth, however hard it is to take. Dr Phillips, are you ready to be blessed?

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