Dear Editor,

The case for a great prime minister is based on the sorry state of the country after almost 50 years of Independence. Now we are at the mercy of the IMF.

Jamaica was never a rich country, nor was it ever a country where wealth was widely or equitably distributed.

However, with Independence in 1962, there was widespread hope that Jamaica would achieve substantial development in critical areas such as the economy, social well-being, jobs, and skills training. Opportunities such as outsourcing involve trillions of US dollars. Leading international companies shift their workload from high-cost producers to competent low-cost ones such as China, Singapore, Costa Rica, and Panama. Jamaica’s share is virtually zero while demand for outsourcing grows substantially. Jamaica has been left out of this development.

Our country must confront the consequences of missing such opportunities. Where are we?

* Economic growth over the past 20 years averaged only about one per cent per annum.

* An inefficient taxation system, characterised by a high percentage of tax dodgers, impacts unduly and unfairly on the majority of the population.

* We have some in the Jamaica Constabulary Force apparently mired in corruption and therefore the police are less effective in fighting the rising crime.

* We see the existence of political garrisons which guarantees the re-election of their incumbents at unfathomable costs to the country, debasing the sound principle of the people’s free will.

The ability to address these problems definitively lies beyond the scope of any average or partisan prime minister. Only a great prime minister can muster the support, enthusiasm and confidence to cope with these problems.

He or she must be patriotic; a transformational leader possessed with vision, organisational skills and the intellectual capacity to take us out of this socio-economic quagmire. A leader who is averse to making promises that he or she knows cannot be met. One who is aware and alert as to what is happening, not only in Jamaica but in the world at large – in critical areas such as finance, commerce, industry, trade, social reform – and is ready and capable of seizing advantage where they exist. One who realises that a high-quality economy requires high-quality components: an educated and skilled population, managers, investors, institutions. This leader should not be hesitant or afraid to replace functionaries who are not performing at a satisfactory level.

While the private sector seeks to make profit, this leader must ensure that due regard is paid to national interest. Such a leader would not tolerate garrisons but would deliberately, systematically and in a timely fashion dismantle them.

We need honest, competent leadership that puts the interest of the nation above party considerations.

RH Alexander

royhalexander@gmail.com