Dear Editor,

The following is an open letter to Andrew Holness, prime minister of Jamaica:

I am a serving member of the public sector, however, I write to you in my private capacity as a citizen of this country we so dearly love. It is with much elation, gratitude, expectation and humility that I considered and penned this letter directly to you, just to remind you that there are many people who are happy to see you at the helm and hoping for a better Jamaica. There are masses who wish to see you succeed, unfortunately the reverse is also true.

You can take heart that you have accomplished much in just a few months. Sadly, some of us are still in a quandary and battling the thoughts of whether to leave the island of our birth versus staying. Of course, you can understand why the feeling persists.

For as long as I can remember, as a nation, we have been making one step forward and then two backwards. As a fairly young adult in my 30s, it is my view that the country has been held back for too long by a number of things which seem almost systemic. Mind you, if we are going to be victorious, some of these things must be dealt with, with utmost urgency. The same goes if we are to reap real rewards and attain the prosperity which has been so elusive over all these years. Some of these things I will list here, but by no means is this list exhaustive: corruption, real and perceived, especially in public office by high officials; disparity in wages; classism; lack of real civic pride and values previously cherished; the perceived unjust or questionable ending to some criminal matters in the courts; brutishness and unkind actions towards our brothers and sisters; carelessness among young parents; reckless drivers; and a clear divide due to political persuasion. All these must be rectified very soon if we are to see any real or lasting improvements.

One school of thought is that, with you, finally a change has arrived. I think it is possible, and it is my hope that in short order the trust placed in you and your team will bring about some of the long-missing links; those links that will help us chart the path to sustained development, real and visible growth.

Jamaica is so blessed! The downtown Kingston area is a gold mine just waiting to be properly explored. Coming to mind immediately is a possible ferry service going across the Kingston Harbour for leisure and transportation to Portmore, the Norman Manley International Airport and also Port Royal.

Our strength is seen worldwide in our athletes, musicians, academics, among others. This must be harnessed and exploited for the benefit of the country. Our good far outweighs our bad side. Build more museums to teach citizens and to entice visitors. Lower the price of some government lands so that more people can have their own and stop squatting. Offer more companies incentives for employing more young workers, and build more authentic student exchange programmes with other countries that we can help within our areas of expertise. “We can all have more without anyone having less,” your words, wise words.

I’m hoping to be a member of the march to renew Jamaica. I pledge my heart forever. Together we can; committed citizens and the Government, hand in hand.

Yours respectfully,

Joseph Edwards

seraphins_arch@yahoo.com