Dear Editor,

The Cabinet reshuffle has stirred up the country, and provided much fertile soil for discussion. This move has been met with mixed responses; from scathing criticism to exuberant optimism. Bottom line is, we should all want the best for Jamaica, though this is hard to see through the lens of politics.

Among the most discussed change is that of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s former rival, Audley Shaw. Many see this as a demotion, however inevitable as it was, with Dr Nigel Clarke entering the realm of representational politics, and thus qualifying himself to be minister of finance. I, however, view the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) as one of the most important portfolios — one which was failing under the watch of the previous minister. Credit must be given to Shaw who performed reasonably well, being one of the better ministers in the first two years of the Jamaica Labour Party’s term. This, of course, is being comparative. The prime minister’s “5 in 4” vision will remain nothing but a daydream if this ministry continues to fail, and Shaw is now the saviour. Hopefully.

The first thing we need to do is accept that business process outsourcing (BPO), and the likes, is not the vehicle that will drive growth. The economy will never grow if this is the foundation. The facade that unemployment is down needs to be removed. Reality is, what we now have is higher levels of underemployment. Tertiary level graduates earning minimum wage is a mockery. They’re barely able to feed themselves on this salary; no wonder student loans can’t be repaid. The economy can’t be built on the poor, and that is the downhill path we’ve been on. And, don’t get me wrong, BPOs have their place for college and university students to work part-time and for the unskilled or those among the population with basic qualifications.

Minister Shaw has to push for an increase in production. Agriculture has to be boosted to stop the slide we are on. Invest in modernising agriculture. Provide facilities for people to access loans to start up agro businesses. Reduce taxes on material and equipment needed for same — this tax should be shifted to imported products that can be produced locally. It is inexcusable for us to be importing meats, vegetables, and ground provision.

The fact is we need to reduce our import bill and still be able to feed ourselves. Agriculture can be lucrative, but we have to encourage it and facilitate the right conditions. We have too many graduates from the College of Agriculture, Science and Education and Ebony Park HEART Academy who are discouraged based on current trends. We have too many scientists, chemists, physicists, and engineers who are wasting their knowledge answering phones when they could be applying it to develop better farming techniques, environmentally protective farming practices and value-added products.

Growth can be had, but it has to be facilitated. Audley, please stop the drought.

No Brain

gusty_mol@yahoo.com