Dear Editor,

It was good to see the parliamentarians back in their workplace to carry on the nation’s business for which they have so handsomely rewardedthemselves.

It would be foolhardy not to recognise certain positives coming out of the Government’s continuance of the macroeconomic policy they inherited, and some indicators are trending in the right direction. These advances, however, must be viewed against the daily experiences of citizens who shop and carry out the necessary activities for mere survival. If it took increases in excess of 200 per cent to get some people up to a liveable wage, the question is: Why is it costing some that much more to live than the average others, or is it that the average others aren’t living? The difference is some need while others want.

When leaders lack moral authority, the country in turn lacks confidence. I watched a sitting of the House of Parliament but was not getting anything out of it because I was distracted, trying to identify the hidden ones.

In his presentation Prime Minister Andrew Holness quite rightly decried the despicable act of people stealing a water tank from an institution to which it was donated. In stating his intentions to instruct the police to quickly identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, he clearly demonstrates that he understands the value of a speedy investigation and identification as well as appropriate punitive action.

This, I posit, should be an across-the-board approach if transparency is the aim and accountability the goal of good governance. Transparency is essential because we should never be in limbo as to whether some of our lawmakers are themselves lawbreakers.

Accountability assures that ill-gotten gains will be separated from its holders. Withholding of information only fuels speculation and subjects even the innocent to accusatory looks and does a disservice.

Ralston Nunes

ralstonnunes@gmail.com