Dear Editor,

There are so many State-related institutions in Jamaica that have been neglected, and when the situation worsens, calls will be made for privatisation.

Look at the cement factory, all the raw materials are extracted locally and yet under government control it did badly. It was privatised and is doing great under private foreign ownership.

We saw the neglect of the Port Royal Ferry and its subsequent private sale. Imagine if the State had transformed the ferry system to traverse between the airport and Portmore, this could have been a winner for the park and ride system that would reduce the number of motor vehicles on the roadways.

Then there is the neglect of the postal system that worsens every day. Will the Government privatise Jamaica Post? The postal system was left out of the logistics hub development even though post offices are located in the most strategic locations in the country.

In recent years we witnessed the chaos in garbage collection and the call was made by the Government for privatisation. I responded to that issue by advising the Government to return the responsibility for garbage collection to the municipal corporations, in the spirit of redefining the corporations into mature local political systems, embracing new responsibilities, with emphasis on entering into business in order to earn money at the parochial level.

The time has come for the emergence of a mature local government system that takes on new and greater responsibilities, including income-making goals. In some countries the local government looks after transportation, health, libraries, garbage collection, and is involved in generating energy from waste.

There is need for a new concept of the role of the State at the national and local levels in the generation of income. Taxation alone cannot run this country effectively, it cannot assist in guiding national development. The issue of transportation is a critical matter in both urban and rural spheres and There is need for an effective rural transportation system involving the train and increased role of the State in this process.

Most recently the Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz announced the idea of privatisation og Montego Bay Metro bus system. My suggestion is to give the local government of St James the responsibility to operate the bus system in that section of the country. The time has come to make local government a mature and modern institution with greater responsibilities, inherited in the post-1865 era.

It is not that the State cannot do good business. The problem is that politicians are more interested in political control than advancing the needs of the country. This is the main reason the economy has failed throughout the history of Jamaica.

A new political thinking, with merit as a central feature, is needed in Jamaica.

Louis E A Moyston

thearchives01@yahoo.com