SSL’s no nine-day wonder

We are used to big events that stir national passion disappearing from the agenda as fast as they emerge — the well-known nine-day wonder. The Stocks and Securities Ltd (SSL) scandal is turning out to be a rare exception. It is clear to me that the public is waiting with bated breath to see if any bigwig is going to be held accountable. Unfortunately, such an occurrence would also be rare. All eyes are trained on the Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke. Will he come out of it as the knight in shining armour who restores the public’s faith in the financial sector?

Is the new Road Traffic Act showing results already?

I don’t know if it’s mind over matter, but I could not believe how smooth the flow of traffic was all day on Wednesday when the new provisions came into being. It was almost like a ton of motor vehicles stayed off the road to avoid running into problems with traffic police. It was understandable that scores of taxis were off the roads on Monday and Tuesday as ticket offenders rushed the traffic courts trying to beat the deadline. But that didn’t apply on Wednesday. Still, we pay a great deal of attention to taximen and their traffic tickets, but offences are way more than that. Things are going to change on the roads if the new measures are implemented. It’s the lawlessness and disorderliness that I can’t take.

Save the fanfare till the projects are under way, HAJ

Three years after announcing — with great fanfare, I’ll have you know — that some 1,000 houses would be built for tourism workers in Clark’s Town, Trelawny, the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) has come up with the usual excuses why nothing has happened: COVID, inflation, blah blah blah. Mr HAJ Executive Director Norman Brown, can we please wait until a project is under way before all the fanfare? It’s disgusting!