Ronald Thwaites | Let’s be realistic

My impression is that the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is being viewed unfairly in their effort to restore electricity to all victims of the hurricane.

The crews who I have observed work late into the night and, even by Daryl’s impatient reports, have done well to fix lights for most of us. As a commercial enterprise, JPS has an interest in getting electricity functional to sell to us. Were they to be dragging their feet, they would only be hurting themselves. It took months to get back light on previous similar occasions.

UNDERESTIMATED

I believe we all have seriously underestimated the extent of damage Beryl has caused. The ministers are desperate not to be blamed (as they will be anyway) for the darkness among an already brittle electorate but battering the utility provider won’t help.

Better to emphasise the discounted bills and the tax credits for solar energy. Encouraging renewable energy sources ought to be a higher priority of the nation than it has been. What if we put aside some capital every year for the next ten years to relieve schools, health facilities and irrigation systems from the vagaries of oil prices and the perils of climate events.

AFFORDING THE REPAIR

More broadly, is it clear how we are going to afford the Beryl repair bill? The total is likely to be much higher than the $45 billion estimated by the finance minister. The sources of funds which he has outlined are not sufficient. Recalibration of the Budget, significant borrowing and adjustment of fiscal targets appear inevitable. The nation is entitled to an understanding of what will be required of us. Remember this is only the beginning of the season of bad weather.

PARLIAMENT FLOPS AGAIN

That the Standing Finance Committee again could not attract the full representation of government members for its meeting last week is disgraceful. The public is scrounging for funds to recover while those guys who have paid themselves up front won’t even turn up on time to interrogate Richard Byles and the Bank of Jamaica team on monetary policy. The report I read had public officials, some opposition members and so-so Nigel from the government side, having to waste expensive time to begin the meeting which lacked a punctual quorum.

The Public Administration and Appropriations Committee routinely underperforms due to sparse meetings and quorum failures. This is not accidental. It is part of a deliberate trend to centralise spending and depress citizen participation. This administration pretends to defend the obsolete Westminster format while themselves fouling its safeguards. Sadly, Opposition voices whine, but as yet give little indication of how they would change things. Just promising to turn up on time and restoring opposition chairpersons would be a start.

FOOD PRICES

My big fear is the probable spike in inflation, particularly in the cost of food. Weak domestic crop yields, high import costs and price gouging will raise the misery index of ordinary Jamaicans in the nervous pre-election period. Have you noticed the increasing number of people on the streets who have just given up? The same pressures are fuelling some of the vicious crimes, domestic violence and hopeless school outcomes.

FALSE PRETENCES

The failure of parliamentary oversight has now become chronic. Those absent from meetings are not representing properly and do not deserve to govern. We should demand they perform or give back the big money they gave themselves. They have rewarded themselves under false pretences. For whatever it is worth, their conduct should galvanize citizens to support the petition being circulated insisting that recall provisions be included in the first ‘phase’ of the moribund constitutional process.

RESTORING SCHOOLS

Every support must be given to the Ministry of Education to ensure that there is no delay in the reopening of all schools on September morning. Repairing the as yet uncounted many institutions which have been damaged must be the first responsibility for every community. This is the time for school boards and churches to bestir themselves to assist principals and ministry officials to complete restoration. Postpone the August laziness and the trips to New York or Disney.

The education losses due to COVID-19 unpreparedness are now catching up with us, no matter how some officials try to deny or make light of our fall-back. Full attendance, adequate food, tight discipline and attention to basic competencies and attitudes must become national mantras. In some places churches and church halls can be made available for use where classrooms have been compromised. A candidate’s efforts to restore constituency schools and improve their offering ought to be main criteria for election.

OVERSIGHT

There ought to be a standing committee of Parliament which should meet at least monthly to interrogate the progress of implementation of the Patterson Committee report. Self-congratulatory press conferences from those responsible don’t cut it. And since politicians are going to be too preoccupied to attend, can the well-resourced Jamaica Teachers Association emerge from its trade union chrysalis to become the monitors and heralds of educational restoration? Could they start by offering the nation a detailed, well-reasoned and progressive reaction to Patterson on behalf of teachers? With all respect to the role of the State, thorough-going education reform has to be provoked from the base of the pyramid- teachers, parents, the diaspora and civic and commercial interests- not likely from Heroes Circle.

NORMALISING MEDIOCRITY

We camouflage underperformance by categories such as “developing” at PEP, baptising Grade Three as a decent achievement at watered-down CSEC or “satisfactory” as an acceptable descriptor of minimal school functioning. These standards may assuage our deep-seated feelings of inadequacy, but they won’t propel us to global competitiveness.

EXCELLENT MOVE

What will is the partnership between the Labour Ministry and the HEART/NSTA Trust to train rather than reject those thousands of farm work applicants who don’t qualify for lack of literacy or technical skills. Now that’s redemptive!

Lastly, why infuriate the small cadre of nurses left in Jamaica as the NAJ contended last week. Every one of them has alternatives elsewhere. Ignoring their needs and disrespecting their association is contemptible and counter-productive.

Rev Ronald G. Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. He is former member of parliament for Kingston Central and was the minister of education. He is the principal of St Michael’s College at The UWI. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com