Dear Editor,
Having worked in the upper echelons of companies with over 100 years of experience, one of which has over 300 years, it is surprising how fast the Administrations – current and previous – of our country are at presuming that they have all the answers.
These companies I am referring to have unparalleled size and experience vs our economy, one of which is close to 17 times that of our economy on an annual basis, and yet these companies seek out advice and guidance for their sustainable growth.
It is unfortunate how a few inexperienced ministers in key positions can quickly have a negative, long-term impact on the future of such a beautiful and promising nation.
Slowing down and taking the necessary steps to do things well is always the best approach when you are still gaining the experience you need to be effective.
This approach would have served the sugar, fish, rice and oil industries well. However, it appears that a window of opportunity to salvage the outcome of poor decision-making still exists, and it is important that the correct people are involved to ensure the job is done properly. We must not continue to over-leverage individuals with little business and industrial experience, especially if lacking it on a global scale. Learning by doing is quite okay for small- and medium-sized local entities; however, when dealing in the international arena, only the best rise above the others. This means being the best in multiple dimensions, and the internal workings of the nation must be stellar to compete effectively. It is evident that there is still a lot to do within many of the ministries, and urgent attention needs to be given to these ministries.
Avoiding an arrogant disposition and an aggressive, adversarial stance should be the order of the day on both sides of Parliament. Keeping such a divided house has allowed both foreign and local predatory companies to take advantage of our limited resources, as evident in some of the agreements that have been pursued thus far.
It still amazes me that a country of this scale is still prone to overspending; high levels of risk-taking; and clear disregard for good, long-term actions that not only support but foster growth for many generations to come. There is clearly a talent deficit that none of the administrations has been able to address. Some may say this is due to a desire to pillage, others may say this is due primarily to self-preservation, and other positive thinkers are of the view that it is just due to a lack of proper guidance and training. Thus spending of taxpayers’ money to deve-lop and foster talent and growth in our economy continues to be a top priority, as reflected in the national budget of today.
Best regards,
Jamil Changlee
