Jamaica's continuing energy crisis

In July 2006, I wrote an article titled "Oil - Jamaica's main external threat". At the time our use of fossil fuels (oil) was 96 per cent of our energy needs, and the oil price was US$78 per barrel. In February 2008, I wrote another article titled "Oil - still Jamaica's main external threat". At that time oil was trading at US$100 per barrel, and fossil fuels were still just about 96 per cent of our energy usage. Today oil is trading at just under US$100 per barrel and our energy usage is just about 96 per cent per barrel.

Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture? This energy crisis started from the 1970s, and as a country we have been talking since then about the need to rationalise our energy usage, and move towards cheaper forms of energy. After almost 40 years of talk, I think we can safely say that this is the longest-running talk show in the history of the country. Recently, even the City of New York announced an initiative to introduce significant numbers of solar panels, as a solution to high energy costs and future supply.

I find it very difficult to understand why it has taken so long for us to address this issue, as today energy is the biggest threat to production and industry in this country. Running close behind is the scrap metal industry and for the record I support the move to indefinitely ban the industry until a solution can be found. Hopefully a solution can come before next year, but any announcement of a temporary ban will only cause the hoodlums to continue to stockpile.

For the past two years approximately, we have seen the Balance of Payments (BOP) perform better than prior year comparative periods, as a result of the weak global demand, and hence the fall-off in oil prices. Still oil imports were approximately 25 to 30 percent of imports during that period. I had indicated at the time that this was just a respite and sooner or later oil prices would start to climb again, especially as global demand starts to pick up. Add to that now the crisis in the US, which is causing a quicker than expected depreciation of the US dollar, and a run to commodities, particularly gold.

The effect on Jamaica's BOP has been that the current account deficit has started to worsen again, and businesses and individuals will continue to be under immense pressure from rising energy prices. So we once again have not taken advantage of the lull in oil prices. But as I had indicated when oil prices were on the way down, we would forget about the urgency needed to address this, added to the bureaucracy involved, and it would only come to the fore again when prices started to go back up.

So here we are once more, fighting with the JPS and a worsening current account, which will no doubt affect our future demand of US dollars if not addressed expeditiously.

What is happening currently? I saw an ad on television this week where the NHT seems to have expanded its offering of solar panel loans. And this is a good move and one I have been pushing for a while. I hope that the level of bureaucracy that existed a few months ago has been improved, as it was way too onerous for someone to access a loan. No doubt this bureaucracy existed because of the need to protect government funds, but we should have found a way to protect the funds and at the same time disburse the loans, as the cost of high energy bills for Jamaica far outweighs any loss that could occur from increased risk in the lending practices for this purpose. In fact I still maintain that the GCT on the electricity bills should be used to credit compliant taxpayers who introduce renewable energy solutions at their homes and businesses.

I also see that the argument surrounding the JPS distribution monopoly has shifted to being impractical to break up because of the size of the country and cost of doing so. I think what is needed here is some out-of-the-box thinking. I totally agree with the position of the Energy Minister, when he says that the control of the distribution would have to remain with the JPS. The fact is that it would be much too costly and difficult to monitor otherwise, as JPS has the infrastructure to do so.

This, however, does not prevent competition in the market. And vibrant competition at that. This can be done in the following ways.

1. Competition will occur by persons generating their own energy needs, as this will reduce the demand for the electricity produced by JPS. I have been using solar panels at home for over one and a half years, and it is still going strong. My average cost of energy has been significantly reduced, and I expect a four-to- five year payback timeline. I also am not impacted in a significant way by JPS rate hikes, and power cuts don't affect me. In addition, at this payback period this amounts to a 15 to 20 per cent return on investment (if one considers depreciation), with no withholding tax.

2. We need to move immediately to net metering, as net billing is still not cost-effective for greater investments to take place.

3. We should allow independent electricity generators to establish themselves, and be charged by JPS a regulated distribution fee. These independents would then sell the power they generate directly to the customer, and not have to sell it to JPS for them to on-sell. This is where the OUR would be valuable in regulating the cost of the distribution (to ensure a standard and reasonable charge) and also to assist in monitoring how many credits each distributor puts on the system and can sell. The more cost-effective one would obviously sell their supply first. This way JPS also collects for the distribution, but competition will be introduced.

The other solution to significantly reduce demand is to invest in a much more efficient and safe public transportation system. Right here we have to commend the efforts of Mike Henry in getting the limited train service going. This will not only reduce the demand for energy but also ensure that competition forces the other operators into greater discipline and efficiency.

Note that none of these initiatives involve any significant project like the LNG, which is required for industrial production, but these alone could save 30 to 40 per cent in energy cost. If this happens it means greater disposable income and revenues for businesses.

Jamaicanisation of the US

The debt crisis debacle happening in the US is pointing towards the Jamaicanisation of that country. I never thought the day would come when I would see US politicians behaving like Jamaican politicians, where politics and party come before country. It is a sad day for the world when the world's leading economy starts to behave in that way, and we are seeing how destructive politics can be. In Jamaica we have long known about the destructive nature of politics as evidenced by our low growth rates, relatively worsening productivity and human development index, and increasing poverty.

I think after the irresponsible behaviour of US companies that led to the 2008 financial crisis, and the current debt impasse, the US is showing the whole world why it no longer deserves to be the world's reserve currency or benchmark for financial transactions. It is still the greatest country in the world for me right now, but is fast self-destructing.

Development can only occur if there is law and order

WHENEVER we discuss the various models for development (Ireland, Singapore, and Russia), we tend to focus on economic stability, interest rates, stock exchanges etc. We always speak about economics as if it is an exact science, not realising that economics, as a social science, depends on human behaviour. Perhaps more important than interest and exchange rates is consumer confidence. After all, economic development is driven by consumer demand and markets, not macroeconomic stability or low inflation.

For this reason one can always predict whether an economy is going to do well or not, because unless consumer confidence and spending is on the rise then an economy cannot develop. We only have to look at the largest economies in the world, led by the US and China. It is the rise in consumer spending and confidence that has allowed those markets to develop, not a few technocrats sitting in a room determining how to achieve stable exchange rates, low interest rates, and low inflation. In fact, a focus on macroeconomic stability, without developing consumer confidence, is only a short-term fix, and will lead to what we have seen for the most part in Jamaica — spurts of growth followed by longer periods of slump.

It would seem logical, therefore, that if we want a market to show innovation and develop, then we must encourage consumer confidence and spending. This means that market policy should always focus on more jobs, greater real income levels, and greater competition. There is justification for why the Caribbean GDP growth (less Trinidad) rate lags behind the rest of the world, as our markets are less developed. In particular, there is a reason why 2007 real GDP per capita and productivity in Jamaica was less than in 1972. The problem is that as a country we have for the most part focused on the outcome rather than the underlying problem, which our governors have failed to properly understand.

If, therefore, market development depends on consumer confidence and spending, then it's logical that we should pursue policies that will ensure consumers feel confident and have enough money to drive higher expenditures. And if this is accepted as the logical thing to do, shouldn't we then be identifying what is needed to drive that behaviour (remember economics is a social science)? The next logical set of questions then would include, how we expect consumers (or businesses) to feel confident about spending if there is rampant indiscipline and a general lack of law and order, and our institutions such as our courts and police force seem deficient. Even if the institutions are not deficient, a perception that they are is enough to stymie confidence.

For example, the way the police handled the Mais killing is an example of how not to communicate (even though, in my opinion, it was handled properly). The argument that social media is an inhibitor to policing and that ways must be found to curtail the use of social media is showing a bankruptcy of ideas. Shortly after hearing this comment locally, I heard an international report where it was being said by the police that with the growth of social media, the police now had to find more innovative methods to work alongside the new order, not to say it should be limited as we chose to do.

When will we realise also that the first thing to do in solving crime is to create a culture of discipline and law and order, as was done in Singapore? So if we truly want to see a sustained reduction in murders and other crimes then we must first address the general perception of law, order, and discipline. If this is not done then we may not see a sustained reduction. We only have to look at the recent killings. And it is this breakdown of law, order, and discipline that has been the biggest failure of governance in this country since the 1970s, which deteriorated at a much more rapid rate in the 1990s and 2000s.

So neither pedestrians, cyclists, nor motorists are safe on the road from reckless drivers. Only last week a cyclist was riding out at the Harbour View roundabout, for his morning exercise, and was mowed down by a speeding motorist, leaving a wife and a 15-month-old son. When that driver leaves prison he should be forced to support the child until age 18. But will that ever happen in Jamaica? More than likely not. And what about the persons who continuously ignore the Noise Abatement Act, and prevent persons from getting the rest they need to be productive the following day? I also continuously see cases where taxis stop in the middle of the road to let out someone, and a police car just drives past as if it is nothing.

It is not enough for the police to just set up a speed trap and expect to solve traffic violations that way. There needs to be more out-of-the-box thinking. For example, why aren't the police seizing the equipment and gate proceeds from persons who violate the Noise Abatement Act (which this Act already supports indiscipline as crafted)? Why don't they wait outside of clubs and parties to see who is staggering to the driver's seat and administer a breathalyser test on the spot? This would also certainly improve the revenue intake.

If one looks at the development of the US, Singapore, and Ireland (countries we love to look at as models), they have been based on a culture of discipline and the enforcement of law and order, that rewards productivity rather than in our case where we reward connections and strength. So in Jamaica we don't know how many Usain Bolts or Bob Marleys we could have produced because we either kill them when they are young or never allow them the opportunity to develop.

So, as I have always maintained, in no economics book I have read is there an assumption of the lack of law and order. On the contrary, economic development assumes a certain structure and culture of discipline. The Global Competitiveness report, for example, points out that before development can occur in a country, the institutions have to be functioning properly and there has to be access to good health care and primary education. Otherwise, any effort at development is only a lesson in futility.

So as we approach 50 years of independence as a country we need to understand that without discipline on our roads and an enforcement of law and order, we will never get around to achieving sustainable economic development, let alone get to being the country of choice to live and work. All we will do is create one big ghetto called Jamaica.

PS: I want to commend the direction being taken by the new minister of justice of focusing on the courts and backlog of cases, which the DPP has been saying for a while is a reason for the poor delivery of justice. I also want to commend the minister of national security for the introduction of the electronic monitoring for non-violent offenders, as all our prisons have done is create more hardened criminals.

Make the roads safe please

Just this morning a recreational cyclist was reportedly mowed down by driver, who apparently was drunk, and was reportedly racing another driver near the harbour view round about. The impact was so great that the car was badly damaged. He leaves a two year old child without a father.

A few months ago another recreational cyclist was mowed down by a car at port royal, where it was reported that the driver fell asleep. He also left fatherless a young child.

These drivers were coming from a night out on the town, where more than likely they were drinking.

This rubbish must stop, as motorists drive without any order, and also cyclists and pedestrians use the road without any order. Because of the lawlessness on the roads, neither pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists are safe. Approximately two weeks ago this lawlessness reached a new high when 17 year old Mais was killed by a lunatic. His actions are similar to the motorist who uses his car, because of irresponsible driving because of DUI or even being distracted because they are texting, talking on the phone, or even eating. And while doing all of that they are speeding.

When will the police realize that if they really want to assist in making Jamaica the place of choice to live and work, that discipline on the roads, and safety of all users on the road, is essential. Are reckless motorists any different from the murderers who in cold blood kill people. In both cases they have no regard for human life.

If this is contained then Jamaica will definitely be a better place to live, and crime overall will come down once there is a semblance of discipline. The lack of law and order is slowly killing us. How do we want to encourage a more healthy lifestyle but then persons who ride, run, or walk on the road are under siege. It seems logical that we have to arrest the perception of law and order if we truly want law and order.

My own recommendation is that those caught driving under the influence, or texting etc. should be charged, fined heavily, and have their licence immediately revoked. If they cause the death of a person or destroy property they should be arrested and put in jail immediately. The police have to get serious about this. It is very important.

If the police can’t deal with this then we must once again force them through the voiceof civil society, as it seems that this is the only way we get action.

Lessons from the ICAC conference part 2

Last week I looked at the presentation on the Singapore model, done by Professor Ghesquiere at the annual conference of Caribbean accountants. I want to now focus on the other two themes of the conference. Those of (i) Energy as a tool for success; and (ii) the role of competition in market development.

Energy

By energy I don't mean oil, gas, and electricity, but rather the effort that goes into productivity. This was the focus of a presentation done by Andrew Deutscher of the "Energy project" group. The main theme around the presentation is that it is not how long you work that is important but rather how you work. In other words, productivity does not mean long hours of work, and the fact is that the longer your hours of work is the greater the risk that you become less productive. He went on to say that not balancing your life to include exercise, time to think, and spend with family actually leads to less productivity.

I have always maintained that when you see someone working long hours then more often than not those are the more unproductive persons. If someone has to be working ten to fourteen hours a day to achieve a task then it either means that (i) the technology or human resources are insufficient for production; or (ii) the person is unproductive and not innovative. It actually costs the company more to have persons working longer than regular hours, because it means more utility bills; greater risk of errors, as people tire and productivity falls; greater risk of fraud, as the person working long hours becomes frustrated and too in control of the systems; increased risk of higher health premiums for the company; higher risk of absenteeism from fatigue and health-related issues; and other such indirect factors. The problem is that many managers are not able to see the opportunity cost of an action, and love to see persons spending all sort of hours at work.

Isn't it more efficient to have a worker who gets tasks A and B done in four hours, than one who spends eight hours doing the same tasks? If we think even further then couldn't we also see the benefit to the company of having persons work from home rather than go to the office? The company would have more productive time available to it, as the worker would always have their computer and work environment with them (as BlackBerrys have done); there would be less use of stationery and utilities for the company, so expenses would decline; the worker would be more productive, as they don't have to deal with traffic and spend time getting ready for work; and there would be less demand for employee benefits long term as worker expenses would decline. This is actually a growing trend in the US, but in Jamaica we love to physically see someone drag themselves to the office, even though when they get there they go sit around a computer and never have a conversation with anyone until they are saying goodbye when they depart for home.

So the presentation says that what we need to focus on is not the amount of time someone spends at work but rather how much value they produce. We could also extend this to the national debt, and as I have always maintained, it is not the amount of debt the country has, or the debt to GDP ratio, that is important but what value do we get from the debt.

It seems to me, therefore, that one of the main problems we have with productivity in this country (at the national and company level) is not the fact that Jamaicans don't work long hours, as some espouse, but rather that our managers and leaders do not set objectives and outcomes. The result is that people end up working long hours but really do not have a value-added outcome to match it against. So an accountant who spends seriously long hours working in many instances, do not produce the financial statements in a timely manner anyway, and more importantly the accountant does not understand the link between what he/she does and the value added for the company. So if there is a change in the value added he/she does not know what to alter to produce information that can bring it back in line.

So the energy project says create an environment that will allow greater productivity (as opposed to long hours) and have a way of measuring that productivity, because what really matters is how much energy is put into the outcome.

If we had applied this concept of "energy" and outcome to compensation for public sector workers then we would have (i) a more productive and better paid public sector; and (ii) we would not have had the recent opportunity cost of the protracted wage stand off. This is because we would have had a measurable outcome to reward persons based on and the more productive would naturally earn more, rather than everyone getting the same outcome irrespective of productivity level.

So the real take away for me was that one of our main problems with productivity is that there is not a great focus on outcomes and value added in Jamaica. This is the main reason why our productivity, and ultimately GDP per capita lags behind other countries.

Competition

The other theme is that of competition. The presenters were Michael Fairbanks, who looked at some of the benefits of competition, and yours truly, who looked at a competitive analysis of the region.

The essence of the presentations was that it is the lack of competition that has held back market development in Jamaica and the region. The fact is that there is no country that has seen sustained high levels of growth without a competitive environment. Governments cannot efficiently pick winners or drive markets efficiently. This we saw coming out of the FINSAC era, where many private companies were under the control of the government. Although some may argue that we had growth after that era, the fact is that growth was driven by increased national debt and was relatively weak compared to the region.

We saw a very good example of what competition has done for the consumer and market development when the telecommunications industry became competitive, when Digicel entered. This is a microcosm of what can happen if we encourage competition in our markets, rather than continue with protectionist policies. The Caribbean is amongst the least competitive regions worldwide, and when one removes Trinidad and Tobago from the equation is probably the least competitive.

Is it any wonder then that as a region we have lagged behind most regions of the world in terms of economic growth and GDP per capita?

There were some good lessons coming out of the conference and the accountants have managed to show their readiness to provide the leadership necessary for regional development. The hope is that they will continue to implement some of these recommendations.

Lessons for Jamaica from the ICAC conference

LAST week the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ) hosted the annual conference of Caribbean accountants. This was the most successful one to date, with over 900 delegates registered, and more importantly for me, the theme, "Third to First [World] — going the distance", was superbly handled.

The conference did not focus on traditional accounting topics, but rather illustrated the fact that accountants are now a lot more than just the perceived book-keepers, representing in fact the most rounded professionals in a country. The theme we used as the basis of a presentation made by Professor Ghesquiere, from the Lee Quan Yew School, which focused on the Singapore success story. In addition to this presentation, Andrew Deutscher made a very informative presentation on "The Energy Project", which focuses on the role of energy rather than just attempts to get things done; while Michael Fairbanks and yours truly did a presentation on competitiveness in the region.

There were also many other enlightening presentations, but I think that these themes of (i) The Singapore experience; (ii) Energy as a tool for success; and (iii) the role of competition in market development captured the essence of the theme.

There were numerous lessons for Jamaica coming out of the conference, and those not in attendance really missed out on a very educational experience. It's not that what was presented was anything novel, as many other commentators have been proposing these solutions over time, but the interconnectivity of all that was said placed a special perspective on the recommendations.

Professor Ghesquiere did a fantastic job explaining the main factors that led to Singapore's success. The first thing he mentioned was that Singapore had exceptional leadership that focused primarily on economic development and growth, rather than the constant political power plays that we are used to in this region.

In fact, he was at pains to point out that Singapore and Jamaica had the same GDP per capita and level of development in the 1960s. The major difference was in the choices made by both countries. While Jamaica chose to focus more on social and political issues, Singapore, under the exceptional guidance of Lee Quan Yew, made economic growth and development their primary objective. So while we fought among ourselves for political and social supremacy, all of Singapore's policies and actions were geared towards economic development for the entire country.

He also pointed out, as many of us have been saying, that a very important part of Singapore's success was the fact that there was respect for law, order, and authority. He did point out that Singapore benefited from being a one-party state. In my view, in Jamaica sometimes we confuse indiscipline for liberty. For example, the argument that persons need freedom of expression so they must be allowed to play music at any volume, at any time, ignores the fact that the liberty of those being disturbed and offended by the noise is being disrespected. So we tolerate indiscipline and call it liberty. What we don't recognise is that for companies, countries, or even people to grow successfully, there must be rules and structure, otherwise it becomes a "free for all".

In Singapore labour and capital worked together for the development of the country. So during the recent recession, labour understood the need to take a pay cut in order to minimise job losses and to ensure that the country weathered the recessionary storms well. So while Singapore saw a harmonious working relationship between labour and capital during the short-lived recession there, in Jamaica we continue to see the stand-off between the government and public sector workers. And as a result of the inability of politicians, labour, and capital to work together, we have experienced thirteen consecutive quarters of GDP decline. So who wins in our case? Nobody.

What was also evident from the presentation was that an essential ingredient of Singapore's success continues to be trust between leaders and the people. What we find from the recent study about trust in Jamaica, however, is that amongst the least trusted are the police and the politicians. What is ironic about this is that these are the persons who are supposed to provide everyday leadership. The fact is that if there is no trust, then irrespective of how good your intentions are, no one will follow willingly. On the other hand, if the trust level is high then even when you have bad intentions people will follow until they wise up. It would therefore seem to me that repairing the breach of trust between our leaders and citizens should be a top priority.

Singapore also focused on economic growth rather than pursuing political objectives. This is critical to understand, and while many of us talk about economic growth and development, it is somewhat different to actually make it your primary objective. The fact is that much of the talk about economic growth and development in Jamaica is shrouded in the greater priority of politics and individual reward. Economic development for Jamaica will always be good for politicians as long as it helps them to remain in power. So even though we may realise that certain types of expenditure can derail an economy's development, we do it anyway because it is necessary to keep the party in power. Even though we know that duty waivers are not in the best interest of the country, we will support the policy only as long as it doesn't affect "me". This is where it is necessary for exceptional leadership to do what is good for the country and not any special interest group.

The last thing I will mention from the professor's address is that of the need to live within our means. For too long Jamaicans have consumed 90 per cent of the money we have borrowed. We have actually been borrowing to support a lifestyle that we cannot afford. There is no way that we can continue on that path, as countries like Greece have seen. Those who argue that while we were borrowing in order to consume, the economy was actually getting better, fail to realise that we were actually getting better, fail to realise that we were actually digging our own graves. What we must do is cut our suit to match the cloth we have. On the other hand, though, I don't think this means that we must stop borrowing or spending, and I somewhat disagree with the notion that debt is bad. As long as the marginal return of debt exceeds the marginal cost, then debt is good. What we must change is the way we spend money: we must ensure that we spend it in such a way that we receive a value added in excess of the cost. This would include, for example, infrastructure spending to support industries such as tourism and agriculture. A country where the tourist capital is separated from the national capital by a single-lane bridge over a river that is impassable when rains fall, while having a debt to GDP ratio of 129 per cent, cannot be serious about development.

Next week I am going to look at the other two themes I found very interesting at the conference, those of energy and competition. Until then I urge us all to think about these things that the professor has brought from his experience and reflect on why Jamaica is in its current position, after having been the model Singapore looked at favourably in the 1960s.

Competition's essential role in development

Two weeks ago I spent a weekend at Jamaica Grande with my son. I forgot to take my camera with me and therefore asked one of the roving photographers to take a picture of us, so that we could have a record of our time there. When leaving I went to the photo shop (not operated by Jamaica Grande) and asked for two copies of the pictures to be placed on a compact disc (CD), so that I could have a digital copy. To my surprise the attendant informed me that that could not be done, and I would have to purchase printed copies, as the policy is that only if you purchase five or more copies could it be placed on CD.

I wondered to myself who in this day and age keeps printed copies of pictures, and secondly if the problem is the cost of the CD why not just tell me that I would have to pay for the CD, which surely costs under J$100 and I think would cost less than the printing and paper cost. Instead the attendant was adamant that it could not be done. I therefore left without purchasing the copies, and the photo shop ended up with digital copies that they didn't recover any cost for.

This is reminiscent of the way Cable and Wireless behaved when they were the sole mobile provider. Those old enough will remember the days when to call another cell phone was like taking out a mortgage on a house: what is more, the person receiving the call would pay also. Even before that time, for those even older, I remember when one applied for landline service a woman could have two children before the phone service was connected.

When Digicel entered the market in the 1990s it changed the whole landscape. Finally there was competition and there was no need for any regulations for consumer protection, as competition and the drive for market share and profitability ensured that the consumer became king. It is therefore logical that if the market is open to even further competition, through number portability for example, the consumer will benefit even more. Additionally the market will grow as more money will be spent on advertising and infrastructure development.

We have similar situations where (1) the JPS is the monopoly distributor for electricity; (2) NWC is a monopoly; and (3) the banking sector is effectively closed and does not allow for more flexibility in fees and interest charges. The result of the lack of adequate competition in these areas means less benefit for the consumer, or in the case of the JPS or NWC, you either pay for the service or do without.

What we have failed to realise as a country, however, is that the way to solve the plight of the consumer, when it comes to monopolies, is not to regulate, regulate, and regulate, but rather to open up the market to competition. So in the 1930s the great USA realised the problem with monopolies and they passed the Sherman Act, which controlled monopolistic tendencies. Or across Europe and the USA when two large entities seek to merge they first have to get the blessing of the authorities, who will not approve the merger if they believe it will lead to monopolistic tendencies .

In Jamaica, however, we never seem to try to solve market distortions by creating more efficient markets through competition. Rather what we do is seek to regulate it. So instead of trying to assist consumers suffering from high electricity or telephone rates we talk about giving more power to the OUR, rather than spending our energies discussing how to create a more competitive market and greater market efficiency. It seems that even though we talk about the benefits consumers have gained from the liberalisation of the telecommunications market, we don't seek to emulate it. Is it any wonder then that we have suffered from economic stagnation since the 1970s or significant fiscal and trade deficits?

The only way for economies to develop is through competition. Even communist China has realised this, and is the fastest-growing economy in the world and one of the most competitive.

Competition, of course, should never be unbridled but should have oversight. If left unchecked we could end up with another global economic crisis, but it is important that as many players as possible be allowed to participate. The regulators should act as referees in a football match who do not interfere with the free flow of play but who ensure fairness.

This need for market efficiency through competition is one of the primary reasons why Jamaica has failed to realise its full market potential. During the 1960s we had a lot of development, not because government picked winners (as we have sought to do since the 1970s) but rather because the enabling environment was created and we watched the private sector expand the economy. It seems, though, that since the 1970s our governments have had a socialistic tendency towards economic management.

When I spoke about the need for a paradigm shift in my book, it wasn't only a shift in government policy, but rather the need for a cultural shift and the way that we approach market development. Jamaica will never truly develop until we allow for an environment where greater competition is allowed and the best companies are allowed to survive and the worst ones to fail, as they should. Otherwise what we have is market distortion, which leads to a stagnant economy and finds its way into fiscal and trade deficits.

So at the end of the day, to go back to the example I started with: if there were two photo shops beside each other, what would have been the possible outcome of the interaction I had with them? In my view the story would have had the following outcome.

Both would first ensure that they had well trained photographers with the best cameras, taking pictures of all the guests. They might then go further in marketing the pictures to the guests by creating some link to display the pictures to the television sets in the guest rooms and offering some kind of package actively. They might even offer that the payment could be made through the internet and the pictures delivered electronically. One thing is sure: is they would never set a minimum purchase before one could get digital copies on CD.

So at the end of the day we would have (i) a better trained work force; (ii) a better paid workforce; (iii) greater market activity and efficiency; (iv) greater infrastructure investment; (v) more market information; (vi) increased corporate profits; and (vii) higher standard of living and consumer satisfaction. All from a little competition.

Jamaica’s telecommunications industry

THIS week CNN reported on an article titled "WHO: Cellphone use can increase possible cancer risk". I think that this is something that many persons suspected, before but coming from the World Health Organisation this cements the belief in people's minds. I wonder how this will affect cellphone usage going forward.

This got me thinking about Jamaica's telecommunication sector, which has made a valiant attempt to keep pace with what is happening in a developed market such as the US, but with the coming merger between Claro and Digicel and the consistent losses being shown by Cable and Wireless (trading as LIME), it seems as if this sector could fall back into one where competition is all but absent.

I had long thought that this day was coming, and remember advising someone a few years ago that C&W shares at J$1.60 at the time was a bad buy, even though that price was a 52-week low, because I felt that the share price would fall considerably. It is now trading at approximately 20 cents. I also expect that the share price will fall further as when I look at the way the company is presently structured I don't see how it will emerge from the black hole it finds itself in. There are a few reasons for my thinking this way, which I will briefly outline. Before I do so, I think that given this situation it is important for the regulators to look at the situation and see how best the consumer can be protected going forward.

The truth is that given the nature of the business and the market, I wouldn't be surprised if Digicel is having a difficult time also, which cannot be assessed because of the lack of financial information.

The industry itself is one where significant capital infrastructure investment is consistently required, and with the decline in disposable income across Jamaica, it should be extremely difficult to recover. So like the airline industry, the greatest amounts of money are not made by the service providers, by the agents, or those that do business with the service provider. The main issue of course is the capital investment cost. The Jamaican market is just too poor for maintaining a sustainable competitive environment in telecommunications development.

As a result the regulators will have to be proactive in protecting the consumer.

C&W financials

The recently published audited statements for C&W show a company that has significant challenges, and I think the mistake that management has consistently made in that company is not recognising the need for a paradigm shift. Maybe the current management will make that change given their ability.

The group continued to show significant losses, and losses attributable to stockholders increased from J$3.3 billion to a whopping J$6.1 billion in fiscal year ended 2011. Further analysis on the Group Income Statement showed that the gross margin declined year over year (YoY) from 65 per cent to 57.6 per cent, reflecting the deteriorating market conditions and competition from Digicel. Although the group managed to reduce operating expenses by over $2 billion, a careful look showed that the reduction was due to a non-cash item, depreciation and amortisation, which does not add cash flow and also suggests that the equipment is ageing and will need to be replaced soon, especially if it is to keep up with Digicel, which already has over 70 per cent of the market. The group shows an improvement in the operating loss before net finance cost line, from $3.0 billion to $2.6 billion, but when one removes the depreciation consideration, it shows that the cash-generating activities worsened, as is reflected in the cash flow statement, which shows that net cash provided by operating activities declined YoY from $4.9 billion to $1.2 billion. This suggests that the group is facing a tighter liquidity situation and is supported by a cash injection from group companies of $5.6 billion.

It is important to note, though, that the group is still very liquid and is still generating cash from operations. The main concern is that going forward it will need cash resources to upgrade infrastructure.

LIME at the crossroads

One of the things that the group may have to look at in restructuring the operations is the charge of the interest to C&W from advances from other group companies. If this debt is taken into consideration ($19.9 billion), the group has a debt to equity ratio of 3.7, but if the internal debt is removed the debt to equity is 0.12. The majority of the interest paid is also within the group. The suggestion is that one way the group could significantly turn around the fortunes of the company is to capitalise the debt. This would significantly reduce the burden on the company and improve the operating position.

The challenge they will continue to face, however, is capital replacement going forward and competition from Digicel. As I had stated in an article a few weeks ago, this big bother about the Digicel-Claro merger is really a red herring. Even if the merger does not take place C&W is in danger of extinction without any significant restructuring, or unless the regulators introduce portability of numbers.

This operating challenge is also evident in the current ratio, which stood at 0.72 on March 31, 2011, and where the Trade and accounts payable is twice the Accounts receivable balance.

The numbers do tell a lot more about the group, but lack of of space and time does not permit a much more comprehensive report. Suffice it to say that C&W is at the crossroads and must make a fundamental shift in order to preserve the competition in the local marketplace. There is of course a logical action I think either Digicel or C&W can take to increase profitability, which I am sure they have thought about already. The group still has significant liquidity, despite the decline, and I am hopeful that with the management team that is there it will overcome this obstacle for the benefit of Jamaica's telecommunication industry.

That FINSAC issue

IT seems as if the Finsac issue will never settle down, as it has been debated by both sides of the political divide and civil society since the 1990s. This is why I strongly supported the need for some study/ commission, as it is necessary to understand the causes of the greatest financial collapse in Jamaica. After all, this was the era that reversed Jamaica's economic improvement, as all data shows that up to the mid-1990s, the economic indicators were looking good and entrepreneurialism was strong.

In my view, it was therefore very important to do a proper study of the period and understand what went wrong, not to cast any blame but to understand fully an era that resulted in the beginning of our economic stagnation and debt crisis. And so I welcomed the commission of enquiry, but have always felt an objective, academic study of the period was necessary before any testimonies were taken.

This approach is essential in order to avoid what is happening now — a lot of crosstalk and blame being thrown around. For at the end of the day, what do we really achieve apart from political and other point scoring? Will we truly find out what went wrong, and even if we do come up with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, will it be believed by most people? The sad truth is no. As we are seeing today, this Finsac issue is going to be argued along party, business, and banking lines.

It is therefore going to be even more difficult for us to arrive at the truth of what happened, and my prediction is that whatever report the enquiry comes up with will be believed by 50 per cent of the country, while the other 50 per cent will disagree. So at the end of the day we will have ended where we started.

There is, in my view, some truth in what is being said by all sides to the story, but there are also half-truths and lies. The only way for us to salvage some objectivity and arrive at an answer, at this juncture, would be to set up a group to do an objective study, made up of the members that are acceptable by government, opposition, business community and civil society. And this group must not include anyone who was affected by the meltdown, as it is too emotional a subject.

I will attempt to provide a synopsis of what went wrong, based on the research I did while writing my book.

The platform for the financial meltdown was created with the premature move to liberalise the Jamaican economy, as stated by Ralston Hyman. The fact is that the economy and our resources were not ready for the onslaught of global competition. One reason we were able to achieve growth towards the end of the 1980s was the protection provided to the economy. It is not that our economy was much more efficient than today, but we were at the time restricting foreign exchange movement and therefore local producers were protected. This is why a fixed exchange rate regime could work then but couldn't work today.

With the coming of the 1990s and freer world trade, there was a push by organisations like the WTO and the IMF for countries to liberalise their trade policies and foreign exchange movement. In fact, one can remember that the mantra of the IMF was always to get competitive through currency devaluation. This, however, was never going to be easy for a country like Jamaica that had a broken market economy and an internationally uncompetitive private sector. Our labour force was also relatively unskilled and unproductive. So in the 1980s, for example, the only way to attract the garment industry to Jamaica was through cost incentives.

The liberalisation policies in the early 1990s, therefore, resulted in significant exchange rate depreciation followed by high inflation. Faced with high inflation, businesses, including banks, would invest in assets such as real estate and land that rose significantly in value each year, and when these assets were revalued on their balance sheets, the equity would always increase even without doing anything else but just holding them. Business owners borrowed money from banks at rates in the high-teens to low-twenties, and purchased real estate and US dollars, or if put into the business they would just increase prices every year and recoup from the poor consumer.

This, of course, was unsustainable and would have come to a stop either from government policy or deflation, as disposable incomes would have fallen in real terms sooner or later.

Faced with this situation, the government correctly used monetary policy, through high interest rates, to halt inflation and bring the exchange rate under control. The problem the government faced was that if it reduced interest rates, then the inflationary cycle would take hold again. So what should it do? And so it continued with the policy of high interest rates. This was against a background of inadequate foreign exchange supply and reserves, low productivity, and an uncompetitive private sector. The correct move would be to reduce money supply, reform the public sector bureaucracy, and in the interim attract foreign exchange (borrow or FDIs) to stabilise the economy. The choice was to continue with the high interest rate policy, and the following were the resulting factors:

* Persons who borrowed at around 20% now saw loan rates of up to 90% and there was no way that businesses could support that interest cost, and it was therefore just a matter of time before the businesses started to collapse; and

* Asset values started to stagnate or decline, resulting in much tighter liquidity and declining capital reserves on the balance sheet of banks. Banks also faced much higher interest cost on overdraft facilities at the BOJ, which they needed to support the worsening liquidity situation.

There was a liquidity crisis and so the government had no option but to step in, through an entity such as Finsac, to provide liquidity support for the banks. So the truth is that it was the continued high interest rate policy that resulted in the liquidity drain, but there were other factors that set the platform for this, such as (i) poor financial regulations; and (ii) bad business practice, in terms of balance sheet, and more specifically debt and risk management both at the level of the business and banks.

But what happened after Finsac exacerbated the problem. Finsac should never have taken control of the assets and businesses in the way that it did. What should have happened is what occurred in the US, after the recent financial crisis, which is that the government through Finsac should certainly have provided the liquidity support for the banks but should have (i) allowed control of the operations to remain with the private sector, if even a new management team was hired, which would deal with the assets instead of Finsac; and (ii) if the government was going to sell the debt it should have been offered to local entrepreneurs at that price, through an objective body.

There is a lot more that could be said, but space does not permit and any more details require financial analysis. What is clear, though, is that without an objective study we will never have significant acceptance of any findings, and that things not only went wrong with government policy but there was bad management practice in both the businesses and banks.

The role of fiscal policy

FISCAL policy is the means by which a government adjusts its levels of spending in order to monitor and influence a nation's economy.

Coming out of Jamaica's recent budget presentations, and globally since the recession, some have asked the question, what is the role of fiscal policy? In fact, there has been a sharp division between those who support the Keynesian model and those who oppose it, particularly in the US, where the Republicans, Tea Party members in particular, have questioned Obama's use of fiscal spending in creating hundreds of jobs instead of allowing the free flow of the market.

The downside of fiscal spending is of course an increase in public debt, and the upside, it is argued, is the need to stabilise the economy, especially in a recession, to ensure that the decline is not so significant that it leads to poverty and possible social unrest. The results of this fiscal spending in the US have been (1) significant increases in the fiscal deficit and public debt; and (2) a reprieve for many households and a halt in the slide of the global economy.

Because history does not reveal its alternatives, one cannot with certainty argue what would happen if this fiscal spending did not take place. My own view is that the US economy would have declined further, like in the 1930s, thereby exacerbating the global crisis, and we would have seen much greater global suffering. In fact, we see what has happened in countries such as Greece, UK, and the Middle East, where the lack of fiscal spending has resulted in social unrest.

What is evident is that two similar forces cannot repel each other. So it is general consensus that in order to stop a recession then what is needed is an opposing force, such as private investments, job creation, or fiscal spending. In a declining economy, it seems logical to me that when private sector or consumer spending is in retreat, then one has to have fiscal spending in order to repel the force of recession. There is no doubt that economies cannot free-fall or rise forever, and will always adjust from strong growth or decline, as the survival instinct of people will always cause an adjustment. The challenge that governments face is how to smooth out these adjustments, so one does not have excessive overheating of an economy that causes inflation and rapid pull-back, or there is not prolonged decline.

This effort by governments is done through fiscal policy. It seems logical therefore that when an economy is growing fiscal policy should be mildly applied, and should be geared towards encouraging the continuation of an environment that prolongs the growth period and very importantly ensures that the wealth created is not concentrated in the hands of a few. This can be done through policies such as subsidised health and education, or tax incentives. When an economy is in growth mode the use of monetary policy is always more effective at smoothing out growth periods.

When an economy is in decline, however, monetary policy should take a back seat to fiscal policy. In other words, fiscal policy should be the counter-cyclical force to the recessionary environment. If this does not happen, then the economy will decline much further than if fiscal intervention is used to halt that decline, as business and consumer spending and investments will naturally be in retreat. This is because the natural behaviour of private individuals is to retreat when there is economic danger.

This has been the failing of the IMF programme and the previous budgets to this current one. This is also the reason why the economy went through 14 quarters of consecutive decline. The fact is that if an economy is in decline and all sectors retreat, including government (and government should be the savings account for the country), then obviously it will decline further unless some opposing force causes a sudden stop. In the Middle East, for example, that sudden stop was social unrest. In democracies like Jamaica, that sudden stop would have come after much prolonged suffering, when new injection comes in the form of aid, loans, or at a much slower pace, private investments and economic activity.

This is why the recent budget's direction, along with the PIOJ growth-inducement strategy, has been a significant positive change in the fortunes of the economy, as it shows that fiscal policy is now being used to create that enabling environment and inducement for economic growth. If this was done up to a year ago then we would have started to see growth already, as the global economic conditions had improved some time ago.

On the other hand, fiscal policy should not be used to facilitate welfare spending, which was the problem of the budget and economy prior to even the 2008 recession. This is why I have kept saying that Jamaica has always been a welfare state, and is the reason why the economy has struggled to grow. Our use of fiscal policy over the years has not allowed for the market to be efficient, and we have been no different from the archaic and inefficient economies created by the former socialist states.

It is for this reason that the recent budget presented by the government has been correctly welcomed by private sector groups, and understandably so. Government must now go further and eliminate all incentives and allow the entire private sector to play the game on a level playing field. If this is done then the more efficient companies will survive and the economy will grow. If we seek to protect inefficient companies then the economy will continue to experience stagnation or relatively slow growth.

Even while this change in the budget direction is welcome and necessary, including the upcoming tax measures, it is not sufficient. What will be needed is for a sustained move in this direction. We need to ensure that the government is held to account to continue moving fiscal policy in this direction, as it is the only way to get the market efficient and confident enough to maximise the value from private investments and spending, and ensure high levels of growth in the future.

What I am fearful of is that because of elections this trend might be reversed, just as we have in the past reversed positives in order to “run with it” for an election. If the government sticks to its commitment of preferring policies for economic growth over political expediency then we will get to the “promised land”. If, however, political expediency raises its ugly head again then we will be back on the track to nowhere.

It is therefore critical that when we are analysing the budget presentations, and policy proposals being put forward by the government, opposition, and other parties or independents going into election, we pay careful attention to the effect of the policy proposals and not be distracted by the hype and fever around election platform speeches. This is the role of those in civil society that have the capacity to understand the true effect of the policy proposals, and those persons should facilitate the education of the masses in this respect.

After the courtship leading up to the election, or even the wedding on election night, we have to live with the government for at least five years.

Achieving Vision 2030

"JAMAICA, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business" — Vision 2030 National Development Plan. If Jamaica becomes this place then we would have truly transformed from being a third-world country where we kill, cheat, and slander each other, to a truly first-world nation not to be outdone by even the most developed countries.

It is this vision I always dream of Jamaica becoming, and what drives me to criticize society's ills and misguided policy actions that have led to our economic stagnation for 35 years. Jamaica has excelled in every area except for politics. There are, of course, a few politicians that one can hold up as having been "a few good men", but overall politics has led this country on a downward spiral of destruction, as the aim of achieving state power always supersedes the good of the country.

The question therefore is whether, with 18 years before 2030, we can realistically achieve Vision 2030, as stated in the plan. If in 50 years of independence we have been unable to truly mature into a nation, then can we do so in 18 years and what do the indicators tell us? After 50 years we remain two tribes at war with each other, reminiscent of the African tribes, our forefathers who fought and sold each other to the Europeans as slaves. Isn't the divisiveness we have practised over the past 50 years tantamount to keeping Jamaicans in slavery also? The fact that every year Jamaicans have to await the presentation of the budget to see what new taxes we will be forced to pay is similar to the feudal master extracting money from his subjects for his estate.

So here's the real question once again: is there any hope for us and will we see that change occurring by 2030?

From my own perspective I think there is a ray of hope, given developments over the past couple of years. Some of these are listed below. I would start out by saying that in order to achieve Vision 2030 we have to recognise that primacy in that Vision must be the respect for our people and justice and the promotion of unity amongst Jamaicans. This is what Vision 2030 is about, and what will make Jamaica the place of choice to live, grow families, and do business. Because today what we have is a country where people will come for sunshine, beach, fun, and jerk chicken, but would rather go back to cold North America to raise their families and work, so as not to be subject to the vagaries of our society.

In order to achieve Vision 2030 this attitude must change. And if we do achieve this change, then I guarantee that Jamaica will be one of the most prosperous places on the planet. The only drawback is that our feudal... I mean political masters will see power ceded from them to the people. This is why in my book, I started out analyzing economic data and concluded by saying that the real problem with Jamaica is our constitutional political system.

I believe, however, there are some things happening that give hope that Jamaica can achieve Vision 2030, but require consistent application in order for it to be achieved. These are:

1. Tax reform: the Finance Minister has been at pains to indicate that the tax system is going to be reformed to encourage greater productivity and production. At the time of writing the revenue numbers have not yet been presented, but based on things I have been hearing I am hopeful that the necessary tax reform will come that will provide a boost to the productive sector. I am also confident about the Minister's determination to do so, and commend efforts already in place, like the Tax Administration reform.

2. Public Sector Transformation: a lot of work is being done here, and I am hopeful that it will be properly implemented. My own view is that a lot of time has been wasted, however, trying to transform a system that cannot be centrally done (as this was always the problem) and that could easily have been done in a year or two with simpler steps.

3. Charter of Rights: after taking almost 20 years to pass this bill, my understanding is that we are still waiting on the Governor General to sign it into law. This should be immediately done, as the people have waited long enough for fundamental rights to be enshrined in the constitution. Jamaica owes a debt of gratitude to Edward Seaga, who piloted the bill, and we must also commend the politicians for recently passing it in both houses. Personally I do not see the merit in the arguments that the government can be sued for not paying for education for the poor, because it is included as a right, and seems to be politicising the charter already. I mean, I have the right to breathe fresh air, so if I choose to live near a dump, do I have the right to sue the government, or can I sue the government for depriving me of sleep because of night noise?

4. INDECOM, DPP, OCG, and Public Defender: In spite of the public spats that have occurred between these offices, I think the holders and the way they have approached their work is to be commended. Each office can be cited for their efforts to uphold justice or stamp out corruption in one way or the other, and as a country we are fortunate to have had all these offices seemingly working for justice and ethics. I actually believe the public disputes between the offices are good for our democracy. It happens in the great USA, and is healthy as it shows that each office is prepared to defend what it believes is right against other sections of the justice system, which is good control.

5. Police Commissioner: we have a maturing police force under Commissioner Ellington. Over a year ago I indicated that what Ellington does would be what determines the future of this country. I think he has brought a level of discipline and ethical standards to the police force that has been lacking for as far back as I can remember. For the very first time in memory, policemen and women can proudly say they are a part of the JCF. My own view of the police prior to this was a rogue element. In the next survey of trust, we may very well see the police force significantly better than our politicians. Two other officers doing an excellent job are Radcliffe Lewis and Dathan Henry.

6. Civil Society: Lastly, but by no means least, I want to mention the role that civil society has played over the past few years. There is no doubt that there has been a very active and determined civil society keeping our politicians pressured to ensure they get back on the right track when they falter, as they so often do. This is good for our democracy and is the reason why Jamaica will not go the path of the Middle East, as some think. I note that the cries for justice have come from individuals who have formed organisations to fight the corrupt system. These include JFJ, FAST, JUSD, environmental organisations, Columnists, and the list goes on. What is evident is that this change has been carried by individuals while the private sector leaders have apparently caught on, which is not unusual.

Notice I have not mentioned any growth-inducement strategies or macroeconomic numbers as the means to help us achieve Vision 2030, as these are mere symptoms of the underlying problem. If we have social justice and make Jamaica the choice to live and raise families, businesses will certainly follow and economic growth will result. While the signs for social justice are positive, we must ensure we remain consistent, as like a train progress is easy to derail.

Finally I want to add that the biggest failing has been the inability to address our high energy costs. I think there are initiatives that can be taken to ensure a reduction in our energy bill, but until then energy costs are the greatest threat to businesses and disposable incomes today. More on this another time.

Fervet — a model for national development

"FERVET" is the first word of the Jamaica College (JC) motto — Fervet opus in campis. Translated, it means "Work is burning in the fields", and the JC alumni, in talking about the school will just say "Fervet". Indeed, over the past six years, work has certainly been burning in the fields, as the board, foundation, administration old boys and students have all been working to ensure that JC is number one. We have achieved that goal. JC today is number one for total development of the student.

There are some who will argue that JC cannot be number one when we are not the best academically. This is true. But does someone go to school for academics only, or is it necessary to leave secondary school as a well-rounded person -- good academics, sports, and discipline? I would bet most would want the latter for their children.

The just-concluded fiscal year has also seen a public sector company I chair, Jamaica Ultimate Tyre Company (JUTC2), triple our 2009/10 profits (unaudited financials). This in an economic decline from increased productivity.

Both these organisations, and in particular the Fervet story, can be used as models for national development. What makes both these cases even more rewarding is that they both emerged from the ashes.

In the case of JC, we emerged from being a school with a bad reputation to one where parents want to send their children. In the past year the achievements have been Champs, schoolboy football, under-14 and under-19 hockey, placed in the Robotics competition, won the English and Literary competition, significant academic improvement, and others too numerous to mention. At JUTC2 we recorded profits for the first time in 2009/10.

There is a lot Jamaica can learn from both cases, about what is essential for moving forward. Some of these include the following:

* Entire team rallied around common objectives. JC — at the start of the six-year period, the principal and the board agreed we were number one and the school of champions. A sign was erected, even in the early days, to this effect. At JUTC2 the common objectives from day one were profits and productivity. Is there a common objective for national development that all stakeholders have accepted?

* Each person's role was defined and they were charged with meeting certain deliverables and given the authority to do so. At JUTC2 the general manager was clearly told he was to deliver a profitable and productive organisation through a motivated workforce and he was given the authority to do so, with the only interference from the board being policy input and operational support where required. At JC the principal was clear about his role, and defined it himself. The board offered support, but he always had authority over operations. In the public sector there is still not a clear distinction between policy and operations.

* JC and the JUTC2 clearly defined strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Maybe not as textbook SWOT analysis, but these were clearly recognised and we built on our strengths and eliminated weaknesses, while taking advantage of opportunities and eliminating threats. In JC's case, we built on the school's tradition and history and utilised the support of the old boys. Indiscipline was curbed, and today, when you go to the school, the students address you in a very courteous manner. At JUTC we recognised that in our business the recessionary environment was an advantage, and that we could offer better support to JUTC. Has Jamaica maximised our areas of comparative advantage — tourism, coffee, sports, and agriculture -- or eliminated our areas of weaknesses or threats -- energy, crime, and indiscipline?

* Set goals with specific timelines. In both cases specific targets were set that all related to achieving the ultimate objectives, so that we created a road map to achieve the objective with specific milestones along the way, which were all measurable, which a specific individual had responsibility for. Is there any clear timetable with milestones to achieve Vision 2030, for example?

* The right persons were in the appropriate functions. At JC we have the appropriate skills in the principal, chairman, board, foundation, administration, sports administrators, old boys, and PTA. At JUTC2, a part of our change was to ensure that we had the right skills at the board, in management, and on the factory floor; and we also have a very supportive minister. In both cases, if someone was not capable of delivering, they were replaced.

* Technology played a vital role in improving efficiencies. Technology does not only mean computers are a new and more efficient way of doing things, because one could have a computer but be ineffective without the appropriate skills. At JC, we ensured the school management system, computer technology, and task management tools were all up to scratch and persons were appropriately trained. At JUTC2, we invested our capital in new and more efficient machinery, and ensured our workforce was properly trained in using it. In the public sector we see Tax Administration has improved by doing this, but there is still a general lack throughout. The RGD, for example, has good technology.

* Staff is appropriately rewarded for improved performance. In both cases there is a link between performance and reward, and the staff clearly recognises this link. This recognition of the link between reward and performance is important. I have seen organisations in which the incentive programme is very good but the problem is that there is no clear link between reward and performance, so that the incentive is perceived as a part of salary, whether they perform or not. Similarly, if someone is being punished, then we must be certain about the evidence before accusing them of being in violation, otherwise morale suffers.

* Every milestone is celebrated and the staff is applauded.

These are some of the major factors that have contributed to the success of both organisations, and which can serve as a model for our country's development. The first inhibitor to Jamaica's development is our divisiveness, and unless we unite on common objectives, then everything else is a non-starter. I can never understand why a country of 2.7 million persons, with so much potential, is so divided along political lines. Is this any different from apartheid, when people were discriminated against by skin colour? In Jamaica discrimination is based on ideology.

Strength of customer service

All this fuss about the Digicel-Claro deal, I think, is misguided energy, as it will not hurt LIME directly, and therefore I wonder why anyone would want to focus on resisting the merger. The fact is that Claro's closure is a benefit for LIME if the energy is placed on the right objective rather than on the merger. If we want true competition in the mobile market, then we must address number portability and cross-network charges.

This also reminds me of the importance of customer service. For example, even though others offer better rates, I remain with BNS, FGB, Digicel, and FLOW because of good customer service. At the first three, for example, I know persons in customer service and call or BBM them at any time of night if I have a problem. And that is the primary reason why I have remained with them despite more attractive rates being advertised. In the case of FLOW their service has been superior, although, of late, the way they implement increases is cause for concern, as if they are feeling like a monopoly.

Long-term growth-inducement strategies

THE Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), in its growth strategy document, readily admits it was not called upon for long-term development. While some of the projects will impact long-term development, it does not appear to be enough, and as it rightly says, will only serve as a "short-term growth strategy" if a nexus is not created to long-term development.

While I say this, I believe that there are other things happening that will have positive impact on longer-term development, rather than just growth. And what we need is development and not just growth, which we have always focused on since Independence.

I will comment on some of these, and critical areas we need to focus on if we want development and not just short-term growth. Because this focus is lacking in the PIOJ document, this is why I believe that the money could have been better spent.

I start with the statement I often repeat that "economics is a social science and therefore has more to do with human behaviour more than macroeconomic numbers or investments". In other words, it is human behaviour and consumers that drive markets and economies forward rather than economic indicators or incentives. If we were to focus on driving human behaviour in the right direction, then businesses, fiscal accounts, and investments would all benefit. This is the most important thing in achieving the current illusion of the 2030 vision, the place of choice to live and work. People do not first choose to live somewhere because it is a thriving economic mecca, but rather because of the social quality of life. This is why, despite the economic prosperity of the Middle East, many would not choose to live and retire there but rather may go on a one- or two-year contract to make some money and retire to a place where the social quality of life is much better.

It is therefore imperative that any economic planning begins with this end of social justice and happiness in mind. For all those who feel differently, you are certainly welcome to go live in Saudi Arabia, Syria, or Iraq, where you can find financially rewarding contracts. It is this lack of focus on the social objective that has caused Jamaica to see dismal growth performances over the years.

The fact is that markets are driven by consumer spending (not investments and businesses, which are a result of consumer spending). And consumer spending is driven by consumer sentiment and behaviour. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to develop policies that will cause consumers to feel good about spending. In the US, for example, the growth out of the recession did not start to take hold when initially the government pumped TARP funds into businesses, but rather when money was placed in the hands of the consumer through micro business and home-purchase support.

The problem in Jamaica is that we have always placed emphasis on incentives for investments and the fiscal accounts while allowing abuse of the consumer by the police, the public bureaucracy, and others through road indiscipline and night noise. So if we abuse the root (consumer) of the tree (economy), then how do we expect growth? The only time that there was an attempt at social justice was in the 1970s, but the problem with that was its focus on political rather than social objectives.

There are, however, initiatives that have been taking place that will help to create a better society but this is being countered by a stronger focus on things that will depreciate the focus on a better social outcome. These include:

1. The Charter of Rights: this is probably one of the most significant initiatives that can lead to positive economic and social development. And to show how interested we are in ensuring social and economic development, it took us 20 years to pass it in the Lower House.

2. INDECOM, Police Reform, Public Defender, and the DPP: the introduction of INDECOM has been an excellent move as it now establishes an independent body that can bring rogue cops to justice. Similarly the zeal of the current Public Defender. The work being done by Commissioner Ellington and his team of top cops such as Henry (Clarendon) and Lewis (Traffic), and the careful way with which the DPP approaches her job. We need to put even more resources behind these offices and charge them with more precise objectives.

3. Tax Administration reform and Public Sector transformation: these two initiatives are critical because bureaucracy is a significant inhibitor to an enabling environment. My only criticism is that these need to move ahead faster, and in the case of public sector transformation, that it could have been done quicker and at a lower cost.

4. Infrastructure development: these include road improvements, Falmouth Pier, and the MoBay Convention Centre. These are things that drive productivity and a focus on the areas where we have a comparative advantage.

The other areas where we need to focus on are:

1. Energy: Accounts for 35 per cent of imports and probably the largest cost item for companies and individuals. While the longer-term LNG/Coal/Nuclear initiatives are critical, the fact is that we could save 40 per cent of our energy bill by taking short-term measures, with significantly lower relative costs. These include:

a. Public transportation: Developing an efficient public transportation system, such as what Minister Henry is pursuing. We need to provide initially at least $3 billion per annum towards this and incorporate the private operators in the system.

b. Retail consumption: Encouraging renewable energy (such as solar) use at homes. This could be assisted by using the GCT on JPS bills to provide a credit to consumers on the purchase and implementation of solar equipment at home, similar to the hand-out of the energy-saving bulbs.

2. Food: Accounts for 10 per cent of imports. We need to ensure that the Scientific Research Council is involved in local food alternative development; agro-processing ventures are supported by places such as DBJ; and places such as the JAS help with farmer organisation.

3. Tax reform: There needs to be a shift from our always-present focus on the fiscal to the real economy. Tax policy has always been driven by a need to sustain the fiscal programme, and so has always ended up stifling the real economy. Today, our effective tax rate is approximately 50 per cent, which is a big turn-off for sustainable formal investments. In the upcoming budget, tax reform must focus on providing a platform for businesses to flourish. Any attempt to do otherwise will have the same contractionary effect as recent tax packages.

After almost 50 years of Independence it is time we stop acting like a socialist welfare state and focus on social justice and the real economy. No other path will take us to the long-term development and vision 2030 objectives we desire.

Energy again

FROM early last year I pointed out that Jamaican businesses were feeling inflationary pressures and that as soon as the economic recovery started we would begin to see price increases. Additionally I indicated that oil and food prices would see increases come 2011. Because of what I expected, when oil was around US$50 per barrel I invested in solar equipment and have never regretted it. I believe the time to do such investments is before the crisis, and at the time I encouraged everyone to do the same.

Oil is now trading above US$105 per barrel and JPS will be hiking rates by 10 per cent. The NWC has hinted at a rate increase. My only regret is that I did not fully replace JPS. However, I didn't expect the Middle East uprising which has caused oil prices to increase so quickly.

So here we are once again, having been in this position in 2008, but forgetting about that period as a result of oil prices plummeting in 2009. The "9 day wonder" psyche of Jamaicans. Similarly, when we had drought conditions last year everyone was complaining about the need to improve the water supply infrastructure. The government announces the two-month closure of the Bog Walk Gorge to improve the water supply and receives many complaints. So we may once again complain about the water supply infrastructure at the next drought.

While the immediate crisis we face is energy, we must look beyond that, as graver implications are yet to come. The increase at the pumps and light bills is just the tip of the iceberg if oil prices continue to remain over US$100 per barrel. The real problem lies in the threat to global economies, which could lead to further social unrest around the globe, as higher energy costs translate into higher commodity and food prices also. This is at a time when unemployment levels are still relatively high and disposable incomes have declined considerably.

The Jamaican economy will no doubt have to be propped up by government spending, for example the JDIP and PIOJ Growth Inducement Strategy. While I advocated this for a while, as it was clear as day it would be needed, my only caution is that monies be spent wisely to ensure maximum sustainability or else we find ourselves chasing our tails again.

2011 is shaping up to be a difficult year for consumers, businesses, and the government. Already we are seeing that government will have to support the economy, as private capital will be very cautious in this environment. The fact is that businesses follow consumer expenditure and all indicators are that disposable income levels will be hit even further this year. The signs include increases in flour and baked products; increases by JPS, NWC, and the knock-on effect on other products; increases at the gas pumps; and a struggling global economy.

If you look at the recent major spending in the economy, and expenditure to come, they include (i) Falmouth Pier; (ii) JDIP work; and (iii) PIOJ Inducement Strategy. These are all government expenditure and are what the economy will have to continue to rely on in the short term. The main challenge with this is going to be the bureaucracy and the time it will take for the funds to be rolled out, and therefore it may not provide the greatest value added because of that.

It is clear therefore clear that the country and government are going to face challenges. The government in particular will be faced with the dilemma of soft revenue (because of a decline in disposable income), unemployment, and reduced company profits, and the fact that it has to be the primary driver of expenditure in the economy. So while the prudent thing seems to be to reduce the tax burden to drive economic expenditure, they are going to be faced with increased spending demands and weak revenue. So the million-dollar question is how to successfully juggle these demands versus what is needed, as it is going to be very difficult.

My own view is that there is no alternative but to programme further value-added loans in order to accomplish some form of vibrancy in the economy while keeping the wheels of government moving. Because I had expected this would happen I was calling from last year for greater stimulus spending from the government, as today there would be a reduced need for government spending.

I don't think, however, that anyone expected such a rapid rise in oil prices, which has also hastened the need for government expenditure. The immediate challenges we face continue to be energy and food, and should be the target of much of the expenditure to reduce costs to the country.

Ineffective Strata Commission

Since my article last week I have received much feedback to say that although my general thoughts about the strata commission are correct, it is actually much worse. An example was used that if someone owed maintenance fees of $250,000 for two years (assuming monthly maintenance of $12,500 ) and refuses to pay, then to access the recovery provision under the strata act through sale, you not only have to pay the $5,000 before the commission will talk to you but have to get two valuations on the property (approximately $100,000), advertise (approximately $50,000) and then wait at least three months before any action can be taken. So at the end of the period the corporation would have paid $155,000 to collect a $250,000 debt and would have to wait at least six months before they could recover (between the three-month waiting period and period to close the sale).

So my question then is, what value do Strata plans get from registering with the commission, as by the time one collects the debt the corporation is bankrupt and the property is run-down anyway. The Act is therefore a bigger burden to the corporation than it is to the delinquent owner. But as the often quoted saying goes: "The man who plays by the rules gets shafted". Welcome to Jamaica.

And understand this: the Strata corporation has no choice but to register with the commission, as it will be in breach and fined if it does not. Further, if it does not abide by the Act then it can be fined significant sums, which it will be unable to pay as it cannot collect maintenance.

My recommendation is that the government should suspend any requirement for Strata plans to register with the Commission and change the Act to conform more with the objective of protecting Strata properties. The fees paid already would be carried forward until the first year after the appropriate amendments. Otherwise this is nothing more than an unjust tax.

So the motto for the Strata Commission should be, "Contributing to the demise of strata properties....for a fee, of course".

Inducing growth

THIS week the PIOJ launched its plan for growth, titled "A GROWTH-INDUCEMENT STRATEGY FOR JAMAICA IN THE SHORT AND MEDIUM TERM". This is welcome, as a stimulus package from the government has been long overdue as a result of the strictures imposed on us by the IMF programme. We also see that the PIOJ in September 2010 stated that the IMF programme was contractionary, which is consistent with a belief held by others for a while.

While I welcome the strategy outlined by the PIOJ, I have a few concerns, the first of which is my hope that the bureaucracy does not prevent us from maximising the benefits from the programmes. We have in the past seen many such strategies developed, but we never derive the full benefits as our problem has always been in implementation, yet we are great conceptualisers.

The second concern comes from what is stated in the PIOJ document itself, where on page eight it says in bold type: "We were not called upon to construct a plan for long-term development of the economy". This is a big turn-off for me, as before even telling us about the programmes that are to be put in place to move the economy forward, the authors are putting forth a disclaimer about any link to long-term development. My own view is that the "Planning" Institute of Jamaica is supposed to be involved in long-term development planning, and so to produce a document where their primary role is denied seems contradictory.This is significant especially as they have a responsibility for Vision 2030.

On page 17 it then seeks to increase employment by growing the "labour-intensive industries", which to me is not necessarily the way to go as we should be trying to mechanise these industries for productivity improvement. What we should do is create employment by increasing the capacity in the areas where we have a comparative advantage, and that is one of the shortcomings of the document as it does not focus on international competitiveness to take advantage of exports or import substitution.

Overall, though, I agree that many of the projects included are necessary, particularly the infrastructure projects, and I want to support the government on establishing this initiative. I believe, however, that the limited resources could have been better utilised (greater ROI) by the PIOJ, and should undoubtedly be a part of the long-term development plans. The responsibility for this not happening I will have to place at the feet of the PIOJ, as they are the technical experts, and are the ones who propose this to the government, and not the other way around. While the government may say that they want to achieve growth in the economy, I expect that the technical implementation must rest with the body charged to drive the policy directive.

For example, I do not think that the document places enough emphasis on long-term productivity improvement (or even short-term), sustainable crime reduction, and what I like to call (as an accountant) "balance sheet improvement". The latter, of course, refers to the Balance of Payments.

I will not go into any further details on my analysis of the document, except to say that I hope that this is still a work in progress and can be adjusted to ensure that it is brought in line with the long-term development we need and not just focus on short-term growth. Having no doubt that the strategy will lead to short-term growth I applaud the efforts to provide this stimulus, but is this all we want from the PIOJ?

Public health strengths and weaknesses

Two weeks ago I had knee surgery done. It was a complicated procedure, as it involved meniscus repair, ACL reconstruction, drilling, and insertion of an implant.

When it was determined last year that the operation was necessary, I was advised to have it done overseas, at which point I started the investigations. After a few months of looking into it, I discussed the situation with Dr. Derrick McDowell, who was the head of the MAJ mission to Haiti and former head of the Orthopaedic Association, and apart from all of that his greatest attribute is that he is a Jamaica College Old Boy. He immediately explained to me that he does many of these surgeries and could easily do it.

He also advised me of the team he would be using (Jackie Minott - anaesthetist, Michelle Depass - physiotherapist), whom I also checked out, in keeping with my accounting training. I also checked with persons overseas to see what their experience with similar surgeries was, and they indicated that they experienced pain for a few days after the operation. I also did extensive reading on the procedure and anaesthesia methods.

After much reading and analysis of the information given to me by both Derrick and Jackie, in addition to my checks with persons overseas, I decided that there was no benefit to doing the surgery abroad. In fact I felt that one of the advantages of doing it in Jamaica was the ability to be in touch with the local team as needed.

I opted for spinal anaesthesia, and was enjoying watching the surgery being done while listening to my iPod. The next thing I remember is the bandage being put on and being wheeled back to the hospital room. On seeing Derrick later I asked why they had put me to sleep knowing that I wanted to see the operation, to which he responded that I was fully conscious but that the sedative I got causes amnesia, so I wouldn't remember what happened. That I found amazing. In addition, by the next day I had no pain at all, in contradiction to the experience of the persons overseas.

I say all that to point out our tendency not to recognise the competence of our local experts, and this is why we seem to always prefer to go for external consultants, who in many cases mess up a project and leave the Jamaicans to clean it up. One of the reasons for this choice is because we fail to do proper analysis up front. The result is that much of our talent (e.g. Bob Marley) is recognised abroad long before it is recognised in Jamaica.

It seems to me that the real problem with public health in Jamaica is a lack of good administration rather than the capacity of the workers, and I hope that the work being done by the Ministry of Health will soon resolve this long outstanding problem. The recent Observer story that shows specimens being stored in unsatisfactory conditions at the KPH illustrates the poor administration and controls.

Strata board

Recently I was having a conversation with the manager of a strata plan who was telling me that some of the owners still owed significant amounts for maintenance. When I enquired as to why she didn't go to the Strata Board and seek to enforce payment she indicated that she had, but before any action could be taken she would have to pay a fee of $5,000 per unit. I would have preferred to hear that action was taken and then the offending parties (owners in arrears) were asked to pay the $5,000, but not that the victim (strata), who has had to suffer because of the non-payment of what is due, is being asked to pay to access something to which they are entitled. This gives the impression that the main concern of the Strata Board is to raise funds rather than to improve compliance, as many strata properties still continue to suffer from what the Strata Board was set up to fix.

Oil and food price threats

Last week I spoke to economic challenges in 2011 and businesses in particular. There are two primary reasons for this, one of which is the threat of oil and food prices increasing in 2011 beyond the reach of income levels of consumers and businesses. As a matter of fact, oil prices at US$100 to US$110/bbl today is more of a threat to the global and local economy than when oil prices reached US$147/bbl in 2008. The reason is because relative prices today would be greater than 2008.

The fact is that since 2008, economies and income levels in real terms have seen significant declines, and unemployment has increased. Despite growth seen in the global environment there has not been commensurate growth in employment. Spending has therefore not returned to 2007 levels. In Jamaica, for example, we have seen significant job losses and in the last quarter of 2010 job losses amounted to 21,000.

Added to the slow global economic recovery, the following factors will also negatively affect global growth:

1. Oil and food price hikes will have a negative impact on consumer spending and business costs. Although I anticipated increases in these two areas, I never expected it to occur so quickly. It was always expected that there would have been social unrest caused by declining costs of living, but the turmoil seen in the Middle East has come earlier and with a greater force than expected.

2. The expected pull-back in economic stimulus in the US will result in a slowdown in consumer spending.

3. The inflationary pressures globally will no doubt lead to increased interest rates, which will pull liquidity from the system and put the brakes on consumer spending and growth. In fact we have seen interest rate increases in China, which has been leading global growth.

4. There is still a lot of debt in the system that will have to be pared back with expenditure cuts.

So although growth is expected I believe food and oil prices will cause a slow-down.

The charts show oil and food price movements over the past year. In both cases we see significant increases, and if coupled with the fact that there has been a real decline in consumer disposable incomes then one can see the dilemma economies face. The oil chart shows that volumes are greater when prices are going up than when coming down, implying there are more buyers than sellers.

In Jamaica, we see the challenges of (i) job losses since 2007; (ii) business profits declining; (iii) high cost of energy and crime; (iv) relative inefficient agricultural production costs; (v) fiscal deficit; and (vi) very high dependency on imported oil.

These challenges are compounded by the fact that food and oil account for 46 percent of imports, and this is before the impact of the rising costs. This simple analysis shows the significant impact to be felt in Jamaica from oil and food price increases.

It is therefore evident that the greatest possible return is from a focus on dealing with the impact of food and oil on the economy. The impact of high energy costs on businesses in Jamaica, for example, makes our produce uncompetitive, whether it is from manufacturing or the tourism product. And tourism gets a double hit here, as food is also a significant cost component. This is important when we remember that tourism is our number one productive foreign exchange earner. So even though the number of tourist arrivals has increased (thanks in part to the efforts of the Tourism Ministry), the fact is that this has been achieved with (i) significantly discounted room prices; and (ii) increased costs, resulting in a lower retention of earnings in the country. One could therefore say the tourism industry has been facing its own stagflation.

So how do we deal with these global price increases? Clearly they will affect local demand as it means real disposable incomes will decline even further, if left unchecked. One can already see that reported business profits have declined, and anyone monitoring the real estate market can also see that prices have been getting lower.

The fact is that the most effective way of dealing with this situation is to focus on the domestic economy. This is not to say that there will not be opportunities for exports, but that the greater return on investment will come from focusing on the domestic economy infrastructure. As a start we if we focus on reducing our imports of oil and food, this will not only help our foreign exchange situation but will also create jobs and income income in the process. The problem is that it is important to find short-term solutions, which is possible, but necessitates the support of the bureaucracy.

One of the things I would like to add is how important it is for businesses at this time to engage the assistance of professionals; and among them importantly is a chartered accountant. And I use the term chartered accountant very carefully, because one of the things we recognised at the ICAJ is the need to ensure that our members are current with their knowledge and that the highest ethical standards are maintained amongst our membership, as in these difficult times employers need this assurance.

One of the initiatives we have therefore taken is to provide for employers a list of all ICAJ members on the website (www.icaj.org), which tells whether they are compliant with continuing professional development or not. This is not to be glossed over, as it is going to be very important for businesses to have good analysis in charting the economic climate.