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Ian 'Magic' Hughes
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Friday, 24 September 2010 06:55
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Ian Magic Hughes
No. I am not living in a wonderland filled with a fat wad of cash and oblivious to the challenges of Antigua & Barbuda. Yesterday, I outlined what I think can be accomplished if we as a nation pull together, determined for a better future.
No one in his right mind could expect that I have all the answers to the way forward.
I hope though that those who have been quietly optimistic about the nation’s future will recognise that they are not alone, and together we can make a huge difference.
Everyone who has an idea of the solutions needed for our problems should say something. I challenge all of you who read Caribarena.com to comment.
Let’s start the process of healing right now, today, and prepare for that better day most of us talk of. It’s my view that in order to get to that place I speak of, we must first take a serious look at the system of government.
One of the main reasons for changing the system is the fact that it presently does not require elected officials to be accountable. We cannot move ahead without that crucial element intact.
Antigua & Barbuda is not the only country in the world where elected officials are accused of corruption. Actually, it’s the norm that elected officials the world over become involved in some type of corruption talk or scam. The difference in Antigua & Barbuda, it seems, is that our elected officials have an electric fence protecting them from prosecution.
Just imagine upholding a system in which an elected official exposed during a commission of inquiry to be an accomplice in shipping arms to South Africa and Columbia is slapped on the wrist. That should never be a part of our future.
Elected officials in Antigua are able to file loads of petitions in court to stop people from tracing money that was taken out of the Treasury. Going forward, this has to be an impossible feat.
For a bright future, we must make sure that the impossible cannot be possible, contrary to what some of our elected officials have demonstrated.
Elected officials should not be allowed to form aggregate companies and take the resources of the people for personal gain. Any system that protects such actions has to be thrown out the door immediately.
No elected official should be allowed to build his own home, then rent that said house as his "government residence". Those are not best practices. I hope there is enough "fire in my belly" to ignite the same fire in those of you are so quick to comment on the way forward.
If that fire is lit, hey, let’s get to work and implement those practices necessary for proper accountability and transparency. Never again should we return to a system where elected officials are able to delay the opening of a media house to limit freedom of speech.
Once the accountability issue is sorted out, then the government can go ahead and implement its tax policies. We should all pay our taxes. At the same time, the government has to ensure that our tax dollars are properly accounted for.
In that way, we will be able to redeem the profits, not in cash, but rather in the programmes necessary for sustained living. If citizens contribute little or nothing in taxes to the development of the nation, they can only request little or nothing of the elected officials.
It reminds me of the way it used to be, especially with the absence of free press. Today, the changes cannot and should not come only through more taxes, but rather with renewed vigour in accountability as well.
This can only be accomplished if most of us buy into this new system, which will obviously have positive effects on other areas of development. Education must play a key role in any prosperous future for the nation. Presently, millions of taxpayers’ dollars are spent in scholarships to allow young aspiring nationals to leave the country and go to universities overseas.
With no real plan to accept these young people after they graduate, it does more harm in my view than good. The reason to send the youth to be educated must be for them to return and help in the continued development of the country. Anything else is basically contributing to the "brain drain".
The way forward must have the University of Antigua & Barbuda not as a talking point, but a real undertaking. There has to be more focus on educating the youth at the primary and preschool levels, with emphasis on evaluation and research.
More technical schools have to be established so that those who are not so inclined with the book can also make a conscious contribution to development. Teachers, nurses, the police, and other essential services must be paid closer attention, with increased remuneration for improved service.
I have often heard it said that the government sector is too big, but there is so much to do that is not being done. The public sector has to be productive. A lot that has to be done will depend on proper fiscal policies.
And yes, the political divide, that’s personal. Each one has to decide whether s/he will continue to allow politicians to influence his/her obligation to work toward the development of the nation.
There are those who believe that Antigua & Barbuda was willed to them; they have some kind of entitlement.
And with that belief, these extremely selfish individuals will stop at nothing to impede the development of Antigua & Barbuda. To go forward, we cannot be drawn into that game, which has been played out for too long.
Work and not talk is what will make this nation great and prosperous. Think about this. What would your answer be when your children ask, “Mommy, Daddy, what did you do to improve life in Antigua & Barbuda?”
Surely to suggest that “I supported this party as opposed to that party” would be the worst answer, so please do not fall in that trap. Interestingly, those whom you support remind us every day that this country is nothing without them.
In essence, you do not matter, and we all know that that’s an old trick that has been once again used too long. All will not be achieved overnight, but let’s start.
I’m willing to bet that if we take these proposals seriously, along with those positive suggestions that you have as well, we will see that bright future.
It would definitely not hurt to try.
See related stories:
No More Gloom and Doom
19 Comments In This Article
More can be said
Dig It
re: john doe
fnpsr
@Skyewill,
..
tenman
Skyewill
Customs
John Doe
@ Tenman
Morris
@Morris
..
tenman
Green-ness...
locally speaking
@ Tenman
* We are following an antiquated model instead of a 21st century model. It appears that we are preparing our students for the service industry rather than preparing them to become professionals so that one day they can take the reigns of leadership from the incompetent batch we now have as leaders.
* We lack the technologies to keep us abreast with the rest of the developed countries. We need more computers to get our students to interact in the virtual classroom. Wouldn't it be great if we could have schools in Antigua partnering with schools here in the US sharing ideas and collaborating on projects together?
* Improving the infrastructure will definitely have a positive impact on our students education. Do you think for a minute that those students are happy to attend those dilapidated buildings we call schools?
* We have to provide incentives/opportuni ties for our students (especially our males) after secondary school, if not most of them will resort to criminal activities.
You said it yourself, what percentage of our students leaving high school go on to college?
Morris
amazed
The University of Antigua has been previously discussed; see discussions under “Investment in Education is Essential, by the Scarlet Pimpernel, Caribarena, August 31, 2010.
“Let’s fix the little things before we attempt to fix the big things”
fnpsr
All countries have debt , the great united states is highly indebted. china is buying up all their debts and owning all their land marks.
The ability to service the debt is whats important and it takes planning and being fiscally responsibility . sourcing cheap financing is very important . ALP suffered tremendously where their sources of finances dried up because of non payment causing them to seek loans with high interest rates .
Antigua's problem is not really debt per say its corruption. economic activity is centered around government contracts costing us millions of dollars for 'shabby' works.
hope we get serious. i was glad to see Dorsett taking the initiative and starting that pressure group but he had a bad day on the witness stand. i hope there is still hope for us god help us
audrey
@Commuter
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tenman
moon
"In discussing possible fiscal measures, given the tax reforms underway and the already rather high tax burden, the mission emphasized expenditure reforms"
Writer, I think I will trust the judgment of the economist there over yours.
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tenman
Good Going "Magic" You have touch the nail on the head sect. 5
Magic Antigua and Barbuda (through the ABITT) is the State among ECC to provide tertiary education to the people of the Eastern Caribbean. The political hacks at the Free Trade Zone could not find a way to take advantage of the opportunity. They could not set aside their corruptive ways to seriously consider proposals that would have build the affordable student housing required to get the program going.
The "Commuter"
Good Going "Magic" You have touch the nail on the head sect. 4
From the population of children graduating from high school every year how many go abroad to college? Do they go abroad to college because there isn’t enough places available in Antigua and Barbuda. What percentage is of choice? Meaning those who did so made the choice without applying to state college? Is there any data that shows the amount of applicants eligible and meet the requirements but do not get in because of lack of capacity at the Antigua and Barbuda State College?
Once the thousands of relevant questions and surveys are answered and analyzed; it would be a no go. There isn’t even the funding to do such a study unless The UN or some such Agency funds it.
The "Commuter"
Good Going "Magic" You have touch the nail on the head sect. 3
Even if it was treated a non- commodity Antigua and Barbuda has no competitive advantage. The cost per student to develop and maintain such a university in Antigua and Barbuda is such that it would not be competitive in any of the metrics by which such institutions are measured. It would be another boondoggle from which we would have to extricate ourselves. In planning not to long ago was a Early Childhood Education Center and a School of Continuing Education The infrastructure exists to enhance post secondary education.
The "Commuter"
Good Going "Magic" You have touch the nail on the head
While the comment section of this portal is not the proper place to explore this issue, let me begin with these basic factors and why this is not a good idea.
The "Commuter"
MORE STILL
THINKING HARD
Good Going "Magic" You have touch the nail on the head
CountryMan
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