2010 – Year in review – Boos

In this article I look at those things that made us mad during the year some of which I may previously had mentioned.

Topping the list for the biggest boo are the banks that agreed to the Jamaica Debt Exchange programme and talked about making a sacrifice for the country.  They then raised bank charges, laid off staff and kept interest rates high and ended up making more money than they did last year.  For those of us who gave up our government papers including pensioners this was a sign of disrespect.  Ultimately they will pay the price for these actions as those who received loans will end up defaulting and customers will seek alternative ways to do business.

The government also makes our boo list, firstly for the poor way in which they handled the Dudus extradition affair resulting in a three day shut down of down town and the negative images that were portrayed of Jamaica.  Secondly the government has done a poor job in relation to the imposition of taxes and should have spent more time consulting the affected parties to ensure a smoother implementation. In addition the management of the public sector workers pay dispute left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.

The government workers do not escape the list as their reluctance to accept the serious situation in which the country finds itself.  Although I would be the first to agree that they are underpaid; it is their failure to recognize that their inefficiency has contributed to the situation.  Employees must be paid based on the work that is done and that work must be evaluated to ensure that it is efficiently done.

The hotels make our list because they continue to grumble about everything.  After years of making huge profits, after receiving tax holidays and tax breaks, there is now the expectation that the taxpayers are to bail them out given the hard times that now exist.  Whereas small hotels have my sympathies, the larger resorts do not, and before they ask for money they must demonstrate that they are running their hotels efficiently.

The water commission does not escape our wrath as they have dug up so many roads in Kingston in order to lay sewage pipes but have had poor coordination with the National Works Agency.  This has resulted in major damage to the roads during the rainy seasons and considerable damage to person’s cars at a time when we don’t have the resources to deal with repairs.  I reiterate the point that work must not only be done but it must be done efficiently in relation to cost and to time.

If you have other financial matters that you think deserve a boo then add a comment and let me know as this is certainly not a comprehensive list.

Look out for the cheers coming later this week…