Private Equity

After the global financial crisis in 2008, which required large stimulus packages funded by taxpayers to save support and strengthen many banking operations, the public and political call for financial regulatory reform grew. By 2010, with a mild recovery, bankers were seeking to restore confidence by adjusting their strategic plans to clearly separate high risk – high returns investments from their traditional commercial operations hence, a boom in private equity business worldwide.

Gender is not the Issue

Abuse is not done by male or female it is by persons exercising Power over others. A very sensitive issue, not to belittle it in anyway, but when a young man is killed many think it is as a result of some involvement in crime and when a young woman is killed; no murdered; it is a breakdown in society. Gender is to be seen as dynamic, evolving and as roles interchange, very individualized. Right or wrong, boys are generally expected to be tough, strong and to hide emotions, girls must be seen as nice, soft spoken, patient and cries for attention and sympathy, especially from males. By puberty, the male is a big man, could put a trigger, boasting about sex, drugs and alcohol, with large bills in his hands, the female is a lady, a sex symbol, easily employable and attracting wanted or unwanted attention.

Public Debt

The general public pays attention to the ginormous (gigantic enormous) figures quoted annually for the nation’s total budgeted expenditure but as owners, taxpayers and shareholders in this country, the average person needs to better understand the current state of financial affairs. A detail examination of audited public accounts 5-10 years in the recent past and an interesting read of the revised and current estimates must guide a 5-10 years look forward.

Budget Balancing

Many intelligent minds express a view of balancing a budget; is to borrow to fill the revenue shortfall, this is wrong and comes from the cash accounting that is employed by the Auditor General office. The term budget balancing is very much about reducing expenditure to match, real income, proven revenue estimates. Hence, if revenue is predicted to fall by 10% from the last period, the plan must not be to borrow but to cut expenditure by the same 10% in the current period. Noting that, borrowing adds fees and interest charges to further increase the expenditure, so the borrowing requirements, in this example, can easily be 12 to 15% to achieve the desired balance.

Budgeting Priorities

In very few words and speaking to all investors that create jobs, the objective is to join and support the growing chorus of calls for the public presentation of a society's financial budget to be made, at the very least, three months before any new fiscal measures are introduced, due to go into effect or to be implemented. A time for the population to mentally adjust to changes to the norm; prepare for shared sacrifice or relief, responding to basic living conditions, the effects on the minimum wage and future individual and family plans. A time for public sector officers and others to make the necessary internal alteration to adjust for and maintain smooth operations and also, a period for the investment climate to examine and review projections, and to rethink and to react.

SEED

SEED, the Society for Entrepreneur and Economic Development, which has targeted grant funds of US$4,000,000 from international donor agencies to incubate 100 startups per annum, with success stories refunding the process, making resources available for other opportunities, was officially launched on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, to assist in structuring the necessary processes and plans to move ideas into industries. Started as a LinkedIn Group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3940263/

The Good, the Bad and the Evil

We, the people, normally refer to as the good, law-abiding in society, demand protection, through all branches of Government, from people who intend us harm. Through the elected and selected lawmakers in parliament, who write and strengthen the laws. Using judicial members, who interpret and pass judgment based on existing laws. And via the executive branch or cabinet, who budget, fund and implement all security needs. It therefore, stands to reason that we, the people must also be the bad, law-breaking people, the very same people who structure and exploit weak laws, the persons who support the concept of 'justice for the rich - jail for the poor', and those among us who think tax avoidance is legal and tax evasion is illegal.

Tax Collection

Reform policies is the term used to narrow the gap between budgeted, projected, expected, and actual, collected, realized taxation and other revenue figures. The technology exist and must be made available, the personnel trained and to be trained must be employed, to track and account for every cent, every transaction, with sufficient redundancies to protect the integrity and the efficiency of the country's main sources of Government’s Revenue. Taxation and other fees charged on earnings by individuals with a birth certificate, by groups registered as legal entities, on trade between such individuals and/or groups, and on holdings capable of appreciation.

Management Responsibilities

Still seen by many, as it use to be, a master in the master/slave relationship, but management has evolved into functions, to plan and execute a successful mission. The term "Management" does not refer to the highly trained and experienced people involved but to the roles. The staff, which management instructs and depend on, must consist of highly productive and motivated people. The investors, which approve the strategic plan and receive periodic reports and results, are person who, take the risk, but need a return on their investment. The mission is designed by management to bring together and benefit productive staff and investment resources.

Sovereign Wealth Funds

What should have been done, still needs to be done. Policies, legally enshrined, to save a minimum percentage of annual revenues in addition to a percentage of collected surpluses, when applicable. Invest these savings from royalty on non-renewable depleting resources and materials in a fund with long-term objectives and, at the same time, invest savings from surpluses achieved in previous years in a fund with short and medium term objectives. Minimizing the politics in a country's economic performance, by establishing firm rules, terms and conditions for withdrawals or other financial usages, is crucial. Such funds should only be used to develop export driven industries which will earn foreign exchange and/or reduce debt servicing in future years.

Investors and Employers

The true employers in society are individuals with a small savings account, having bills to pay and living within their narrow financial means. They are not hard nose greedy rich people as often portrayed by the media or enemies of workers’ unions engaged in unfair tactics during employment negotiations. The public impression of employers is one of a bully not listening or concerned with reasons but forcing the most out of their workers, that may more describe management, and the true employers do not directly hire and fire such management. Management’s role is to please both employers and employees. Employees expect the best working conditions with fair remuneration packages. And employers expect a safe place to put funds and receive a competitive yield to live on.

Knowledge into Wisdom

Born with a natural curiosity about the surrounding environment and a burning desire to fit in, children emulate and mimic adults with an inherent sense of belonging. Society must foster and instill that genuine love of learning from a very early age, allow an earlier start to decision-making and dream-structuring, share the benefits of intelligence across human communities, and continuously be a highly skilled and wise population. Inventions and innovations will soon erode unskilled jobs, leaving basic tasks to technology driven devices, operators and mechanics. Society will adapt by engaging training applications suitable to every type of learning and testing to encourage, achieve and recognize individual skill measurements.

Negotiations

A win-win situation is always the mission in any negotiation with all parties parting under friendly terms. Gathering information on each party’s abilities and capabilities, managing times and deadlines with actionable penalties, understanding past opportunities taken and missed, and the suffering incurred cause by sabotage or opposing positions, and explaining the future vision with and without agreement. Negotiations are, at its very simple core, whether addressing international trade agreements, commercial arrangements, mergers and acquisitions, employment contracts or, even, personal relationships, about uniting or dividing.

Common Enemy

The human condition strives on disputes, competition, conflicts and arguments even where none exist. Disputes over the control of resources, Competition as a problem solver rather than collaboration, Conflict embroiling owners vs. workers, Arguments about the best use of profits. This is all based on egos, selfishness and greed, mostly executed by men supported by mothers, wives and daughters, who enjoy the benefits but refuse to ask any pertinent questions until negatively impacted. Clearly a common enemy is needed to solve all problems, bringing all creeds, races, religions, rich, poor, owners and workers, together, to promote peace and stop the human on human abuse. Many fictional works have already depicted such scenarios; alien invasion, comet collision, overheating of the earth's core, rise of the machines, disease, famine, water woes, begging the question, does reality truly have to follow art?

Water Woes

Governments are obligated and must protect, by means of, licensing, regulating and testing, its public waters, quality and quantity, for human piped or bottled consumption, animal and plant farming, industrial usage, waste water treatment and flood management, to preserve and enhance living standards. License geographically, natural or man-made water courses, collection dams and wells, and runoffs points, to qualified and competent operators. Regulate such operations as to their professional practices; engineering, procurement, maintenance and financial, to justify the operation’s pricing. Testing on a frequent but random basis the water quality assigned for specific distribution categories and measuring various factors, such as; rainfall per area, treatment procedures and runoff rates, to justify system improvements, for example; desalination, better purifying components and dredging works.

Food; the world’s strongest Currency

Currency Reserves or Central Banks utilize monetary policies, such as; the movement of interest rates by which registered financial institutions can lend to or borrow from the reserve bank, the removal of old money or the printing and release of new money into the system, the expression of moral persuasion and more, to control their currency and their economy. Many of the major currency reserve banks, with interest rates approaching zero, have chosen to implement programs of quantitative easing; by purchasing government and quasi-government backed securities on the open market in order to lower interest rates and increase the money supply, not by printing new banknotes, but by flooding financial institutions with capital in an effort to promote increased lending and liquidity. It should also be noted that, many economists are speaking about Helicopter Money; where central banks are considering releasing money directly into individuals’ bank accounts to encourage spending, investments and job creation.

Eco-City

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‘Eco-City’ is designed, as a show piece to the world, to ecologically, socially, economically, electronically, effectively and efficiently utilize living space, consisting of its productive tower surrounded by housing and social facilities and sitting on acres of geologically tested bedrock lands, constructed, horizontally and vertically, to withstand earthquakes measuring over 7 on the Richter scale and winds exceeding 100 knots.

The Caribbean Region and CARICOM Member States have all been targeted through its political leaders within the last three years, by a consortium of Corporate and Institutional Investors, to accommodate an experiment in futuristic city design. International Corporations bringing conceptual products for real world testing and application before a global launch. Financial institutions inclusive of pension plans, retaining ownership of the system modern designs as deployed to improve existing cities.

Productivity

Politics; the art of stopping an opponent from achieving any success, while in Government, which can be used to win the next election, seems to be a natural enemy to Productivity; a comparison of output, measured by revenue, in relation to inputs, inclusive of, capital and work. The aim is to improve overall Productivity, within main sectors and vital industries, fueling economic growth; to service and repay debt, to create new jobs and investment opportunities, while meeting budgetary obligations and hence, to improve standards of living across the board.

Rental Apartments

Economic research reported by international news outlets, all suggest that apartments located in major cities are well beyond the financial reach of persons working in those cities, resulting in long daily commutes, expanding city limits, growing ghettos surrounding the city centres and, as a further result, opportunities for those historical real estate owners to profit from the development of rental accommodations. When an average office city worker has to travel for over an hour, it is time to relocate that operation and the answer always seems to be, just outside the city limits, naturally moving operations, converting slumps into industrial and commercial parks with middle class housing units. The opportunity is for the previous owners in that location to sell or develop.

Implementation

No matter how sound the plan, with a well thought out, ambitious and anticipated vision, a strong, clear, measurable and attainable mission, and executive directives tracking projected, stated and promised improvement in standards of living, it is the enactment and resulting performance which judges success. It is the permanently employed personnel that are charged to implement such change policies. It is a well designed process that instructs and maintains order. It is efficient communications to transmit work orders and receives prudent progress reports. It is the original strategic plan or the initial scope of work, with limited changes, which starts and controls progress. Recognizing, however that numerous examples of failed implementation exist, as repeatedly mentioned in executive summaries and budget statements year after year after year.

Thoughts, Opinions & Decisions

The average person, in a functioning democracy, gets to make Decisions that will affect us all. Such an individual, no matter their level of formal education, will form Opinions on and about a variety of topics, character of persons and the public’s ability to accept changes. These persons, interested in learning and progressing, will listen to others, who are perceived to have intimate knowledge and are in a position of trust, to guide their Thoughts. And so we all should, but no one voice can be constantly right across all topics, so we must seek out and find the best and most knowledgeable voices on each issue, before lending our own.

No small BUSINESS

For numerous years, I have stated that size, Big or Small, does not matter in terms of business success. Back in the 1980's while delivering many talks on starting your own business, the mainstream media called such advice; becoming self employed or managing a small business. In the 1990's Government programs adopted the most commonly known titles; small business grants and loans, to promote its socioeconomic assistance. By the decade of 2000, I truly believed that it was much more widely accepted that a strong plan with sound market fundamentals and correctly calculated financial projections addressing relevant risks, was the root to determining the most efficient size and model of business operation and would lead to eventual success. In addition, 2010 I founded the Society for Entrepreneur and Economic Development (SEED) to better understand and support business growth. 2011, I leant my skills to structure a Governmental initiative; Enterprise Development through Business Incubation Policy Document, to incubate ideas into industries.

Taxes 101

A method of fairly converting and collecting; revenue to finance the nation’s recurrent expenditure; security, healthcare, education, environment, housing, water, transport net, etc., while increasing the nation’s productivity; agriculture, mineral extraction, manufacturing and services sectors, incorporated within the nation’s economic zone, and capital receipts to build on the nation's intrinsic and successive valued assets, from the nation’s current users, to maintain, repair and expand such assets for the benefit and enjoyment of all present and future owners.

Tidal Turbines

The results of the global experiment to find the most efficient technique to generate electricity using renewable energy sources are in, and are based on geographic locations; where the driving sources are most accessible. Electricity to power an equivalent amount of homes, offices and industries: Solar panels, engineered to capture the sun light and charge salt particles as battery storage for around the clock supply, proves to be the most efficient method to generate the needed mega watts (MW) of electricity in a desert location. Geothermal, dry or flash stream or binary cycle, power stations, can efficiently generate thousands of MW in locations surrounding the heat well source. Wind turbines located in hills and mountain ranges were wind speeds are high, can accurately generate the required MW of electricity. And Tidal ocean turbines positioned along coastlines of small island states can effectively generate sufficient MW for the whole island.

Funding the Future

The nation, which finds itself overdrawn in its current account, needing to raise funds to pay, public sector salaries back pay, overdue bills, recurrent expenditure, finance its infrastructural maintenance and new facilities, and is desperate to diversify its economy, must carefully examine and educate its population about all options. The executive can decide to continue borrowings, locally to finance budget deficits inclusive of capital expenditure, and internationally to meet its foreign currencies import bills and preserve its local currency strength, projecting long-term debt repayments, which would, unless revenues rebound, further grow the current public debt into an unmanageable size. The cabinet can also withdraw from the nation's cash reserves, savings, stabilizing or sovereign funds, invested in foreign low risks, low yield instruments, to finance its previously mentioned needs. Noting that, both borrowings and withdrawals together can solve the nation’s immediate cash flow problems.

Basic Utilities

We, the people are all investors in the nation's sustainable development to regulated success. Our poor and barely getting by, our middle class and our rich, all invest materials, money and time in order to benefit from resulting returns on such investments. Returns that could improve standards of living, maintain persons income levels above increases in cost of living expenditure, afford persons a comfortable home, travel and entertainment, and reduce the number of persons living in poverty. This can only be adequately accomplished by solving each other’s current problems, satisfying each other’s crucial wants, and meeting each other’s basic needs.

Transport Net

A nation; rich in tourism products, agri-business with some light manufacturing and extractive industries, must design and implement transportation policies that bring the highest levels of efficiencies to the movement of its people and, as a targeted consequence, its national productivity. Imagine no waiting around, a known fixed journey time at an affordable cost, it is possible with a little common sense and abandoning individual egos for the greater good, transport whenever it is needed, scheduling to save time, and standardization to reduce operating cost. The ideal is and requires local zoning policies; properly marked, changed and policed by regional local government bodies; industrial, commercial and residential, with privately owned vehicles not allowed on designated routes at peak times, special rules for cargo vehicles and using small, medium and large capacity vehicles for public travel in zoned areas.

Tourism Properties

Mature nations should leave Tourism Management to the private sector, while preserving public spaces as tourist attractions. This would under normal conditions require a sound Strategic Plan, a large initial investment in facility design, construction, and contracting a suitable operator, with financial projections incorporating routine maintenance and timely infrastructural upgrades. But it also requires, at the very least, a Government intervention every five years, such as the hosting of a global or regional conference with high profile attendees, international media coverage and catering for guest numbers of twice times the nations room stock. The intention being to positively advertise the location and its facilities cheaply or for free, earn profits to offset past or future construction cost, but mainly to stress capacities over its limits, to measure, gauge and improve supporting services.

Trust the Data

Data generating information and leading to intelligence coming out of the nation's Auditor General Office, Central Statistical Office and Central Bank, which is used to formulate ecological, social and economic development strategies, make knowledge based decisions and set implementation timelines, must be trusted by all groups of the society. Groups intended to distribute profits to its single or many owners via dividend payouts, so called (Profit-Sharing) private or public companies. Groups organized to keep profits for its future operations, so called Non-Profits or (Profit-Retaining). Groups that negotiate for working conditions, via individual or collective bargaining, so called Workers' Unions. Noting that, all such groups are and must be Profit-Making, as it is such profits that offer that crucially needed continuance, for Business must generate growth to paid salaries, taxes and continue, Unions must protect jobs and fair trade, and Government must balance its budget to improve living standards and protect the nation's most vulnerable.

Budgetary Forecasting

An independent office of budgets can forecast the executive’s plans and priorities without undue influence being placed on the figures. All development plans and request for increases in administrative funds from local or national and every branch of Government is cost by this office and reflects the projected revenues and of course, the earnings surplus or deficit. This office of budgets is not responsible for the calls (the types of projects or the salary increases) or the earnings (the taxes charged or collected). The job is to publicly report how the executive branch policies would affect the public purse, 1-5 years, and going forward.

Masking the Problems

Problems much like energy can not be created or destroyed but only transferred and in many cases such problems are deem to be solved by simply hiding it away. Problems are often misdiagnosed, in the first instance, as observed on a limited scale, from a single point of view, and by its effects upon a specific group. Problems are clearly multifaceted, when thought through it exposes numerous other problems if a single solution is applied and more than likely creates a greater amount of affected people than the original problem. Antisocial behavior, for example, is commonly dealt with by locking it away, keeping a community clean is to relocate its waste, modernizing a land transportation network is to lessen the need for excessive movement and managing an economy is to issue more money.

Expanding Tourism

Traditional tourism, targeting vacation seekers with sightseeing, sun, sea and sand products along with local foods, is no longer adequate as a national Economic Driver. Event tourism has and must be expanded and incorporated into the national Strategic Plan. Live performances, Sporting tournaments, Outdoor activities, Medical recuperation, Technology studies, are some of the new types of tourism models mixed into the traditional family vacation, to which the world is invited.

Growing Agriculture

Fiscal adjustments require more than expenditure cutting, increasing revenue is also vital. National revenue sources must be diversified into untraditional areas previously under developed in this economy. Generating new revenue sources and in such quantities that can help balance the national budget, reducing both existing borrowings and the need for new deficit financing, at the same time lessening debt servicing payments, and maintaining or adding to the nation's foreign currency reserves levels, are all laudable goals. Hence, the focus must now be squarely placed on and brought to economic areas, sectors and industries, in which there is a national competitive advantage that can meet these said goals.

Political Promises

In the first year of a five year political term, celebrating an election victory, rewarding candidates and key supporters with positions of influence; Ministerial Portfolios, Chair of Boards, Directorships and getting down to work. Learning about the true state of affairs from the permanent public officers, historical records, while seeking out corruption done in the last political term under the opposing party is common. Touring development works in progress, finding strategies to gain further political mileage, and identifying good people and companies from within, to do the necessary things that have to be done, while protecting the party image. Noting that, opposition and public criticism generally increases towards the end of the first year.

Selling State Assets

There is no need to dispose of state owed assets, new listings on the stock exchange can bring much needed cash into the treasury without losing the assets' future earnings capabilities, at the same time, forcing greater efficiencies by adding more regulations from the Securities Exchange Commission. Protecting employment, both Workers and Management jobs in line with performance, from threats associated with state funding and offering Investors peace of mind as to future annual returns.

We, the People

Society is form as groups of groups with multiple rooms of ideological walls, floors and ceilings, each with doors, inviting access and escape, and windows, allowing views and voices. Consider a ground floor housing the poor and uneducated, upper floors are for the middle classes and the penthouse is reserved for the wealthy. Opportunities through education and experience allow many to climb up, at lease to a certain level. Networking and risk-taking can elevate a few over many years to the higher floors. The very top are for those who understand, after a lifetime of climbing, it is not how much money one has or controls, anyone can win a large jackpot, it is about influence and power.

Less Tax More Jobs

Investment Opportunities only exist if it can produce returns on investment (ROI), after paying its legitimate obligations. It must offer Capital Gains – growing the investment value and Dividends Payouts – paying for the use of the investment funds, generating a competitive yield. Such Investment Opportunities create employment; salaries and wages along with its associated taxation, delivering on individual management contracts and collective worker union agreements, similarly spawn other opportunities and donate to the society. These Investment Opportunities call on individuals and corporations, who, after many years of work, have retained excess savings or wealth, to participate in building operations, promising safer and greater ROI.

Security Concerns

Natural Disasters whether or not caused by climate change, notwithstanding, the world is on an emotional edge and high alert, mainly against manmade intrusions from opposing lifestyles, wealth disparities, discrimination, gender imbalance, etc. general security breaches; which must now form the starting point in every strategic development plan. There are so many avenues for mass destruction on a global, regional, national, corporate and personal scale. These dangers and solutions must be publicly addressed and connected in order to sustain and improve standards of living.

Old Friends

 Childhood friends, Martin, Chris, Will and Tom, having gone separate ways, are reunited in their late sixties in a single dwelling complex, to reflect on their lives. Without spouse and children in their daily activities, they again became codependent, having been taxpaying workers, supervisors, managers, saved and invested through numerous financial instruments and pension plans, but never saw themselves as owners.

Nation Building

First World Nation status is ultimately measured by the level of financial sophistication of the nation’s population, as it pertains to national, corporate and individual – expenditure, revenue and (debt/equity) reserves. Money, similar to a bathroom scale or a kitchen thermometer, is only a measuring tool used to value tangible and intangible items and all must learn to use it. Investing in productive and administrative activities, to generate sales revenue and returns on investment, in order to repeat and grow other opportunities.

Data Driven Decisions

Drastic action is necessary, for nations to deliver improve living standards to its population, driven by Data from Births to beyond Deaths, to adequately and efficiently meet sustainable development requirements. A National Database, publicly accessible, with its backbone of registered births, which is linked to all aspects of life; Governance, Resource Preservation, Human Development, Infrastructure Management, Economic Drivers, Fiscal and Monetary Policy, to calculate the best use of resources.

Opposition Power

A political opposition is not and should not be about winning a debate; embarrassing the political party in power, measuring scandals, call for resignations, commission of inquiries or court cases, blocking or getting the proposed legislation withdrawn, but is all about strengthening and balancing the resulting nation’s laws. Remembering that, both the elected ruling and the opposition parties as members of parliament and lawmakers are jointly responsible for new laws and amendments enacted during their period of service.

Encouraging Employers

Twenty odd years ago, I spoke to and about the education system; its learning through rote, its certification via the regurgitation of facts, its lack of critical thinking and its punishment of innovation, resulting in the production of too many Employees and not enough Employers. A recent news report covered the launch of a post graduate programme, which is said to address such inadequacies, creating more employers, through links between academia and the manufacturing sector.

Foreign Direct Investment

At the beginning of the last budget presentation, a few weeks after national elections and the resulting change in the executive, Politics continued with the Minister of Finance painting a negative picture and blaming the previous executive with financial mismanagement, more so in their last three months in office; spending tax payers’ funds on electioneering, leaving massive unpaid bills and running into a negative cash flow position. It is worth mentioning that the Speaker of the House needed to bring order to the chamber several times during the budget presentation, indicating that the previous executive now in opposition were not pleased with many statement attributed to their 2010 – 2015 term in office. This trend is again expected after any national election which results in regime change but is certainly preferred and more acceptable than any Violent Insurrection.

Diversification fuels Opportunities

The vision is to reduce revenue dependency on any single industry or sector and hence, diversifying an economy is to generate an equivalent amount to balance revenue across numerous sources, as to spread and lessen the risks associated with one set of matrix.

Common mistakes are trying to replace strong currency earnings with income of weaker foreign currencies with less purchasing power. Exchanging one volatile industry for another; abandoning hydrocarbon energy, heavily dependent on international pricing, for a tourism gaming industry, which will only grow to depend on international funding. Moving from extraction into energy processing, transport into vehicle building and repairs, trade to light manufacturing, which have similar input/output factors, the value added offers minimal gains while the risk exposure remains the same.

Governance (An extract from Foreign Direct Investment)

A nation, the majority of its population, with a clear understanding of the structure and responsibility of society will benefit from lower crime rates, a fairer distribution of wealth, and many more people, for the right reasons, offering themselves for public office. An indoctrination takes place upon joining new (educational or work) institutions; outlining code of ethics and procedural guidelines to direct acceptable behavior and maintain order. The same is true to drive on the roads; regulations (laws) must be followed. Governance is even more important and necessary for nation building. Hence, the need for civics lessons throughout the voting population.

Economic Drivers (An extract from Foreign Direct Investment)

With energy and commodities international prices drastically declining and forecasted to fall even further, extractive industries especially petroleum exporting nations, must focus on other sectors and industries to generate its foreign earnings. A Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, responsible for monitoring, controlling and regulating the energy and mineral sectors, developed over the last century, cannot easily be replaced as the main earner, but the effort to do so must start NOW! Not just by investment in renewables but through a mixed of economic drivers.

Infrastructure Management (An extract from Foreign Direct Investment)

In times of surpluses, savings and investments, especially in infrastructure should be expanded. In times of deficits, infrastructure must be preserved; efficiently utilized and maintained. The nation’s housing stock, buildings and general monuments, public utilities, works and transport, and other miscellaneous items needs urgent attention.

The Ministry of Public Utilities facilitates the effective delivery of efficient, affordable and quality public utilities services through a committed, resourceful team of professionals in close collaboration with all stakeholders. It provides meteorological information and advice consistent with international standards towards the pursuit of national, scientific, social, economic and cultural goals and sustainable development. It is responsible for the inspection and certification of electrical works. Directs and regulates the fare distribution of electricity, water and the management of waste through its allocation to and oversight of State Enterprises. And through its Community-based Environment Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP), focuses on environmental protection, enhancement and beautification in communities.

Human Development (An extract from Foreign Direct Investment)

Good health, sound education, social empowerment, physical activities and community interaction are the essentials for Human Development.

Charged with oversight of the entire health system, the Ministry of Health plays a central role in the protection of the population’s health and in ensuring that all organizations and institutions that produce health goods and services conform to standards of safety. This ministry provides effective leadership for the health sector by focusing on evidence-based policy making; planning; monitoring; evaluation; collaboration and regulation. The ministry establishes national priorities for health and ensures an enabling environment for the delivery of a broad range of high quality, people-centred services from a mix of public and private providers. Healthcare involves nutrition, directs wellness through physical activities, controls drugs through dispensary, manages rehabilitation for addicts and delivers emergency programs through regional clinics and hospitals along with special treatment centers, and is responsible for building new, for expanding and maintaining facilities, and recruitment and training personnel, as stated in the national budget.

Fiscal Policy (An extract from Foreign Direct Investment)

The people must appreciate, the nation, the state, the citizenry, the economy depends on sound fiscal policy, the means by which spending adjustments are made to bring it in-line with expected revenues to influence economic growth, controlled by the elected executive cabinet under the direction of the Minister of Finance. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is primarily in charge of the national budget and the state of the economy; forecasting revenue and collections, approving and disbursing funds previously allocated to budgeted expenditure, negotiating borrowing terms and conditions within the authorized debt ceilings, retiring debt, and dealing with unforeseen expenditures, all to bring about a fair distribution of wealth or of sacrifice.