Politics of Division

Politicians, accusing each other of bad management or corruption while in office, runs the danger of spreading hate in a once loving society. This Hate and Suspicion, in a struggling economy, can easily trigger social unrest, insurrection and civil war. The population needs leadership, ‘Better not Blame’. Leadership that understands the important issues and listens to all points-of-view, ‘Decide and Do. Implement a strong programme of economic diversification to stop job losses, prevent business closures, and halt declining tax revenues. Negotiate flat or low growth in public expenditure, with workers' unions, to benefit all the people and rebuild the economy. Deliver essential Security, Health and Education services supported by recurrent cost, infrastructure building and maintenance. Manage debt servicing to yield some future savings, and reduce the nation’s total debt, which would be left to the nation’s grand and great grandchildren.

A Deceptive Smile

Rape, physical and verbal abuse, and sexual harassment are crimes, that are very difficult to prove. Children are taught by their parents to smile and be nice on greeting others. It is natural, in most cases, for males to want a nurturing and trustworthy female, while females to want a strong and dependable male. The power dynamic, however, is the cause of many problems, where one person with influence over another, forces or is accused of forcing non-consenting contact. Noting that, adults, who work very long hours with limited social opportunities to engage, must undergo change to protect themselves and their careers.

Growing Revenue not debt

Individuals, Families, Communities and Countries, all must budget living, happiness, and development expenditure to constantly improve lifestyles. Such basic expenditure must be supported by core revenue collections, not borrowings, in order to be sustainable. Borrowings or loans create debt, with principal repayment schedules and interest charges, adding to the total expenditure. Growing revenue is therefore required to match and balance the increase of total expenditure. This is traditionally accomplished by attracting both foreign and local investment, diversifying sectors and industries, incentivizing and supporting startup business, creating jobs and encouraging Wage and Salary growth.

Governance 2018

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2018)

This category, allocated 4.47% of the nation’s total expenditure, as reported by the office of the Auditor General 2016 and 4.31% in the 2017 revised estimates, while estimating 4.56% for 2018 up by 4.50%, as published by the Ministry of Finance, consist of positions, offices, agencies and ministries that monitors good, moral and ethical, behavior, such as; Ministry of Public Administration and Communications (MPAC) & The Personnel Department, The Judiciary & The Industrial Court, Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Other Heads of Expenditure involved in Governance, The Office of the Prime Minister, and The President & The Parliament.

Fiscal Policy 2018

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2018)

Functioning on a budgetary allocation; 26.39% of the nation’s total expenditure, as reported by the office of the Auditor General 2016 and 30.39% in the 2017 revised estimates, while estimating 30.46% for 2018 down by 0.93%, as published by the Ministry of Finance. This category, comprises the Ministry of Finance, Charges on Account of the Public Debt and Pensions and Gratuities, must focus efforts on increasing productivity and revenue collection while, reducing the nation's debt and debt servicing expense. Hence, as core revenues fall, below recurrent expenditure, resulting in mounting deficits, forcing new borrowings to balance the nation’s annual budget, severe pending cuts, will then trigger an inability to borrow or repay placing the economy into a debt trap.

Economic Drivers 2018

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2018)

Operating on 5.90% of the nation’s total expenditure, as reported by the office of the Auditor General 2016 and 4.39% in the 2017 revised estimates, while estimating 3.84% for 2018 down by 13.44%, as published by the Ministry of Finance. Economic Drivers are administered by the Ministries of Energy and Energy Industries, Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries, Planning and Development, Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Trade and Industries, and Tourism. The nation's revenue, to offset its total annual expenditure, comes from the collections of taxes, duties and royalties; taxes on (personal income) salaries and wages, on (consumption) sales and value added, on (operations) business levy and green fund, on (corporation) profits, etc. Such revenue generating activities are encouraged and facilitated via Economic Drivers, which designs, implements and reviews the conditions for investment, employment and, the resulting, taxation.

Infrastructure Management 2018

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2018)

Utilizing 20.38% of the nation’s total expenditure, as reported by the office of the Auditor General 2016 and 20.39% in the 2017 revised estimates, while estimating 20.60% for 2018 down by 0.17%, as published by the Ministry of Finance, to maintain and expand public spaces. Such Infrastructure expenditure has widely been realized and accepted to directly impact productivity; outputs, driven by comfortable and safe, work and play environments, for example; organizations to produce and deliver water and electricity, industrial parks, courts, police stations, hospital, schools, housing, administration offices, communications, community centers, open parks, transport hubs, roads and bridges, etc. This Infrastructure Management category consist of the Ministries of Public Utilities, Works and Transport, Rural Development and Local Government, Housing and Urban Development and the Tobago House of Assembly.

Human Development 2018

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2018)

This comprised expenditure funds totaling 29.64% of the nation’s total expenditure, as reported by the office of the Auditor General 2016 and 28.49% in the 2017 revised estimates, while estimating 29.44% up by 2.14% for 2018, as published by the Ministry of Finance. The Human Development category is to execute policies, strategies and initiatives of the Ministries of Health, Education, Social Development and Family Services, Community Development, Culture and the Arts, and Sport and Youth Affairs.

Resource Preservation 2018

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2018)

The objective is to protect and preserve the nation's assets; its people, its property, its peace, under conditions of depleted financial resources with less dedicated and approved budgetary allocation of public expenditure. Resource Preservation comprised expenditure funds totaling 13.21% of the nation’s total expenditure, as reported by the office of the Auditor General 2016 and 12.02% in the 2017 revised estimates, while estimating 11.1% down by 8.77% for 2018, as published by the Ministry of Finance. These funds are to enact the policies of the Ministry of National Security; the Defence Forces, its arms, divisions and initiatives, along with the crime deterrence strategies of the Police Service, whose expenditure is independently control. Noting that, the non-executive President of the nation is the Commander and Chief of the Defence Forces, further subdivided into the Regiment, the Coast Guard and Air Guard, with reserves and other specialty units.

Opportunities

Numerous information is disseminated, via mass and social media, on and about opportunities, evolving out of public sector policies and private sector participation, to foster economic growth. Training materials and courses, educate and motivate participants, on the best sector and industry practice methods. While, internal controls track and measure performance and guide future decision-making. Opportunities, to improve quality of life, employment and investment income, must be constantly sourced, gathered, analyzed, implemented, measured and maintained, and are born out of a single individual idea, prone to very high mortality rates or numerous early period failures, facilitated through taxpayers funding, and incubated into a sustainable growth industry.

Fixing a Nation

The country, the state, the community can only prosper by paying its bills; paying for security, health, education, sport, culture, social services, maintenance and infrastructure. Business and employment are the chief drivers to meet such bills. It is the generated and collected taxation revenue, from such drivers, which must be expanded to meet the spending burden. Economic growth and diversity must, therefore, be forecast and maintained to match (inflation) increasing expenditure. Economic data managed and available, to all taxpayers, is the solution.

Your Nation Needs You

You, the Idea Promoter, the Risk-Taker, the Entrepreneur and Member of SEED (the Society for Entrepreneur and Economic Development), are desperately needed now, not just to rebuild. Your nation and the world needs you, to restructure using innovation to protect future populations and properties. Your ideas and efforts are highly appreciated and very valuable and must be tied to the essential initial contribution and investment. Your guidance and plans are very necessary to achieve the objectives, and therefore, requires powerful relationships with banks, for operational cash flow. Hence, it is you that must step forward to fix the nation’s economy.

New News

The media discussion, comparing earning to informing, is constantly ongoing; promotional stories vs. verified facts, with media owners seeking earnings and profits from increasing audience, while, professional journalists seek to inform and educate the general public. Now, with social media joining the discussion and threatening to disrupt the traditional media business model; entertainment is easily available and amateur journalists find an audience, disseminating opinions and feelings, which many take and forward as facts. This online broadcast does solve one old problem; negative news about large scale advertisers, no longer can such news be suppressed by media owners. But with the very large volume of news releases, over-load contributes to a shorten news cycle. Begging the question, "Would traditional media survive?"

Problem Solving

The starting point toward any problem-solving action, must be a clear vision of what reality will become without the existence of this particular problem. The current reality is constantly being examined from multiple angles, as to its effect on people and resources. Diving into detail causes of and surrounding issues pertaining to this problem, will only scratch the surface of the current reality. While, actions are taken and implemented, with the common knowledge, to move this problem to someone else's responsibility and/or to a future time. Hence, solutions must take into consideration the resulting effects and the creation of new problems.

The Will to Live

The call is for a better world, new integrated systems, which eliminates Ego and Greed, moves the artisan, dreamer, planner, thinker or visionary, to the top of the social ladder, while downplaying personal wants and replacing them with public needs. Placing efforts to serve the many before benefiting the few. The average citizen, worker, union member, self-employed, politically active, in other words every individual, must understand, the existing reality, before committing to or taking a position in foreseeable disputes, insurrection or war.

Foreign Direct Investment 2017

As global Politics grapples with issues surrounding Open Markets versus Close immigration, investments are kept and driven into the largest economies, which have the strength of market size and numerous trade agreements, increasing access and influence, to record superior returns. Small economies, with much the same issues, have the advantage of granting greater access to decision-making, so investors, far removed from board rooms in large economies, are invited in, to participate, in small economy decisions and development, guiding their own returns on investment (ROI).

Diversification 2017

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2017)

The people must trust their leaders; politicians, lawmakers and members of the executive or cabinet, and leaders must be worthy of such public trust, for progress to be achieved for all the nation's peoples. Unfortunately, the ideal circumstance, for all groups in a society to agree and act together, is at the very end of self determination, when desperation sets in! Prescriptions to cure an economy in recession, achieve sustainable development, and constantly improve standards of living for all the people, are bitter and require sacrifices from all society's groupings. While, preventing harsh adjustments require a fair distribution of wealth and the building of reserves.

SEED Structuring

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.

SEED Public Policy

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.

Governance 2017

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2017)

A nation's development is badly hindered and retarded by individual greed; corrupt public officers, bias reporting, unfair hiring practices, slow justice, unbalance dispute settlements, unlawful opinions, compromised records, a lack of transparency, general back room dealings, selling executive influence, misusing presidential privilege, laws to benefit the few rather than the many, practices and actions which have to be avoided, rooted out, dealt with and, ultimately replaced by Good Governance.

Governance, with 4.39% of the nation's total annual estimated expenditure budget up 0.58%, is the category of post, offices, agencies and ministries that monitors good, moral and ethical, behavior.

Fiscal Policy 2017

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2017)

Civil wars, insurrections, uprisings, protests, workers strikes, all are rooted in the distribution of wealth. This is the responsibility of the nation's elected executive; to design, adopt, fine-tune, implement and revise policies, which would encourage and reward risk-takers' investment while, maintaining a measured standard of living through employment and the uplifting of the vulnerable in society. Investment, Employment and Social Benefits are the opportunities essential for nation building. However, the nation's capability to earn from its present or projected revenue streams, increasing productivity, currently carries much less influence, when compared to the nation's power or ability to borrow and, of course, service and repay the debt. In other words, it is presently easier to borrow than to diversify.

Economic Drivers 2017

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2017)

The nation's revenue, to offset its total annual expenditure, comes from the collections of taxes, duties and royalties; taxes on (personal income) salaries and wages, on (consumption) sales and value added, on (operations) business levy and green fund, on (corporation) profits, etc. Such revenue generating activities are encouraged and facilitated via Economic Drivers, which designs, implement and review the conditions for investment, employment and, the resulting, taxation. Operating on 5.48% of the nation's total current expenditure budget, Economic Drivers are administered by the Ministries of Energy and Energy Industries, Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries, Planning and Development, Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Trade and Industries, and Tourism.

Infrastructure Management 2017

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2017)

It has been long realized and accepted that Infrastructure Management directly affects productivity; outputs driven by comfortable and safe work and play spaces, such as; water and electricity, industrial parks, administration offices, community centers, open parks, transport hubs, roads and bridges, etc. Utilizing 19.97% of the nation's total annual allocated expenditure to maintain and expand public spaces, the Infrastructure Management category consist of the ministries of Public Utilities, Works and Transport, the Tobago House of Assembly, the ministries of Rural Development and Local Government, and Housing and Urban Development.

Human Development 2017

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2017)

The progress of any country, nation, society is driven by its human resource and the development of such; its citizenry, its people, its skills and talents. Noting that, growth industries and job creation are as a direct result of investment in ideas, and the only true source of ideas is the human being. A population that is educated, healthy, well adjusted as a society, contributing in the community, supporting culture and the arts, participating in competitive sport and encouraging the youth, will build and maintain a happy, respectful, caring and sharing nation.

The Human Development category consist of budgetary allocations, 28.90% of the nation's total annual estimated expenditure down by 0.31% from the previous period revised estimates, to execute policies, strategies and initiatives of the Ministries of Health, Education, Social Development and Family Services, Community Development, Culture and the Arts, and Sport and Youth Affairs.

Resource Preservation 2017

(An extract from Foreign Direct Investment 2017)

This refers to the approved budgetary allocation of public expenditure dedicated to protecting and preserving the nation's assets; its people, its property, its peace. Resource Preservation comprises funds, 10.41% of the nation’s total expenditure as reported by the Auditor General 2015 and 13.59% in the revised estimates 2016 and 13.05% down by 2.49% for 2017 published by the Ministry of Finance, to enact the policies of the Ministry of National Security, its arms and divisions, along with the crime interjection strategies of the Police Service, whose expenditure is independently control. While the Defence Forces policies and funding are administered and overseen by the Ministry. The non-executive President of the nation is the Commander and Chief of the Defence Forces, further subdivided into the Regiment, the Coast Guard and Air Guard, with reserves and other specialty arms and initiatives.