It is societal issues, identifying problems and choosing solutions, that drives free thinkers not personalities, political parties, financial rewards or any other allegiances. This is the demographic politicians do not like and labeled swing voters. Independents; whose only thought is on securing a better future and vote on the issues. Security, education and healthcare, which are funded by taxpayers, whose jobs and business are dependent on growth in the economy.Security, including well monitored social assistance and make work programs to help reduce poverty and petty crime combined with training in the discipline of choice, adequately funded with highly trained staff and well maintained and supplied police stations, court houses and prisons, driven by crime prevention techniques, strong laws and penalties, speedy detection and justice, a reconciliation philosophy and parole back into society. A well funded strategic plan to reduce crime, calls for policy decisions that strengthen on numerous fronts while reducing waste and corruption, is needed.
Education, including sport and games with well maintained infrastructure (buildings, grounds and equipment), combined with high trained and experience individuals to develop and deliver an ever changing curriculum to fit society needs from early childhood to adult disciplines, producing a highly skilled workforce that encourages economic growth and adds to taxation revenues to fund further development. A strategic education plan, which is adequately funded and monitored to reduce waste and corruption, is needed to compel policy decisions’ implementation that constantly motivates educators to link the lesson to life.
Healthcare, including various types of agribusiness to ensure food quality and security and to prevent illness, well equipped, supplied and staffed medical facilities, monitoring health insurance and of course, the necessary forecasted growth in budgetary allocations, to maintain both food stocks and treatment services. A strategic plan to foster a healthy population, demands policy decisions that emphasize a healthy lifestyle, access to affordable medical services and places a premium on training and keeping medical personnel, while reducing waste and corruption, is needed.
The economy, funding basic cost of living (security, education, healthcare), maintaining and improving infrastructure (water and sewage, solid waste, drainage, transportation, electricity, low-cost housing, etc.), paying interest and principal to reduce borrowings (preserving a credit rating to qualify for future loans), saving and investing to fund future revenue declines (stabilizing and sovereign funds) and most importantly, the marketing to attract foreign investment, which creates employment above the minimum wage, enhances training, develops more infrastructure (industrial estates) and creates a center of attention for even more foreign and local investors. Foreign investors perform a rigorous due diligence on the region, country, sector and leaders, to project for the long-term returns on investment and having a choice, compares the results to other locations, cost of raw materials supplies, skilled workforce and political stability, before making a decision.
An election, is not the time for promises, it is a time to make a well-informed decision based on a strategic plan to prioritize which sectors to develop and how to fund improved living standards.
Rationale
T.A.J & Associates Company Limited uses this occasion to comment on topics that have been covered, both academically and by the mainstream media, to add its opinion and point out investment opportunity, not to invoke any social action.
