Rasta Government

Hotel workers must be frustrated with all these announcements from the minister. He's jetting all over the world, and "bringing back" so many millions of visitor this and thousands of hotel room that. Yet after so many years the workers are living "hand to mouth". They can't buy a house, can't retire comfortably. We want to hear about how much of this money he is jetting around to get is staying in jamaica at all, much less benefiting local small business and farmers. How about some education and training on these tourist communities as well? Instead of low level subsistence jobs and just a few large pockets being filled. Both foreign and local. Is the minister working for us or for the big hotel groups? When he brings back all these visitors, and airlift and hotel rooms, almost all the benefit goes to them. Even McDonald's has one of the best training and development programs in the food industry. They invest in their staff, and this o...

The small light in the dark tunnel. This is a "must win" situation. No pronouncement about goals to become a modern, successful society has any credibility or "teeth" without it. From a simple business agreement to public safety and protection of property. None of it works without a functioning legal system. -RG In response to: http:Monday, October 1, 2018 //www.jamaicaobserver.com/tools/cartoons/20181001?profile=1566

In the face of increasing USD interest rates, stabilizing the exchange rate would mean increasing our policy rate (which would be the wrong signal to the banks) as well as managing shocks by spending the precious reserves. I prefer strengthening the monetary link by getting the banks to lend (at low rates) to producers of goods and services, especially SMEs in our case. We can increase the bank reserves and refund what they lend to productive SMEs. Their profits can withstand it, and it will force them to get proficient at lending to the many, instead of the few. -RG In response to: Densil Williams | Is inflation targeting the answer?

Mourinho's leadership style leans toward the negative (too much anger and fear of punishment) and does not work in a new environment where the team is worth billions. The players work hard, they are wealthy, and they don't want to deal with someone putting them down too much. Pogba us a World Cup winner. Mourinho's style and personality won't allow him to use positive motivation and leadership skills ( i.e. be a coach) to work with a team that many coaches would kill for. He seems to demoralize teams wherever he goes. -RG In response to: Manchester United lose 1-3 to West Ham to deepen Mourinho’s woes

We need to be careful when we say the "private sector needs to invest". When we consider primary and secondary effects, over 80% of the growth we need will have to come from SME's. The larger investments are providing low level employment, but the real money that's made goes into a few pockets, foreign and local. For Jamaica to grow, SME's need access to capital. Even if dormant bank money is used to start the process, the fact is banks and investors will have to become active and trained in lending and providing equity to small business. -RG In respsonse to: Jamaica in a time of unprecendented opportunities

Jamaican companies are way behind in the area of remote work, flex time and telecommuting generally. For many professionals their most productive, creative or innovative time will not happen sitting at a desk in HWT, Downtown or New Kingston after a long commute back and forth in traffic. Research has found that telecommuting workers are more productive in order to justify the flexibility that they want. This means if we want thinking workers and increased "productivity" and GDP growth, we need workers who can deliver these high end "thinking" products and services that foreigners pay big money for. This also means offices need secure remote networking, and phone, video and audio conferencing equipment of a high enough quality so that all these people can collaborate effectively. We are talking about professionals at the Grace Kennedy level. People that depend on thinking work. Not blue collar or low level office workers. You don't get productiv...

45% is not enough. The rules should not just be to prevent boys only turning up for games. The boys also need alternative career paths for the vast majority of them that will not make a career in the sport. Those career paths need decent grades. If your average falls below 60% in math, english or the sciences or 70% in the softer subjects, they should have a 100% attendance record and be in tutoring. All this money for high school sports and we cant pay for a few tutors? -RG In response to: They are students first ... Wellington defends ISSA's academic rules at TVJ Sports Town Hall