Time to get economy rolling

THE EDITOR: I anxiously await Government’s plan to map the way forward for the nation which, like the rest of the world, continues to remain in the grip of the pandemic.

TT cannot sit back and hope for someone to wave a magic wand and everything will revert back to normal. What is needed now is a plan of action. This is how we are going to get out of the hole we are in when it comes to our economy.

With this in mind, I believe it is about time for some concrete decisions to be made concerning the mothballed refinery in Pointe-A-Pierre. Government must decide. What is clear, is that the refinery needs to be restarted and soon. This will create thousands of jobs which are badly needed right now in our country.

One of the areas Government must pay attention to as it seeks to kick-start the economy is serious and sustained job creation. As we all know, 2020 was not a good year for us and the entire world. Millions lost their jobs while the luckier ones still held on to their jobs but at reduced wages.

This needs to be reversed in 2021. There are many young people now leaving their online classes to go in search of work just to help their family stay afloat. That’s how serious things are in our country. Let’s face it, not everyone can open a business just so. This takes capital which many just do not have.

There is regular talk about agriculture but what really has taken place to significantly jump-start this sector in order to create jobs and also feed the nation? What?

I appeal to those in charge, let 2021 be a year of action in order to turn around our economy.

Government needs to remember, without jobs there can be no tax revenues.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH

San Juan