More info needed on Indian mission

THE EDITOR, Madam:

RECENTLY THERE was an article in the newspaper which stated that Minister Paulwell and his entourage were going to India later this year to recruit 50 Indian professors to bring to Jamaica to teach Information Systems Technology (IST). Kindly explain what should be the qualifications of these professors.

Minister Paulwell's Ministry is claiming that in a few years, Jamaica will be the leader in IST in our part of the hemisphere. I feel compelled to advise the Minister that Trinidad is saying the same thing. Minister Paulwell, please explain exactly how you plan to achieve this goal. So far, all we have been hearing is that we are going to be number one, but no details whatsoever.

Is this going to be a government project? If so, then kindly provide us with details. Our Government is incapable of managing our hospitals, schools, prisons, army, police, transportation system, sanitation, and the list goes on. Even in a little place like Port Royal, your constituency, we cannot have a simple piece of information such as schedule for the arrival and departure of the buses.

Now, Mr. Minister, why are you and an entourage going to India? How many will be in the group? That is mistake number one! It goes back to the Jamaican cliché 'Join the government and see the world!' Private enterprise would not do it this way. They would make all the contacts and do all the groundwork, while still in Jamaica. Then later, send a representative to India, who would spend about a week there, confirming and finalising arrangements. The representative would return home and hand in a detailed report to your Ministry. This would include the credentials of the successful applicants.

Mr. Paulwell, we had hoped that when you became a Minister, you would bring refreshing thoughts and statesmanship to the Government, not because of any track record, but because of your youth, vibrancy, intelligence and earnest desire to turn things around to the new age of technology. However this has not been the case! You are becoming like the other politicians, all talk and not much action to turn the economy around positively. In other words, you have become just another politician and we are very disappointed!

I am, etc.,

DANNY PERSAD

Golden Spring P.A.

St. Andrew

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