Most of the time, documents such as constitutions, royal charters and shareholder agreements make for fairly dull reading. At least on first blush. However, when you delve into them, you can find gold nuggets, diamond rings and even platinum bars.

I found such a treasure trove in The National Strategic Plan of Barbados 2006-2025 where former Prime Minister Owen Arthur and then Deputy Prime Minister & current Prime Minister Mia Mottley shared with us their vision for Barbados 2025.

Prime Minister Arthur envisioned Barbados 2025 as, “A fully developed society that is prosperous, socially just and globally competitive”. In support, Prime Minister Mottley posited that, “We must therefore engage in a great transformation of our society that places people at the centre of the development process. In so doing, we have to unlock the tremendous potential within ourselves”.

Barbados 2022.

It is now 2022. 16 years and 5 Administrations away from 2006. Just under 3 years before 2025 begins. Our 2006 GDP and our 2022 GDP are almost the same. Barbados today should be more productive than yesterday!

Considering the time-value of money; today’s Barbados is actually less productive than yesterday’s. Even when we adjust for the COVID-19 pandemic we faced over the last two years.

Yes, we endured a lot this past decade and a half; including two bewildered past administrations fumbling about the place with cesspools in the streets. Yes, we were hit by harsh weather. Yes, were endured a 2-year pandemic.

Yes, we became a republic despite our trials and tribulations. Yes, we’re just about to reinstitute local government.  Yes, we did all of these things and are about to do more but can we honestly say to ourselves and our future children that we – the current stewards of Barbados – have done all we can do to carry out The Great Barbados Transformation?

I really think not; and it’s not for a lack of trying or planning. It’s for the lack of structure and institutional capacity. Funny thing is; this “lack” is an actual feature of liberal democracy.

What’s the problem?

You can’t expect national government to carry out long-term domestic policy when it faces / endures general elections every five years while tackling the tricky realities of global affairs.

The general election system preoccupies national politicians with “quick wins” and “outing” fires. Similarly, the civil service is paralysed by lack of authority to set policy and the reality that every few years the policy setters will change in some way. Multiparty general elections make centralised long-term policy implementation unrealistic.

That’s why authoritarian capitalist countries often outpace democratic capitalists countries.

It is clear to me – as I think it is to you – that a system of periodic general elections keeps the political machine well oiled but it deleteriously effects the economic system. This is necessarily so since the political and economic spheres are perennially intertwined.

What’s the solution?

For our great transformation to work, therefore, we need a mechanism for policy continuity outside of central government. That’s clearly devolved / local government but hopefully, in time, this includes cities and towns designated as, “economic prosperity zones” with elected and appointed leaders and funded staff who come to work every day focussed on increasing business activity, employment and growth opportunities for all.

Civil Society also needs to do more. The trade unions must expand their role in the economic sphere to be drivers of economic growth. One of the best ways to make sure captains of industry do the right thing is to be one. These captains also need to start taking themselves seriously. Pride and Industry is the name of the game so start exporting more so we can earn more foreign exchange or step aside. Do I need say what parents, religious groups and non-profits need to do?

Too many people are waiting on government to do what needs to be done so it looks like government hardly does anything when, in reality, government currently does almost everything; and that is the problem: The government is under strain and has little chance to settle and do the hard lifting on the national, international and global fronts.

Give the government some room so it can tackle the hard nuts. Take charge of your respective areas and captain your ships. In the long-run you’ll find it’s not only good for you and the country: It’s essential.