Dear Editor,
Some quick thoughts are shared on several issues making the rounds currently.
The refrain is that “bizness baad.” This simply confirms the once public secret how much bad business was/is part of the economy, now the underground economy is temporarily grounded. Still, ways will be found by the survivors to overcome what will become a thinned commercial field. Commercial Darwinism in action: more big fishes, fewer minnows; all under deep cover.
Then, there is this serious issue of falling gold prices on the world market. Some of this could have been alleviated, even minimized, if the powers that were had embarked on a tight protective strategy of hedging and effective hedging in the Futures market, with an eye to rollovers, contango, and backwardation. Further, those helmsmen, now absent from these shores, could have endeavoured to locate reputable counterparties to take the other side of customized long term contracts and agreements along the lines usually employed in the creation of Forwards. I suppose they were too engrossed in side affairs, some of suspect legitimacy.
Next, this thorny development involving pay raises went over my head. The new government cannot be serious; this is self-serving thinking and too much of a chip off the old dirty, sleazy block. This should come later, much later (or not at all). It is what I mean when mention is made continually of self-sacrifice. Take care of those who have nothing, such as public servants (non-contracted) and teachers. There are quite a few of the latter who toil without the thievery of extra lessons. Stop this nonsense about pay raises for elected officials, please.
Last, I keep hearing calls for a full house in parliament. My take is why dilute and pollute the legislative, intellectual, and ethical ambience of the place. For the first time in a long time, the space feels and sounds clean. It should be kept that way.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall