Dear Editor,
There is no magic formula on how to generate growth and development. All that is required is to practise something fundamental to development which essentially is the concept of good governance.
Good governance presupposes that the government is democratically elected and that it enjoys the support of an overwhelming majority of the population. It is about respect for the rule of law and the separation of powers among the three arms of the state, namely the executive, the parliament and the judiciary. It is about being accountable to the people for the actions taken and a willingness to take corrective actions if decisions taken are not in the best interests of the society as a whole.
Put in a nutshell, the government has to be the facilitator of development by creating the enabling environment for the creation of wealth. Without significant and sustained levels of economic growth there can be no real development, and the good life promised by the current administration will continue to be elusive.
Another element of good governance is to ensure that there is inclusive and participatory democracy where appointments to key and critical positions, particularly at the executive and judicial levels, are reflective of our ethnic diversity and pluralism. The government by its programmes and policies must be seen to be fair to all of the population and not to those perceived to be friends and supporters.
Good governance is also about inculcating and promoting a culture of lean, clean, and yes, mean government where extravagance and waste are eliminated. We cannot have a Lexus lifestyle in a donkey cart economy. Displays of grandeur and conspicuous lifestyles especially by those in officialdom ought not to be tolerated, and there should be zero tolerance for arrogance and corrupt behaviour by those in positions of authority.
A people-oriented approach to development is the only sensible way to go, whereby the resources of the state are managed and mobilized in a manner that will ensure maximum economic, social, cultural and intellectual growth of the population as a whole.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
