Dr Henley Morgan, Chairman of the Jamaican Institute of Management (JIM), paid rapt attention to Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President Anthony Chang when he addressed members of JIM and new inductees at a luncheon at the Courtleigh Hotel on Wednesday. IF YOU have a problem, fix it, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President Anthony Chang, chided the Government in Kingston on Wednesday.
At a luncheon held at the Courtleigh Hotel to induct new members into the Jamaica Institute of Manage-ment (JIM) Mr. Chang shared his ideas on efficient management practices and of how Jamaica could remain competitive.
Pointing to the issues of violence, the escalating murder figures and the increase in the number of Jamaicans wishing to migrate, he said, "...this is leading us to ask is there hope for Jamaica?"
Mr. Chang suggested that the Government and the public should start by accepting the problems as challenges.
"If we think of problems as challenges, they'll seem less," he said pointing to the low performance of students in subjects like Mathematics and English. "The new world economy values knowledge over muscle."
He also suggested that the nation's leaders encourage an environment for change. "We as managers need to employ honesty, timeliness, communication and transparency," he said, adding that the Government needs to first start by answering questions about how tax dollars are spent.
Business
principles
"If citizens are more aware of how their money is being spent, the motivation to comply will increase," he said. He said that information needs to be user friendly and available, and suggested establishing a call centre for taxpayers to call in to get their questions answered.
"They need to adopt business principles, make it easier to pay, make people motivated to purchase, be open to suggestions, consumers are under pressure, the budget deficit needs to be reduced.
"We have communicated a message to the Prime Minister and are awaiting a response, if we are going to continue like this it is not going to help our economic recovery."
He emphasised, however, that "the government must lead, this is their leadership time."
Five of 11 new members were inducted during the luncheon. They are Tracey Ann Boothe, Garfield Daley, David Powell, Rohan Hartley and Ryan Evans. Galba Bright, Edward Morris, Norman Dunn, Hugh Barclay, Owen Ewer and Hermine Salmon did not show. The luncheon was aimed at bringing new managers and aspiring managers together and inducting new applicants to the institute.
