The Editor, Sir:

It has now been one year since the JLP has governed Jamaica. Although I am non-political, I am a taxpayer. There are two areas I have great concern about and those are corruption and excesses. Both burden the honest taxpayer and, indeed, the nation.

Tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner for the country next to remittances and I see that Jamaica is 59th on the list of most visited tourist destinations in the world. In the wake of this there are obvious issues which have to be addressed as a matter of urgency - crime and tourism management.

What occurs to me is that this is not a well managed industry bursting at the seams with overpaid management and administrative staff.

Malfunctioning areas

We have a minister of tourism who would do well to shed the excesses in this ministry. There are so many other areas in tourism that malfunction at the taxpayer's expense. There are many stale non-visionaries quietly hanging on to their desks while non-performing in their jobs. Shed them.

The issue of excesses exists in other ministries as well such as finance and housing with the same song playing over and over. The Government owns numerous properties and buildings with some not even occupied.

In a world where economies are shrinking rapidly and consolidation is the prudent choice, I think our Government should sell with transparency all these unnecessary real estate holdings, consolidate all their ministries downtown and bring greater efficiency to us the taxpayers.

I am, etc.,

ELIAS JOHNSON

Kingston 10