EDITORIAL: Better to share ideas than blame

THE HIGH COST OF LIVING is the most pressing problem affecting Barbadians, and they are tired of the political blame game over it.
That was borne out at THE NATION TalkBack town hall-style meeting focusing on this topic on Wednesday night at the St George Secondary School. 
The crowd became agitated when Senator Haynesley Benn sought to chastise this newspaper for its coverage of the issue. In his estimation we have not done enough. He was told afterward by a fellow panellist that he might have missed what was done in the SATURDAY SUN over the last three weeks, and was later castigated for his comments by a member of the audience.
The mood of the crowd was more telling, though, when Opposition parliamentarian Gline Clarke sought to respond to Benn’s statements. He was loudly booed and told it was not a political meeting when he stated that the present Government was deceptive during the 2008 general election campaign when they tried to blame the Owen Arthur regime for the high cost of living though they knew it was a global phenomenon. 
Later, when a member of the audience said that politicians and the business people already had a voice and therefore should not be involved in the discussion to the level that they were, his comments were greeted with a smattering of applause. This and similar moments captured what from the outset this meeting was supposed to do – give the public a forum to speak out about this depressing issue.
Was this meeting able to achieve its goals?
By providing a forum where people could vent about this burning issue, the meeting helped to further stimulate dialogue. We believe the more extensive the discussion on any issue and the more varied the opinions expressed, the greater is the likelihood of finding a workable solution.
The usefulness of the meeting, though, can be seen in the number of important issues raised, thereby demonstrating the magnitude and impact the high cost of living has, as well as the urgency to understand its pervasiveness and come up with strategies to deal with it. Issues raised included:
• the range of goods and services that contribute to the cost of living, encompassing not only the cost of food, clothing and other supermarket/market supplies but also the cost of utilities, transport, health and recreation services;
• the critical role the transportation of goods and services plays in the cost of living equation;
• the improvement of tax collection methods to ensure those owing VAT, land tax, water rates and so on, pay up;   
• increasing efficiency of Government operations;
• transparency in the application of Customs duties and providing an independent body to deal with appeals; 
• need for greater import substitution and particularly higher farm  production;
• the need to promote and sustain small business development and job creation; and
• a consistent educational awareness campaign to make Barbadians realize that by buying local, even if it cost one or two dollars more than comparable imported products, we are supporting the local economy and keeping our people employed.
Wednesday’s town hall meeting was the start of a process that needs to be undertaken in this country if we are to effectively tackle the high cost of living. It is just the first step. Much more needs to be discussed, and will be.