For many of us in Anguilla and, indeed, the people of the rest of the world, our entry into the New Year, 2014 may be a matter of trepidation and doubt given the overriding problems of one kind or another that assail us. Yet the best approach for all of us is to go forward with faith, hope and courage – three militant words which must be emblazoned on our armour against what may be stalking us over the next twelve months.
Here in Anguilla, December 2013 has ended like December 2012 with shooting incidents that claimed lives. In December 2012, two persons died in what may have been a violent robbery; and in December 2013 one person died as a result of gun violence. Unfortunately, both years have seen a number of other cases of violence which resulted either in the maiming or death of several young men – leaving families distressed and Anguilla with bad publicity. These acts of violence must be roundly condemned and the perpetrators, where they are still at large, must be flushed out and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, with the public cooperating with the police.
A strong call, much greater than a plea, must be made to all our youngsters in the various village communities to end the spate of violence which is hurting families and tarnishing the name of Anguilla. The aim of these younsters must be to ensure that they are productive citizens and future leaders of our island in various spheres of life. While we count and mourn our losses, we must not go into 2014 with a repetition of the horrors of gun violence of previous years. If the trend continues we will be doomed.
The ailing economy, though worldwide, has been another worrisome matter for Anguilla. The high cost of living, taxation, loss of jobs, low levels of employment and earning power in general, have added to our woes and burdens. It is difficult to imagine that, in this age, when the people of Anguilla have fought so hard for electricity, one of the common amenities of modern-day living, that there are those among us who, being unable to pay their bills, are today without that vital service. For them, talk about solar power to remedy their condition is useless. Unlike others, who may be able to afford to turn to alternative sources of energy, they cannot avail themselves of the use of the sun without the required financing and equipment to obtain the electricity they so badly need.
The Chief Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, who has not been able to “turn around the economy” within the short time he said he would, is now talking about better days ahead. In a release earlier this week, he promised “more jobs, and opportunities and gave hope for the future”. He also mentioned a number of “foreign-owned projects either under development or in the mobilising stages”.
This is certainly good news for the economy. It is the opposite to what he has been saying for a long time – that “the economy is dead and you can’t tax a dead economy”. If that is the reason that the 2014 budget is said to be tax-free, then there is indeed some justification in the eyes of the British Government for not objecting to the budget. It is a relief to hear that the FCO has approved the budget, therefore our Government and the hard-working technocrats should be complimented for this achievement.
Crime and the state of the economy are about the biggest problems facing Anguilla today. In both cases, our flagging tourism industry comes into play. Crime certainly has a severe negative impact on tourism; and the economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Unfortunately, although our efforts to tap into the international money markets have borne significant fruit over the years, the development of our financial services as a second industry is still some distance in the future.
As we forge ahead into the New Year, it is also a significant period for us. By and large it precedes an election year and, as the months roll by, we will be ushered into a period of electioneering for the spring 2015 general election. The road ahead in 2014 may appear foreboding as an unknown track of darkness, but we can take comfort in reciting The Gate of The Year. It is a popular poem by Minnie Louise Haskins who originally titled it “God Knows”.
The poem, which has inspired and given hope to many, reads in part:
“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
