Time fi budget and band wi belly

Waddup, mi good, nice people? As usual, mi a hail up mi Jamaicans and readers who nice and clean like Jesus WhatsApp record! Mi nuh have no time fi di old buurrugut dem who come in like di Egyptian plague pan di society. Anyway, mek mi get dung to business because mi waan fi talk bout one a mi main topic dem – MONEY!

It is that time of the year again when Jamaica is commencing a new financial year. Just last week, the governor general, His Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, delivered the Throne Speech. This was actually on Thursday, February 14, 2019, Valentine’s Day! What a love gift di Government gi wi.

It was either a stroke of genius or something else to have the Throne Speech being delivered on what is traditionally a day for love or lovers. In my humble view, most persons would have been busy tending to Valentine’s stuff and nuh did have no time fi watch TV or listen to radio to such a speech. Mi know some people worse neva see because dem did a cry cause dem nuh get no link nor gift! Mi hear seh uppa Children’s full wid big man and woman cause dem a sing “Where do broken hearts go” like how dem haffi go celebrate Valentine’s pon di 15. Anyway, mek mi deal wid de people dem topic serious right at this psychological moment!

MAMMOTH FIGURE

The Throne Speech usually heralds the Government’s plans for the coming financial year. This speech foreshadowed a number of important things, including provisions for garbage-disposal sites and new road, traffic laws to deal with the carnage on our roads. What struck me, of course, was the mammoth figure. It is reported to be an $803-billion budget. A how many zero inna dat!?

Also reported was that out of every dollar Jamaica earns, 34 cents will be used to repay debts. This is supposed to be an improvement over previous years. Hold up deh! Dem nuh waan fi pay some debt fi me? Some a dah money deh woulda do mi good so mi can help some ambitious people achieve dem dreams!

Seriously, the imminent Budget Debate is important and affects us all. We should pay keen attention to what the new minister of finance, Dr Nigel Clarke, has to say and what the Opposition will contribute in return. It is also important that we use this opportunity to reflect on our personal home situations and do our own budgeting. We haffi learn fi cut wi coat according to wi cloth.

Nuff a wi love fi put we hat weh we caan reach it. Nuff a wi too licky-licky and red-yeye and want di tings when we cannot afford dem, trying to keep up with the Joneses and a bruk we neck fi buy tings to impress people who we don’t even like and dem nuh like we. Some people a pay dear fi high company because dem want fi floss and drink Hennessy fi mek many see. We have to prioritise and not just live within our means, but sometimes all below we means when we have tings fi achieve. We haffi know how fi band wi belly till such time when we can splash and dash as we like.

Financial prudence and wisdom should be the order of the day, whether in our homes or local or central government.

Anyway, unuh excuse mi mek mi grab mi calculator and some pen and paper fi do some budgeting. Unuh can stay deh, it tek budgeting and planning fi go Bora Bora and do di good tings dem. Mi soon come back. Lalalaalalaalalalalalaaa!