Many problems, few solutions

Jordan’s economic and social landscape has plenty of problems seeking solutions.

The easy side, which is preferred by opposing politicians and some press analysts, is the side of problems. After all, problems are aplenty, and easy to pinpoint, elaborate on and deal with.

Those delving in problems, the critics, project the image of wise and knowledgeable persons. 

Exposing negative points and problems implies that the critic knows the answers and solutions, and is ready to implement them if only he or she is given the job of a decision maker.

On the side of problems, that some would like to call challenges, we find: poverty, unemployment, public debt, budget deficit, trade deficit, high prices, low incomes, cost of energy, shortage of water, economic slowdown, low standard of living, corruption, mismanagement, inequality in wealth and income, etc.

Anyone can name more problems that this writer did not mention.

Lazy politicians and commentators feel at ease when pointing out problems and shortcomings, and shed light on them, inflating them at times and using them as an instrument to whip officials who, in their opinion, should have found and implemented immediate solutions simply by making the right (but undefined) decisions.

Critics find in this game an opportunity to gain popularity, and they never miss it.

Those individuals have no solutions to the problems they point out. In fact, some of them are intelligent enough to know that most problems have no immediate solutions.

Take, for example, the group of national and leftists parties that warn against the intention to raise electricity tariff as of the beginning of the coming year, as if government officials loved raising the prices for its own sake, to punish the public or because they do not know that it is bad from the consumers’ point of view.

Critics may not like to be reminded that the estimated losses of electricity during the coming year are officially put at JD875 million even after the present decline in world prices of petroleum, and the intended increase in local prices of electricity.

This huge amount is not provided for in the central government’s budget, therefore the government has to borrow the money or issue guarantees to enable the National Electric Power Company to pay its dues and to keep imports of petroleum flowing. 

Those activists speak about raising prices as a problem, but did not come up with a solution.

The resulting debt, which they conveniently do not mention, is in itself a problem, more serious than raising the electricity tariff.

Who knows, they may later issue another statement to criticise rising public debt, a problem to which their empty slogans have contributed.

Opportunistic activists focus on problems while real analysts search for solutions, even if they come at a price.

What most of those with loud voices expose are problems that we all know about. What the country lacks are the solutions they do not have.