Dear Editor,
The Jamaica Observer editorial of August 13, 2014 made the claim that there is an intellectual void in the area of economic policy and charged that this was due to the Department of Economics at the University of the West Indies having "abdicated" its role of informing public discourse on economic matters.
Here are the facts. Over the last 12 months, members of the Department of Economics have made nearly 35 appearances on radio and television contributing to discussions on fiscal policy, fiscal governance, debt, inflation, exchange rate policy, net international reserve management, infrastructural development, and tax reform.
During that time, there have been more than 40 articles appearing in the print media authored by members of the Department of Economics or by others describing views expressed publicly by members of the department. We have also spoken at more than a dozen and a half public fora or panel discussions outside the campus.
On campus, the Department of Economics also hosts a public forum every few months on a pressing topical issue at which a member of the department articulates his or her professional view. There have been three so far this year alone. In February, I myself presented on the new IMF agreement, alongside the minister of finance offering his own view. In March, Dr Christine Clarke evaluated fiscal policy, along with a contribution from the Opposition spokesperson on Finance. And just recently, Dr Peter-John Gordon offered proposals on financing tertiary education in the company of and with comments from the Minister of Education.
Moreover, so far this year, the Department of Economics has hosted IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and Columbia University economist, Jeffrey Sachs, to speak on matters of critical national importance to Jamaica, the government's economic reform programme and the sustainability of economic development, respectively.
It is unfortunate that your newspaper has claimed that we have not provided intellectual guidance, considering that your organisation has been invited to cover every one of our public events and, for whatever reason, you have declined to send a reporter on each occasion. Then, having not covered the event, you suggest that we are not carrying out our role to inform public debate.
If the above catalogue of activities is insufficient to qualify as carrying out our public responsibility to an extent that satisfies your expectation, please state what else the Department of Economics should be doing that we are not now doing.
However, if you are unable to identify areas of public contribution where we have fallen short, then your characterisation of an "abdication" on our part is erroneous and damaging to the reputation and image of the Department of Economics.
Damien King
Head, Department of Economics
University of the West Indies
damien.king@uwimona.edu.jm
We are working on campus, Observer
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The Jamaica Observer editorial of August 13, 2014 made the claim that there is an intellectual void in the area of economic policy and charged that this was due to the Department of Economics at the University of the West Indies having "abdicated" its role of informing public discourse on economic matters.
Here are the facts. Over the last 12 months, members of the Department of Economics have made nearly 35 appearances on radio and television contributing to discussions on fiscal policy, fiscal governance, debt, inflation, exchange rate policy, net international reserve management, infrastructural development, and tax reform.
During that time, there have been more than 40 articles appearing in the print media authored by members of the Department of Economics or by others describing views expressed publicly by members of the department. We have also spoken at more than a dozen and a half public fora or panel discussions outside the campus.
On campus, the Department of Economics also hosts a public forum every few months on a pressing topical issue at which a member of the department articulates his or her professional view. There have been three so far this year alone. In February, I myself presented on the new IMF agreement, alongside the minister of finance offering his own view. In March, Dr Christine Clarke evaluated fiscal policy, along with a contribution from the Opposition spokesperson on Finance. And just recently, Dr Peter-John Gordon offered proposals on financing tertiary education in the company of and with comments from the Minister of Education.
Moreover, so far this year, the Department of Economics has hosted IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and Columbia University economist, Jeffrey Sachs, to speak on matters of critical national importance to Jamaica, the government's economic reform programme and the sustainability of economic development, respectively.
It is unfortunate that your newspaper has claimed that we have not provided intellectual guidance, considering that your organisation has been invited to cover every one of our public events and, for whatever reason, you have declined to send a reporter on each occasion. Then, having not covered the event, you suggest that we are not carrying out our role to inform public debate.
If the above catalogue of activities is insufficient to qualify as carrying out our public responsibility to an extent that satisfies your expectation, please state what else the Department of Economics should be doing that we are not now doing.
However, if you are unable to identify areas of public contribution where we have fallen short, then your characterisation of an "abdication" on our part is erroneous and damaging to the reputation and image of the Department of Economics.
Damien King
Head, Department of Economics
University of the West Indies
damien.king@uwimona.edu.jm
We are working on campus, Observer
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