THE national government has been short of funds ever since we can remember. As a result, we have under-invested in critical social entitlements such as education, child nutrition and environmental protection. There is also an urgent need for farm-to-market roads and irrigation, and upland rehabilitation to protect our highly vulnerable food base. Upland reforestation and water catchments will address the perennial flooding and destruction of our farms and residences in the lowlands. Mangrove replanting and coral rehabilitation will restore our marine food base which, through our negligence, we have allowed to deteriorate.

Delays in spending on education and health can be very costly in terms of a whole generation of our people physically stunted and trapped in poverty because of poor education. Delays in spending on environmental enhancement projects and disaster risk reduction measures will ultimately destroy our agricultural capacity through the disintegration of our uplands, river basins and fragile island ecosystems.