It ain’t broke but it needs fixing

The year 2004 revealed a great dichotomy between the “feel” of the economy – i.e., the anecdotal chatter and the empirical improvements. The primary reason for the downbeat mood was, and continues to be, the lack of political vision, and the continuing wrangling between the poles of political power. While very little true reform was achieved in the year due to this political paralysis, there were factors, not directly controlled by the local body politic that provided stability and some hope for future improvement. Taken in isolation, the net effect of the political landscape, if it continues in its trajectory of deception and unreliability, could quickly backfire and destabilize the positive elements in place. The sustained health of the real estate sector and the inflows of capital, while encouraging, are rendered fragile by the lack of true political drive to capitalize on these factors and push confidence in the economy