“The President’s Guidance” and the Bitter Truth We Weren’t Told
20 tallies for "Presidential guidance" and zero for the economy. Why the government’s script is ignoring our bitter reality. Why the government won't talk about the coming economic storm.
I haven’t stepped foot in a President’s Office press conference for about a year. But this past Thursday, I decided it was time. With the drums of war beating between Iran and its neighbours, I wasn’t there for the pleasure of just the privilege of attending a press conference in the fancy president's office. I went because I wanted to hear how our government plans to steer our tiny economic ship through the coming storm.
I went armed with my notebook, a few projections I’d been working on, and a list of questions about fiscal policy, inflation, and the “bitter” economic reality we are all sensing.
I left with a notebook full of tally marks and a very empty feeling in my gut.
The 20-Tally Rule
The first thing you notice in these briefings isn’t the data, it’s the script.
The press conference was squeezed in just before Iftar, a classic “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” timing that left zero room for actual grilling. But what really struck me was the vocabulary. If I had turned it into a drinking game, I wouldn’t have made it to the main course of dinner.
In my notebook, I started keeping a tally. “Under the President’s guidance...” “As the President instructed...” “The President is closely monitoring...” By the time the ministers were done, I had counted that sentiment around 20 times.
Look, we get it. Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is the President. We know he’s in charge. We know he’s “monitoring” things. But when the global economy is shaking, we don’t need a reminder of who is sitting in the big chair; we need to know what that person is actually doing with the numbers.
The Sound of Silence on Economics
What I didn’t hear was far more deafening than what I did.
I was waiting for the “S-words” and the “G-words”: Stagflation. GDP impacts. Fiscal policy shifts. Revenue shortfalls. I wanted to hear how the war would dent our budget and what the government’s plan B, C, and D looked like.
Instead, the vibe was: “Everything is fine. Don’t worry about it.”
They mentioned “cutting costs,” but in the vaguest way possible. Which departments? How much? When? No one knows. While they talk about “austerity,” we still see the same shiny, expensive land reclamation projects being paraded around and hiring more staffs in SOEs for the sake of the upcoming elections. It’s like a family insisting on buying a new gold-plated TV while the roof is literally on fire.
A Plea for Some Radical Honesty
We are in a campaign season, so I understand the urge to paint everything in rose-colored hues. But as a citizen, the “everything is great” routine is getting exhausting.
If things are going to get expensive, tell us.
If we need to save electricity, tell us.
If the global crisis means we have to pause the flashy “glitter” projects to keep the lights on, tell us.
Personally? I’d go a step further. I think we should hit the pause button on elections and referendums until the Iran War settles. We can’t afford to be distracted by the ballot box while the economy is on a tightrope.
The biggest problem I have right now isn’t that the news is bad. It’s that the government refuses to speak to us like adults. We don’t need a chorus of ministers telling us how much “guidance” they are receiving. We need them to look us in the eye and tell us the truth, however bitter it may be.