Year 2007 is coming to an end. Now that Christmas is over, it?s time to get ready for the end-of-year party time. But the last day of the year will also mean taking good resolutions for some and wishing the best to all your friends and relatives? So here are my best wishes for you!

While some have been celebrating Christmas and partying until sunrise, others have been crying for their loved ones who have been hurt or killed. If this period is a great time to party for most of us, it is also the time robbers and criminals choose to commit their offences. Those who do not have a job or live in hard conditions may be frustrated by the festive atmosphere outside and commit crimes. This might be an explanation ? in no way an excuse ? for what happened to two policemen and their girlfriends on a public beach recently?

In fact, those people do not wait for this period to commit their crimes. The whole year has been marked by cases of violence, crime and deaths. Walking in the middle of the capital at noon is no longer safe, as people on motorbikes could come and rob your bag, necklace or mobile ? and you will be lucky if they do not touch you!

Parking your car in a shopping centre is not safe either!

So, may I wish you a safer 2008? This year will hopefully be one where you will safely walk in the streets even after the sun has set. 2008 will hopefully be the time when the authorities will find a way of restoring law and order while the police will be given the financial and human resources they?ve been requesting for ages?

And you may be surprised to note that town centres will all be so exciting and crowded all year long. We often complain there is nothing to do during the week but who will dare go out in such unsafe conditions? One wish leading to the other, security may lead shops and pubs to open until late at night and offer leisure time to young (and not so young) generations of working people?

2007 saw the introduction of programme-based budgets and performance appraisal on a pilot basis. Well, let?s hope that it will start bearing its fruits by next year. Because I hope you will no longer have to wait for months or years before obtaining the slightest documentor be faced with any sort of red tape.

More generally, I wish to you all that the recent cold analysis of economic indicators by Rama Sithanen will be felt on everyone?s daily life? This will, however, require a little effort from each of us to accept that we should work hard during the whole of next year!