Our foremost priority is the removal of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, disease and illiteracy. All social welfare programmes must be implemented efficiently. Agencies involved in the delivery of services should have a strong sense of duty and work in a transparent, corruption-free, time-bound and accountable manner.

Often, we are quick to find blame with others but yet are unable to give constructive responses. There seems to be a tendency to doubt almost everything. Do we not have faith in our own people's strengths and in our institutions? Can we afford distrust amongst ourselves?

Financial institutions, the corporate world and civil society - all must uphold high standards of probity in their working. Only a genuine partnership between the Government and its people can bring about positive change to create a just society.

There should be no effort, consciously or otherwise, that will lead to the erosion of institutional credibility and authority.

Corruption is the enemy of development, and of good governance. It must be got rid of. Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this national objective.

Women have talent and intelligence but due to social constraints and prejudices, it is still a long distance away from the goal of gender equality.

Terrorism is not a limited threat, it is a world wide operation. Today, many countries in the east, and in the west, in the north, and in the south, have been the targets of the nefarious designs of terrorists.