“We have to find ways of encouraging all persons to get creative about doing their business. How do we piggyback on other businesses? How do we piggyback on other ideas? If you're going to move forward, we've got to have new ideas of doing things,” he said.

Dr Pickering was at the time a guest on the Monday, February 6, 2023, edition of Umoja hosted by Cromwell Smith aka Ed Ju Enka on ZBVI 780AM where he added that someone running for office should not necessarily have all the ideas, rather, policies should be in place to foster ideas in the VI.

“What we've got to do is create an environment where people's ideas can flourish, then the other pieces will then come with it. But if you have a good idea, we've got to find ways of helping people to bring those ideas to fruition, because that's what generates the wealth that you're looking for,” he added.

No politician has all the answers - Dr Pickering

Dr Pickering said a person running for public office does not necessarily have to have a specific idea of how things are supposed to be done, rather, the government must be able to put a policy in place to foster ideas, along with tapping into local resources of those who have ideas.

“You see, one of the problems that we face is that because as soon as somebody said they were running for elected office, they must have all the ideas. That is what is keeping us back.”

Dr Pickering added that moving forward, the VI must find ways to help local people who have ideas to bring those ideas to fruition. He said this can be started by putting people in the right places within the public sector.

“So persons, for instance in government, we must have a civil service that is functional, we must have a civil service that is going to do their job...” he said.