I think it is a shame that the Welsh language has only one TV outlet and it suprises me that its viewer figures (even at the high end) is low even for Welsh speakers. Why is that? It does not seemed to be better for English speakers either.

It is an interesting idea, but is S4C’s presence more about Welsh speakers having fair access to public broadcasting like english speakers do?

My apologies for not revealing my identity, but as I am currently advising several fast growing Welsh SMEs, I wish to separate my personal views from the policies of those businesses and their owners. I have been living in Wales, helping those SMEs, for the last four years and so speak as an outsider looking in.

My background is that I am a scientist and engineer who became an international businessman. For most of my life I have developed or acquired, restructured and managed hi-tech businesses for multinational companies in countries ranging from Mexico, to South Africa, from Saudi Arabia to Australia. Also a consultant to the World Bank advising governments of developing countries on capacity building, competence and corporate governance and experienced in international procurement and trade finance.

Wales, like much of the UK, will soon have to experience budgets like those recently imposed by Ireland and Greece, with or without a change of government at Westminster. However, it is how Wales manages and uses the monies that it receives from HMG and EU that may determine its economic future. As devolution expands that this capability will have increasing importance.

Its public sector (local and national) has to review its priorities and to discard all non-essential employment and luxuries in order for Wales to start to become competitive internationally. I have been amazed that when faced with budget cuts that the first public comment by local government is often a reduction of services and not a cut in its own staff. There seems to be an assumption that salaries and bills will be paid and salary rises will be made notwithstanding the state of the bank balance. I have yet to see mention of staff working longer hours for the same or even reduced pay. – something that the much of private sector has already experienced, where if money is not in the bank at the end of the month, then salaries are not paid.

How about some radical and controversial thinking? S4C apparently costs about £100 million a year to run for an average audience of 40,000 to 70,000 with over 100,00 when rugby is broadcast. Why not make it a subscription only channel – that would measure its true level of support.

Any other radical ideas for economic competence in Wales?

For example, when a new extension is being proposed for a school, let the students come up with proposals which would include making the unit low or negative carbon and enabling it to generate its own electricity.

And how about allowing pupils to run businesses at school and use Fairtrade products so that they can learn by doing, co-operate with each other and appreciate the ethics of good business.

We need scores of scientists, engineers and project managers for a major energy project on Anglesey in North Wales which in total will span the best part of the next 100 years, from planning through construction, operation and decommissioning. And that’s just for one project!

Crucially, as mentioned above there has to be a change in culture which sees Wales having to compete in the world, which means more focus on how people can make life better for their communities across Wales by giving them the tools and skills to strengthen the economy.

While we have more water than we know what to do with, it’s still the people who are the best asset in Wales, so give them the goal and let them go for it.

This is what really matters for future success rather being bogged down by the narrow, esoteric, constitutional matters as some seem to want to do, to the detriment of the serious policy issues.

It’s such a distraction…..come on, Wales.

Let’s see, perhaps we could build a Welsh equivalent of Masdar City (or perhaps a town!), where all power and transport is carbon neutral, and we have international collaboration with the likes of MIT.

The Welsh language is not in danger of extinction and has more good will from English speakers than it has for years. So why upset English speakers with more pointless regulations (like expecting Tesco in Cardiff to have Welsh on their self checkouts, a complaint made by a Welsh speaker who uses English socially!). Wales needs to get its business fixed then work on the language . Maybe we should develop a Swiss approach to the language.

The simple answer is No!. Why should the owners or developers of such businesses wish to site that business in Wales? Currently, it would appear that WAG may have a vision, but has nor been able to verbalise how that may be achieved and the costs and timescales involved.

As one who is helping one of those new hig-tec, niche, fast expanding, global businesses to grow, the owners are thinking of moving this business away from Wales due to its poor infrastructure and also lack of vision. from Cardiff Bay.

Compared with many other countries, Wales has an antiquated infrastructure regarding roads, rail, air and internet – none of which are suitable for the 21st century, or for rapid communications with the rest of the world.

It also has high business taxes, taxes on job creation (employer’s NI) and is over-regulated. To readers of its press and blogs, there would appear to be more priority and debate at WAG regarding legislation around the Welsh language than on achieving economic development.

As a high-tec company we require our prospective employees to have an excellent all-round education, be fluent in written and spoken English and have at least one other international language, have very good degrees with a post graduate specialism – hence our last two recruits have been from Morocco and Hong Kong. In the last two years we have established branches in the Middle East and Texas and just this morning received an invitation for a jv in India.

We are not able to compete with the public sector on holidays and do not pay overtime for hours worked outside of normal office hours. We also expect employees to travel in their own time.(except long haul flights).We are competing in an international marketplace, something that the public sector has yet to realise.

When the Welsh public sector adopts the economies, ethos and culture of a competitive private sector and leads by example, then perhaps Wales will start to attract private sector investment.