CHARLES Darwin, way back in August 1836, announced that “If the misery of our poor is caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, (then) great is our sin.”Inherent in this pronouncement is the fundamental tenet that ‘bad governance’ is the root of a nation’s poverty, and Finance Minister, Winston Jordan seems to be quite Darwinian in his thinking; he goes further, though, stating that he intends to effectively fight poverty in Guyana.
With this desire uppermost in his mind, Minister Jordan harps on two motifs, namely, ‘Bad Governance’ and ‘Corruption’, and couches in them the undeniable fact that Guyana is not a rich nation and many are still languishing in the inescapable quagmire of indigence.
Overall, poverty is a global issue, and statistically, almost half the world, that is over three billion people, are forced to subsist on less than US$2.50 per day. That is like G$500; not enough for a burger or roti and curry, a luxury for many here in Guyana.
Minister Jordan is optimistic, and plans to have a more egalitarian society, as he must be aware that one of the issues in the world is that of the unequal and cruel wealth distribution, pandering to the greed of the few rich.
It is common knowledge among economists and lay people that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 40-and-more Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), comprising some 567 million people, is less than the wealth of the world’s seven richest peoples combined. Shocking! Cruel! Alas, but very true!
In Guyana, even though no statistical survey can be quickly consulted to portray Guyana’s microcosm in this “few-rich’ world, it is obvious that the enormous national wealth resides with just a few; a select coterie.
The Head of Finance seems to be fully set where these realities are concerned, as he has already announced plans to make Guyana a country “on firm economic grounds.” He speaks of a 20/20 vision for Guyana and Guyanese to “look forward to a good life,” boldly heralding his twin theme of ‘Poverty and Accountability’, where he explains that “a nexus exists” and must be dealt with.
He states that whenever there is an ‘unaccountable Government’, poverty will be the consequence. In revisiting Guyana’s immediate past, the Minister points out that the country is steeped in inequality, where “poverty in the hinterland and also pockets of the same in rural and urban areas is too widespread and most evident.”
It should be noted that roughly two-thirds of Guyana’s citizens are currently living in poverty, or almost one-third of the population can be classified as being ‘extremely poor’. Most of the poor live in rural areas, and work as agricultural labourers. What is most damning, however, is that even though Guyana’s farmers have access to adequate land resources, their productivity is extremely low. One can only give as the reason for this contradiction ‘poor governance’.
Poverty hinges on disposable income, too, and this means that education and health are negatively affected by a lack of adequate income. In Guyana, the score is negatively high as regards ‘the highest maternal mortality rates’ in Latin America. Its infant mortality rate is the 66th highest in the world, with 34.45 deaths per 1,000 live births.
These grave facts are consistent with poverty trends, as it is known that the poorest people will also have less access to health, education and other services. Problems of hunger, malnutrition and disease afflict the poorest in society. The poorest are also typically marginalised from society, and have little representation or voice in public and political debates, making it even harder to escape poverty.
In recent times, the World Bank has been working in Guyana to refocus on public expenditure to improve the infrastructure and the quality of health, education, and water services. Advocating for the privatisation of most industries, the World Bank hopes to increase opportunities for investment, and conserve Government resources.
The United Nations Development Programme is also working to empower vulnerable people in Guyana by improving the economic status of Indigenous groups, and establishing community livelihood projects that will create jobs.
Minister Jordan has already started planning, and according to him, that planning is based on ‘feedback’, and the establishment of an ‘élite group of specialists’ headed by Guyana’s own Professor Clive Thomas, whose international acclaim is well established.
In Minister’s Jordan’s estimation, the ‘disease of corruption’ is co-existent with that of poverty. He also sees bad governance as not only the mother of poverty, but as a strategy by dictators to ensure its longevity and perpetuation.
He therefore promises that wherever corruption is found, “it has to be rooted out; big as well as small corruption.”
The Finance Head says that for too long, many ‘select officials’ have been pilfering from the national coffers, as in the case of the abuse of State property and resources, even to the point of furnishing their relatives and other associates with free fuel.
If, therefore, accountability will now be enforced (and State assets recouped), it means that wealth belonging to the nation will not be exclusive to those in Government and their associates, but will be appropriately used, and thus poverty will have been dealt a serious blow. At least, that is how Minister Jordan is thinking and planning.