One minute you’re in 2007; the next you’re in 2008. The point at which the second hand of the clock moves off 12 is all the difference there is between any two years. Not much really, is it? And after all the cheers, toasts and fireworks have died down, we wake up to find that whatever woes afflicted us at the stroke of midnight in 2007 were still there when 2008 was born and will remain unless we choose to do something about them.
At the beginning of 2007, the average Guyanese homemaker would have been wary of the implementation of the value added tax. Before too long, their worst fears were confirmed. Even if you don’t believe in Murphy’s Law, you would have to admit that the new tax could not have come at a worse time, even if it had been planned to come at the worst possible time.
Scarcely had it been implemented than shortages began around the world sending up the prices of food items. Not to be left out, fuel also began its skyward climb and has not left the upper echelons all year.
The fact is that the principle of ‘what goes up must come down’ simply does not apply to the prices of consumer items. Again, Murphy’s Law at work – and remember, Murphy was said to be an eternal optimist.
In March last year, grassroots women, through Red Thread, spoke of their typical 12 to 14 hour working day; meagre wages and the new challenge VAT brought to this situation. Throughout the year, their countless appeals to those in authority for VAT to be less taxing have mainly gone unanswered. While several other items were added to the ‘exempt’ list, the prices were still too elevated – because of other factors – for any relief to be felt. And so their ‘frontline’ struggle continued throughout the year.
2007 also saw the continued escalation in human on human violence, particularly against women and girls and especially with regard to sexual violence. These and all other crimes had been rising in recent years and last year was no different. Robberies with violence, including gun robberies, rapes, gang rapes, incest, domestic violence, partner murders, corporal punishment and the dehumanising of children by turning them into beggars also stayed on the upper levels from year to year.
What does 2008 have to offer?
Regardless of how or why we celebrate the new year or even if we don’t, it has always been a time when we reflect on the past year – its challenges and triumphs. For many of us the former would have far outweighed the latter and we would like to believe that the new year will be better, that things couldn’t possibly get any worse. I could have drunk a toast to that, were it not for one thing.
So far, there has been an increase in electricity tariffs, coupled with a downturn in service. While we didn’t have the completely black Christmas we had all dreaded, there were varying degrees of it. My area had several outages over the holidays, the most memorable one being on Old Year’s Night, minutes before midnight so that when 2008 arrived, I was burning emergency lights and candles. A sign of things to come?
Wages and salaries have been increased by nine per cent for some and a little more for others. But food items will continue to go up. Any further VAT relief seems unlikely, and therefore could be a pleasant surprise if it does come about.
A ‘special fund’ to assist single parent households is to come on stream, President Bharrat Jagdeo said in his New Year’s message. Of course, the helpfulness of this support would have to be measured against how much it would be and how it is to be applied.
Rape law reform is on the books for this year after months of consultations of the Human Services Ministry’s ‘Stamp it out’ white paper. Legal draughtsmen will no doubt soon set about crafting a document that incorporates the most coherent of the views expressed and this will duly be presented to the Parliament. But don’t feel chuffed as yet. The real work will only begin after the ayes have been counted (wonder if there will be any nays?) and it would have been signed into law by the President. The challenge will be ensuring that it doesn’t go the way of the Termination of Pregnancy Act or the Domestic Violence Act, that is, into disuse.
