Dear Editor,
I just returned from a trip to the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They are characterized by good governance which should be emulated by all countries. I last visited these countries in 1991 and life in them seems to have only gotten better with a rising standard of living. The nationals love their countries and take required actions to keep them clean. They take pride in maintaining a safe pollution-free environment, unlike say most Guyanese in Guyana who adopt a ‘don’t care damn’ attitude strewing garbage all over the place.
They work for the betterment of their countries. It is no accident that the Nordic countries are ranked very highly on various social and economic indicators and are rated as having among the best standards of living and the least corruption among the 192 countries of the world.
There is no question that these countries are amongst the best places to live, and a few Guyanese are settled in each one, some of whom are married to natives. I met a few Guyanese who were there visiting from England. Like me, they also enjoyed their vacation there and spoke highly of the countries.
They are welfare states, meaning the government provides for the well-being of its citizens – free education, health and child care. There is a relatively equal distribution of income and people enjoy financial security in times of sickness, unemployment and retirement.
Supplementary services include help with rent payment and expenses in relation to children. Pensioners obtain retiree benefits, and women get about one year’s paid maternity leave. Workers get about six weeks paid vacation. It is possible for patients to get medical treatment overseas. With medical approval, patients can get to rest overseas on a beach. People pay very high taxes (over 50% of their income) and don’t seem to mind, because so far government services have worked.
Unlike Guyana, the Nordic countries are virtually corruption free. Politicians are straightforward and don’t play games with people, taking actions that benefit the nation rather than themselves. There is no election rigging.
The countries also have a very low crime rate. There is absolute freedom of the press and politicians are prohibited by law from inquiring about the sources of the contents of articles when critiquing them. However, Nordic journalists are credible and honest, unlike in Guyana where some of the so-called journalists engage in distortions and malicious attacks on others.
The cost of living in the Nordic countries is extremely high – twice higher than say, NY. But people earn very high incomes, much higher than in the US. In fact, the per capita income of the Nordic countries is among the highest in the world. Rents are also very high – twice that of say, NY – and the hotel rate is the highest I had to pay in all of my travels worldwide.
The building designs of the Nordic countries have not changed much from when I last visited in 1991. The architectural design is standard European as found in Holland, Spain, Italy or France. There are not many modern glass buildings as in other places in Europe. Skyscrapers don’t dot the landscape as in London or Singapore.
I felt safe moving around even at late hours of the night. I was advised to avoid certain ethnic enclaves but I did not feel unsafe visiting them in daylight hours. In the summer, it does not get dark until around 11pm and it gets bright early in the morning around 4 am when I went out for my morning walks.
People are generally friendly and helpful. Almost everyone speaks English except some of the immigrants from North Africa.
The friendliest immigrants were from Ghana and the South Asian countries and they are all making significant contributions to the development of their adopted homelands. I did not encounter much racial prejudice in any of the countries, certainly not the kind that exists say in Guyana or the US; people get along.
Life would be a haven if all countries were like the Scandinavian ones.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
