Politically, Guyana is not so much a divided as a completely sundered country from end to end and from year to year it seems for evermore. If one side proposed motherhood and the other side homemade bread as good things – on both sides there would be doubts and suspicions and objections. It is very sad. Perhaps a new era of “coalition” politics will make a difference, but then again, perhaps not. Over the next few months we will see.
Last year I was asked to write a piece for the Chamber of Commerce magazine Business Guyana. I sought to find a national objective which might attract support not only in civil society as a whole but from all political parties. So I wrote what follows. I fear there is still likely to be controversy but it is the best I can do.
“Why not try our best to eliminate poverty in the next 20 years as the United Nations is urging the world to do? Guyana, joining in this world-wide crusade enshrined in the United Nations ‘millennium development goals,’ can surely seek without mutual hostility to reduce poverty towards zero.
“Reaching towards this objective achieves all the element of a better life – longer and healthier life-spans, improved literacy and greater access to education at all levels, a huge increase in worthwhile jobs, reduction of crime and greatly enhanced security of persons and property, enjoyment of a wider range of goods and efficient public services and, since material good is not the be-all and end-all of existence, increased opportunity to develop and participate in those ‘activities of the mind and soul’ which distinguish a nation when at its best in peace and prosperity.
“Happily, the goal of poverty reduction should not be a contentious issue in partisan politics. The government of the day and those who seek to take their turn in governing can readily agree in this national purpose and should have no difficulty regularly meeting to thrash out the best policies and programmes to achieve the objective.
“It goes without saying that poverty reduction arises from the creation of wealth. And the creation of wealth depends crucially on attracting capital and technology from abroad. And this will happen much more readily if the conditions are found to be favourable to maximizing returns for the capital and technology invested.
“This involves the planning, building, expanding and maintenance of infrastructure to service growing economic activity. Without such works progress will inevitably be stymied and delayed. Also essential are a responsive and honest public service, a police force clearly on top of criminal activity, an independent judiciary, banking which operates efficiently and according to international norms and an educational system which can turn out the young men and women to meet the needs of rapidly developing business activity.
“Asking for all this may seem a tall order and it is. But it is by no means all that is necessary in achieving poverty reduction. Poverty reduction also entails fairer income distribution.
One estimate has found that two thirds of the recent fall in poverty world-wide has been the result of growth but, very importantly, one third has come from greater equality. Martin Ravallion, until recently the World Bank’s head of research, in a Working Paper surveying 125 developing countries, found that more equal countries cut poverty further and faster than unequal ones. The Ravallion study reckons that a 1% increase in incomes cut poverty by 0.6% in the most unequal countries but by 4.3% in the most equal ones.
“This sends a clear and insistent signal to us in Guyana. We must do everything possible to create more wealth but also make very sure that the share-out is fair. The fruits of wealth creation must be de-concentrated. And not only that. Just as justice must not only be done but be seen to be done so wealth must not only be equitably shared but be seen beyond doubt to be equitably shared. One very good reason why corruption is such a burning issue is that it is a disgraceful manifestation of wealth creation skewed blatantly in favour of a selected few.
“This is why it is absolutely critical to make sure that independent bodies such as the Procurement Commission must become permanent, functioning features of our national life. And it is also why the watch-dogs of democratic societies, the media, must be treated even-handedly under the law – no special favours, no cosy insider deals, no secret concessions, no buddy bias in public funding. Poverty reduction can only be accelerated if all are involved. And all can only be involved when it can clearly be seen that everyone is getting an equal chance to benefit.”
