Dear Editor,
In our opinion, a country or society should be judged in relation to Human Development (HDI). The classical use of GDP is only a monetary marker for the market value of all final production of goods and services in a specific time period. It does not measure human, physical and material concerns, taking into account the wellbeing (not necessarily happiness) of ordinary people. HDI speaks of alleviation of poverty, and accompanying conditions of protein energy malnutrition, disease, and backwardness among the masses.
GDP is generally used to measure and compare the growth of a country with that of other countries or with itself during another time period. While this measure of growth is important for evaluating long term economic progress as well as comparing short term outputs, it is very deficient in portraying the actual development of a nation. It is a skewed measure. It does not portray the educational, cultural upliftment, inter-racial cooperation and harmony, physical and mental health, noise and atmospheric pollution, access to natural recreation, and, most importantly, cultivation and nurturing of the family as a unit. For, indeed, the family is the most basic institution from whence all immutable values, morals, and principles, originate. Without strong familial cohesiveness, there is a preponderance of crime, illiteracy, and poverty. It says nothing about socio-political well-being or the level of political, civic, and religious corruption so pervasive in societies, and probably is counted in the GDP, but is severely antithetical to development.
Another setback for poor countries is that this measure does not present a clear picture of poverty to people and NGOs that have altruistic intentions of wanting to help alleviate poverty in these countries. Jeffrey Sachs (Millennium Development Goals) wanted to eliminate hunger by 2025. Well intentioned, well respected, his dream seems to be a “dream deferred”. This is an old problem, because those who hold the reins of power give only lip service to the issue instead of creating the conditions and providing the information that will facilitate these intentions.
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index measure of life expectancy, education (Literacy Rate, Gross Enroll-ment Ratio at different levels and Net Attendance Ratio), and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country scores a higher HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the gross national income GNI per capita is higher.
Since this measurement takes several of the factors into account that regular GDP does not, it therefore tends to lower the ranking for some of the most advanced countries, such as the G7 members and others.
The use of this alternative or secondary method of measuring the health of the Guyanese nation was suggested by Gokarran Sukhdeo in a letter published in Stabroek News on December 30, 2019. Gokarran, described by one of his colleagues as a renaissance man, is a person who likes to explore outside the box. An earlier exploration of his (SN December 19, 2007) in seeking an international means of measuring corruption in Guyana culminated in the formation the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc three years later.
This suggestion to adopt an alternative measurement of national well-being might therefore be worth re-examining.
One must also observe that Gokarran’s proposal for developing what he terms the “Wales Economic Basin” follows a similar holistic and “out of the box” approach. Herein was sought the imperative that sugar resorts to a holistic and diversified approach.
We further add that this approach must be absolutely people friendly to the extent that it should eventually lead, not just to resuscitation of Guysuco, and revitalizing of the national economy, but also show an encouraging and consistent increase in the Human Development Index.
Such an approach for a sustainability is not new. Sugar has forever been subsisting on the border of bankruptcy, and more so since it was nationalized. To this extent, several key differences between Guysuco and Bookers might help us understand why Bookers stayed afloat while Guysuco sunk like a rock within a few years of nationalization. 1. The dynamic nature of Bookers – always a step ahead in labour relations; workers welfare; crop husbandry and rotation; capitalization; 2. Sir Jock Campbell’s linkages – shipping; marketing; pricing involvement in both output and input; commercialism; livestock and dairy – indeed every industrial aspect of life in Guyana. But Guysuco divested itself of all linkages, alienated itself from external pricing mechanisms of both input and output, instituted the sugar levy, robbing workers of profit sharing. One must never forget the principle by which the Fabian Sir Jock, who did more for poor sugar workers in Guyana than any other person, lived and practiced, “People are more important than ships, shops and sugar estates.”
So, we feel that it is especially important at this juncture in our economic history that we seek “out of the box” solutions, and utilize these alternative measurements so that we may avoid the traditional mistakes of almost all oil producing countries. The number one result of an inundation of oil wealth is a skewed income distribution, resulting in large pockets of poverty, sometimes existing on the very fringes of affluent cities, and even within. Other major mistakes include neglect of their agricultural sector and subsequent starvation of their people. One must understand that food is not only a political weapon, but also an instrument of manipulation, coercion, and humiliation – all of which result in the dissipation of independence and sovereignty. When this occurs, other festering sores directly and indirectly spring up – drugs and crime to name two. Which in turn, themselves lead to a cyclical set of problems – migration, stifling of local and foreign investment, the latter primarily by overseas Guyanese wanting to re-migrate. And so the wheel goes around.
We speak now about Guyana in regard to a specific problematic issue. For a very long time we have been reading in the Guyana press about crime; and we are not talking of everyday petty crimes or white-collar crimes! Front page news flashes – stabbing, shooting to death, murder, rape in gruesome, gory and obscene details – bombard our sensibility regularly. This is horrifying, abnormal, and abysmally sick. These crimes happen all over the country. Something seems dreadfully wrong in the Guyanese society as a whole. There is a degenerate sickness. There is a decay, morally speaking. There is a spiritual deficit. The nation has been sliding down over the years in this regard. It seems that people take the crime news with benign acceptance, thus normalizing crime, crudity and coarseness, and offensive behaviour.
Dr. Dolly Hassan observed (SN Septem-ber 14, 2020): Today, when I occasionally glean the daily Guyanese newspapers, I am amazed at the frequent stories of some gruesome murder somewhere. These murders transcend race and socio-economic class. Sometimes the perpetrator is an enraged spouse or partner, a competitor, a disinherited family member, or anyone felt wronged, even for the slightest of reasons. Murder, it seems, has now become the most expedient way to resolve disputes and settle grievances. Severing a limb or life appears to be no big deal. It’s “what we do!”.
Thus, Guyana has become or is rapidly becoming the world record holder of numerous ignominious titles. Even suicide. (In this context, one must recognize the Caribbean Voice for continuing its strong activism in the addressing this national Guyanese malady.)
Guyanese need to regain core moral values – respect for self, respect for others, truth, integrity, courtesy, good manners. Morality must be second nature, like a habit, ingrained into the psyche, like reflective muscle memory.
Older folks may remember “Courtesy Rules and Maxims”. Society as a whole must act holistically for amelioration. The home must be primary; schools paramount; NGOs and business integrally involved – all for regaining decency – to be integrated in the moral fabric of the nation and in everyday activities and behavior. The country needs a new norm. Please take back your country. If this sounds like an indictment, it is. Everyone must behave well because ‘all are involved’.
Yours faithfully,
Gary Girdhari PhD and Gokarran
Sukhdeo MA
