The reality of poor Guyana

Dec 24, 2011 Editorial

The wider world takes pride in describing Guyana as a poor country. At one time this country was said to be the poorest country in the western hemisphere after Haiti. There were some who considered Guyana poorer than Haiti, a contention that sparked heated debates and a slew of letters in the press.
Of course, since those days a lot has happened to Haiti. There was the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010 that set back the country to the extent that foreign missionaries and others are taking Haitian children out of the country ostensibly for the purpose of offering them a far superior life. People still live in tent cities in the Haitian capital and diseases that had all but disappeared from the face of the earth have re-emerged.
Guyana has never been hit by an earthquake or a hurricane. It has been hit by floods but these have been decades apart and have not caused any significant long term disruption of national life. But the country, with a very small population when taken against its size, and an abundance of natural resources, continues to be very poor.
But to tell the average Guyanese that his country is poor would be to incur his anger. He would point to the edifices being constructed, to the new housing schemes that are emerging, to the ambitious programmes being undertaken, not excluding the hydro electric project anticipated to cost some US$850 million, and to the proposed airport expansion programme that would see the lengthening of the runway to accommodate just about every aircraft that ever took to the skies.
He would also point to the crowds that foreign entertainers attract despite the fact that they charge a mini-fortune to see them. They would point to the boutiques that offer clothes at exorbitant prices. They would also point to the large number of people who send their children to private lessons to supplement the teaching offered in the public schools and even in the private schools which are in no way cheap.
A recent study found that about sixty per cent of the population lives in poverty with about half of that group living in abject poverty. Some people argue that the level of poverty is due to the absence of jobs. And from all appearances it would seem that there are not enough jobs. There are simply not enough new businesses.
Yet we see people riding private taxis like nobody’s business. Above all we see people buying cars, albeit reconditioned cars, at an alarming rate. Gone are the days when a series comprising 9,999 cars lasted more than three years. And that was an alarming rate for a country with less than a million people because it translated to just about ten vehicles being sold every day.
Today, a series is gone through in a year. And there seems to be a quickening in the rate of sales. About 30 vehicles are being sold each day. This means that the people are more affluent. Some argue that because the country is so poor there is a marked dependence on an inadequate public transport system that is operated by private individuals.
This has led to people opting to acquire their own modes of transport at a cost. The commercial banks with tons of money in their vaults and precious little investments abegging, are seeking ways to make these deposits work. One way is to make low interest loans. Half a loaf is better than none. They are lending to consumers to buy motor vehicles.
But there is an offshoot to this false sense of prosperity. The roads have always been inadequate and with the influx of vehicles they have become impassable. The cars and other vehicles roll bumper to bumper along the streets at a snail’s pace.
Parking is a nightmare. City Hall may consider constructing parking lots. Investors may also wish to make multi-storeyed parking garages. That is going to be a sure money spinner given the influx of cars and the absence of parking space in the city.
But these things do not signal our riches. What they do is highlight the vast inequality between the haves and the have nots with the former making increasing demands on the latter.

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The reality of poor Guyana

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