Finance Minister bemoans developed countries’ efforts in unattained MDG

Mar 06, 2015 News

By Kiana Wilburg
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh yesterday lashed out at developed

(From left) Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira, Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Khadija Musa.

countries that have failed after 35 years, to ensure that the Eighth Millennium Development Goal (MDG)—Global partnership for development—was attained.
He was at the time offering brief remarks at a workshop held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Turkeyen which sought to take a firsthand look at the data collected so far on Guyana’s status in relation to achieving the MDGs.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals established by the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration to be achieved by 2015.
This year’s report will be the final account on Guyana’s progress in relation to the eight MDGs which will capture the period 2011 to 2014. The workshop attracted members from the private sector, environmentalists, health care workers and officials from the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank. Also present was Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, and UN Resident Coordinator and

Some of the participants at the workshop yesterday.

UNDP Resident Representative Khadija Musa.
Dr. Singh, who is responsible for monitoring the progress of the MDGs, reminded the gathering that the last report would have shown that Guyana is on course, as some MDGs were achieved such as Tertiary and primary education, gender equality and environmental sustainability.
He noted that government was also concerned about MDG Five which spoke to improving maternal health. For 2014, there were 18 recorded cases of maternal deaths, 10 of which were at Georgetown Public Hospital. This led government to place more emphasis on the matter and how new strategies and solutions can be devised to effectively handle the matter.
While the time draws nearer for the 2015 report to be produced, Dr. Singh said that Guyana will be judged, but noted that the country will receive favourable reviews. However, the Finance Minister said that he would want to be the first to speak on the somewhat elusive attainment of certain MDGs.
Looking back on all that has taken place, the politician said that Guyana is a moderately resourced country and that it does not engage in the luxury of saying that citizens being in remote areas exempts or prevents them from being considered as part of efforts to achieve the MDGs. He said, too, that some of the goals were achieved because they were aligned with the nation’s priorities and national policy-making framework which helped significantly.
After extending heartfelt thanks to Musa, her team and international partners, for their unrelenting support and honouring their agreements, he proceeded to speak on his “favourite topic” in this regard; MDG Eight: Develop a global partnership for development.
The Finance Minister reminded that in 1970, a United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution was passed, in which the members gathered in solemn and serious deliberations and moved a resolution that the developed world would deliver development support equivalent to 0.7 percent of Gross National Income to the developing world within a time frame of five to 10 years. That should have been achieved by 1980.
Thirty-five years later, Dr. Singh highlighted that perhaps, only six developed nations of the world are remotely close to meeting that obligation. He firmly asserted that most of the developed world is woefully falling short when it comes to meeting their obligations.
“It is a crying shame, because I am lectured to everyday about meeting my obligations and I have no problem. I have to meet my obligations… but I have a difficulty with the global community, particularly the very community that lectures me on my failure to meet my obligation…for I have a difficulty with it failing to meet its obligation,” the politician stressed.
In fact, the Minister went as far as to say that MDG Eight, even after subsequent conversations, is the most under accomplished in the entire framework. Dr. Singh told his attentive audience that the truth of the matter is that there must be global commitment to development.
“Until we accept that as a philosophical truth, we will be in my mind, tinkering at the periphery and flirting at the fringes,” he added.
Dr. Singh also criticized the calls by the international community to measure Guyana’s development through remittances. The Finance Minister was quick to say that it is not an official flow.
“You can’t count it as an official flow when my poor Guyanese nurse goes to New York and works and saves and sets aside her own money, foregoing that fancy dress or fancy dinner she wanted, just to send money to her niece in Guyana so that she can go to school and write a few extra exams…You want to call that development flow? You want to call the earnings of my hardworking nurse in New York as an official flow to mask the fact that you are underperforming against your 1970 target. That’s bad, bad.”
UNDP Representative Musa said that as the stakeholders work towards producing the 2015 report, it is imperative to collect and analyze data to ensure that right conclusions and results are obtained and the data provided is interpreted in the right context. She noted too that it is beneficial to have a wide cross section of stakeholders to partake in the discussions of success and challenges of the MDGs. The UN representative asserted however, that despite the struggles, Guyana has done well in achieving some of those goals.
Musa urged the participants to engage fully in the workshop and told them not to hesitate in being critical. She said that they should “call a spade a spade” in order to contribute meaningfully to the seminar, as it is an important process in moving forward.