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How is Guyana doing globally?
DEAR EDITOR,
In 2017, the Global Human Capital index, a report that ranks countries according to their effectiveness and level of human capital development, demoted Guyana below its 2015 global position of 79, by 9 positions, surpassing frail economies such as Uganda, Zambia and Kenya.
A closer look reveled that:
– within one year, 2015-2016, Guyana slipped by more than four positions in unemployment rate, for age group 25-54, and seven positions, for 55-64.
– between 2015-2017, the country’s global ranking fell by another seven positions, in relation to quality of primary education of children, age 0-15 years.
Overall, Guyana has slipped by eight positions in global ranking, in the quality of educational services provided to children, age 15-24.
– youth literacy rate also fell in global position by more than five.
According to the report, unemployment rate for youths, age 15-24, has contracted by more than nine positions, globally.
• Guyana deteriorated globally by three positions, when ranked by the Human Development Index, for the year 2016. Countries such as Namibia and Morocco have all surpassed Guyana in global ranking.
In the health sector, when compared to 2013:
– infant mortality rates, per 1,000 live births increased from 29 in 2013, to 32 in 2015.
– infants under five months has seen an increase in mortality rate, per 1,000 live birth, from 36 to 40.
– Adults have seen an increase in deaths due to tuberculosis: from 15 for every 100,000 people to 21, in 2015.
• In the latest Global Competitive Index Report for the period 2015-2016, Guyana fell in global ranking by more than nineteen positions to 121, when compared to 2014 in the following areas:
– Institutions, one of the fundamental pillars that command global ranking, deteriorated by thirteen positions, to 102 in 2016 when compared to 2015: property rights; bribes; favoritism; wasteful spending; and organized crime, have all seen massive deterioration in ranking, on average by 6 positions.
– Macroeconomic environment, another critical pillar of equal weight, deteriorated by three positions: government deficit as a percentage of GDP fell by 19 position, which, presently is now worse than that of Haiti.
– Health and primary education system declined by another two positions: Guyana is now lagging behind countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia.
• In 2017, Guyana fell in global ranking in ease of doing business by 11 positions to 126, when compared to 2014.
Notably, dealing with construction permits deteriorated from 33 positions to 163. Thus, it is now easier to do business in Ghana, Uganda, and Malawi, than in Guyana. Also, it is easier to get construction permits, electricity and register a property in Sudan, than in Guyana.
It is clear that our performance is now affecting negatively, how we are viewed internationally. The government must recognize this and deal with the bulging bureaucracy and incompetence affecting Government services in every sector.
Mohamed Irfaan Ali
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