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What makes people steal?
DEAR EDITOR,
The obvious reason is that people steal because they cannot afford the item(s) that they need or want. People steal for other reasons like a feeling of deprivation, peer pressure, mental health problems and for the adrenaline rush.
The onus is on the Government of the day to tackle stealing on a national level by creating policies that reduce stealing. This means removing/reducing the abovementioned reasons as well as removing/reducing the opportunity.
As an example, the Government of the day can create policies that reduce unemployment and stabilise prices (if not reduce prices).
It is too easy for Guyanese to say that we are poor “so we got to turn to stealing”, when in fact, the vast majority of poor people around the world do a hard day’s work to make ends meet.
People tend to follow behaviour that they have learnt from those in authority (be it from parents or from role models or from those in Government).
Sadly, in Guyana, there do not seem to be many good role models/mentors. And, wealth seems to be the deterministic factor in whom some people will admire. As well as, Guyanese have a tendency to tear down each other’s role models.
If I mention Cheddi Jagan, half the population of Guyana will tear him down. Similarly, if I mention Forbes Burnham, half the population of Guyana will tear him down. These are people who have fought for Guyana to become an independent nation and won. They were not perfect and may have had many flaws like most of us. But they should be admired more for their accomplishments.
Back to the topic of stealing and how to reduce it.
What policies should the APNU+AFC Government of President David Granger follow to stimulate employment and reduce prices to reduce/remove stealing? Reduction in taxation could accomplish both. I suggest a unified rate of Corporate Taxation of 25% and a unified rate of Personal Income Tax of 25%. This will give companies more money to hire more people as well as to give back to working people monies that are theirs.
Think medium to long term, as there is too much short term thinking in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Ori
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