Declining standards

Nov 17, 2018 Letters

Editor,
In examining the broken promises of the APNU/ AFC Government, I wish to highlight the following two commitments in their manifesto: Improve the health care system to regional and international standards; Youth employment and development.
This is another ambitious target. According to the Human Capital Index, an assessment done by the World Bank, given Guyana’s current education and healthcare systems, the productivity of a child 18 years from now would be a mere 47% of his/her true potential.
In other words, because of existing poor health and education care facilities, the true potential of our future generation would be curtailed by more than 50%. In fact, due to our lagging health care system, the report furthered outlined that 75% of total adolescents (15 years old) in Guyana will survive until age 60, the lowest in the Caribbean and Latin America, which is below global average.
In similar report, the 2016 Human Development Index, when compared to 2013, infant mortality rates, per 1,000 live births, have increased from 29 to 32 in 2015. Similarly, infants under five months have seen an increase in mortality rate, per 1,000 live birth, from 36 to 40, during the similar period.
Adults on the other hand, have seen an increase in deaths due to tuberculosis from 15 for every 100,000 people to 21 in 2015.
The 2017 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 nine, surpassing frail economies such as Uganda, Zambia and Kenya.
A closer look at the some of the key indicators revealed that within one year, 2015-2016, Guyana slipped by more than four positions in unemployment rate, for age group 25-54, and seventh position, for 55-64. Ironically, the Government boasts of job creation.
Furthermore, 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. Concomitantly, 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.
From all the analysis, it is clear that this Government failed in every sector to deliver to the Guyanese people based on their manifesto commitment. A breach in this contract between the Government and people required termination and the results of LGE 2018 did exactly that.
Mohamed Irfaan Ali MP

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