Comments and Responses

by Mr. Robert Persaud
INFORMATION LIAISON TO THE PRESIDENT

CLIMBING THE WORLD’S DEVELOPMENT LADDER

Guyana has again climbed further up on the development indicator as designed by the Untied Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The just-released Human Development Report 2003 situates Guyana on the Human Development Indicator (HDI) at number 92 out of 175. This is a significant jump from number 103 place, last year.
The UNDP uses a number of performance targets by which it computes the HDI of the various countries. That Guyana made such a leap up is indicative of the fact that the policies and programmes of the Administration have been compatible with the developmental goals of international organizations such as the UN.
Countries are assessed for their performance in respect of alleviation of poverty, provision of social services, eradication of hunger, gender equality and moves to improve governance and transparency in government
Guyana’s performance, according to the UN, is in stark contrast of other countries. The UNDP Administrator, Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, in introducing the report pointed out: “More than 50 nations grew poorer over the past decade.” Unlike those other countries, in a single year, Guyana moved 11 places up on the world’s human development index ladder.
According to the Human Development Report for 2003, Guyana ranks higher than Grenada, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, India, Pakistan, China, just to name a few.
It was also observed that the “political will and good policy ideas underpinning any attempt to meet the Goals (as contained in the UN Millennium Summit adopted by 189 countries) can only work only if they are translated into nationally owned, nationally driven development strategies guided by sound science, good economics and transparent, accountable governance.” This reads very much like a Government of Guyana policy statement.
The four broad UN Millennium Goals are: poverty reduction; improvement in health; improvement in education; and gender equality. Dr. Coby Frimpong, Policy Advisor to the President, speaking at the launching of the report in Georgetown pointed out that the Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) is the “vehicle to deliver these goals.”
Dr. Frimpong, a former World Bank technician, also observed that Guyana’s poverty reduction strategy rests on seven pillars: broad based jobs generating economic growth; environmental protection; stronger institutions and better governance; investment in human capital; investment in infrastructure; improved social safety nets and special intervention programmes to address regional pockets of poverty (rural and hinterland).
Earlier in the PPP/C 2001 manifesto, President Bharrat Jagdeo (as the Presidential Candidate) had informed voters: “Our people are the main focus for development. They are creators of wealth and must be the beneficiaries of the future that we will build. In this regard, we must accelerate our progress so that our people become among the most literate and healthiest in the Americas…Our schools must become a place of learning and achievement for every child. We must demand high standards and accountability for results. While malnutrition, infant and maternal mortality, and sickness due to insanitary conditions have been reduced, there are still too many of our children and mothers that need to be taken care of by our improving health care system…We have been unsparing in our assault on poverty.”
Judging from these pronouncements and others which could be found in consecutive national budgets, the emphasis and focus on human development is profound and consistent.
Beneath all the technical analyses and data in the Human Development Report, the one fact that stands out is Guyana’s development programme fits the globally accepted model. This is no mean achievement. It shows that in spite of the prevailing difficulties in Guyana and untiring efforts by some to undermine development, the country and its policy makers and implementers have stayed on track.
In nearly every area where it is prescribed that emphasis is needed, the Government has acted accordingly. Where improved governance was recommended, this has been implemented.
The administration’s critics should read the Human Development Report 2003 carefully, as their comments and observations about government’s development agenda would be better informed.
The report confirms once more that what is possible in our context has been realised. Also, the performance as reflected by the UNDP’s report means that there are greater developmental goods in store for all Guyanese.

(The author, Robert Persaud, is the Information Liaison to the President)