The most recent poverty assessment survey showed that 33% of Belizeans live in poverty. That's one third and no matter how many times we say it, it's still a staggering figure. And, led by long time social justice champion and sometimes socialist Assad Shoman, the experts at the Ministry of National Development mean to do something about poverty. That's why they today held a major launch for a comprehensive poverty reduction programme. It looked great on paper, except for one thing: the Minister said the approach is all wrong and to get it right Shoman's Ministry would have to slaughter those political sacred cows, who, under the Musa administration have been as safe as Hindu cows.
The leading lights of civil society and the social sector gathered today to hear the poverty reduction plan from the Ministry of National Development. Lengthy presentations were made to discuss the Poverty Assessment Report, the Poverty Elimination Strategy, and the Millennium Development Goals. Lofty plans, but at the end of it all, Minister Assad Shoman said the entire idea of poverty elimination seems airy.
Assad Shoman, Minister of National Development
"When I looked at the subjects that were given to me in this Ministry of National Development and I saw poverty elimination there, I said well Said is pulling a fast one on me; he is giving me an impossible thing to do, how do I eliminate poverty."
So for guidance Shoman went to the textbook, government's strategy.
Assad Shoman,
"And so I looked at this national poverty elimination strategy and action plan, 1998 to 2003, I don't know if you all have had access to this. And then indeed this is explained but let me let how they explain it. 'The poverty elimination approach which although resembles the reduction approach in some aspects, nonetheless tends to have a great focus on long term responses to poverty such as infrastructure and investment, along with associated economic and social planning activities.' Well I don't know who wrote that and I don't know if it helps you but it doesn't really help me very much to say how that will lead to the elimination of poverty."
Maya leader Greg Choq agreed.
Greg Choq,
"If it doesn't make sense to him, how can it make sense to those who are at the bottom?"
And that is the crisis the Ministry finds itself in, it's got all these plans and projects to eliminate poverty, but the boss says, none of it will work, because the problem is systemic not superficial.
Assad Shoman,
"Poverty cannot be eliminated by projects or by any kind of little intervention that we make for the alleviation of poverty or giving money here or there for this sort of project. Obviously if you have a country has, not 44%, but say 33% poverty, under the definition that we were given here, we are not talking about a sort of a isolated problem, we're talking about a sort of general state of the society. So its like you're like you're dealing with a whole economy situation and yet we know that the country is rich. It is only the people that are poor so you have to ask why."
And that why according to Shoman is the free market economy.
Assad Shoman,
"Obviously this so called free market economy is part of the reason why there is poverty in Belize. So really the truth is you cannot eliminate poverty if you don't look at the underlining policies that have created poverty. The gap between the rich and the poor is bigger today than it was 10 years ago."
And the only way that Shoman sees to address it is to redistribute wealth through tax reform.
Assad Shoman,
"What we have here then is a problem that isn't just like saying you have poor people and what can you do to help them, you have a more bigger problem which has to do with the structure of the economy and which of course have to do with distribution. Now what is the way, if we have to have this free market economy which apparently we do and which apparently most of unu agree with anyhow, we are not going to go about changing it but under this kind of economy, the only real way in which you redistribute wealth is through taxation. The idea there is that the people that have the most money pay taxes, government takes that money and then it uses it for the betterment who don't have so much money in education, in health, in social services, in infrastructure, in the development of small industries, whatever. But we have a tax system which does not work towards that objective so I think one of the things we have to do, I don't know if that is included in your plans Mr. Dwayne for poverty reduction to reform the tax system completely."
Now it's not quite clear how that squares with Shoman's government's refusal to slap heavy taxes on Michael Ashcroft and Barry Bowen, but Shoman makes it clear that right now, tough questions have to be asked and answered.
Assad Shoman,
"If the people who are poor will that ask question 'why we are poor,' and then they will not come to the conclusion that it is their fault which is what the rest of people want them to believe; they lazy, they neva tek opportunity to go to school, they bad that's why are poor.' If they were to conclude that, that is a lie. The reason is not that. But the reason is, what is the reason Dwayne, you know what I'm saying, something else. Maybe something to do with the economic system, maybe something to do with the distribution of wealth system, maybe something to do with the fact that in Belize, for example, 2% of the land owners own 80% of the land. That makes sense or doesn't make sense? And if they start to question that then certain are in trouble. That's why its bad to ask why we poor but we have to ask that."
So with all that socialist spiel having been spilled, the gathering at this morning event left feeling righteous but maybe not so purposeful because all
their best laid plans amount to naught if the system does not change. Greg Choq agrees.
Jules Vasquez,
Hearing what you've heard this morning, is there anything which convinces you that there is a serious workable plan to eliminate poverty?
Greg Choq,
"I don't see a serious plan to work towards the elimination or the alleviation of poverty. And yes you are right, I've always had the opinion that international donors, well I won't call them donors 'caus they don't give anything it has to be a loan, main purpose is to make money and when the IDB, the World Bank, and all the multilaterals give loans to Belize, it is in the interest of the country to ensure that those funds are used in a very prudent manner to get the best out of the financing that are being provided. But I don't see that happening and more importantly I think that the level of participation of civil society and those who are the target have not been provided for."
The poverty assessment report is available online; you can click on to it here.
