Our Quality of Life on the Brink!

It is an understatement when I say that the quality of life in Belize is in a downward spiral and is cause for serious concern. The reality in Belize today is that everyone is feeling the impact of an economy on the brink of collapse. The rich, middle class and the poor, nobody has been spared. The only difference is that the rich and the middle class have enough “fat” to try to weather the storm while the suffering for the poor becomes unbearable. When there is an overall collapse in any country it is usually the poor people who feel it the most.

The worrying thing about the economic, social and infrastructural breakdown our country is experiencing today is that the Government of the day has little workable solutions on how to address any of these problems. Just take a look around the country and you will see a decrepit infrastructure; go to the public hospitals and you will see a healthcare system in shambles; examine the performance of our education system and you will see why so many of our children are not completing school; and take a look at the news during the evenings and you will see a country being held hostage by violent criminals. There is only so much a people can take before anarchy sets in. If we are not careful, we will become a failed state like many African nations going through civil war.

Crime

Some people say that one should not play politics with crime. But when you have an impotent and clueless Minister in charge of such a vital ministry, it would be unpatriotic not to call him out. It is high-time that the Prime Minister removes the Hon. Carlos Perdomo as the minister in charge of our National Security.  Can’t the Prime Minister see that the then Commissioner and the then Chief Executive Officer were not the only problem?

When addressing crime there is need to look seriously at the policies the government has implemented. It is obvious that the 360 approach to fighting crime (the brainchild of Minister Perdomo) has failed miserably. For example, if the Police Department needs more equipment, training and manpower, then it is the duty of the minister responsible to lobby for those things in Cabinet. To date, Minister Perdomo has failed to make any substantial impact in the way our security forces operate. If Minister Perdomo cannot even take care of his own constituency, how in the world will his policies help to make our nation safer? Statistics show that violent crimes are on the rise and our youth is slaughtering themselves in our streets. With no end to the violence in sight it’s time to make the change, Mr. Prime Minister!

Healthcare

There are many factors that influence the health status and a country’s ability to provide quality health services for its people. Improved healthcare underpins human development and well-being in both the developed and developing worlds. Ministries of health are important actors in the effort to provide quality healthcare, especially in a nation like Belize. It is clear then that the Ministry of Health in Belize has failed us miserably. Just count the number of babies that have died this year. If the Prime Minister and other high ranking members of the government can get dengue, then that shows how bad the health system in our country is. What did the Prime Minister think would have happened when he appointed an electrician to be the Minister of Health?

A healthy society can help to improve economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more. Ill-health is one of the major reasons why people become or remain poor. It causes poverty through diminishing productivity, reducing household income and increasing health expenditure. Today our health system is on the verge of collapse with no improvements in sight. To date, Minister Marin has failed to make any positive impact on healthcare in Belize. It’s time to make the change Mr. Prime Minister!

Dilapidated Infrastructure

The quality of infrastructure also plays a critical part on the quality of life experienced in a country. In Belize, the poor state of infrastructure is perhaps the most binding constraint to reducing poverty or improving the standards of living for people. For example, if there are inadequate feeder roads, how will the farmer bring his fruits and vegetables to the market for sale? This reality holds true for all industries, not only agriculture.

In Belize housing is a mess; we often don’t know when the next blackout will occur; the roads are treacherous and have claimed many lives, and not all our people have access to potable water. The presence of adequate infrastructure affects poverty in two ways. ‘Firstly, it underpins the processes of development which help to reduce poverty and, secondly, it helps the poor access basic services which they need to improve their lives. Having adequate infrastructure fosters ‘inclusive development’ which is about improving the incomes and lives of all members of society, particularly the poor.

Among the very poor, however, maintaining rural roads, supplying clean water and providing functioning sanitation facilities should be the first priorities for this government. To date, Minister Boots has failed to make any positive impact on the infrastructure in Belize. It’s time to make the change Mr. Prime Minister!

The Cost of Living Too High

One of the most damaging factors on the quality of life in a country, especially for the most- needy, is the cost of living. Over the last eighteen months the cost of living has increased significantly in Belize, which means that our people are getting poorer. Under the United Democratic Party, the value of $1 has gone down to $0.90. Inflation hurts our standard of living because we have to pay more for the same goods and services. If our incomes do not increase at the same rate as inflation, we will find our standard of living continuing to decline. Today it is common to hear people complain that when they go to the store it does not seem like anything is cheap anymore.

Poor people are definitely the hardest hit when there is inflation since they spend the greatest proportion of their incomes on food and transport, both of which are on the rise in Belize. With the looming increases to fuel, water, and food, the most basic of needs will continue to be out of the reach of many Belizeans. That is alarming when we consider that 33% of our people live in poverty.

The other important factor to look at is that poor people have limited substitution possibilities in their budgets since they already purchase items that are cheaper on the shelves. Poor families have little or no buffer against the loss of income, no savings and very limited access to borrowing. If the cost of goods continues to increase unabated, Belizean will continue to struggle to feed, clothe, or provide shelter for their families.

When poverty exists, it means that there is a lack of the basic human development which leads to poor health, malnutrition, educational underdevelopment, crime and violence and many other social ills. Mr. Prime Minister, if these issues are not addressed expeditiously the repercussions will be far too great for all of us. To date, you have failed to bring down the cost of living; you have failed to address crime; you have failed to improve our infrastructure; and you have failed to stimulate the economy. People of Belize, it is time to begin to agitate for change!

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