POVERTY

Despite the protests from the detractors, the Government of Belize led by Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño has accomplished much in the two years since they assumed stewardship of this country. Those same detractors would like to believe that nothing much has changed since they held fifty-two per cent of the entire population and sixty per cent of children under fourteen captives in the desperate and deadly grip of abject poverty. Under their care, thousands of Belizeans experienced a meagre existence while the UDP and their cronies lived high off the hog. Economic growth and development were truncated by the lack of vision, expertise and empathy of the UDP Cabinet. That meant that Belizeans suffered, but those in the more vulnerable communities, such as rural areas, children, and Belizeans who did not complete basic education were left abandoned and alone to try to scrape out a living any way they could. Hunger and malnourishment stemming from food insecurity, lack of access to shelter, and health services and basic needs left more than half of our population behind.

The most recent survey and study on Multidimensional Poverty in Belize paints a more comprehensive picture of the actual state of events and provides hard data that provides empirical evidence that this PUP Government of Belize works for Belizeans. Health, Education, Living Standards and Employment are the categories of deprivations that people experience concurrently and this study uses the Alkire-Foster method to quantify, examine and use them to determine the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). The MPI is then used to determine where the most vulnerable populations are and are used to direct both policy and resources to alleviate these circumstances. It allows monitoring and evaluation of the interventions over time so that appropriate responses can follow.

While in 2018 there were 201,616 people who were living under the poverty line this new and more comprehensive study shows that already those figures have reduced to 133,516 and that this government has ensured through its many initiatives, policies and legislation and hard work that 68,100 more people in Belize no longer live in poverty. The evidence shows that the new minimum wage had a positive impact on 43,000 people living and working in Belize, and this will reduce poverty even more. There are some curious data for instance that we must mention during Women’s Month, the incidence of poverty in a female-led household is only 24.7 per cent as compared to 31.1 per cent in male-led households. The data also shows that the demographic hardest hit by poverty are those under the age of fourteen. It clearly shows that there is an increased incidence of poverty in households where the family and number of children are greater and the level of education attained by adults is lower. The data reveals that geography is also a factor, 7 in 10 of people living in poverty are from rural areas. The truth is often uncomfortable and hard truths burn hot like habanero peppers on the tongues of those who are poor in conscience, spirit and heart. Cheap comedy shows and empty rhetoric will not mislead Belizeans. The People’s United Party will leave no one behind, and the policy, the motivation and the battle cry are always the same…Serve the People!