VOICE OF THE COMMON MAN POVERTY REDUCTION: ANOTHER PLANBELIZE MILESTONE

By Hilly Bennett

There is no alternative to investing in people and their well-being and making them the central focus of all development efforts. NHDR (1996, p.3)

There was a call for the need for a new definition of the term development and a need for a new paradigm to measure development and national growth. The call has been heeded with the introduction of Belize's first MPI. Poverty and employment is integral in the assessing of a country's development and growth.

On Wednesday 8, March 2023 the Statistical Institute of Belize launched the National Multidimensional Poverty Index with a presentation on Multidimensional Poverty in Belize.

The official Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in September 2021 was 0.139, with 35.7 percent of the population being multidimensionally poor (incidence) and an intensity rate of 39 percent (the depth of poverty). It was estimated that 133,516 persons spread across 31,399 households, were multidimensionally poor. The MPI encompasses various deprivations that characterize the experience of poverty in Belize, such as the lack of education or employment, and is complementary to monetary measures of poverty. This MPI, the first for Belize, is a collaborative effort with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The MPI uses the Alkire-Foster (AF) method, which quantifies the various deprivations that individuals suffer concurrently, such as the lack of education or employment, poor health, or poor living conditions. In 2018, under the previous monetized system, monetary poverty affected 201,616 persons living in Belize. About 1 in 2 (52%) of persons were living in monetary poverty.

Prime Minister Honorable John Briceño, guest speaker at the launch, highlighted that the last four censuses in Belize conducted in 1995, 2002, 2009 and 2018, "showed us a common trend, increase in poverty with no viable avenue to control or stop it." Seemingly, the People’s United Party Government led by PM Briceño have found that avenue to stem the trend as indicated by the numbers on poverty in Belize from the SIB in September 2021.

It was the 2009 Poverty Assessment Report that had the most striking result of the increase in indigence. Indigence is extreme poverty. Indigence had jumped to 15.8 percent. Poverty as a whole had climbed to 41.3 percent. Victory Bulmer Thomas in ‘The Economic History of Belize’ wrote that when the 2009 report became available in 2011, there was the notion that something had gone seriously wrong in Belize as the country prepared to celebrate 30 years of Independence.

Considering the Poverty Assessment Report of 2018 and the notion of things something had gone awry regarding existing poverty. It is clear that the previous administration, the United Democratic Party Government, allowed the common trend, the increase in poverty, to fester— an unconscionable act and abuse of power. Lest we forget the UDPs controlled the Petrocaribe largesse, an initiative engaged by the Said Musa Government to alleviate the conditions of the poor. Additionally, there were the oil revenues, the primary surplus and savings from a successful restructuring of the commercial debt. Nonetheless, the red-hydra regime went on a spending spree on roundabouts and roads that led to nowhere, eating pibil and getting tipsy on ‘badman’. There were no cares for the people at the bottom: the marginalized, the downtrodden and the poverty-stricken masses. The UDPs leveraged both, poverty and unemployment for political gain to remain in power. The focus was on winning the next election and no consideration for the next generation. The Barrow Government transformed the mendicant society into a dependent society, where the individuals could not lift a finger to change their dire conditions.

The Prime Minister Honorable John Briceño proffered that "poverty dwells and lingers in a society inhibiting social mobility, obstructing government's ability to act, and robs from those who wish for better that which should never be taken away: HOPE." It is the writer's opinion that the Barrow Government failed to act in alleviating poverty and took the HOPE wished for by the unfortunates, replacing it with sufferation and misery. The launch marks the return of that hope for a better way of life. The reduction of poverty comes on the heels of two unprecedented PlanBelize milestones, the reduction in public debt and unemployment. These are all considered and figured in Belize's growth diagnostic as binding constraints.

Some of the highlights presented in regards to the Multidimensional Poverty by districts showed that the Toledo District had the highest percentage of multidimensionally poor persons at 60.3 percent, while the Belize District registered the lowest at 20.9 percent. Persons living in rural areas were multidimensionally poorer than those living in urban areas; 47 percent compared to 23 percent. Regarding ethnicity, 61.1 percent of Mayas were of multidimensionally poor, the highest among the major ethnic groups. With respect to educational attainment, households headed by persons who had not completed any level of education had the highest incidence of poverty at 54 percent. Ms Diana Castillo-Trejo indicated that every September a MPI assessment will be conducted.

PM Briceño was ecstatic regarding the SIB assessment of the state of poverty in Belize. Briceño said that PlanBelize was committed to halving poverty within a decade hence the numbers embedded in the report was of great significance. "My administration took office in 2020 determined to steer clear from prescriptive policies that offer temporary solutions to our development challenges, and this includes poverty reduction. The PM also reaffirmed the government's commitment to continue working towards Belize becoming the embodiment of a nation rich in opportunities, quality of life, and focused on transformation. The adoption of the first MPI will be utilized to rid Belize of the shackles of poverty and as a guide towards the development of people and country. This is surely another PlanBelize milestone achieved by the PUP Government.

BELIZE TAX SERVICE DEPARTMENT’S NOTICE HOW TO REGISTER ON IRIS?

This guide will provide a step-by-step on how to register your account:

Go to the Official Belize Tax Service Online Website Belize Tax Services (bts.gov.bz)

On the home page click the “Register for an account” button.

This link will take you to the online registration form.

Start Filling the Following Details: i. Your first & last name. ii. Your Date of Birth

Enter your Name and Date of Birth as given on your Social Security Card/Birth Certificate iii. Your Mobile Number iv. Your Email Address v. Enter a Password as per the specification given.

This will be used for request verification and important communications from Belize Tax Service.

This email address will be used to login to the portal.

• At least 1 upper case character

• At least 1 lower case character vi. Re-Confirm your Password.

This should be same as the Password field above.

Enter the appropriate Security answers to the three Questions.

• At least 1 digit

• At least 1 special character (! @#$%*)

• Minimum of 8 character

(Note: these questions will be used in the event you need to recover your password and validate your identity)

When finished, check the read and agree box for the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Now, you can click the “Submit my Registration” button.

Your user account registration has been sent.

A confirmation email will be sent to the email address you entered

Open the email and click the CONFIRM EMAIL ADDRESS button, you are now registered!

For the final step, you will need to contact Belize Tax Service to link your tax account to your online profile.

5 FEB 2023

This process will take approximately 24 hours to link.

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE SAN PEDRO, AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE

BY ORDER of the Government of Belize, Licensed Auctioneer Mr. Fitzgerald

A. Joseph will auction the following unserviceable vehicles, cycles, heavy equipment on site at the San Pedro Town Council Compound, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize District, Belize on Friday the 17th day of March, 2023, commencing at 9:00 a.m. No duties payable.