With 40 days remaining until the elections, parties such as the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have been asking the electorate for a trade: votes in exchange for policies that will eliminate poverty. On several occasions, the party has cited World Bank statistics stating that 48 percent of the population is impoverished. However, this data predates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and does not account for the influence of three operational oil ships.
As a result, questions have arisen about the true state of poverty in Guyana.
On Thursday, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo announced that the government plans to update poverty statistics through a household income and expenditures survey. He made this assurance during an engagement with the press at Freedom House.
During the discussion, journalists reminded Jagdeo that the existing poverty data, particularly those referenced by institutions like the World Bank, continue to be used for critical discourse. Jagdeo acknowledged this while noting that this data is no longer reflective of current realities, especially considering the considerable increases in disposable income over the past five years.
“If you compare the wage bill of 2020 to today, it’s nearly $120 billion more. That’s a lot of money. That’s approximately US$600 million more per year going into the pockets of public servants…”
While highlighting such economic improvements, Jagdeo underscored the necessity of conducting an updated survey to accurately assess the current poverty situation.
