According to the 2009 Country Poverty Assessment, more Belizeans are
poor than ever before or at least when compared to 2002. The figures released
last week show that 142,000 Belizeans – which is 43% of the population
– are considered poor while 16% of the population or 52,000 Belizeans
are very poor. The figure is up sharply from 2002 when the previous survey was
taken. The assessment done in April 2009 was one year into the term of Prime
Minister Dean Barrow. Still, he didn’t shy away from it; he told us yesterday
that it is a reality his government met and is trying to mend.
Keith Swift,
“Poverty has risen from 33% to 43%. Poverty in Corozal is almost double
what it was in 2002. What’s your take on the whole situation with poverty?”
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
“Well Keith let’s get the facts straight, it is not in the same
period. We came into office in 2008 and the study has as its baseline I think
the year 2002 so it is over an extended period. But I am sure that there is
not going to be any effort on the part of anyone to try and avoid the facts;
over whatever period poverty has grown and it has to be a continuing battle
on the part of us as a government, on the part of the entire society to deal
with that. Clearly I continue to feel that especially for the immediate future
we do have to place a lot of reliance on the flows of funds that we are able
to unlock from abroad because the economy is going through a recession.
I am hoping that when I get the figures for the last quarter, it shows
that we are coming out of the recession but until then, we have to go with what
is and so we are strapped in terms of the local economy, we are strapped in
terms of the local revenue generation efforts, and therefore there is this reliance
on the partnership with the international community. But in that context, poverty
alleviation will have to be at the forefront, completely central to the development
agenda of the country.”
The poverty line is $10 per day – that is, those who don’t
have ten dollars a day to spend on food are considered poor.
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