The Peoples Democratic Movement, Commonwealth of Dominica (PDM)

PDM Press Statements

Money Spent is not a measure of progress

P.D.M wishes to impress upon the Skerrit Administration and to caution the people of Dominica that a country’s progress is not measured by the amount of money spent by this or that Ministry. And, whether or not the quality of life of a people is improved is not judged by the amount spent on one project or another.

What matters is the benefits which the money spent by a Ministry or on a project bring to the population as a whole or to the particular segment of the population together by the money spent. That is to say, the jobs created. The opportunities provided for self-employment. The income going into people’s pockets. And whether or not that income enables our people to cope with the high cost of living which increases from day to day.

Government’s Public Relations Officer is well known for wasting scarce and hard-earned public revenue by going on radio and doing addition and subtraction, telling listeners how much money Government has spent here, there and everywhere. And he hopes our people will be gullible enough to believe that spending money vie-kee-vie and without proper planning is all that is required to improve their standard of living.

Now, our Education Minister has joined the chorus. Like the Public Relations Officer, she took to the radio recently to sing her praises in the Ministry. She recited to the public how Government has been helping students with transportation allowance and handing out assistance to needy parents here and there. She spoke about the increased enrolment at State College and the number of students sent on University scholarships abroad, including to the U.S.A. And she took time off to defend the Universal Secondary Education programme, which some social science experts believe might well be on the main causes of much of the crime and violence taking place in our schools today.

P.D.M believes the transportation allowance to school children and assistance to needy parents to be a good thing. We also support any programme or project that makes it possible for more of our youth to go the State College and attend university abroad. And we look forward to the day when, under a P.D.M government, education will be completely free from pre-school to University.

But the Minister must come clean. She must not hide the truth from the public. She must go much further and tell the nation how the money spent on Education has prepared students to make a worthwhile contribution to the future development of our country. She must tell the nation that large numbers of children enter secondary school without being able to read or write. That these children keep back the progress of those really ready for secondary school. That they drop out of school by Form 3. And that, because of Government’s closing of the Junior Secondary Programme, these dropouts are deprived of an opportunity to develop their non-academic skills and talent by which they would have been able to lead a life as useful as their academically inclined counterparts.

The Minister must also tell the public how many of our State College graduates find a job every year in our country. How many end up on the unemployment heap and are attracted to crime and violence. And how many leave our shores never to return except on vacation.

And of those who Government sent to University abroad especially in the U.S.A, the Minister must let us know how many are persuaded to remain there and contribute to the development of these countries rather than return to Dominica to help our efforts at nation-building.

As for Government’s Public Relations Officer, instead of reading out a list of projects supposed to be in progress, and telling us how much money is being spent on each and on all, why doesn’t he tell us exactly how that money has improved the standard of living of the greater majority of our people. The unemployeds, especially the youth, the wage-workers, public servants, the fishermen, the self-employed artisans, the micro and small businesspersons, the Kalinago people, our senior citizens, our women, and the consuming public.

Has the money spent brought full-time jobs to the unemployed and occasional workers? Has it provided more pay to those lucky to find work? Has it provided feeder roads, cheap inputs, means of shipping and secure markets for the farmers? Has it opened up avenues for self-employment? Has it offered start-up money, training, incentives and concessions to small businesses and to persons like those selling bakes, bar-be-que, roast corn and ripe plantain on the side of the road?

Has the money spent gone to reduce the cost of living in general and, in particular, the cost of basic items of food, medicine, electricity, transportation and school books? Has it done anything to reduce the burden on the people imposed by VAT? Has it gone to significantly reduce the 40% per cent level of poverty faced by Dominicans on the whole? Has it gone to reduce the 70% poverty being faced by the Kalinago people, in particular. Mr. P.R.O, Madam Minister, these questions are for you.

The plain truth is that projects have been put in place and monies spent in areas that have little or no bearing on the quality of life of the greater majority of our people. Yes, infrastructural projects intending to boost the economy in the long term have been laid down. But the immediately pressing and short-term needs of the people have been largely ignored. Only a Government that lacks vision would proceed in that way.

William Para Riviere (Dr.)
Political Leader
13 September 2009

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