We must raise standard of living

THE EDITOR: I have recently read a survey in an article in one of our daily newspapers on poverty in our country. It is outrageous to see so many people in our country living under the poverty line.

I believe our country has enough money to feed the people in our country and to take them out of poverty. We have investors from all over the world wanting to invest in our country. If people want to invest in one’s country, it means the country’s economy is great. One of your Ministers said in an interview recently that the oil revenue shows that one person can benefit over $400,000,000. The price of our basic needs is too high. There is no control over the businessmen in this country who sell their goods to the citizens of this country at ridiculous prices, especially to the poor man. This minimum wage you are offering to poor people can’t even “stop a hole” for a family of two.

Imagine working for $56 a day. The cost of living is so high, how can one feed a family of four? With a light bill to pay, water rate, schooling for your children, transportation and other taxes. Our national anthem said, “Every creed and race finds an equal place”. Where is the place for those under poverty. Mr Prime Minister, we need to eradicate poverty in this country, starting with feeding our nation’s children by providing breakfast and lunch in school, giving them free education and I mean free, not opening an institution or school and boasting on how many schools you have opened but provide them with books, uniforms and transportation, while making tertiary education affordable for poor people. Do something better with the minimum wage.

Free medical and dental plans for our nation’s children. Open more programmes like YTEPP so people can get skills to open their own businesses while making loans accessible to them. Building more homes that very affordable so everyone can have a proper and comfortable home to live in, reduce taxes and the cost of our basic needs, and set up a system where foodstuff prices and other basic commodities can be controlled by the government. We need to eradicate poverty from our country right now. We have the resources and the economy to do this.

JOANN GRANDISON
Concerned Citizen