The president indicated for the second time during his recent annual speech that there is light in the tunnel. Then again in 2021 annual speech he spoke about the light. Apparently only the president can see the light at the end of the tunnel because the people are still seeing darkness and wondering if there is any end to the president’s tunnel.
Striking in the speech of the government leader was that poverty in our country has increased and many people agree that the policy needs to be changed. The call for quality of life is getting more serious that ever. More than 27 months have past and the community has been rocked with many corruption scandals, rising inflation due to a runaway currency exchange resulting in rising prices and diminishing purchasing power leading to poverty.
The measures that have been taken by the government were fruitless. Neither the retention scheme, nor the currency interventions nor the open market operations whereby term deposits are auctioned to local banks at exorbitant interest rates, have achieved their goal. It can be concluded from these actions by the government that only a select group has benefited. Its sad to say that the community has never been protected from the effects of the turbulence currently unfolding in our economy.
Indeed! There needs to be a policy change. There must be policies that are beneficial to society as a whole and not merely friends and family and party loyalists. The pricing policy must be dealt with immediately. The Minister of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation together with the Economic Control Service are nowhere to be seen. The prices of goods and services rise in the blink of an eye and not a rooster crows.
The minimum wage that was set in May of this year is no longer sufficient. The prevailing exchange rate at that time was SRD 21 to the US dollar. An exchange rate of SRD 29 is currently used, making the poverty line obsolete. It is advisable to subject the minimum wage to a thorough evaluation and to re-establish it. The current economic situation is unbearable for many. Government you are called upon to put your words into action.
Mr. P. Kensenhuis
NDP/DNA member
