Tuesday 12 December 2017

To reduce poverty, create more jobs and ease dependency.

To begin with, I’m not an economist and I’m not pretending to be one (I don’t do that). I just happen to have an opinion as usual and here it is:

Pay increase for civil servants is awesome, particularly those in the lower salary bands. However, without providing new jobs for those who are still unemployed – you know, distribute the availability of means of securing the necessities of life, especially for families like typical Gambia’s that are so extended that even the extension of the extended family becomes family, these increases will only mean more dependency on the sole earners and supporters of such families.

So, unless we de-concentrate earning abilities, the percentage raise this year regardless, relational burden will cause these civil servants to come next year and ask for more. I’m of the belief that when more than one person in every household is gainfully engaged, and all willing to feed the kitty, the burden on individual income will lessen and that’ll encourage personal savings - a move from not affording to save to not affording to not save.

I’m not saying government should provide work for everybody, that’s not even possible. The government’s job is to employ essential people who will help create the conditions for employment creation, restrict expenses to socially useful causes and essential national conveniences, provide water, electricity, dependable communication, and facilities that’ll attract investment. But most of all, allow entrepreneurs to freely explore, innovate and profit. Yeah, we gotta allow them to PROFIT, because if they don’t profit, they wouldn’t employ.

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