Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 10, 2014 News
Despite the bragged about economic growth the country has experienced over a prolonged period of time, the issue of brain drain continues to be on the front burner. The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) has expressed alarm that despite this period of economic growth, the country’s migration outflows continue to go unchecked.
The IAC noted that the preliminary census result, which was released last week by the Finance Ministry and the Bureau of Statistics, indicate that the population of Guyana has decreased from 751, 223 in 2002 to 747, 884 in 2012, a decrease of 3,339 persons.
The IAC “is extremely alarmed by these statistics because they indicate, unmistakably, a high net migration outflow of between 15 and 20 percent of the current resident population of Guyana between 2002 and 2012.”
The Committee insisted, therefore, that Guyana’s post-independence economic history must be understood so as to place this population stagnation and decline in perspective. In a public missive, the Committee said that according to the stats published by reputable international organisations, which place Guyana’s brain drain among the highest in the world, if not the highest, it is recognized that the current census figure suggests strongly “that the brain drain from Guyana continues unabated in spite of the strength of Guyana’s economy.
“(The economy) has witnessed14 consecutive years of economic growth according to GDP per capita statistics published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
The organization said that it recognized that the trend could be traced back for several decades when the country’s population stood at 701,718 in 1970; 759,567 in 1980 and 723,673 in 1991. “These figures indicate that migration outflows since 1970 probably, cumulatively, equal or surpass the total amount of persons now resident in Guyana in 2014.”
It is believed that comparative analysis of the respective economic growth patterns of Guyana and Singapore will shed much light on Guyana’s current predicament.
“According to IMF statistics, the GDP (nominal) per capita in 1960 for Guyana was US$304 while that of Singapore was US$395. In 2013, the values were US$3,729 for Guyana and US$54,776 for Singapore. Comparison of the GDP (nominal) per capita between Guyana and Singapore illustrates that in 1975, Guyana was where Singapore was in 1968 and for the follow up years Guyana has lagged behind the Southeast Asian country.
Guyana and Singapore were almost equal in 1966.
“As of 2006, Guyana was where Singapore was in 1973, and in 2013, the country stood where Singapore was in 1979.” The Committee went on to say that between 1960 and 2012, the population of Guyana increased by a factor of 1.34, while that of Singapore increased by a factor of 3.22.
The IAC said that using statistics obtained from the IMF database to arrive at where Singapore’s economy in 2013; it would take Guyana 254 years (from 1960) or another 200 years from today to match that.
“This reality should be a cause of urgent action. The IAC, therefore, calls upon all political parties, all trade unions, all religious bodies, all cultural organisations, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and all of civil society to study these facts presented by the IAC and, taking the example of the people of Singapore, join together to combat divisiveness, feelings of insecurity and to combine intellects and to plot a fresh approach for Guyana; where people feel safe and want to make the country their home.”
Chief Statistician and Census Officer Lennox Benjamin who presented the 2012 preliminary results last week explained that migration continues to be the major factor in the population size. He said the country’s population peaked in 1980, but has never regained that level despite increased birth rates.
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