John Saldivar: “Root causes of poverty are systemic” and produced unintended by “our economic and political system”

By Aaron Humes: Economist and former Minister of Government John Saldivar has argued that the root causes of poverty are systemic and produced “unintended” by our economic and political system.

Poverty will always exist, Saldivar argued partly because it is hard to eradicate. However, rather than trying to eliminate poverty from society as a whole, he writes, it should be a transitory state for those who experience it: not a trap, but an opportunity.

Saldivar posits: “As people fall into poverty, the unintended consequence of our economic and political system, others should be rising out of poverty, the intentional result of poverty alleviation programs. The measure of our success in addressing poverty is in how well we help the poor to transition permanently to prosperity.”

The most recent survey of poverty undertaken in 2018 and results produced earlier this year saw more than half the country reported as “poor” and close to 20 percent as “indigent,” unable to afford even the basics of food and other services.

The three (3) term UDP government, under which Saldivar served, introduced numerous poverty alleviation efforts and programs, nearly all of which have effectively been discontinued or sidelined by the present administration due to fiscal constraints.

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