Maravi

Engineer stresses need to publish job statistics

COMMENT - The MMD have nothing but contempt for democracy, the will of the people, or the poverty that 'their' policies (the IMF/World Bank's policies) create. In fact of job creation was how the growth in GDP 'trickled down', the MMD would have nothing to hide. Of course, we all know what the true intent of neoliberal economics is - the stripping of wealth of countries, the destruction or prevention of the rise of any middle class, in any country in the world, except those designated as 'consumer countries'. The MMD's neoliberal policies are anti-middle class, and enforce poverty and unemployment.

Engineer stresses need to publish job statistics
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Sat 25 June 2011, 03:00 CAT

THE rejection of the motion in Parliament by Vice-President George Kunda to have labour statistics annually published is an indication of the government’s failure to provide meaningful employment.

This is according to a former underground engineer, Moses Chishimba. Chishimba, in an interview, said Vice-President Kunda’s decision showed that the government had politicised the issue of employment. However, Chishimba said job creation should be a serious campaign issue in this year’s elections.

“Any serious government will endeavour to unveil all the necessary information to its citizens to prove that it is a working government as the MMD loudly claims,” said Chishimba in Kitwe.

“Why refuse to let people know how many people have been employed in the country, the number of jobs created for local people from the so much preached foreign direct investment. The level of casualisation in the mines is so alarming such that you find one permanent miner working with 15 casuals.”

He said it was worrying that a government that labelled itself the government of the people could not see the importance of releasing vital information and yet it was busy with its propaganda on employment creation.

“Statistics will enable the government plan well. In fact, the economic boom that government talked about should be manifested in the number of people that are economically benefiting through employment or otherwise,” he said.

Chishimba said contrary to the government propaganda that it was creating employment for the people, the levels of unemployment were too high in the country.

Last week, Vice-President Kunda shot down the motion, which could have compelled the government to publish employment statistics annually.

Labels: FDI, GEORGE KUNDA, NEOLIBERALISM, UNEMPLOYMENT

posted by MrK @ 7:42 PM