NewsWhore
01-26-2011, 03:00 PM
Former Monetary Board member Eduardo Garcia Michel warned of the negative effects of the Dominican government's lack of decisive action on migratory issues in an opinion piece in today's Diario Libre.
He mentions research by economist Ramon Perez Minaya who looked at the rise in income per capita from 1994 to 2007, when it increased by 75%, while the real average wage declined by 30%. In that period, the real wages in rural areas declined by 50%. He explains that this is a consequence of unchecked massive Haitian migration. "Given this panorama, it is distressing that we are not seeing anyone in government who is about to reach decisions and take measures," he comments, mentioning the indifference that prevails. "The topic of Haitian migration is taboo, and there is fear of dealing with it in public to avoid being criticized as racists," he states. "But it is not about racism, but rather about our survival as a nation and need for order in migration matters".
He mentions that Dominicans have migrated because the government has not favored national production or exports. This migration has occurred at the same time as an increase in Haitian migrants lacking any skills or education, which leads to reductions in labor costs, and creates obstacles to modernizing the productive sector, while also degrading the social network and dividing Dominican families.
"We urgently need to change the economic policies that have such negative effects. They are the same that are leading to a monumental deficit in the trade account of the balance of payments, those that encourage the informality of markets and that keep productive sectors operating below their production capacity," he writes.
He explains that every country has its own problems and we can and should help Haiti with all enthusiasm. But we cannot permit, under any circumstances, our survival to be put in danger.
In his opinion little will be accomplished by controlling the flow of migration within international migration standards. "What is needed is a substantial change in the country's economic policies.
"It is mind blowing that some celebrate the increase in remittances when this is measured in family disruption and results in filling the gap with unskilled Haitian migration", he writes, urging for the time to arrive when brave decisions are made with vision of state.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
He mentions research by economist Ramon Perez Minaya who looked at the rise in income per capita from 1994 to 2007, when it increased by 75%, while the real average wage declined by 30%. In that period, the real wages in rural areas declined by 50%. He explains that this is a consequence of unchecked massive Haitian migration. "Given this panorama, it is distressing that we are not seeing anyone in government who is about to reach decisions and take measures," he comments, mentioning the indifference that prevails. "The topic of Haitian migration is taboo, and there is fear of dealing with it in public to avoid being criticized as racists," he states. "But it is not about racism, but rather about our survival as a nation and need for order in migration matters".
He mentions that Dominicans have migrated because the government has not favored national production or exports. This migration has occurred at the same time as an increase in Haitian migrants lacking any skills or education, which leads to reductions in labor costs, and creates obstacles to modernizing the productive sector, while also degrading the social network and dividing Dominican families.
"We urgently need to change the economic policies that have such negative effects. They are the same that are leading to a monumental deficit in the trade account of the balance of payments, those that encourage the informality of markets and that keep productive sectors operating below their production capacity," he writes.
He explains that every country has its own problems and we can and should help Haiti with all enthusiasm. But we cannot permit, under any circumstances, our survival to be put in danger.
In his opinion little will be accomplished by controlling the flow of migration within international migration standards. "What is needed is a substantial change in the country's economic policies.
"It is mind blowing that some celebrate the increase in remittances when this is measured in family disruption and results in filling the gap with unskilled Haitian migration", he writes, urging for the time to arrive when brave decisions are made with vision of state.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)