The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

SURELY the Study of Population - Birth rates must come with Economic National Planning, we can’t sweep yet another all-important issue under the table.

1975 births in marriage were 2214 - outside of marriage were 1769. Total: 3983.

1980 births in marriage were 1892 - outside of marriage were 3025. Total: 4927.

1985 births in marriage were 2067 - outside of marriage were 3363. Total: 5430.

2007 births in marriage were 2079 - outside of marriage were 3047. Total: 5126.

Total population for those same years: 1975=205,000, 1980=210,000, 1985=226,000, 2007=305,655.

Note that in 40 plus years an increase of 100,655. A child born in 1999 is now looking for a job! Are there the jobs? In 2007, 59.5 per cent of live births were to single mothers.

With an average of 5000 live births per year, can we in the cycle of 17 years create enough employment to be able to offer employment to these children being born yesterday, today and tomorrow? Surely this has to be the most important issue, the National Development Plan has to be considering? Is It? Answer very much is no.

This is already a time-bomb that has exploded and will get worse, if we refuse to accept and see the reality - yes it is a wonderful gift of having children, but we had better be exceptionally careful that the joys and excitement do not in 17 years turn into a nightmare, as the young ones are unable to find employment.

With unemployment comes social unrest - social unrest comes crime - an improvement in unemployment of 2-3-4 per cent just scratches the problem, even if we have 5-6 Baha Mar’s creating 5-6,000 new jobs, we have to be able to create 5,000 “new” jobs for the coming years unless the birth rate reduces to zero over an extended period of 10-15 years. That is the real world.

If employment is not created in the islands, will anyone in the future reside there?

Already on most you see the aged and the young, the young mostly children – fortunately the mothers and grandmothers are able to bring up their daughters’ children. But for how long?

Scream all you want - Population and the issue of Family Planning had better come on the front burner very soon. I remember Hon. B. J. Nottage speaking about this 30 years ago.

P. SIMMS,

Nassau,

July 31, 2016.