New Economic Indicators for Trinidad and Tobago

The Blue Green Agenda, part 2 Dr Anjani Ganase continues to envision a different direction for Trinidad and Tobago, setting a path to social wellbeing without depleting our natural resources. “Forward and upward” has always been the mantra of human progress, in the words of economist, Kate Raworth in her TED Talk. The GDP is the only metric used to assess country progress, regardless of whether or not citizens are thriving. There is need to revise this outlook to truly reflect the complexities of human prosperity. Growth measured by GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was invented in the 1930s a world very different to the one we experience today. Then, the market economy was in its inception. Fast forward 100 years, we have significantly progressed quality of life, reduced extreme poverty to less than 10 % (still some 700 million people), and we are at the height of growth in the era of mass consumerism and entertainment. Unfortunately, the benefits we have reaped ...