Unbelievable Increase of Poverty and Unemployment Levels [Archives:2000/44/Reportage]

The College of Commerce and Economics concluded last Wednesday the Fifth Scientific Conference inaugurated a day before under the theme Yemens Future Within The Local, Regional and International Changes. Deliberations included 25 working papers all of which dealt with different economic, administrative, accounting and political issues. 
Importance of such a conference was elaborately highlighted by a number of speeches made in the opening ceremony by Minister of Supply and Trade Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Komaim, Dean of the host college Dr. Mansour Al-Zindani and others. 
Dr. Ahmad Al-Kibsi presented a paper titled Choice of Democracy and Future Anticipation, highlighting the economic, social, cultural and historic challenges posed for democracy in Yemen. Freedom of participation, freedom of expression and peaceful transference of power were identified as prerequisites for the success of political affairs.
An evaluation of democratic activities and political pluralism was presented by Mohammed Yahia Assabri, a political analyst. The evaluation concentrated on parliamentary and presidential elections. 
Assabri severely criticized the opposition parties participation in the political and democratic life saying that they needed to be more serious about democratic activities. 
The past ten years was enough to present a clear picture of the situation of democratic work here taking into account many examples such as parliamentary and presidency elections which prove that, said Assabri in a statement to the Yemen Times. He said that shortcomings did not mean that the government was responsible for them all. Many activities of opposition parties show that they are still far away from democracy, he added. 
Dr. Bilqees Ghaleb Al-Sharaabi discussed future of womens participation in politics as viewed by girl students of the college of Education at Sanaa University. 
A number of measures and steps must be adopted to save Arab countries the troubles and consequences of globalization, said Dr. Ali Ali Azzabeedi in his discussion of trends of globalization and their reflection on Yemen. The discussion also touched the future of economic roles and expected consequences of joining the WTO. 
Dr. Mohammed Al-Afandi followed up the development of economic role since the 1970s with explanations of the outstanding developments and economic events. 
The other papers dealt with concrete some of the problems Yemen faces in terms of food security, poverty, unemployment, and low level of development. 
A joint study by Dr. Nasser Al-Awalaqi and Dr. Hameed Al-Khafaji indicated that wheat production covered only 70% of the total need of the Yemeni market. The study added that export of grains had increased despite the local need. 
Another study indicated the increase of unemployment level to 30-35% with a fall in investment level during 1990-1999 and shooting up poverty rate to 33% of the total population. 
On education, Dr. Azeez Thabet Saeed expected that the number of jobless graduates would reach 160,000 at the end of 2004. Present statistics by the Civil Service Office show that 23,000 jobless graduates were recorded until July 1999. Absence of planning led to reversal in the educational production, he said. The rate of high education graduates to technical education graduate is 50-1, he added. He further pointed out that 85% of the general budget of high education was spent on scholarships despite the fact that some specializations are available here. 
According to official statistics for 1999, YRs 14 billion and 17 million was the budget of high education out of which 3 billion and 418 million was spent on scholarships abroad. 
A study on privatization by Dr. Morheb Al-Asad pointed out that privatization process of a number of institutions did not burden the general budget of the state. He said that since 1990 such institutions proved to be a success by gaining increasing profits. 

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