So last evening I was having a discussion with bae over a glass of whiskey and a game of cards. We were talking about capitalism and social safety nets.I had earlier had a discussion with my landlord about office rent. His stance was we shall pay the rent. So we should discuss how we shall pay it slowly but there’s nothing like forgiving us. He said he also had loans to pay which the bank wasn’t going to forgive him.
Off the back of this we hard a heated argument with babe and she said look here, you need to be realistic..Economics doesn’t work like that. In the chain some has to lose and that’s how capitalism works. The landlord can’t forgive you rent because he also won’t be forgiven his debt obligations, tax obligations, UMEME won’t forgive him neither will national water. KCCA will need its rental tax because it’s a commercial building.
You can’t go to the guy you buy chapatis from everyday and tell him because I didn’t make money thanks to corona give me free chapatis. You don’t go to woman who sells us matooke and say because I didn’t make money please give me a free bunch of matooke. The land lord also has bills to pay,taxes to pay and the money comes from those buildings as his business. If they chose to forgive you it would a personal high show of good will.
That’s when I realised maybe we are looking at the wrong problem. So what’s your solution I asked her. I don’t know but I guess it lies with the state. That’s when it hit me we actually don’t have a social welfare policy/plan as a nation. No wonder there was no basis for tax cuts for businesses, no basis for stimulus. Who picks up the cost when things socially go wrong!? It’s supposed to be the responsibility of the state.
Every debate takes us round and round and back to the state. That’s why we have a state to start with. For times when our collective contributions as a country can be used to cushion the fall for every one across board. Save for NSSF which isn’t even a direct social welfare solution because they couldn’t even release 20% of saver’s savings in times like this, where do we run to!?
I guess this is the time to start talking social welfare in this country as a government responsibility. I opened the debate, we can carry on from here..
Jaluum Herberts Luwizza is a Speaker,Writer, Columnist with the C.E.O Magazine and Contributor with the Nile Post.He is also a Business Consultant with YOUNG TREP East Africa’s No.1 Business Management and Consultancy firm that helps people start and grow profitable businesses.twitter:jaluwizza
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