Governments think that economic progress is their most important goal

IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Many governments think that economic progress is their most important goal. Some people, however, think that other types of progress are equally important of the country.

Discuss both these views and give your won opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:
It is considered by many governments that economic development is the most crucial goal to achieve. Many experts, however, argue that we need the economy to grow, but equally we need other sorts of progress. I concur with the notion that economic progress alone is not sufficient condition for the wellbeing of the citizens.

For a start, development, at its simplest, is a social condition within a nation in which the authentic needs of its population are met by the rational practice of using natural resources and system. Development and the economic growth are inextricably intertwined. Economic progress, in fact, is a step towards development. It paves the way for providing the citizens with basic social amenities, for example healthcare and education.

The notion of development spans far and beyond the realm of economic progress.  For instance, good governance, rule of law, human rights, freedom of speech, and political atmosphere are all important for sustainable development, particularly economic progress. The empirical evidence shows that the lack of good governance and weak rule of law are a major hindrance to social and economic progress.   That is to say that corruption, without good governance or rule of law, is nurtured in every tier of government, which by consequence reins progress embezzling public money.

From what has been discussed above, it seems reasonable to assume that other types of progress are as important as economic progress for sustainable development. In fact, the economic progress has a reciprocal relationship with other sort of progress. So, economic progress cannot be achieved if there is lack of other development.