F’konferenza tal-aħbarijiet il-kelliema tal-ADPD-The Green Party iċ-Chairperson Sandra Gauci (u kandidata fuq is-6 u it-12 il-distrett) u l-Uffiċjal għar-Relazzjonijiet Pubbliċi Brian Decelis (u kandidat fuq it-3 u ir-4 distrett) tkellmu dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ ekonomija u politika tal-ilkoll: kulħadd inkluż.

Brian Decelis qal li illum ilkoll nqablu dwar il-bżonn ta’ mudell ekonomiku ġdid – wieħed mibni fuq il-politika Ħadra ta’ ekonomija soċjali u ekoloġika li tqiegħed lin-nies, lill-ħaddiema u lill-ambjent fiċ-ċentru tad-deċiżjonijiet.

L-ekonomija għalina għanda tfisser qabel kollox il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna. Huwa veru li l-Prodott Gross Domestiku (PGD) li tant nisimgħu ftaħir dwaru, ogħla mill-medja tal-Unjoni Ewropea (UE), imma r-realtà hi l-pagi jibqgħu fost l-inqas.Dan ifisser li parti kbira mit-tkabbir ekonomiku mhux ġej mix-xogħol, iżda minn sorsi oħra, primarjament l-ispekulazzjoni u l-bini. Għandna ukoll numru ta’ industriji li jiddependu fuq il-pagi baxxi tal-ħaddiema. 

Setturi li l-partiti l-oħrajn jibqgħu jagħfsu fuqhom, huma s-settur finanzjarju u dak tal-gaming. Il-verità hi li dawn daqskemm kibru jistgħu jisparixxu daqstant malajr. Diġà l-industrija tal-gaming qed tnaqqas ħaddiema li issa x-xogħol tagħhom qed isir awtomatikament bl-użu ta’ ‘l hekk imsejħa intelliġenza artifiċjali. 

Ekonomija li tiddependi iżżejjed fuq numru limitat ta’ industriji hija ekonomija vulnerabbli. Imma dak li għandu bżonn il-pajjiż huwa firxa ta’ setturi differenti, minn dawk ta’ servizzi, manifattura, artiġġjanat, agrikoltura, servizzi kreattivi, kulturali u diġitali. Dawn għandhom jirrispettaw l-benesseri tan-nies u l-limiti ekoloġiċi ta’ pajjizna. Għandhom jirrispettaw, anzi jtejbu l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna lkoll.

Il-proposti ekonomiċi tagħna huwa investiment fil-green tech, emfasi fuq ir-riċerka u l-eko-innovazzjoni, u-l-iżvilupp tat-teknoloġija diġitali u tat-teknoloġija li tnaqqas l-impatti ambjentali. Dan ifisser impjiegi tal-futur, minflok l-ekonomija li tniġġes, tħammeġ, jew li tħallas lill-ħaddiema biċ-ċiċri. 

Sandra Gauci qalet li f’soċjetà demokratika kull persuna għandu jkollha aċċess daqs kulħadd għal kwalunkwe dritt fis-soċjetà imma fir-realtà nafu li dan mhux qiegħed iseħħ f’pajjiżna. Fir-realtà hemm kategoriji ta’ nies fejn min huwa permanentament mejjet fis-sakra filwaqt li oħrajn huma dejjem mejtin għal qatra.

ADPD iħares lejn il-politika soċjali bħala għodda li permezz tagħha, l-abbiss ta’ bejn min qiegħed minn fuq u min qiegħed minn taħt, jitnaqqas kemm jista’ jkun. Stat b’politika soċjali b’saħħitha ma jagħmilx dan bħala xi forma ta’ karità billi jħalli lill-iżvantaġġjati tallaba tal-istat, jistennew li jirċievu xi ċekk minn żmien għall-ieħor qisu manna mis-sema!

Nibqgħu nisħqu li għandu jkun hemm ‘living wage’ li jippermetti lil persuna jew familja biex tgħix ħajja dinjituża. Il-paga minima nazzjonali għadha ‘l bogħod milli tissodisfa l-bżonnijiet bażiċi ta’ min jgħix b’paga minima u ħaddiema f’din il-kategorija, jibqgħu dipendenti minn għotjiet fil-baġit ta’ kull sena. Irridu naraw ukoll l-iżvilupp ta’ Universal Basic Income li tassigura għajxien dinjituż bażiku lil kulħadd. 

Sfida oħra kbira li jkellmuna ħafna żgħażagħ dwarha hija dik tal-esaġerazzjoni tal-prezzijiet tal-propjetà. Dawn il-prezzijiet għoljin ikkontribwixxa għalihom il-gvern bi skemi ta’ ċittadinanza jew visa marbutin max-xiri tal-propjetà. Huwa ovvju li dawn l-iskemi jaġevolaw l-ispekulazzjoni. Iż-żgħażagħ huma l-vittmi ta’ din il-politika. 

Fost il-proposti tagħna, waħda hija li għandu jiġi inċentivat il-ħolqien ta’ koperattivi għad-djar li jagħmel id-djar iktar affordabbli kif ukoll iseddaq is-sens komunitarju bejn ir-residenti. 

Dawn huma fost miżuri li jindirizzaw ukoll il-jedd taż-żgħażagħ tagħna li jiffurmaw familja. Inutli li neqirdu li r-rata ta’ twelid dejjem nieżla jekk dawn il-piżijiet ta’ dejn aħrax għal għomorhom li qed jitgħabbew bih il-koppji ma jiġix indirizzat.

Pajjiżna wasal f’salib it-toroq li jiddeċiedi jekk iridx jinvesti fil-futur permezz ta’ politika sostenibbli, jew jekk ikomplix jinsisti fuq mudell ekonomiku ibbażat fuq industriji li qegħdin hawn biex jiffrankaw it-taxxi imma jiġu jaqgħu u jqumu mill-ħaddiema, u industriji ibbażati fuq il-ħlas ta’ pagi baxxi. 

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Towards an economy and politics of togetherness

In a press conference speakers for ADPD-The Green Party, the Chairperson Sandra Gauci, a candidate on the sixth and twelfth districts, and Public Relations Officer Brian Decelis, a candidate on the third or fourth district, spoke about the need for an economy and politics for all and everyone.    

Brian Decelis said that “we all agree on the need for a new economic model, one built on the Green politics of a social and ecological model that places people, workers and the environment at the centre of decisions.

For us, the economy means that quality of life is the main priority. It is true that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) we hear so much about is higher than the European Union average, but the reality is that our wages are amongst the lowest. This means that in large part, the economic growth we are witnessing is not due to work, but other sources, primarily speculation and construction. We also have a number of industries that depend on employees earning low wages.

The main political parties tend to rely on the finance and iGaming sectors. The truth about these industries is that they can disappear as quickly as they appeared. We are already seeing the iGaming sector reducing the number of employees now that automation through Artificial Intelligence (AI) is possible. 

An economy that is overly reliant on a number of limited industries is a vulnerable economy. So what the country really needs is a broad variety of sectors, such as manufacturing, services, crafts, agriculture, as well as creative, cultural, and digital services. These should also respect the wellbeing of the people and the limited ecology of our country. They should not only respect our quality of life but also improve it”.

 Our economic proposals are investing in green tech, an emphasis on research and eco-innovation, and technologies that are kinder to our environment. This means an emphasis on future-proof employment, and steering away from an economy that pollutes our environment and depends on meagre wages.   

Sandra Gauci said, “In a democratic society, every person should have equal access to whatever they have a right to, but we know in reality this is not happening in our country. In reality there are categories of people who have no problem having access to what they want whilst others need to fight for what they need. 

ADPD looks at politics from a social lens, as a tool through which this rift between the haves and the have-nots is narrowed down as much as possible. A nation with a robust socially-oriented political vision does not do this as a form of charity by bestowing benefits here and there, such as an occasional cheque that is treated like manna from heaven.

We shall continue to fight for a living wage that allows a person of a family to live a life of dignity. The national minimum wage is still far from this target, and many workers depend on benefits announced in the annual budget. We need to see the introduction of a Universal Basic Income that guarantees a decent standard of living for all. 

Another challenge that many young people tell us about is the obscene property prices. These prices have skyrocketed partly because of the citizenship-by-investment scheme or visas linked to property ownership. Our young people are victims of this political move. 

Amongst our proposals one will find that there should be incentives for the creation of home cooperatives to create affordable housing as well as create a sense of community amongst residents.   

There are more proposed measures to address the crisis that young people are facing in having their own families. It is useless to complain that the birth rate is on the decrease when there are these if these challenges are not addressed.

Our country has arrived at cross-roads which will determine whether it wants to invest in a future that is economically and socially sustainable, or in an economic model that is based on industries that are dependent on tax exemptions with little regard for the welfare of their employees or low wages.