Despite the challenges coming from abroad, the government can do much more to improve quality of life, especially for the poor and those at risk of poverty. Projects like the Franciscan friars’ soup kitchen in Valletta – where speakers of ADPD – The Green Party addressed a press conference this morning – are of great benefit because they offer a community for those so vulnerable that even the social net does not support them. However more attention should be paid by the government to addressing the reasons for poverty.

ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar said: “It is evident to all and sundry that for quite a number of people, the increase in spending on essential items is causing extra stress to families that are struggling to survive, from paycheck to paycheck. A reality which starkly contrasts with the government boasting about the Gross Domestic Product increase. A government that claims it wants to distribute wealth more equitably is hiding behind the GDP to give the impression that this statistic of economic wealth is of benefit to the poor. But who exactly is benefiting from this wealth? Certainly not pensioners or single-parent families. Raising a family on one salary has become increasingly challenging especially for those renting from an unregulated market, where prices are inflated beyond comprehension.”

According to the latest Caritas survey, a family of four has an increased expenditure of 1500 Euros more on food per year. Factors external to Malta like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion in Ukraine have an impact, despite this there is much more that the government can do to improve the quality of life, especially for the poor and those at risk of poverty.

“From an economic standpoint, it is of concern that despite the trumpeting of an increase in GDP, there are around 100,000 people in Malta at risk of poverty and social exclusion according to NSO as of December 2022. This is the result of an economy based on a policy that keeps wages as low as possible. The European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit expressed his concern about the economic model on which Malta is basing itself: while there are no unemployed people, it is a job market that in many sectors pays low wages. We are in a situation where a considerable number of people in employment are at risk of poverty. They are still on the brink of poverty because they can barely cover their daily needs with their salary.”

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci emphasized that it is time to start addressing poverty and the cost of living with a long-term plan. “This also includes more renewable energy. The struggle over decades towards a change towards energy sources generated entirely in Malta meant great costs for the country, money that could have been spent on long-term social initiatives. We want rights not government handouts. We want a government that spends wisely.

We reiterate our call for the introduction of a living wage – a minimum wage that allows one to live with dignity. This should be introduced over a relatively short period of time because people are suffering. We want more decent affordable housing, because a good percentage of those at risk of poverty live from rent to rent. The government can also encourage housing cooperatives, which can offer an alternative to renting from the private market and provide long-term peace of mind for many people. The COLA should be given twice a year and a new economic model is needed based on the well-being of the person and not held ransom to the GDP statistic. We want to get out of the mediocrity we seem to be stuck in and aspire to a better quality of life.”

“We have a government that indulges in vanity projects like a Film Festival that cost millions and wastes money on green walls that end up being removed. Then we have people who have to go to the soup kitchen to eat. While projects like the Franciscan friars’ soup kitchen are of great benefit because they offer a community for those most vulnerable that even the social net does not support, more attention should be paid by the government to addressing the reasons for poverty. There is also a need for projects like the soup kitchen to be supported by the state with the services of professionals in social fields.”

“We want to move beyond politics that only looks at statistics and not the health and quality of people’s lives. We must move from a policy that promotes rampant consumption at all costs to a policy that safeguards our mental and physical health, where nature – from the open spaces, to the air and water, and the sea are safeguarded because they are the source of our well-being. Every job must be a dignified job and generate an income for a decent life; it is not acceptable for businesses to make profits off the backs of workers at risk of poverty. A business that is not able to pay decent wages has no place in our country. At the same time the government should see how to better regulate agencies that offer cheap labour, this is contemporary slavery. Finally, it is imperative that the minimum wage becomes a decent wage with which one can live with dignity.”

***

ADPD issejjaħ biex jiġu ndirizzati r-raġunijiet għall-faqar

Minkejja l-isfidi li ġejjin minn barra il-pajjiż il-gvern jista’ jagħmel ħafna aktar biex il-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies, partikolarment il-fqar u dawk f’riskju ta’ faqar titjieb. Filwaqt li proġetti bħas-soup kitchen tal-Franġiskani tal-Belt – fejn kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party indirizzaw konferenza stampa dalgħodu –huma ta’ ġid kbir għax joffru komunità għal dawk l-aktar batuti li lanqas ix-xibka soċjali ma twiżinhom, hemm bżonn aktar attenzjoni min-naħa tal-gvern għar-raġunijiet tal-faqar.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Ralph Cassar qal: “Min għandu għajnejh f’wiċċu jaf li għal numru mhux żgħir ta’ nies, iż-żieda fin-nefqa fuq affarijiet essenzjali qed joħloq stress żejjed fuq il-familji li minn xahar għal xahar qed jissieltu minn paga għall-oħra biex ikampaw. Dan kollu jistona mal-ftaħir tal-gvern taż-żieda fil-Prodott Gross Domestiku. Gvern li jgħid li jrid iqassam il-ġid b’mod aktar ekwu qed jinħeba wara l-Prodott Gross Domestiku biex jagħti l-impressjoni li l-ġid ekonomiku qed igawdi minnu l-fqir. Min eżattament qiegħed igawdi minn dan il-ġid? Żgur mhux il-pensjonanti jew il-familji b’ġenitur wieħed. Li trabbi fuq paga waħda sar xi ħaġa diffiċli speċjalment jekk tkun trid tikri minn suq mhux regolat u fejn kulħadd ifajjar il-prezzijiet bl-addoċċ.”

Skont l-aħħar survey tal-Caritas familja ta’ erbgħa min-nies qed tonfoq aktar minn 1500 Ewro aktar fis-sena biex tiekol. Jista’ jkun hemm effetti frott il-pandemija tal-Covid-19 u anke frott tal-invażjoni Russa tal-Ukrajna. Madankollu hemm ħafna x’jista’ jagħmel il-gvern biex il-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies, partikolarment il-fqar u dawk f’riskju ta’ faqar titjieb.

“Mil-lat ekonomiku, huwa ta’ tħassib li minkejja l-ftaħir taż-żieda tal-PGD, in-numru ta’ persuni f’riskju ta’ faqar u esklużjoni soċjali f’Malta huwa mal-100,000 ruħ skond statistika tal-NSO li ħarget f’Diċembru 2022. Dan huwa frott ta’ ekonomija bbażata fuq politika li żżomm il-pagi kemm jista’ jkun baxxi. Il-Kummissarju Ewropew Nicolas Schmit wera l-inkwiet tiegħu dwar il-mudell ekonomiku li fuqu miexja Malta li filwaqt li juri li m’hawnx nies qegħda huwa suq ta’ xogħolijiet li f’ħafna setturi jħallsu ftit. Qegħdin f’sitwazzjoni fejn numru mdaqqas ta’ dawk f’riskju ta’ faqar filfatt jaħdmu. Xorta qegħdin f’xifer il-faqar għax bilkemm jistgħu ikopru l-bżonnijiet ta’ kuljum bil-paga tagħhom.”

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci saħqet li wasal iż-żmien li nibdew niġġieldu l-faqar u l-għoli tal-ħajja bi pjan fit-tul. “Dan jinkludi wkoll aktar enerġija rinovabbli. It-tnikkir tul għexieren ta’ snin lejn bidla lejn sorsi ta’ enerġija ġenerati totalment f’Malta fisser spejjeż kbar għall-pajjiż, liema flus setgħu ntefqu fuq inizjattivi soċjali fit-tul. lrridu drittijiet mhux ċekkijiet. Irridu għaqal fl-infieq tal-gvern. Ma nistgħux nibqgħu nistennew il-frak minn fuq il-mejda meta naraw tberbiq ta’ kull tip.

Irridu li tkun introdotta l-living wage. B’living wage aħna nifmhu li l-paga minima ssir paga dinjituża. Din għandha tibda titħaddem fuq medda ta’ żmien raġonevoli għax in-nies qed ibatu. Irridu aktar djar diċenti affordabbli, għax persentaġġ sew minn dawk f’riskju ta’ faqar jgħixu b’kirja. Il-gvern jista’ wkoll jinkoraġġixxi koperattivi tad-djar, li jistgħu joffru alternattiva għall-kiri mis-suq privat u jagħtu serħan il-moħħ fit-tul għal ħafna nies. Il-COLA għandha tingħata darbtejn f’sena u hemm bżonn mudell ekonomiku ġdid ibbazat fuq il-benesseri tal-persuna u mhux kulħadd skjav tal-PGD. Irridu ninqalgħu mil-medjokrita li donnu mwaħħlin biha u naspiraw għal kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar.”

“Għandna gvern li jiddiletta b’vanity projects bħall-Festival tal-films li jiswew miljuni u jaħli l-flus f’green walls lispiċċaw biex tneħħew. Imbagħad għandna nies li biex jieklu jridu jmorru s-soup kitchen. Filwaqt li proġetti bħas-soup kitchen tal-Franġiskani tal-Belt huma ta’ ġid kbir għax joffru komunità għal dawk l-aktar batuti li lanqas ix-xibka soċjali ma twiżinhom, hemm bżonn aktar attenzjoni min-naħa tal-gvern għar-raġunijiet tal-faqar. Hemm bżonn ukoll li proġetti bħas-soup kitchen jiġu appoġġjati mill-istat b’servizzi ta’ professjonisti f’oqsma soċjali.”

“Irridu nimxu lil hinn mill-politika li tara biss in-numri u mhux is-saħħa u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies. Irridu nimxu minn politika li tippromwovi l-konsum sfrenat akkost ta’ kollox lejn politika li tissalvagwardja s-saħħa mentali u fiżika tagħna, fejn in-natura – mill-ispazji miftuħa, sal-arja u l-ilma, u l-baħar jiġu salvagwarjati għax huma s-sors tal-benesseri tagħna. Kull xogħol għandu jkun xogħol dinjituż u jagħti dħul għal ħajja diċenti; mhux aċċettabli li negozji jagħmlu l-profitti minn fuq dahar ħaddiema f’riskju ta’ faqar. Negozju li mhux kapaċi jħallas pagi diċenti m’hawnx postu. Fl-istess ħin l-gvern għandu jara kif jirregola aħjar aġenziji li joffru ħaddiema b’irħis, l-iskjavitù ta’ żmienna. Finalment, huwa imperattiv li l-paga minima issir paga diċenti li biha wieħed jista’ jgħix b’mod dinjituż.”