Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party welcomes the Green Paper which has just been launched by the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity with the aim of reducing poverty reduction and social exclusion but calls for concrete measures including a revision of the minimum wage.
Robert Callus, AD Spokesperson for Social Policy, said: “Alternattiva has repeatedly expressed its concern with regards to the rise in poverty and material deprivation rates, through calls for concrete policy initiatives to assist vulnerable groups and to promote greater social justice. It has also been the only party which has repeatedly called for a rise in the minimum wage as a tangible measure to combat in-work poverty, to make work pay and encourage greater active inclusion.
“Despite its comprehensive analysis of the poverty situation within the local context, the Green Paper presents nothing really new in terms of pragmatic initiatives, since a substantial number of the measures presented as policy options concern actions which have already been launched under previous strategies such as the National Reform Programme and the Budget for 2014. Once again the Government has not committed itself to revising the minimum wage, which is keeping hundreds of families in poverty.”
Arnold Cassola, AD Chairperson, said: “AD believes that for any strategy to be successful, targets need not only be ambitious but also realistic. Given the incremental increase in poverty rates in the last number of years, it is questionable whether Malta will be reaching its modest Europe 2020 target set by the previous administration of lifting 6,500 people out of poverty and social exclusion by 2020, let alone lifting 22,000 people by 2015 as is now being proposed by Government. Therefore while we support the objectives of the Green Paper, we hope that it will be translated into clear political commitment to combat poverty and social exclusion through the setting of realistic targets and concrete policy initiatives grounded on the values of social justice.”
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Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party tilqa’ l-Green Paper li għadha kif ġiet imnedija mill-Ministeru tal-Familja u ss-solidarjetà Soċjali bl-għan li jitnaqqau l-faqar u l-esklużjoni soċjali filwaqt li ssejjaħ għal miżuri konkreti fosthom ir-reviżjoni tal-paga minima.
Robert Callus, Kelliem ta’ AD għall-Politika Soċjali, qal: “Alternattiva Demokratika ilha turi t-tħassib tagħha dwar iż-żieda fir-rati tal-faqar, permezz ta’ sejħiet għal inizjattivi politiċi konkreti biex jgħinu gruppi vulnerabbli u jippromwovu l-ġustizzja soċjali. Hija wkoll l-uniku partit li repetittivament għamlet appelli għal żieda fil-paga minima bħala miżura tanġibbli biex tiġġieled il-faqar fost dawk li jaħdmu, biex aktar nies ikun jaqblilhom li jaħdmu u biex ikun hawn iktar inklużjoni.
“Għalkemm il-Green Paper tagħmel analiżi wiesa’ tas-sitwazzjoni tal-faqar fil-kuntest lokali, f’termini ta’ inizjattivi prattiċi, il-Green Paper ma tippreżenta xejn ġdid, minħabba li numru sostanzjali tal-miżuri ippreżentati huma azzjonijiet li diġa kienu ġew imnedija bħala parti minn strateġiji oħra bħan-National Reform Programme u l-Budget għall-2014. Għal darb’oħra il-Gvern ma kkommettiex ruħu biex tiġi riveduta l-paga minima li qegħda żżomm mijiet ta’ familji taħt il-linja tal-faqar.”
Arnold Cassola, ic-Chairperson ta’ AD qal: “AD temmen li biex kwalunkwe strateġija tkun suċċess, il-miri jridu jkunu mhux biss ambizzjużi imma wkoll realistiċi. Meta tqis iż-żieda fil-faqar fuq l-aħħar snin, huwa dubjuż anke jekk Malta hiex se tilħaq il-mira modesta tal-Ewropa 2020 li kienet magħmula mill-amministrazzjoni ta’ qabel li ma jitħallewx fil-faqar jew esklużjoni soċjali 6,500 ruħ sal-2020, aħseb u ara kemm se jkun aktar diffiċli li toħroġ mill-faqar lil 22,000 persuna sas-sena 2015, hekk kif qed jiġi propost mill-Gvern. Għalhekk filwaqt li nappoġġaw l-għanijiet tal-Green Paper, nittamaw li din tissarraf f’rieda politika ċara biex niġġieldu l-faqar u l-esklużjoni soċjali permezz ta’ miri realistiċi imsejsa fuq valuri ta’ ġustizzja soċjali.”
