The additional COLA benefit announced in the Budget is a misguided attempt to create an alternative mechanism to one that already exists and that could be updated to reflect the needs of all those who have been feeling the pinch of the cost of living increase, including those who depend on social services. This was stated by ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo in the first reactions to Budget 2023.

The need for the newly-created COLA additional mechanism confirms what we have been stating all along – that the current mechanism badly needs to be updated to reflect better today’s needs. For the first time the Minister of Finance is confirming that more than 80,000 people are living in poverty. While the policy of handouts Father Christmas-style has been reinforced, these individuals are not being assisted to improve their situation so that they no longer need to depend on social benefits.

Although the current geopolitical realities are undisputable, one would have expected that the Budget would have included more measures to bring about permanent changes to improve the quality of life for all.

It has long been felt that the basket of products and services on which the minimum wage and COLA is worked out needed to be revised to reflect today’s needs. Caritas’ studies have shown that the minimum wage is at least 40% less than what it needs to be. Therefore this means that low income earners cannot ensure a decent living for their families. Only a regularly revised basket, will lead to a decent minimum wage and improved pensions and social services that ensure a decent living income.

Government hard headedness in its refusal to revise the current basket on which the minimum wage is calculated is keeping people dependent on low wages and on government handouts.

It must be highlighted that COLA compensates for the impact the past year’s inflation on wages and pensions. With a substantial rate of inflation a once-a-year COLA increase is not sufficient to minimise the impact in a timely manner and the increase should be split in two – in July and January.

It is also pertinent to point out that employers should not only expect government handouts but should do their part to enable employees enjoy the living standard they deserve.

The energy subsidies could have been an opportunity to encourage people and businesses to change their lifestyle and make it more sustainable. The massive spend on blanket subsidies is a result of abject carelessness in the energy sector over the years, and the lack, except for token measures, of effective investment in renewable energy. Instead of blanket subsidies it would have been better to focus help on those sectors which are heavily dependent on petrol and diesel, with help which should also aim to reduce this dependence.

We are not convinced that the €70,000 of subsidies per hour is necessarily the best way to use the country’s limited resources. What studies has the government commissioned to back its decisions? The current crisis is not a short term one. It will not go away quickly. Now is the time to reconsider whether there are better ways to use subsidies, especially those on petrol, diesel and electricity. International prices are not going down anytime soon.

Basic, essential consumption of electricity should remain subsidised. Otherwise the subsidies on the consumption over and above essential use, and on fuels should be studied better. It is pertinent to point out that more expensive fuels are a price signal which can push towards less cars on our roads, with people using cars when absolutely necessary. This price signal should be coupled with more frequent public transport services, and serious investment in safe roads for clean modes of transport, resulting in a better air quality for us all.

Less subsidies on fuels can also mean more quality investment in sectors which really and truly lead to a better quality of life for future generations – more investment in quality education, and the transition to renewable energy – sectors for which only token initiatives were mentioned in the Budget speech.

The international crisis is an opportunity to tackle overdependence on cars. Now is the time to invest in roads and routes for the safe commuting of users of clean means of transport, and for priority lanes for buses. Now is the time for investment in a Bus Rapid Transit system. We should not let this crisis turn into a lost opportunity, and miss the boat once again for an improved environment which translates into a healthier people.

The judicious use of the country’s limited resources is essential for a better quality of life. ADPD – The Green Party reiterates that this Budget could have focused more on the necessary measures – social and environmental – to improve, permanently, everyone’s quality of life.

***

Budget li seta’ jagħmel użu aħjar mir-riżorsi limitati ta’ pajjiżna

Il-benefiċċju ta’ COLA addizzjonali mħabbar fil-Budget huwa mod ta’ kif inraqqu l-pannu bil-qara aħmar meta diġà jeżisti mekkaniżmu li jista’ jkun aġġornat biex jirrifletti il-ħtiġijiet ta’ kulħadd inkluż min hu dipendenti minn servizzi soċjali, għaliex il-morsa tal-għoli tal-ħajja ilha tinħass minn kulħadd. Dan qalu ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo fl-ewwel reazzjonijiet tal-partit għall-Budget 2023.

Il-ħtieġa ta’ COLA addizzjonali jikkonferma dak li ilna ngħidu, li dan il-mekkaniżmu għandu bżonn jiġi aġġornat biex jirrifletti l-ħtiġijiet tal-lum u li l-mekkaniżmu preżenti huwa difettuż bil-kbir. Għall-ewwel darba l-Ministru tal-Finanzi qiegħed jikkonferma li aktar minn 80,000 ruħ qegħdin jgħixu fil-faqar. Filwaqt li kompliet tissaħħah il-politika ta’ handouts ta’ Father Christmas ma smajna xejn dwar għajnuniet biex dawn l-individwi jtejjbu l-qagħda tagħhom biex ma jibqgħux jiddependu minn benefiċċji soċjali.

Għalkemm ir-realtajiet ġeo-politiċi li għaddejjin minnhom ma jista’ jmerihom ħadd, fil-Budget wieħed kien jistenna li jkun hemm aktar miżuri mmirati li jġibu tibdiliet permanenti għat-tul biex jkun hemm titjib fil-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ kulħadd.

Ilha tinħass il-ħtieġa li l-basket ta’ prodotti u servizzi li biha tinħadem il-paga minima u l-COLA tiġi riveduta biex din tirrifletti l-ħtiġijiet tal-lum. Studji tal-Caritas urew li l-paga minima hija 40% inqas milli għandha tkun. U għalhekk dan ifisser li min hu bi dħul baxx ma jistax ikollu livell ta’ għajxien diċenti għalih u għall-familja tiegħu. Huwa biss jekk il-basket li fuqu hi determinata l-COLA jkun revedut b’mod regolari li nistgħu naslu għal paga minima kif ukoll il-pensjonijiet u s-servizzi soċjali li jassiguraw livell bażiku ta’ għajxien diċenti.

Ir-ras iebsa tal-Gvern li ma jirrevedix il-basket li fuqu hija ikkalkulata il-paga minima hija politika skaduta li żżomm dipendenza fuq pagi baxxi u handouts.

Wieħed irid iżomm f’moħħu li l-COLA effettivament toffri kumpens b’lura għall-impatt tal-inflazzjoni fuq il-pagi u l-pensjonijiet. Meta għandek rata ta’ inflazzjoni sostanzjali jfisser li żieda għall-għoli tal-ħajja ta’ darba fis-sena mhux sodisfaċenti imma għandha tinqasam fi tnejn – f’Lulju u f’Jannar.

Barra minn hekk min iħaddem m’għandux biss jirċievi l-għajnunijiet diretti mill-Gvern imma għandu ukoll jkun lest li jgħin biex l-impjegati jkollhom livell ta’ għajxien li jixraqilhom.

Is-sussiddji fuq l-enerġija setgħet tkun opportunità unika biex jinkorraġixxi tibdil fl-istil tal-ħajja li jkun wieħed aktar sostenibbli. In-nefqa preżenti hija kawża ta’ traskuraġni fil-qasam tal-enerġija u nuqqas massiċċ ta’ investiment tul is-snin f’enerġija rinovabbli. Dawk is-setturi ekonomiċi li huma dipendenti ħafna fuq l-użu tal-petrol jew id-diesel jistgħu jiġu mgħejuna direttament b’assistenza speċifika li tikkonsidra dawk il-ħtiġijiet.

M’aħniex konvinti li l-ispiża ta’ €70,000 fis-siegħa bħala sussidji huwa neċessarjament l-aħjar mod kif jiġu allokati ir-riżorsi limitati ta’ pajjiżna. Ta’ min jistaqsi x’kienu l-istudji li saru mill-Gvern li juru li dan kien l-aħjar mudell għal pajjiżna? Il-kriżi li qegħdin fiha mhux se tispiċċa malajr. Hu għaldaqstant il-mument ukoll li niffukaw fuq jekk hemmx metodi aħjar dwar kif jistgħu jintużaw is-sussidji b’mod partikolari dawk applikati għall-petrol, diesel u elettriku. Il-prezzijiet internazzjonali se jdumu għoljin.

Bla dubju, l-konsum bażiku tal-elettriku għad-djar, għandu jibqa’ jkun issussidjat imma l-bqija tas-sussidji għall-elettriku u l-fuels għandhom ikunu studjati aħjar.  Hemm modi aħjar kif il-Gvern jista’ jnaqqas il-piż minn fuq spallejn in-nies. Flok is-sussidju tal-petrol u d-diesel għal karozzi jkun f’loku li nqisu li fuel għola jkun ifisser possibilment inqas karozzi fit-toroq u iktar nies jagħmlu użu mit-trasport pubbliku, aktar spiss, flimkien ma’ investiment f’toroq sikuri għal mezzi nodfa ta’ trasport, bi kwalità tal-arja aħjar għal kulħadd.

It-tnaqqis fis-sussidji jista’ jwassal ukoll biex jkun hemm iktar investimenti f’oqsma li verament iwasslu titjib fil-ħajja għal ġenerazzjonijiet futuri – investimenti fl-edukazzjoni, it-tranżizzjoni urġenti lejn sorsi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli – li ftit li xejn smajna dwarhom f’dan il-budget.

Hi opportunità unika li nużaw il-kriżi attwali bħala għodda kontra d-dipendenza fuq il-karozzi, u għaldaqstant issa huwa ż-żmien għal investiment f’toroq u rotot aktar sikuri għal mezzi nodfa ta’ trasport, u għal rotot fit-toroq riservati għall-karozzi tal-linja. Issa huwa l-waqt għal investiment f’sistema ta’ Bus Rapid Transit – sistema b’rotot speċjali għal karozzi tal-linja. Hi opportunità li jekk użata tajjeb tista’ tagħti benefiċċji ambjentali u ta’ saħħa sostanzjali.

Għal kwalita’ ta’ ħajja aħjar għal kulħadd hemm bżonn li jkun hemm użu iktar għaqli tar-riżorsi limitati li għandu pajjiżna. ADPD jidhirlu li dan il-Budget seta’ jkun immirat aktar biex jieħu l-ewwel passi għal titjib fil-livell ta’ għajxien ta’ kulħadd b’mod permanenti.