A few weeks before the budget speech of last year, the Finance Minister had mentioned that a special mechanism to protect the vulnerable from the cost-of-living impacts was being considered. After 12 months nothing has come out of that Ministerial announcement!
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that “while Government will be preparing and presenting its next budget it seems to have forgotten to take the necessary measures so that the lowest earners – those known as ‘the working poor’ are better protected from cost-of-living impacts.”
“Government and the Finance Minister speak about ‘studies’ that never lead to any action.”
“We insist again on the urgent need for the basket of goods and services upon which the national minimum wage is based to be revised so that this truly offers decent living to workers and pensioners. We recall that Caritas’ studies – including the most recent one for 2020 – have repeatedly shown that an annual income of around €14,000 is required to purchase the basic needs for a family to live decently.
Cacopardo emphasized that ADPD’s budget proposals in this respect are two fold: that the basket of goods and services upon which the national minimum wage is based needs to be revised. Moreover the cost-of-living adjustment is to be paid twice yearly – on the 1st of July and on the 1st of January – to minimise the impact of the increase in cost-of-living on vulnerable citizens.
The lack of just distribution of wealth remains, and Government is failing to implement the necessary measures for this fair distribution to take place, concluded Cacopardo.
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Il-wegħdi dwar it-titjib fil-pagi baxxi minsijin
Is-sena l-oħra, fil-ġimgħat ta’ qabel ma tħabbar il-baġit, il-Ministru tal-Finanzi kien qal li qed jaħseb biex jintroduċi mekkaniżmu speċjali biex jipproteġi aħjar lill-vulnerabbli mill-impatti tal-għoli tal-ħajja. Wara tnax-il xahar għad ma ġie introdott xejn minn dak li ħabbar il-Ministru!
Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo qal li “il-Gvern reġa wasal biex jippreżenta u jipprepara budget ieħor, imma s’issa milli jidher, nesa li jieħu azzjoni biex tiddaħħal sistema ta’ żieda fil-pagi immirata għas-sezzjonijiet l-aktar fqar tal-popolazzjoni – dawk magħrufa bħala ‘the working poor’.”
“Il-Gvern u l-Ministru tal-Finanzi jitkellem fuq ‘studji’, li iżda qatt ma jagħtu l-ebda riżultat.”
“Nerġgħu nisħqu fuq il-bżonn urġenti ta’ reviżjoni tal-baskett ta’ oġġetti u servizzi li fuqu tinħadem il-paga minima nazzjonali biex din tkun toffri verament għajxien diċenti lill-ħaddiema u lill-pensjonanti. Infakkru li ripetutament l-istudji li għamlet il-Caritas, inkluż l-aħħar wieħed tal-2020, juru li anke għall-aktar affarijiet bażiċi familja għandha bżonn dħul ta’ madwar €14,000 fis-sena għal għixien diċenti.
Cacopardo emfasizza li il-proposti tal-ADPD lejliet il-baġit huma tnejn: li jkun rivedut il-basket ta’ oġġetti u servizzi li fuqhom tinħadem il-paga minima. Nipproponu ukoll li iż-żieda għall-għoli tal-ħajja titħallas darbtejn fl-1 ta’ Lulju u l-1 ta’ Jannar u dan biex jittaffa l-piż fuq spallejn il-vulnerabbli.
Il-problema tibqa’ n-nuqqas ta’ distribuzzjoni ġusta tal-ġid, u l-Gvern qed jonqos li jieħu miżuri biex jimbotta biex isseħħ din id-distribuzzjoni ġusta, ikkonkluda Cacopardo.
