“Commemorating Workers’ Day this year we focus on the challenges being faced by households with the exponentially increased cost of living. This should be addressed by a judicious use of our resources. It is definitely commendable to subsidise the basic energy and water consumption for residential use, but blanket across-the-board subisidies do not make sense. While as a country we cannot control what happens outside our borders we do have a duty to do all that is necessary for ensuring a decent standard of living for all. Positively we note that our proposal of adjusting wages for cost of living twice a year, instead of an annual adjustment at budget time has been taken up by trade unions. Hopefully we can in the near future see developments in this direction. We need however to go much further. ADPD has always been on the forefront in pushing for the adoption of a living wage.” This was stated by ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons when addressing a Press Conference at the Farmers’ Market in Ta’ Qali on Saturday morning.
ADPD Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that people are feeling the pinch of the cost of living more than ever. Measly wages and the overall lowering of the standard of living seem to be the new norm.
The increased price of daily needs are unbelievable. Every week going to the supermarket is a nightmare. If you have young children, or a chronic illness which requires medication or a food allergy you are in for unpleasant surprises. Government has managed only to subsidise flour. People are struggling as the problem is not just flour or wheat derived products. To make matters worse the office of consumer affairs is completely absent. Various consumers have reported prices on the shelf which do not match the ones at the cash, prices not being displayed, or the sorry excuse for the price hike that it is new stock. While as a country we cannot control what happens outside our borders the consumers’ watchdog has a duty to carry out spot checks at retail outlets in order that it be ensured that at least you pay the shelf price and not some fantasy price.
Gauci added that a number of employees are working extra hours or an extra job so as to try and maintain their standard of living. In Malta we just work and work some more. Clyde Caruana has ruled out that Malta will ever have a 4 day week. However, nurses are expected to work a 56-hour week.
ADPD has always been on the forefront when it comes to adopting a living wage and actually getting a paycheck which one can realistically live on. It is about time that studies which were in hand on the living wage proposal are concluded and published for public scrutiny. Even though we have a government continuosly boasting of economic growth, according to Eurofund our country has had the lowest increase in the minimum wage across all of Europe. One inevitably asks: “who is gaining from this reported economic growth?” asked Gauci.
ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that there is definitely a case to retain subsidised energy and water use in order to mitigate the social impacts of an increase in rates in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. However, such subsidies should be focused on those who need them.
The basic energy and water consumption of residential households should definitely remain protected and subject to subsidies in the medium term. This is a social necessity to protect the vulnerable and low earners. However, beyond subsidies applied to basic and essential energy and water consumption, there are no valid reasons for the current across the board subsidies of residential households. Those who can afford to run large domestic properties should be able to shoulder the increased cost of the energy and water they consume beyond basic consumption.
Moreover, there is generally no social need to subsidise petrol and diesel. The small number of cases where private vehicle use is required to address issues of disability can be addressed by focused assistance. Removal of fuel subsidies would signify a substantial increase in the price of petrol and diesel. The primary impact of the removal of subsidies applied to petrol and diesel would be beneficial as it would signify an immediate reduction of cars from our roads, more judicious use of cars and a substantial improvement in air quality.
The adopted policy on subsidies should be revisited. Our resources are limited. We must use them judiciously to help the vulnerable, concluded Cacopardo.
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Għandu jkun hemm użu għaqli tar-riżorsi ta’ pajjiżna biex jilqa’ aħjar għall-isfidi miż-żidiet fl-għoli tal-ħajja
“Il-kommemorazzjoni ta’ Jum il-Ħaddiem ta’ din is-sena għandha tħares mill-qrib lejn l-isfidi li sabu ruħhom fihom dawk il-familji b’żidiet dejjem jikbru tal-għoli tal-ħajja. Għandu jkun hemm użu għaqli tar-riżorsi ta’ pajjiżna biex jilqa’ għal dan. Is-sussidju tal-konsum tal-enerġija u ilma bażiku għal djar residenzjali huwa ta’ min ifaħħru, imma li wieħed jissussidja lil kulħadd bl-istess mod ma jagħmel l-ebda sens. Filwaqt li bħala pajjiż ma nistgħux nikkontrollaw dak li jseħħ barra minn xtutna, għandna d-dover li nagħmlu dak kollu meħtieġ biex kulħadd igawdi livell diċenti ta’ għajxien. Ninnutaw b’sodisfazzjon li l-proposta li għamilna għall-aġġustament tal-pagi għaż-żidiet għall-għoli tal-ħajja darbtejn fis-sena, minflok ta’ darba fil-baġit, issa ġiet aċċettata mit-trejdunjins. ADPD minn dejjem ukoll kienet fuq quddiem fit-talba għal living wage, li biha wieħed jista’ jgħix diċenti.” Dan kien il-messaġġ ewlieni minn kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Pary meta indirizzaw konferenza stampa fis-suq tal-bdiewa f’Ta’ Qali s-Sibt filgħodu.
Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD Sandra Gauci qalet li in-nies qegħdin iħossu l-morsa taż-żidiet fl-għoli tal-ħajja aktar minn qatt qabel. Pagi baxxi u tnaqqis tal-livell tal-għajxien saru xi ħaġa li drajnihom.
Iż-żidiet fil-prezzijiet tal-ħtiġijiet ta’ kuljum ma jitwemmnux. Ix-xirja qegħda issir dejjem iktar iebsa fuq il-familji ta’ kull ġimgħa. Għal min għandu tfal żgħar, xi mard kroniku li jeħtieġ mediċini jew xi allerġija tal-ikel allura l-problema hi ferm ikbar. Il-gvern issussidja biss il-qamħ, imma l-problema hi ferm ikbar minn hekk u riżultat ta’ dan hemm it-tbatija. U dan mhux biżżejjed. L-Awtorità għall-Ħarsien tal-Konsumatur ftit li xejn nisimgħu mingħandu, qisu rieqed. Kien hemm diversi rapporti dwar prezzijiet fuq l-ixkaffa li ma jaqblux ma’ dawk meta wieħed ikun qiegħed iħallas, prezzijiet mhux immarkati jew l-iskuża frivola għal żieda fil-prezz minħabba li tkun konsenja ġdida. Filwaqt li bħala pajjiż ma nistgħux nikkontrollaw dak li jseħħ barra minn xtutna, għandna d-dover li jkun hemm sorveljanza għall-għarrieda fuq il-ħwienet biex wieħed jara li l-prezz li huwa immarkat ikun filfatt dak li wieħed iħallas u mhux prezz ivvintat minn żniedhom.
Gauci qalet li n-nies qed ikollhom bżonn jaħdmu sigħat aktar jew jaħdmu mpjieg ieħor biex iżommu l-livell ta’ għajxien tagħhom. F’Malta jkollna naħdmu bla waqfien. Clyde Caruana qatagħha barra li f’Malta qatt se naħdmu ekwivalenti ta’ erba’ t’ijiem fil-ġimgħa. Mhux talli hekk, talli l-infermiera mistennija li jaħdmu 56 siegħa fil-ġimgħa.
ADPD minn dejjem kienet minn ta’ quddiem li ipproponiet paga li biha wieħed jista’ effettivament jgħix ħajja diċenti, il-living wage. L-istudji li suppost kienu qegħdin isiru dwar din il-proposta ta’ ‘living wage’ misshom ilhom li ġew konklużi u ippubblikati għall-iskrutinju pubbliku. Minkejja li għandna gvern li kontinwament jiftaħar bit-tkabbir ekonomiku, skond il-Eurofund pajjiżna kellhu l-inqas żieda fil-paga minima fl-Ewropa kollha. Għalhekk tqum weħidha il-mistoqsija: min qiegħed jiggwadanja minn dan it-tkabbir ekonomiku kollu? staqsiet Gauci.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo qal li m’hemm l-ebda dubju li s-sussiddji fuq l-enerġija u l-ilma għandhom bżonn jinżammu biex itaffu mill-impatt soċjali li ż-żidiet f’dawn ir-rati għandhom minħabba l-invażjoni tal-Ukrajna. Madankollu, dawn is-sussidji għandhom jingħataw lil min għandu bżonnhom biss.
Il-konsum bażiku tal-enerġija u ilma għal djar residenzjali għandu jibqa’ imħares u issussidjat fil-medju terminu. Din hi ħtieġa soċjali biex tħares lil dawk vulnerabbli jew bi dħul baxx. Madankollu, li wieħed jissussidja aktar mill-użu essenzjali ta’ enerġija u ilma għal kulħadd bl-istess mod bħalma qiegħed jiġri bħalissa ma jagħmel l-ebda sens. Min jaffordja li jkollu dar kbira b’konsum għoli għandu jiflaħ għaż-żidiet fl-ispiża tal-enerġija u ilma li jikkonsma.
Barra minn hekk, ma hemmx ħtieġa soċjali li jingħata sussidju fuq il-fjuwil (petrol u diesel). In-numru limitat ta’ każi fejn l-użu tal-karozza privata huwa meħtieġ minħabba diżabilltà jistgħu jingħataw għajnuna diretta. It-tneħħija tas-sussidju fuq il-fjuwil iwassal għal żieda sostanzjali fil-prezz tal-petrol u d-diesel. Dan iħalli impatt ewlieni ta’ benefiċċju kbir billi jwassal għat-tnaqqis immedjat tan-numru ta’ karozzi fit-toroq tagħna, u użu aktar għaqli ta’ dawn il-vetturi flimkien ma titjib sostanzjali fil-kwalità tal-arja.
Il-politika preżenti fuq is-sussidju għandha tiġi riveduta. Ir-riżorsi ta’ pajjiżna huma limitati. Għandu jkun hemm użu għaqli ta’ dawn ir-riżorsi biex ikunu mgħejjuna l-vulnerabbli, temm jgħid Cacopardo.
