“AD tinnota l-istatistika pubblikata li turi li 40% tan-nies f’Malta li jgħixu f’postijiet mikrija qed jgħixu f’riskju ta’ faqar. Dan huwa sintomu ta’ apatija fir-rigward ta’ problema li kienet ilha moħbija. Issa mhux talli nibtet, imma talli rabbiet l-għeruq ukoll”, qalet Anna Azzopardi, kelliema fuq id-djalogu socjali u l-politika socjali.
“Il-pubblikazzjoni ta’ din l-statistika tikkuntrasta mal-fatt li l-ekonomija qiegħda tikber u allura twassal għall-konkluzjoni inevitabbli li fil-ġirja sfrenata li biha qiegħda tikber l-ekonomija, qed igawdu il-ftit.”
“Iż-żieda, esaġerata, fil-kera li qed tintakab ilha tinħass, tant li sentejn ilu, waqt laqgħa tal-Caritas, il-Michael Farrugia li dak iż-żmien kien Ministru tal-Familja u Solidarjetà Soċjali, kien qal li ma jridx jimponi fuq il-prezzijiet tal-propjetà. Sfortunament, minn dakinhar il-prezzijiet li diġà kienu għoljin laħqu livelli eċċessivi għall-maġġoranza tal-poplu Malti.”
“Dan ifisser illi iktar nies, li tgħix f’postijiet mikrija, qegħdin ibatu biex iġebbdu il-paga tagħhom, il-ftit li jkun baqgħalhom wara li jkunu ħallsu l-kera.”
“Fl-ewforija li qed tirrizulta hi u tkun proġettata stampa ta’ ekonomija b’saħħitha, il-karba tal-batut mhux qed tinstema’ biżżejjed, bosta drabi qiegħda tiġi njorata. Meta tinġibed l-attenzjoni li hawn it-tbatija, din tiġi trivjalizzata u min jipprova jiġbed l-attenzjoni bosta drabi qed jiġi akkużat li qed jesaġera. Sfortunatament wasalna fi stat li fih il-gvern irid jammetti u jaċċetta li hemm ħtieġa urġenti li jintervjeni fis-suq tal-propjetà – in partikolari fis-suq tal-kera. Il-gvern jista’ jagħmel dan billi jindirizza b’mod iktar aggressiv soluzzjonijiet ta’ akkomodazzjoni socjali. Dan flimkien ma mizuri li jassiguraw li l-akkomodazzjoni socjali tingħata biss lil min jeħtieġa.”
“Għad fadal bosta xi jsir. Qed nistennew, kif issa ilna nistennew għal żmien twil, il-White Paper imwegħda dwar is-suq tal-kera li nittammaw tgħin biex ittejjeb il-kwalità ta’ ħajja ta’ dawk l-iktar vulnerabbli.”
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Economic laissez-faire benefitting the few, not the many
“AD takes note that published statistics show that 40% of people in Malta living in rented properties are living at risk of poverty. That such a situation has been allowed to develop is a sign of apathy on the government’s part. These statistics show that the problem is huge and deeply rooted”, said Anna Azzopardi, AD spokesperson on social policy and social dialogue.
“The inevitable conclusion is that while the economy is growing, it is developing into an economy for the few and not the many. The market is only working for the benefit of the few, while others carry the burden of a laissez-faire ‘pro-business’ attitude.”
“The runaway increases in rent has been with us for quite a while, so much so that two years ago, at a Caritas meeting, Michael Farrugia, then Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity, said that he does not want any impositions or interventions on property prices. Unfortunately, since then prices have reached excessive levels for the majority of the Maltese people. ”
“This means that more people, living in rented places, are struggling to make ends meet after forking out a huge chunk of their income for rent.”
“Propaganda paints a picture of a healthy economy, however the plight of the poor is not being heard enough, on the contrary it is often being ignored. When pointing out that there is suffering out there, the standard answer is that the economy is doing well and that things are being blown out of proportion. We have reached a stage where the government needs to admit and accept that there is an urgent need to intervene in the property market – in particular in the rent market. The government can do this by addressing more aggressively the social housing situation, with social housing provided to those who really need it.”
“There are other things which can be done and we expect, the long promised White Paper on the rental market to offer solutions to improve the quality of life the most vulnerable people in our society.”
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Nota/Notes:
“85,000 individuals were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, of which 50,000 suffered from monetary poverty”
