The church has proposed a new method of measuring quality of life in Malta and wants policymakers to rethink the way well-being is viewed.
In a report entitled, Beyond GDP, the Curia puts forward a six-pronged approach to calculating quality of life.
The report is based on an index drafted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The Curia report identifies six key dimensions for measuring quality of life. These are: income and wealth, housing, education and skills, jobs, health and lifestyle, and the environment.
For each dimension, a team of researchers drafted indicators to be able to create metrics and ultimately measure quality of life.
The report’s authors told Times of Malta that there were no stand-out areas where Malta fared worryingly low. However, the data did indicate that there were certain pockets that needed to be addressed.
The report calls for the development of an open data platform to share statistics on quality of life that would be updated regularly.
The government should agree with social partners on a “national well-being framework” and integrate the concept of well-being into policymaking.
The cost of living adjustment mechanism should also be revised based on the metrics identified, it says.
The report recommends a “social pact” between social partners and the government. This would, among other things, highlight policies to reward enterprise but disincentivise rent-seeking and ensure a fair tax burden and establish new job and income protections to boost productivity.
The report was launched by the Chris’s Justice and Peace Commission in collaboration with local branches of the Focolare Movement and the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, together with EY and Seed Consultancy, and the support of APS Bank.
During a presentation of the report to the media, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea Curmi said the church believes people ought to be appreciated through more than economic indicators.
The full report is available online here. It will be debated during an online APS discussion on Thursday.