There is no doubt that COVID-19 created havoc all over the world. It caused social problems as well as difficulties for the health sector and the economy.
The health authorities in Malta proved to be very efficient in dealing with the pandemic and deserve our congratulations and thanks for their marvellous work.
One of the first measures taken by the authorities, for example, was to lock down vulnerable people in institutions and in their homes.
In government and private homes, elderly people were completely isolated from the outside world for months.
The government’s recent mini budget can be considered as a positive measure taken to kickstart the ailing economy. However, from the perspective of elderly people it not only failed miserably to address their problems but created further difficulties.
From the economic point of view it is painful to note that out of a sum of €900 million, vulnerable people, including about 85,000 pensioners, qualified for a voucher of €100 each up to the end of September and a seven cents reduction in fuel.
Thousands of people are poor or at risk of poverty. COVID-19 brought about a considerable increase in the prices of goods, services and food. The purchasing power of this section of the population was therefore further decreased and the number at risk of poverty is going up at an alarming rate. There are thousands of people who are being provided with food, a basic need for survival.
The Minister for Finance is aware of this precarious situation which should be addressed in the next budget. We hope the minister will revamp his social conscience before dealing with this critical situation in view of the sad fact that the poor are getting poorer.
Social justice demands better care and attention for thousands of people in need.
A proper safety net for low income earners should be put in place as early as possible- Carmel Mallia
The first priority should be that of establishing a minimum income which ensures that all vulnerable people enjoy a decent living that is enough to keep them away from the risk of poverty. A proper safety net for low income earners should be put in place as early as possible.
It is useless for policy makers to continue with old practices of providing short-term solutions that are not enough to improve the standard of living and the purchasing power of those in need. Our pensions need to be evaluated to see whether they are adequate for today’s needs. This should become a top priority for the authorities and must be addressed as early as possible for the benefit of all concerned.
In the circumstances, the least that can be done is to support and compensate those who obeyed and cooperated with the health authorities.
For months, the elderly stayed at home, they suffered from solitude, isolation, exclusion and mental stress. A reduction in their water and electricity bill would have been appropriate and most welcome.
Along with hundreds of frontliners who experienced the difficulties brought about by COVID-19 the elderly should be treated better and their financial problems must be addressed before it is too late.
It is about time thousands of elderly people and pensioners are protected and no longer considered as second-class citizens but treated with dignity, respect and fairness.
In the forthcoming budget, the finance minister should make it a point that wealth generated is fairly distributed.
The current trend where the poor get poorer and the rich get richer must come to an end without further delay.
Carmel Mallia is president of Alliance of Pensioners Organisations.