The Anti-Poverty Forum (APF)  on Wednesday expressed concern with the sharp increase in the cost of living, including drastic increases in the cost of basic necessities including food and medication.

The forum, which is made up of 17 organisations, said this hike in costs “has highly reduced people’s purchasing power, increasing poverty”.

It noted that the number of people at risk of poverty is on the increase, even more so with the inflation increase registered mostly in this year’s second and third quarters.

APF said it is of the opinion that:

• Subsidies are a good short-term solution. However, since they are from public funds, in the long-term they will have an impact on inflation;
• COLA is based on past inflation and not on projections. Therefore, it does not compensate for the present increase in cost of living.

It asked whether the free market was safeguarding people in poverty and if any incentives and controls were infringing on the free market principle.

It recommended that:

• More longitudinal educational programs and campaigns should be engaged in favour of decent and healthy living. This would include wise spending focusing on needs rather than wants and efficient use of resources.
• Policies to address poverty should be long-term before poverty becomes a normalised way of living.
• There should be more continued research and studies to explore and expose the real scenario of the effects of inflation on society.
• The government should expand the social safety net by:
  • Providing adequate medications, as prescribed by medical professionals. 

• • Increasing and strengthening measures to ensure the effectiveness and at the same time, reduce the abuse of systems that are intended to assist those who are at risk of poverty, students and disadvantaged persons.

• • Ensuring that consumers are not misled by purposely manipulated advertising and are receiving value for money.

• • Continuing to subsidise the provision of energy, especially to those who are at risk of poverty.

• The burden that this inflation increase should be shouldered by all, but especially by those who can shoulder more.