PN questions government’s inaction towards poverty

The Nationalist Party has questioned why Malta has among the highest increases in poverty rates registered in the European Union despite the apparent growth in the local economy.

Referring to the latest Joint Employment Report, published in Brussels on Saturday, PN social policy spokesperson Paula Mifsud Bonnici pointed out that Malta registered he third largest increase in the number of those at-risk-of-poverty among the 28 EU member states, with only Cyprus and Portugal registering higher increases.

“The government has said that the economy is going from strength to strength, but results show a different reality,” she said during a press conference.

Mifsud Bonnici added that the opposition had been calling on the government to secure some sort of action against poverty. She further stressed that a recently published document by the PN “An economy for the people”, had outlined various ideas to battle poverty.

Housing spokesperson Stepehen Spiteri said that although Malta didn’t have a lot of beggars on its streets, poverty is a harsh reality that people should be aware of.

Family spokesperson Robert Cutajar also referred to the Labour Party’s electoral manifesto and pointed out the party had been elected with a cry to eradicate poverty.

“At the time, there were around 88,000 people classified at risk of poverty, but now there are over 100,000 people in this position,” he stressed, urging the government to make the necessary changes.