Address social inequalities in Budget 2017, Civil Society Network urges government

Members of the civil society have urged the government to protect the weakest of society and ensure that Budget 2017 includes measures that improve the quality of life and standard of living of low-income earners and pensioners.

Civil Society Network (CSN) put forward their proposal for the upcoming budget, in particular calling for an increase in the minimum wage and minimum pension and “an updated and realistic indexation” of the cost of living adjustments and pensions. At the same time, measures should be adopted to ensure sustainable and universally accessible pensions.  

CSN said that the government should look at revising upwards tax brackets for low-income earners and introduce measures to ensure that housing is affordable.

“There need to be further measures that define and tackle precarious employment and measures which combat the exploitation of foreign workers in the underground economy,” CSN said in a statement.

The network also called for measures that encourage the access to and use of renewable energy.

“We believe that policies should be based on evidence and research and that government should ensure that consensus among social partners is not used as an excuse for procrastination,” the CSN said.

“We note that Malta's economy is doing relatively well but that there are growing social inequalities.”