Portugal is a "country with too much poverty," according to the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Vieira da Silva
In Viera’s Monday message to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the minister said that this is a situation that "is urgent" and that change is "highest priority" to combat child poverty.
"Eradicating poverty must be the highest ambition of our society, it has to be the highest ambition of our generation," said Viera, adding that that "poverty often means war, refugees, abandoned elderly and children without support: it almost always means unemployment and often means inequality."
The minister identified some priority objectives for Portugal in fighting poverty, especially child poverty, abandonment and failure at school, and health and aims to "ensure that all children have the necessary medical support."
Vieira da Silva points out that the way to combat the difficulties that reach the poorest families with young children up to three years is to strengthen support for ensuring the right to pre-school education and the strengthening of the family allowance that started in 2016.
You need to "mobilise all of society to eradicate poverty - it’s not just a beautiful utopia" said Viera echoing the objectives of the United Nation’s millennium development plan (2000 to 2015 involving developed member countries and those which are considered still in development.
Ban Ki-Moon, the outgoing Secretary-General of the United Nations, "poverty is not simply measured by inadequate income. It is manifested by limited access to health, education and other essential goods and often the denial and abuse of other fundamental human rights."
According to a study released in September 2016 by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, called ‘Portugal Desigual,’ the number of poor increased between 2009 and 2014 by 116,000 to 2.02 million, a quarter of them children and 10.7% of them represented by workers living below the poverty line.
Today, one in five Portuguese live with a monthly income below €422, says the study, with incomes falling by 12% since 2009 (€116 per month).
On the plus side 250,000 pensioners on under €275 a month are to receive extraordinary increases of up to €10 per month, payable from August 2017.
The proposal is in the draft State Budget 2017 and according to the Secretary of State for Social Security, Claudia Joaquim, the last government is to blame for excluding certain groups, such as those on pensions based on disability, from annual increases.
The Minister of Social Security, Vieira da Silva, said these low pensions had had no update and that the government should focus efforts on raising these pensions as apart of the 250,000 others due to be improved next year.
Portugal is a "country with too much poverty," begs the question "how much poverty is acceptable?"
