Caritas director Mgr Victor Grech this morning called for a re-definition of the poverty line and said utility tariffs were pushing those who had been at risk of poverty down to actual poverty.

Mgr Grech was speaking at the opening of a Caritas forum being held on the occasion of the European Year against Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Mgr Grech said the definition of the poverty line needed to be updated to a more realistic figure.

A re-definition was also needed of what was an adequate minimum wage in terms of the law, more so as the cost of living had continued to increase.

Mgr Grech pointed out, in particular, to rising costs of medicine and the high cost of property as factors which, along with the utility services, were causing hardship.

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