The Church and the Budget

There are two commissions within the Church in Malta that I particularly admire. These are the Justice and Peace Commission and the Interdiocesan Commission for the Environment.

This does not mean that I always agree with whatever position they take. This is not the case and there were occasions when I was critical of what they said. However, whenever any one of them takes a public position, it is a position to reckon with. Their statements are sane and studied.

On more than one occasion their published positions were in the form of seriously researched studies and not just in the form of educated opinions.

The Environment Commission is more present in the public debate that the Justice and Peace Commission, and that's a pity as both have a lot to contribute.

Just recently the Justice and Peace Commission released its reflections on the Government pre-budget document. Part of the statement was written by the Environment Commission. We were, sort of, given two statements for the price of one! A number of very important developments on the international scenario and some less important ego trips on the local scene have taken up most of the coverage in the media. Consequently the statement of these two commissions did not impact in any significant way public opinion.

I, therefore, propose extracts from this document for our discussion.

1. An economy at the service of the human person.

The Commissions document recognized the advantage of the strategy of the pre-budget document in favour of "stimulating growth and creating opportunities for more and better jobs through an economy which is more responsive to economic and social needs." It also recognizes the benefit of looking at the issue of work in terms of its potential for economic growth and its impact on the competitive advantage or otherwise of the economy.

This is not enough, though.

"Now while this is certainly a valid concern for a realistic outlook, the development of human resources includes but goes beyond the contribution that they can make to economic growth. ... ... Economic growth is worth pursuing to the extent that it contributes to a genuine social development. As John Paul II has said, work is one of the key factors, if not the key factor, in the creation of a truly human society. It is this side that one would like to see being followed-up and developed further."

The Commission is positive that the pre-budget relates employment to social inclusion.

"A decent job gives one not only access to economic participation but an opportunity to raise a family and to take part in a variety of social and cultural activities. ... The way out of poverty and social exclusion to employment and a decent standard of living is quite a complex problem in itself. It involves having adequate housing, very often health-care assistance of a special kind, basic life skills and especially a strong enough motivation to move out of a state of dependency."

The pre-budget document touches on the change from a culture of dependability to a culture of contribution.

The Church Commission says that:

"Social protection is of course a fundamental human right. But the social assistance that the State provides is meant to empower people possibly to become once more independent and active participants in the various fields of social life. In practice, however, it often happens, as the pre-budget document observes, that 'persons who become dependent on the welfare state end up being trapped in such a system'."

The document of the Justice and Peace Commission notes that "a truly effective culture of contribution implies much more than having a job, paying for social security and the tax due on one's income. It implies the cultivation of a sense of justice which would dispose one to contribute to the common good. This is only possible, if people learn to think of themselves not as individuals living alongside each other, but as people who are inter-dependent and can only develop by showing solidarity with each other. It is an ethic of solidarity that can actually promote a culture of contribution."

The Church Commission's statement while agreeing that work "is a resource that is needed for production along with physical, technological and financial resources" adds that "work stands in a category of its own in so far as it involves and engages the human being personally, socially and morally. Not any work is decent but only that which befits human dignity and respects human rights."

2. Greening Our Economy

This section of the document which is written by the Environment Commission notes that while the pre-budget document "acknowledges the importance of balancing the three major concerns of sustainable development: environmental concerns, economic concerns and social concerns" it gives more importance to economic concerns.

"Environmental concerns seem to 'make sense' only within the context of them being the source of more economic gains. Social concerns are noticeably lacking in the whole chapter."

The Church Commission notes that "it is unclear the extent to which this pre-budget document has taken into account the National Environment Policy which is presently being developed."

How can companies be pushed to be greener?

"Overall it seems that the offerings of incentives and using deterrents to force industry into opting for sustainable practices have not been successful strategies. The former has failed because it is still more advantageous to operate unsustainably than to go for sustainable practices. The latter has failed because enforcement of regulations is very weak and wrong doers are not just being allowed to prosper but they do so at the expense of those who comply with regulations. A market based instrument that can be used ... which the chapter fails to mention ... is the positive discrimination of companies who have invested in sustainable practices. ... ... There is a need for incentives and disincentives to promote corporate social responsibility – one cannot depend solely on voluntary actions when industry and commerce are profit driven."

The Church Commission says that "it seems that very little investment has been made in the Building Regulations Office to implement certification schemes. This is making the implementation of good intentions of improving building energy efficiency, more difficult." It adds that " disincentives for the amassing of vacant property should also be considered before more damage is done to the building profiles of villages and towns."

3. Conclusion

"The Commission acknowledges the reality that our country is living today, that is, a globalised world where diverse situations in different countries impact other countries. Today, more than ever, we need to put the economy at the service of humankind rather than humankind at the service of the economy."

What's your take on this subject?