There was a perfect example of socio-economic juxtapositioning on page three of the September 4 edition of this newspaper.
The page led with the banner headline ‘Budget to target welfare dependency – Scicluna’.
It was followed by the page’s second story, under a smaller banner headline, ‘Close to 65,000 are at risk of poverty’.
The two stories are offered unconnected. There is no doubt, however, that they cover the same area in context.
The first story summarises the main thrust of the coming Budget for 2015, likely to be presented some time in November. The background projection is healthy in relative terms. The Budget deficit for 2014 will be cut as forecast in relative terms; it will rise in absolute terms because of fiscal drift and because substantial Enemalta receipts, which should be passed to the government, will be again temporarily withheld.
The minister pointed out that, in relative terms, the government should remain on track, with the structural deficit expected to decrease again by absolute reasoning.
I confess that, though such data should be given in relative terms, I do not agree much with this absolute reasoning.
It is, no doubt, essential that the deficit goes down in relative terms. That is how countries present their data. But there can be no doubt either that our deficit has to be reigned in absolutely as well. It is making the public finances carry too much of a financial burden, which comes out of absolute revenue.
It is no use proclaiming the unemployment rate is among the lowest when we have so many people living at risk of poverty
The Minister of Finance is right to target welfare dependency. The recurrent outlay on transfer payments to those who depend on welfare is very high.
There can be no doubt that abuses take place, in all corners of the social network. Instead of acknowledging that we have one of the finest networks in the world, too many beneficiaries seem to try to maim or even destroy it.
At the end of the day, they target themselves because the abuse cannot continue with impunity.
The second factor in the juxtaposition which appeared on Thursday relates to the result of the latest survey of living conditions carried out last year.
It shows that the number of those living at risk of poverty increased by 3,277 in 2013, to reach 64,966, or 15.7 per cent of the population.
Some of these can be said to be living in absolute poverty.
Poverty is the bane of life of many a society. It is no use proclaiming that our unemployment rate is one of the lowest when we have so many people living at risk of poverty.
This is not a new problem. It has been with is for years. And how!
It must be attacked more vigorously and that is what the government intends to do in the coming Budget. One hopes that it will be helped in its efforts with positive suggestions.
It is easy to point a finger at abuses, as I have done, and it is essential that abuses are cut out.
It is far more difficult to come up with positive proposals, such as making the Employment and Training Corporation more user friendly.
Juxtapositioning is interesting. Beyond it there must be more direct action.