On the occasion of the approval of the 2016 State Budget by the Ministerial Council, the government has come out celebrating that we will have growth. The government’s attempt to portray a situation in a positive light that cannot be camouflaged with anything is most unfortunate.
For us, real growth must be accompanied with the improvement in the lives of the common people.
It is to say the least provocative for the government to be celebrating about growth at the same time as:
– 70,000 or more than 16% of our compatriots are unemployed,
– 250,000 or one-third of our compatriots have been impoverished,
– 50,000 of our fellow citizens are fed by social food banks,
– The health system has collapsed,
– Children go to school without having breakfast,
– The foreclosures of primary family homes and the eviction of people has begun,
– Social benefits, which according to statistics are the lowest in Europe, have been cut to dangerous levels.
Assessing the above-mentioned figures alone, it can easily be concluded that neither the numbers, nor the people are prospering.
For AKEL, growth should generate wealth that must be distributed in society, create jobs, reduce poverty and upgrade the welfare state.