8 hours agoquarter of Macedonians live in poverty
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)According to the State Statistics Agency, during the past year 460 thousand citizens of Macedonia have lived below the poverty threshold, 22.2 percent of Macedonia's total population, respectively. According to these data, poverty rates have increased by 0.3 percent compared to last year. In [...]
Among the poor category is part of and 9 percent of Macedonia's citizens who are employed and 7.7 percent of pensioners, the rest belong to unemployed people living with social aid, reports Radio Free Europe.
Fadil Ekremi and his six - member family, the only secure income is from social assistance. He for Radio Free Europe says every day for hours he leaves the house to pick up iron, and he finds himself old because with social help he can't even provide his children with a meal.
I buy two three loaves and a kilo of milk for the kids and immediately they're out of 150 denars (two euros and 50 cents) as much as my social aid if you divide it by 30 days”.
Not that we're poor, but we can barely survive working in miserable conditions. There were many promises, but nothing has changed”, Ekrem says.
Government authorities say they are focused on reducing poverty mainly through lower unemployment, so they are implementing some programmes to qualify those who seek, as well as sharing irreversible grants to open new businesses.
But connoisseurs of economic issues say the government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is largely focused on political issues, putting aside the implementation of sustainable policies that would bring positive effects on the economy's plan, they say the key parameters in this direction are and the stagnation in terms of economic development.
Afarists say that despite the poverty rate in Macedonia that has deepened only 0.3 per cent, this should be seriously addressed on the part of government authorities, because, as they say, it presents a serious signal that economic policies are not on track.
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On the other hand, Petar Goshev, former governor of the People's Bank of Macedonia, says that while the rate of economic growth remains far from forecasts at an extremely low level, it is very difficult to hope that in Macedonia the quality of living will improve.
The “Now has become a long time that analyses economic development is reflected in the standard of citizens' lives. The government's entire focus is on political developments. Power should start focusing on economic problems so that we can finally have conditions for economic recovery“, Goshev says.
Otherwise, in 2016 the poverty rate has reached 21.9%, while in 2015, 21.5%. / REL/
