OPPOSITION MP Alvick Maharaj has criticised Government’s latest relief initiatives calling it insufficient and delayed.
He warned that inflation and rising costs have outpaced minor adjustments to social welfare and civil servants’ pay.
Speaking in Parliament this week, Mr Maharaj called for a more responsive and equitable tax and social protection system tied to real-time living expenses.
“I am a firm believer in everyone playing their role in contributing to tax in nation development,” Mr Maharaj said.
“It’s better that 10 people pay $10 in tax, which equates to $100, rather than making one person pay $100.
“The tax burden gets distributed this way.”
While acknowledging the Government’s efforts — such as the 5 percent increase for social welfare recipients, a 3 percent pay rise for civil servants, a 10 percent bus fare subsidy, and the $200 back-to-school assistance — Mr Maharaj argued these are minimal changes that fail to meet the scale of public need.
“While any relief is welcome, these are at best minor adjustments for maintaining existing initiatives,” he said.
“A 5 percent increase in social welfare is a significant sum against the inflation our citizens have faced for the last two years.
“A 3 percent pay rise is welcome, but little to address the real erosion of purchasing power for our hard-working civil servants.”
He further questioned the rapid increase in the number of social welfare recipients.
“Social welfare recipients were close to around 90,000, which was highly criticised by the current minister, who assured Parliament that many should not be receiving the money.
“But under their own watch, it’s amazing to see it has gone up to 107,000, we wonder where the recipients came from.”
