PRESIDENTIAL candidate Demetris Christofias yesterday announced a series of proposals on social policy.
The measures include an increase in low pensions, the permanent allocation of Easter benefit, changes to benefits for the disabled and to families with more than three children.
Presenting Christofias’ 10+1 proposals was his campaign representative
Pambis Kyritsis, who said that some measures would be applied immediately if Christofias was elected.
The AKEL candidate’s social pledges included extending large family status to those with three children from the current four, the concession of means tested single-parent benefit, and the improvement and modernisation of benefit for the most heavily disabled.
The commitments add that, if elected, Christofias would also increase the tax-free threshold to €21,100 a year, and would readjust remaining tax scales proportionally. They did not give further detail.
Kyritsis said the cost of the proposals had been properly calculated and were found to be within the state budget.
He also said that the proposals included the upgrade and modernisation of the Welfare Department, as well as improved benefits for large families, with particular emphasis on child benefit, improved student grants and benefits for conscripts, as well as help for the acquisition of a family car.
He also explained that the objective of the pension plan is for, “no pensioner to live on an income lower than the poverty line.”
Regarding the Social Insurance Fund, Kyrmitsis said that dialogue for solutions would continue, aimed at guaranteeing the long-term viability of the Fund.
He also commented that the right to voluntarily retire at 63 would be maintained, as would support for the cost of living allowance (COLA).
Also included was a proposal for an annual readjustment of sums granted for all categories of recipients of state aid, in order that nobody will have to live under the poverty line.
The commitments had special emphasis on the disabled, with recognition that disability is a social and not an individual problem, the modernisation of services for the disabled, the adoption of measures of social integration of the disabled and particularly, the adoption of employment quotas of individuals with disabilities in the government, semi-government and private sector.
On the question of inflation, Kyritsis said that the calculations vindicate Christofias’ warnings of price increases.
“Now that the problem is evident in numbers, what steps can we take? We have to bolster help for consumers, perform the essential inspections, ensure consumers are enlightened and adopt measures against illicit profiteering.”
