The Universal Basic Income “it is a necessity”. That’s how he put it Agustin Rossiformer defense minister of the Frente de Todos government, who assured that already raised the proposal to President Alberto Fernández so that the most vulnerable sectors have a salary that covers their minimum needs. Furthermore, he compared it to the benefits of Universal Child Allowance (AUH).
“I think it’s a must. I raised it with the President, with the Minister of Economy (Martín Guzmán). With the years of political life that I have, what I can say on a radio I also say in front of whoever has to say it,” Rossi assured in dialogue with Futurock radio.
Although the situation improved, implement a Universal Basic Wage is key to ending homelessness, according to the former official. “We have good macroeconomic indicators, a good growth indicator, we lowered unemployment to 7%. In Macri’s four years it was always above 7%.” he remarked he. He lowered poverty. When you see how homelessness has moved, you realize that it is a much harder indicator, it costs much more,” he analyzed.
“Last year, wages on average beat inflation by two or three points, but registered wages beat inflation by 10, and wages for informal workers lost by 10. Clearly, you need to put it there a floor so that this informal salary equals or beats inflation, and end poverty with a stroke of the pen“, he explained about the initiative.
“When Cristina takes out in 2009 the AUHgenerated that effect: we are practically left without poverty in Argentina. It seems to me that it is an instrument that the Government has to analyze, “she compared.
Who would a Universal Basic Income reach?
In the middle of last year, the director of Banco Nación Claudio Lozano and leaders of Unidad Popular (UP) presented President Alberto Fernández with a proposal to create a Universal Basic Income.
The initiative aims to pay a Income or Universal Basic Income for adults between 18 and 65 years of age who are in an informal and unemployed situation together with the maintenance of the Universal Child Allowance (AUH).
“Our proposal consists of generating a set of public policy instruments that allow universalize income on the population in a situation of labor informality and unemployment“, highlighted the UP at that time.
However, Rossi did not want to go into detail about how much money he thinks should be paid, since he considers that the important thing is to implement it. “First there has to be the political decision; if it’s taken, then we see the amount and scope“, according to the available resources, he remarked.
Daniel Arroyoformer Minister of Social Development and current deputy, had also defended at the time the creation of a universal income, although he warned that should be “for labor consideration”.
“Universal income is a debate that must be given. There is no doubt that today there are difficulties in doing so. There is a part of the Argentine population that has income difficulties, so it is necessary to establish a basic income with labor compensation,” the outgoing official remarked in dialogue with Futurock radio.
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