Abdülkadir Özkan: "Uniting society under poverty"

Abdülkadir Özkan: "Uniting society under poverty"
Date: 1.8.2023 15:00

Milli Gazete columnist Abdulkadir Özkan writes on Türkiye economy. Here is the full article.

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I have difficulty in making sense of the figures that determine the hunger and poverty line announced every month. Because a very large part of the workers and retirees are condemned to an income below the hunger limit, let alone the poverty line.
 
Considering the state of the retirees, who were sentenced to 7,500 liras in particular, it is impossible not to wonder whether the rulers of this country ignore the retirees.
 
By the way, although the minimum wage of 8 thousand 500 liras, which was valid until this month, was increased to 11 thousand 402 liras as of this month, it is not possible to see how the situation of the country, especially the wage earners, has regressed as the minimum wage has remained below the hunger limit.
 
However, it goes without saying that the last hunger limit announced by Türk-İş is below the minimum wage.
 
In particular, the last poverty line announced by Türk-İş, let alone serving to increase the welfare level of the society, has almost been condemned to poverty.
 
Because, besides the minimum wage, which is currently 11 thousand 402 lira, the fact that millions of retirees receive 7 thousand 500 liras inevitably scares people. Because the President said in his statement that the situation of the retirees will be discussed at the beginning of the year.
 
As such, there may be an increase in the wages that retirees will receive at the beginning of February. However, this is not certain.
 
Because, in the last adjustment made in wages, an improvement was made in the situation of civil servants and civil servant retirees, while the increase given to worker retirees did not solve a problem. Because most of the recently increased pensions are far behind.
 
Let me just say that the economic problems in the country may have pushed the managers to act stingy towards the retirees, but it should be said that the understanding that sees the retirees as the only responsible is not healthy.
 
In this respect, the poverty and hunger line figures should not be announced any longer, or the workers and retirees who work below the announced figures should not receive wages.
 
Because while some statements are being made on the hunger and poverty line, the fact that the minimum wage and salary increases announced by the state lag behind the hunger and poverty line figures makes the increases meaningless.
 
In other words, it would not be wrong to think that these increases are used to linger on employees and retirees for a certain period of time.
 
At this point, it is useful to draw attention to one more point. Because at this point, the end of the line for employees and retirees is long gone, and it does not seem possible for these segments to linger and wait for expectations with certain promises.
 
At this point, I have a request, those responsible for the administration of this country, please do a research and determine how many people are in this country with a monthly income of over 37 thousand 974 liras and explain it to the public. In particular, how many retirees should declare that they receive a wage above the poverty line.
 
Because those who rule the country get their share not only from the good but also from the deficiencies and mistakes. Because being a manager requires it. As a result, there is no tangible part of the economy that is being implemented anymore, and a large part of the society has been brought together at the poverty line.
 
In short, those who have the task of uniting our people in prosperity, peace and happiness have not been successful. They should stop distracting the nation by creating some artificial agendas to hide their failures.
 
The society can no longer afford to linger. Because even if three out of four people work for minimum wage in a house, it does not seem possible for that house to get rid of the economic bottleneck.
 
It should not be forgotten that the duty of the administrators is not to unite the society at the poverty line.

YEREL HABERLER

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