Pledge to continue slashing poverty rates

The government will continue to work to slash poverty rates, Family Minister Michael Farrugia pledged this morning, as official statistics show the number of people at risk of poverty has been halved.

Addressing a press conference following the publication of official statistics yesterday, Mr Farrugia said that while the previous administration had insisted poverty is just a perception, the Labour government had introduced measures which brought about change.

He insisted that as the latest figures covered the period between 2015 and 2016, not all the measures introduced had been reflected and more people were expected to experience improvements to their day to day lives.

“We will not stop until we have attempted to cut down poverty rates to the minimum,” the minister said.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the government had always sought to provide “prosperity with a purpose” when introducing new measures.

Some measures introduced in recent years, he went on, might not affect many people but were helping certain specific segments of vulnerable people in society.