Statements by the General Secretary of AKEL S.Stefanou at the People’s Social Solidarity Network

 

12 April 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

On behalf of the Central Committee of AKEL, we will contribute to the work of the People’s Solidarity Network this year too. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Network’s operation, with its very big contribution to the efforts, whenever we have holidays – and not only during these festive days – to offer the possibility to thousands of our fellow human beings, who do not have this possibility, to meet some basic needs.

As has been said, we are working and demanding that such conditions be created that will render the operation of social networks and social solidarity in general, which fortunately still exists and is provided to thousands of our fellow human beings in a concrete way, unnecessary. For this to happen, however, there needs to be coherent social policies that consider meeting the basic needs of our fellow citizens a prerequisite which, unfortunately, does not exist today.

Because we have recently had price hikes and expensiveness, the situation has become even more difficult. Inequalities have grown, pushing people even further to the margins. Even more of our fellow human beings cannot meet their basic needs. And all this, despite the demand for a coherent and comprehensive social policy.

At the same time, the state, under the responsibility of the government, needs to move towards alleviating the problems faced by thousands of our fellow citizens due to expensiveness and the high cost of living. We have submitted specific proposals to reduce the cost of energy and essential goods, to have effective controls, to combat the profiteering that unfortunately exists, to help the vulnerable groups of the population to be able to cope with difficulties.

These proposals are specific, have been tabled in Parliament and, unfortunately, have been rejected by the previous government. I call on the new government to show more social sensitivity, which unfortunately the previous government not only failed to show, but with its policies it widened inequalities and caused even more problems.

So the problems are there. The government must move towards addressing the problems and elaborating a comprehensive social policy.

So with that I want to deliver AKEL’s economic contribution. Congratulations for the work that the People’s Social Solidarity Network is doing. We will be here to support and, as I have said, we will also be present in the effort for a social policy to be implemented to address the various problems that a large section of society has been facing recently in particular acute form.