The welfare state was set up for good reasons, however, its founding concept has been corrupted by the alternating parties in government which have used it in their auctions for getting more votes, stated Azzjoni Nazzjonali leader Josie Muscat.

Speaking at the party headquarters in Sliema during a meeting with the Pensioners Organisations Alliance, Dr Muscat held that the two main parties have lost control on the welfare state, especially pensions.

He praised elderly people for building Malta and criticised parties for manipulating pensions. “All we have now is a super complicated law that does not do justice with the people who had previously invested in their pension,” said Dr Muscat. Alliance spokesman Anton Tabone, after outlining the state of pensioners in Malta, presented the party with three suggestions for AN’s electoral manifesto.

The alliance, which is made up of seven pensioners’ organisations, proposed a number of measures that lessen hardships to pensioners.

It proposed that the National Minimum Guaranteed Pension (NMGP) should be extended to all those born prior to 1 January, 1962, as the current law guarantees such a pension to those retiring on 1 January, 2027.

It also proposed that the maximum pensionable income should rise in order to make amends for past meddling in the system.

Dr Muscat said AN was in favour of raising the NMGP to 60 per cent of the national average income. A lesser income was tantamount to someone living below the poverty line, held Dr Muscat.