Portuguese gov't calls for urgent action to fight poverty

Portugal's Minister for Employment, Solidarity and Social Security Jose Vieira da Silva on Monday called for the government to fight poverty.

"Eradicating poverty must be our society's biggest ambition, and the greatest ambition of our generation," Vieira da Silva said in an official message to mark the International Day for Eradication of Poverty.

"Poverty many times means war, or refugees, or abandoned elderly people, or children without support, and almost always it means unemployment and inequality," he added.

Portugal is a "country with too much poverty," and it is necessary to fight for a more just society and prioritize children, he urged.

He said the solution was for the government to reinforce its support to families with younger children younger than three years old from 2017.

Viera da Silva also mentioned the importance of guaranteeing education and medical support for children.

According to a report in September, the number of poor people in Portugal between 2009 and 2014 rose by 116,000 to 2.2 million, with around 10.7 percent of workers and a quarter of children living below the poverty line.

Around one in five Portuguese citizens earn less than 422 euros (463.96 U.S. dollars) per month, with salaries dropping by around 12 percent during the 2009 and 2014 period.

Portugal signed a 78 billion euros bailout program in 2011 with international lenders when it was on the verge of bankruptcy, and made steep spending cuts and tax hikes to meet budget targets.

The prime minister and leader of the Socialist Party, Antonio Costa, who was appointed in November, promised to reverse public wage cuts and is compensating by increasing other taxes. Enditem