The Greek vs. the Cypriot guaranteed minimum income schemes: an exploratory comparative analysis

This exploratory paper utilises a comparative research approach to shed light upon the developmental trajectories of the Greek and Cypriot guaranteed minimum income (GMI) schemes. Our analysis indicates that, despite similarities (e.g. in the emergence of the two schemes, as part of the extensive reforms imposed during the financial crisis on the Greek and Cypriot welfare systems), there are also significant differences. These mainly relate to implementation and, ultimately, the “success” of the two schemes in attaining their declared goals. Moreover, we argue that the developmental paths followed by the Greek and Cypriot GMI schemes should be interpreted in the light of key variables (“functionalist,” “political” and “institutional”), often used to explain the establishment and further evolution of such schemes. Within this context, the relatively “superior” performance of the Cypriot GMI, compared with the Greek scheme, is largely attributed to factors such as government effectiveness and political stability.

Using of PPP mechanisms in rural social sphere: domestic and foreign experience

The article shows the importance of using the public-private partnership mechanism for the development of the social sphere of the village. Review of PPP implementation by countries G20 showed different legal approaches in PPP implementation, parallel use and concessions, and agreements, application of guaranteed minimum income and risk sharing among participants, use of different PPP support measures. The presented results of the questionnaire indicate the largest use of PPPs in housing and communal services — 272 projects (81.68 %), which is due to the high degree of wear and tear in water and heat supply, in education — 22 projects (6.61 %), mainly the construction of preschool institutions, school repairs, in the field of sports and tourism 14 projects (4.2 %) — the construction of sports grounds and stadiums, sports centers, 10 projects (3 %). Public-private partnership projects in the social sphere of rural areas are less marginal, their financing is associated with significant difficulties due to the heterogeneity of demand, the difficulty of forecasting consumer demand and assessing social effect. The development of public-private partnerships is constrained by the lack of necessary budget funds to ensure the minimum guaranteed income of a private partner, the duration and complexity of maintaining procedures.

Review of the Monograph “Unconditional Basic Income. A Revolutionary Reform of the 21st Century Society” By Maciej Szlinder, Pwn, Warsaw, 2018, P. 310

SummaryThe economic forum currently sees the postulate of a multi-dimensional analysis of economic issues, as exemplified by behavioural and institutional economics, cliometrics, wikinomics and others – taking into consideration of the achievements of cultural anthropology, sociology, ethics, philosophy, the history of economics, as well as selected exact sciences, such as mathematics and physics. The redistribution economics, the relationship between capital and labour, the issues of the precariat, guaranteed minimum income for each citizen – both conditional and unconditional, which is a new idea for economy and the society – become more and more apparent in the aforementioned areas. The idea stems from the criticism of neoliberalism, and it interferes with the system of values shaped under capitalism, the role of the welfare state, the welfare system from the perspective of institutions and beneficiaries, who would replace their current privileges with inalienable rights. The author recommends unconditional minimum income upon providing a characteristic of a wide scope of postulated solutions, implemented on an experimental scale and applied in the practice of social policy. The monograph, while constituting the author’s moderate manifesto, provides a wide – in terms of time, authors and trends in economy – review of the standpoints on the participation in the national income.

West African cocoa farmers face price disappointment

Significance However, with COVID-19-related disruptions weakening chocolate demand, and expectations for another tumble in cocoa’s world market price, the Ivorian Coffee and Cocoa Board (CCC) and the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) face budgetary challenges in providing a promised guaranteed minimum income. Impacts Though both regulators face pre-season financing challenges, they expect to secure financing for 2020/21 harvest cocoa purchases. Chocolate manufacturers in consumer countries will maintain pressure on the CCC and Cocobod to pay out the LID as promised to farmers. Demand for chocolate is expected to recover in the medium term, giving some reassurance for an eventual modest cocoa price recovery.

Citizen’s basic income and Kenya

ABSTRACT Brazil is the first national in the world to approve a law to institute, step by step, a Citizen’s Basic Income. In 1991, I presented a Guaranteed Minimum Income proposal. More and more in the world, there is growing interest and experiences. Among them, in Kenia. The results of paying a Universal Basic Income to all adults with 18 years or more in rural villages are very positive. Maricá (RJ) has started to pay 33 dollars per month to one third of the population last August. By 2021, the Universal Basic Income (UBI) will be paid to all inhabitants.

How Poverty Became a Violation of Human Rights: The Production of a New Political Subject, France and Belgium, 1964–88

The institutionalization of guaranteed minimum income systems in France and Belgium, carried out through the modernization of assistance schemes (Minimex in 1974, RMI in 1988), has generally been presented as the political outcome of the “rediscovery” of “hidden” poverty in the “affluent” societies of the mid-1960s. This article argues that a vision of this shift in terms of a “discovery,” however, suffers from significant limitations. To understand the historical pedigree of the reforms, this article will examine how the issue of “poverty” as such, was not simply “discovered” as a neglected social ill, but rather, “produced” to allow for new techniques of social intervention. The theoretical discovery of the “poverty” issue then, was marked by the slow constitution of a new political subject known as the “poor,” whose categorization and conceptualization would stand in stark opposition to the postwar welfare state notions of social justice and equality.

Migrants’ Access to Social Protection in Belgium

Access to social benefits in Belgium is not conditional upon nationality but rather on periods of insurance to the Belgian social security system. Despite the lack of nationality conditions, a number of social benefits are made conditional upon residence of the beneficiary in Belgium. Consequently, even though the Belgian social security system appears, at first sight, as neutral regarding the migration trajectory of its beneficiaries, it might be more difficult for migrants to access, retain and export social security benefits from Belgium when compared to resident nationals. This chapter thus compares the conditions of access to social benefits for nationals and non-nationals residing in Belgium, as well as Belgian citizens residing abroad. It aims to analyse whether migration decisions impact access to and retention of social security benefits. More particularly, the analysis focuses on access to unemployment benefits, healthcare, old-age pensions, family benefits and guaranteed minimum income. Finally, this chapter also questions whether access to social benefits might have a consequence for the residence status of non-nationals in Belgium.