TIRANA, Feb. 20 – Due to a new, automated system of evaluating those who apply to benefit social assistance, a big number of families have been cut out from the schemes, causing protests in several districts and receiving the opposition’s condemnation.
According to the government, not all families registered for social assistance qualify to receive it.
Vice Minister for Social Protection Bardhylka Kospiri published several cases which according to the government have been abusing the system, and have been therefore cut off from receiving money.
“Citizen A.P. had not declared he was hired somewhere. He had not disclosed that two of his family members were hired and receiving 6000 AL., while another had four cars in his ownership,” Kospiri said.
The opposition, however, has been demanding the government makes the new evaluation methodology of families public, as according to them a big number of poor Albanian families – close to 20,000 only during January – have been unrightfully left out.
Head of the opposition’s Democratic Party (DP) Lulzim Basha said the DP’s last parliamentary group session solely centered on the thousands of families now lacking financial assistance.
“This is a humanitarian drama and national emergency. We have a government and prime minister that employs nazi methods, genocide and cleansing of his own people,” Basha told the media after the DP’s meeting.
He added the DP is working hard to comprehend the extent of this “holocaust” after being signaled by a number of the families that have been left out during January.
“These families have no other solution but to perish or create a new migration wave towards the EU. For two weeks now, the minister that should be penally investigated is keeping the criteria that cut out families’ financial assistance secret. This consists misuse of duty,” Basha said.
After the opposition’s public request for complete transparency by the government concerning the evaluation process was met, member of the Social Issues Committee Grida Duma published what she said was a ‘partial’ explanation that missed its deadline and only explained the criteria, but not the evaluation points.
“This forced answer coming from the ministry of healthcare proves our first concern, namely that established criteria necessary to profit financial assistance do not meet the minimal standards of living,” Duma’s Facebook post read.
