KESK released poverty threshold figures

2013-04-07 22:27:05

ANKARA (DİHA) - The Confederation of Public Laborers' Unions (KESK) Research Department has released figures about the hunger and poverty threshold for a four member family for the month of March 2013. According to the research by KESK-AR, the hunger threshold has recorded an increase by 12 percent, rising to TL 1168 (less than 500 euro), and poverty threshold by 13 percent, reaching TL 3692 (less than 1500 euro), in the last six months.

Prices of health services have doubled and the increase in food prices has reached 70 percent in the last one year, said the research. The rapid marketing in health services has led to an increase by 100 to 220 percent in inflation in comparison to the previous year. The annual inflation was recorded to be by 7.29 in March, while the inflation in soft drink and food industry rose to 8.10 percent.

According to the research, food spending makes up almost the whole of the expenditures of low income groups and, more than half of expenditures of public workers who take part in the class below the poverty threshold. The research pointed out that the inflation calculation by TUIK (Turkish Statistical Institute) didn't pay regard to various income groups.

The research concluded that the structural problems in agriculture, the influence of neo-liberal marketing processes on land and water resources, the importation of many food products despite the already present agricultural lands and labor force and the worldwide increase in food products also have a passive influence on the situation in Turkey.

(nt)