Professor Scicluna gave an account of the various forms of precarious work and compared the situation in Malta to other Member States. He said that though the situation in Malta is not as bad as the European Union average, it is fast catching up. This is reflecting itself in an increasing number of working poor. Households are now falling into poverty in spite that one or more members in these households are employed. The minimum wage is important but not sufficient to prevent such poverty. It is important to set up a Living Wage indicator to guide future taxation and social policy.  It is time to start discussing the principle of a negative income tax to prevent poverty from increasing as in fact it has been doing over the last five years.

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