by BIEN | Oct 1, 2017 | News
José Pereira Coutinho. Credit to: Macau Daily Times.
In the Legislative Assembly (AL) elections for The New Hope (Nova Esperança), a political party from Macau, candidacy is headed by lawmaker José Pereira Coutinho. He is urging for the redistribution of the second share of the Wealth Parking Scheme, as reported on by BIEN in late July, by the end of 2017.
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Under this second share, local permanent residents will receive an increment in their annual unconditional (partial) basic income of US $1,128, while non-permanent residents will get more US $672. This constitutes a development considering what the program has been until now.
Coutinho urged political candidates at a press conference to act and not simply talk for solving people’s issues. The New Hope is looking for the construction of 80,000 affordable housing units. He also noted houses are not being built properly.
Moreover, Coutinho also proposed an increase in the health care voucher scheme from 600 (Macanese) Pataca (US $75) to 1,000 Pataca (US $124), with a 3,000 Pataca (US $372.76) handout for senior citizens.
More information at:
Renato Marques, “Al Election: New Hope Urges Gov’t to Double Wealth Partaking Scheme This Year“, Futurism, 5th September 2017
by BIEN | Sep 29, 2017 | News
On August 2, 2017, the Supreme Court (SC) of India delivered a judgement
imposing a 100% penalty on illegal mining in Odisha, India and asked the Government to review the National Mineral Policy (2008). The court also called for an expert committee to be setup to identify the lapses that have occurred over the years enabling rampant illegal or unlawful mining in Odisha.
The 29 member committee to review the policy was established on August 14, 2017. A draft report by the committee is due on October 31, 2017, and the final submission to the SC on December 31, 2017. The first meeting of the Committee was held on August 28, 2017 where civil society representatives were not present.
The Goa Foundation, an environmental NGO based in Goa, India has submitted a note to the committee highlighting specific recommendations on the Mineral Policy. Titled “The Future We Need”, this 44 page document outlines recommendations for proper valuation, management and extraction of mineral resources to ensure inter-generational equity and environmental sustainability. Among others, it includes a recommendation to establish a Future Generation Fund, where capital received from the sale of minerals can be deposited for distribution to all citizens.
As previously outlined on Basic Income News, The Goa Foundation and the associated Goenchi Mati Movement (GMM) have been advocating for mining reform in India, including establishment of a permanent fund, which would be used to finance a citizen’s dividend – a kind of Basic Income. The movement has received political support in the country and abroad, including from Labour MP and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK who met with GMM in Christmas of 2016.
The idea of a permanent fund has also received previous mention from the SC. The SC in its landmark judgement in the case of mining in Goa in 2014 included the creation of a Goan Iron Ore Permanent Fund. The idea of creation of Permanent Funds based on extracting economic rent from oil or other natural resources dates back to 1876, and at present over 50 countries/sub-nations have created such a fund.
The Goa Foundation has published its 44 pages policy note and letter, and has presented its recommendations to the Committee at its 3rd meeting on September 26.
For more information:
Supreme Court of India, “WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 114 OF 2014: Common Cause (Petitioner) versus Union of India and others (Respondents) With WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 194 OF 2014 Prafulla Samantra and another (Petitioners) versus Union of India and others (Respondents)”, 2016
Goa Foundation, “Letter from the Goa Foundation to the Committee to Review National Mining Policy”, September 2017
Goa Foundation, “The Future We Need”, 11th September 2017
Ministry of Mines, Government of India, “Order for Creation of Committee to Review the National Mining Policy”, 14th August 2017
by BIEN | Aug 22, 2017 | News
Futurism reported on automation, robots, and universal basic income through the provision of a chart-article
. Some of the information summarized by the chart includes that fact that as there are 4.73 robots working per 100 human workers in South Korea. The global average is 0.66 per 100 workers. That ratio is reported to be rising rapidly throughout the world. Also, with more robots, they become cheaper to implement. Workers in the developing world are most at risk of losing jobs due to automation.
The problem is not limited manufacturing, however. It includes diverse areas such as farm labor, construction labor, truck drivers, mailer carriers, and so on. The chart mentions that $2,600 per month as a UBI solution is being considered in Switzerland, which BIEN has
reported on, and only $1,000 per year in Kenya.(same paragraph as above) The chart also describes the cases of Alaska, Namibia, and Harper Lee.
It ends with quotes from supporters of a UBI, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Bertrand Russell, Harris Levine, Jeremy Howard, F.A. Hayek, and Thomas Paine.
More information at:
Futurism, “Universal Basic Income: The Answer to Automation?“, Futurism, June 2017
by BIEN | Jul 15, 2017 | News
Credit to: AT Kearney.
Courtney McCaffrey and others from AT Kearney published an article on the debate around Universal Basic Income (UBI) in markets throughout the world. Politicians, in both Europe and North America, are winning on campaign trails with talk about returning control to the common people from the economic system in the globe.
But one of the big worker displacers is automation and new technologies. Oxford University reported 47% of US jobs will be taken over by automation in the next two decades. A UBI is being offered as an economic buffer for such workplace and technology transitions.
Such a UBI would be universal and unconditional in the application. Past UBI experiments such as Mincome in Canada, projects in Seattle and Denver (USA), and Namibia produced real, positive results empowering those politicians. McCaffrey and her collegues also mention recent major endorsements for UBI, for instance from such luminaries as Elon Musk, Tim O’Reilly, and Marc Andreessen.
Two books are recommended: 1) Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman, and 2) Basic Income: A Radical Proposal for a Free Society and a Sane Economy by Philippe Van Parijs and Yannick Vanderborght. Other notable cases reported on were Finland, India, and Ontario.
The article discusses pros and cons of UBI, in a general sense. It was noted that citizens with a UBI will spend more time on family and school. The sources of funding for the UBI could be revenues from natural resources and/or more taxes. Some views of critics are following their own political lines, but the major concern revolves around people’s availability to work when they get a UBI covering their basic needs.
Finally, the article summarizes views agains UBI on the political Right and Left. On the Right, the main argument is cost. On the political Left, detractors view UBI as “regressive” because it could dismantle current welfare systems, and that it may not capture different living costs in different areas.
More information at:
McCaffrey, C.R., Toland, T. & Peterson, E.R., “The Best Things in Life Are Free?“, AT Kearney, March 2017
by BIEN | Jul 1, 2017 | News
Hamilton, Canada. Credit to: CBC.
As reported before, the majority of the Ontario’s citizens support a basic income, but they want a pilot project
. However, most think $17,000 (CAD) is insufficient to meet the basic needs of most citizens.
There was a poll by Campaign Research done on 1,969 people with 53% of people supporting the plan for a basic income. Young people, aged 18 to 24, were the most supportive age group at 59%.
Lars Osberg, professor of economics at Dalhousie University, said the poll was possibly inaccurate with, for example, the Atlantic Canada (63% support for the plan) sample at only 198 people. Liberals (62%) and NDP (63%) were the most supportive.
The pilot project has 4,000 people from three areas: Hamilton, Lindsay, and Thunder Bay. It emphasizes citizens with low incomes. Couples will get $24,027; singles will receive $16,989.
The first experiment will run one year without conditions. The reason for the experiment is to see if the basic income provisions will improve life quality and job prospects.
Osberg noted that the youth are the unemployed or the underemployed, generally, and that the basic income does not disincentivize work. Osberg thinks the basic income would not disincentive work, as some fear.
More information at:
Jack Hauen, “Majority support Ontario’s basic income plan, but many find $17,000 not enough: poll”, Financial Times, May 17th 2017
Eli Yufest, “Majority approves of Ontario’s basic income plan, many find $17,000 per year too little an amount“, Campaign Research, May 16th 2017
