2024-12-10 12:30:00
the insurrection that hit New Caledonia on May 13 continues to have a profound impact on the daily lives of the inhabitants of the archipelago, exacerbating an economic and social crisis that was already weighing heavily on purchasing power.In this tough context, a possible increase in consumption taxes will have to be discussed on Wednesday 11 December by the elected representatives of the local Congress.
“Should I buy food or send my child to college? » This question from Karleen, a member of the Solidarité RS collective (she did not want to give her name), sums up the dismay of many New Caledonians. After the crisis, many can only afford one meal a day and, in the absence of a response from public authorities, have to rely on neighborhood associations that organize solidarity.
the explosion in bus ticket prices, by almost 70%, decided by the public authorities on 1 October, has literally emptied the only public transport network, used almost exclusively by people with the lowest incomes. According to network operators, the drop in attendance is around 80%.
Give up treatment
an inventory of complaints from working-class neighborhoods, undertaken by the Customary Senate, revealed significant difficulties at all levels, notably at the medical level. In addition to transportation costs, the increased participation of people receiving medical care has led to them forgoing treatment.
even if the monitoring of the cost of living is only partially carried out, several indicators from the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (ISEE) of New Caledonia still show that the purchasing power there is much lower than in France: “If we compare the price level in New Caledonia, we are about 30% more expensive. Though, the average salary is substantially lower”explains Elise Desmazures, director of ISEE. And the price difference in some areas can be much larger. In September 2023 it reached 78% on food products. A particularly delicate expense item for families with the lowest incomes.
To take into account the particular situation of the latter, the ISEE proposes, from 2022, a consumer price index for the poorest 20% of the population of New Caledonia. Precisely those who have been most affected by the price increase. Between May and June alone, at the height of the crisis, food prices jumped by 4.6%, widening the gap between the general price index and the index of the most expensive families.
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