CARACAS, March 10 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – The Hugo Chavez administration has invested during its 11 years in power US$330 billion in social programmess more than 60 percent of the overall income during that period, said the president of the National Institute of Statistics Elias Eljuri .
According to the official, governmental policies have reduced poverty and extreme poverty, unemployment and wealth unequal distribution while ensuring health and food for the vast majority of citizens.
Not even with the economic downturn of last year (decline of 3.2 percent) the President did not fail to put human beings at the center of his policies, Eljuri said.
He said the reduction of poverty stands out among the achievements of the period.
“In 1996 we had seven out of 10 Venezuelans in poverty and four in extreme poverty, while in the second half of last year these figures dropped to 23.8 and 5.9 percent, respectively, he said.
The minimum wage increased from US$185 in 1998 to US$470 this year and there was improvement in the income distribution (Gini index passed from 0.49 to 0.39 in the last decade).
Currently, four million children eat in schools and previously the school lunch programme covered 250,000 students, he added.
Eljuri considered important that in times of financial crisis social investment be still a priority. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
Latest by NAM NEWS NETWORK:
- SATELLITE IMAGES TO BE USED IN MAPPING FORESTS IN FIJI
- THAI ARMY CHIEF ORDERS HIGH ALERT AGAINST ILLEGAL ACTS ALONG BORDER
- MALAYSIA RECORDS HIGHEST TOTAL TRADE OF RM1.3 TRILLION LAST YEAR
- PARAGUAY'S VICE PRESIDENT & WIFE DOWN WITH DENGUE
- HANTAVIRUS ALERT IN CHILE AFTER THREE DEATHS & TEN INFECTED
