Yahoo – AFP,
August 25, 2016
Finland's government will test an unconditional basic income amid a growing debate on the subject in Europe (AFP Photo/Miguel Medina) |
Helsinki
(AFP) - Switzerland may have voted against the controversial idea of paying all
its citizens a guaranteed income, but Finland indicated Thursday it plans to
try out a monthly basic payment of 560 euros ($600).
The
government said it had chosen the figure for an unconditional basic income in
line with a manifesto pledge by centrist Prime Minister Juha Sipila, who took
office 15 months ago.
Former
businessman Sipila wants to see if the measure can boost employment and
simplify the welfare benefits system, and plans to test the idea on a
2,000-strong sample of randomly selected working-age residents.
"The
primary goal of the basic income experiment is related to promoting
employment," said the health and social affairs ministry, adding that it
also aimed to simplify the complicated benefits system in a sustainable way
regarding public finances.
Amid a
growing debate on the subject, Finland now wants to be the first European
country to test the idea nationwide.
In June,
voters in Switzerland decisively rejected a far more generous proposal to pay a
monthly 2,500 Swiss francs (2,300 euros/$2,500) to each adult and 625 francs
for each child.
The idea
has support on the political left and right with the former wanting a
guaranteed safety net while some liberal voices feel that money for nothing can
dissuade some jobless people from seeking work.
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