Middle class still under pressure

I am in total shock regarding one of the items that was increased in the budget, namely premium gasoline. It is a fact that premium gasoline is the most environmentally friendly fuel (apart from CNG) yet it is the first fuel from which the subsidy is removed. (I guess the environment is not as important to this government as I once thought.) In fact it is one of the few measures from which the entire population benefitted.

It seems that those in the middle class are the ones who benefit least from the measures in the budget. I say this because the lower income class can apply for the many grants that the government offers—home repair grant, Smart Card, appliance grant and the list goes on and on.

One of the few benefits that the middle income was getting was this fuel subsidy and as such these middle income earners worked hard, invested their money and purchased new vehicles so they can be comfortable when going to work. With the removal of the subsidy costs have increased as the movement from premium to super, although possible, would cause additional maintenance to be done to the vehicles.

What also has to be taken into account is that the middle class is already working on a tight budget due to the conditions existing in the country. The resources of this country belong to the population yet it is only trickling down to a few while others fill their pockets.

FH
San Juan