The pension of four thousand 800 pesos every two months that Andrés Manuel López Obrador receives as an older adult is little money, but it costs us a lot.
The President confirmed that since last year he has been a beneficiary of the support program for the elderly promoted by his Government through the Ministry of Well-being.
López Obrador justified that his program is universal so, as he has said before, he could collect his pension even Carlos Slim, the richest man in Mexico.
This is AMLO’s most ambitious social program. It benefits more than 11 million older adults with an investment that has doubled in the six-year term. In fact, it reaches eight out of 10 people over 65 in the country, according to the latest data from the federal government.
However, I consider it a mistake to label it universal -which we have already seen is not yet- when resources are limited and there are older adults who do not need it.
Here enters the concept of efficiency and prioritization of spending to implement a public policy.
Max Jaramillo-Molina, economist and coordinator of the UdeG Inequality Observatory, has published essays that show that AMLO’s social programs increase inequality by not being focused on supporting only the poorest.
The also doctor in Sociology shared in his networks an analysis of the first quarter of this year of the National Survey of Occupation and Employment (ENOE) of the Inegi. The results reveal a trend that has been repeated throughout the six-year term: “The richest receive more programs, and the poorest receive less.”
For example, with Peña Nieto, 68% of the poorest households received at least one transfer from a social program. With AMLO that figure decreased to 54%. It is a paradox because more Mexicans receive money from the Government, but the poorest receive less than before. In other words, the government spends more, but also in a less efficient and targeted manner.
A falsely “universal” policy in a country with limited resources has a high cost. The President does not need four thousand 800 pesos a month. Instead, there are older adults and other vulnerable sectors that do need that money.
jonathan.lomelí@informador.com.mx
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