Finland Becomes First Country to Provide Citizens Basic Income
SCANDINAVIA, 9 Jan 2017
teleSUR – TRANSCEND Media Service
The government kicked off the two-year trial program, offering basic income of nearly US$600 to a randomly selected 2,000 citizens.
People wave Finish flags during a march. | Photo: Reuters
Finland kicked off its basic income program Monday [2 Jan 2017], giving US$587 per month to 2,000 of its citizens, an amount that — if extended to the entire adult population — will be guaranteed regardless of income, wealth or employment status.
RELATED: Free Money: Canadian Province Experiments with ‘Basic Income’
The trial program will run for a period of two years. Participants were randomly selected, but had to be receiving unemployment benefits or an income subsidy to be eligible.
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 late 2015. If the idea proves to be successful it will be expanded to all adults in Finland.
The idea of a universal basic income has been gaining traction around the world, as introducing such a system has been discussed in Canada, Iceland, Uganda and Brazil.
Advocates of the program point to the success of a basic income program currently in the Italian city of Livorno, where its 200 poorest families are currently receiving some US$500 per month.
The government hopes that the program will reduce unemployment, as people will be more inclined to take on odd or low-paying jobs with less worry about losing benefits.
“Incidental earnings do not reduce the basic income,” said Marjukka Turunen, the head of the legal unit at Kela, Finland’s social insurance agency. “So working and … self-employment are worthwhile no matter what.”
In June, voters in Switzerland decisively rejected a far more generous proposal to pay a monthly US$2,500 to each adult.
Go to Original – telesurtv.net
DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.