Minimum Income in Portugal: Changing the Rules in Times of Crisis

The aim of this paper is to estimate the impact on the distribution of household income and poverty of the 2010 reform of the law that establish the non-contributory social benefits entitlement conditions in Portugal, with particular incidence in the Social Integration Income (RSI). Carried out in a period of serious deepening economic and social crisis, the changes in the resources condition appear fundamentally as a way of limiting and reducing the resources earmarked for social policies usage, precisely at the time when increased social insecurity should lead to a significant increase in the importance of such social policies. Using micro-data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), we simulate the impact of the reform and estimate its effects on the income distribution and on different dimensions of monetary poverty. The change in the size of government expenditure required to finance these programs will also be estimated.Social Policy, Income Distribution, Inequality, Poverty Alleviation, Portugal

Monetary Poverty, Material Deprivation and Consistent Poverty in Portugal

In this paper we use the Portuguese component of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) to develop a measure of consistent poverty in Portugal. It is widely agreed that being poor does not simply mean not having enough monetary resources. It also reflects a lack of access to the resources required to enjoy a minimum standard of living and participation in the society one belongs to. The coexistence of material deprivation and monetary poverty leads to the concept of consistent poverty. The assessment of material deprivation and the identification of the households and individuals living in consistent poverty could become essential parts of the national anti-poverty strategy and crucial instruments in the definition of the target groups in social policy.Multidimensional poverty measurement, material deprivation, consistent poverty, Portugal.

Anti-poverty effectiveness and efficiency of the Guaranteed Minimum Income Programme in Portugal

The objective of this paper is to estimate the impact of the Portuguese Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) Programme on income distribution and to evaluate its effectiveness and efficiency in fighting situations of poverty and social exclusion. We estimate its impact on the distribution of household incomes and poverty as well as the amount of government expenditure necessary to finance the programme. The simulation shows that 4.8% of domestic households and 5.7% of the population are eligible to receive the GMI. The programme has a small but positive impact on reducing inequality. Similarly, analysis of the effectiveness of the GMI in terms of poverty reduction shows that it has a small but positive impact on the poverty rate. However, the most important consequences of the GMI are sharp gains in the measures of poverty intensity and severity. The efficiency indicators associated with the programme show that 85% of the transfers are awarded to poor people and that 82% of the transfers effectively contributes towards reducing the poverty gap

Efficacy of anti-poverty and welfare programs in Portugal : the joint impact of the CSI and RSI

The aim of this paper is to estimate the joint impact on the distribution of household income and poverty of the implementation of two major anti‐poverty measures in Portugal: the “Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly” (CSI) and the “Social Integration Income” (RSI). These two means‐tested measures were designed as the main components of the anti‐poverty social policy in Portugal, but they are directed at different groups of the population and have different objectives in terms of poverty reduction. Implemented since 1997, the aim of the RSI is to reduce extreme poverty through the reduction of poverty intensity of the most vulnerable sectors of the population. The CSI,gradually introduced since 2006, has the explicit objective of reducing the incidence of poverty on older people, its threshold defined at the level of the poverty line. Using a prototype of the Portuguese microsimulation model MicroSimPT , based on household micro‐data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU‐SILC), we simulate the impact of each measure and their joint effect on the income distribution and on different dimensions of monetary poverty. The size of government expenditure required to finance these programs will also be estimated

SF6/O2 Plasma Etching: Optimizing the CORE process and going into 3D Engineering

Silicon plasma etching is a well-known method, extensively studied, that has been revealing some draw- backs recently since the technology is constantly evolving, and the techniques have to improve to keep up with it. As plasma etching techniques advanced, the microfabrication industry expanded, but so did the environmental costs of these operations. Therefore, finding ways to lessen the ecological imprint is urgent. One way to do it is to substitute pollutant chemicals daily used in the industry by others with lower environmental impact. Directly in plasma etching, the Bosch process uses both SF6 and C4F8 that has a Global Warming Potential with time horizon of 100 years (GWP100) of 23500 and 9500 times more potent than the known CO2, respectively, having both a lifetime of more than 3000 years; making C4F8 one of the most potent greenhouse gases detected in the atmosphere to date. A new method of silicon plasma etching, called CORE (Clear, Oxidize, Remove, Etch), has been developed to solve it. This fluorocarbon (FC) free directional silicon etching process switches between SF6 and O2 cycles. The O2 Oxidation replaces the common C4F8 of Bosch's approach, being more beneficial for the industry as it prevents FC pile-up at the topside of nano-sized structures and minimizes drift due to the clean reactor walls. In this study, high aspect ratio (HAR) features were fabricated, starting with a Cr mask that later was changed to Al2O3, to obtain different patterns, i.e., trenches, pillars, 1 μm and 200 nm holes, to understand the different behaviors. Even though some tool setbacks occurred, reliable recipes were achieved for each type of pattern, and by using Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) to anneal the etched samples, buried cavities were also accomplished. With greater selectivity, independent etching profiles, room-temperature operation, and the possibility of producing black silicon (BSi) on demand, this technology meets the current requirements.A erosão seca de silício é um método amplamente estudado, que tem vindo a revelar alguns inconveni- entes recentemente, visto que a tecnologia está em constante evolução e os métodos têm de melhorar para se manterem atuais. Com o desenvolvimento destas técnicas, a indústria da microfabricação evoluiu e as consequências ambientais associadas aumentaram. É urgente procurar soluções para reduzir a pegada ecológica, e uma forma de o fazer é substituir as substâncias químicas poluentes utilizadas por outras de menor impacto ambiental. Nomeadamente o processo Bosch utiliza SF6 e C4F8 que têm um potencial de aquecimento global (PAG) de 23500 e 9500 vezes mais forte que o CO2, respetivamente, tendo ambos uma vida útil de mais de 3000 anos; fazendo do C4F8 um dos gases com efeito de estufa mais potentes detetados na atmosfera até à data. Para o resolver foi desenvolvido um novo método de erosão seca de silício, chamado CORE (Clear, Oxidize, Remove, Etch). Este processo de erosão de silício direcional sem fluorocarbono (FC) comuta entre ciclos de SF6 e O2. A oxidação de O2 substitui o C4F8 comumente usado no processo de Bosch, sendo mais benéfico para a indústria uma vez que evita a acumulação de FC na parte superior das estruturas e as paredes do reator permanecem limpas. Neste estudo foram obtidas perfis com elevado razão de aspeto, começando com uma máscara Cr que mais tarde foi alterada para Al2O3, utilizando diferentes padrões, valas, pilares e furos de 1 μm e 200 nm, para compreender os diferentes comportamentos. Embora tenham ocorrido contratempos com a máquina, foram conseguidas receitas fiáveis para cada tipo de padrão e, utilizando o RTP para recozer as amostras, foram também conseguidas cavidades enterradas. O CORE dá resposta às necessidades atuais com alta seletividade, independência dos perfis, pode ser operado à temperatura ambiente e torna possível produzir black silicon (BSi) a pedido

The redistributive impact of the guaranteed minimum income programme in Portugal

In this paper we evaluate the impact of the Portuguese Guaranteed Minimum Income Programme (GMI) on the income distribution in Portugal, and discuss its effectiveness and efficiency in fighting poverty and social exclusion in the country. We measure its impact on the distribution of household incomes and poverty, as well as the amount of government expenditure required to finance it. Our results show that 5.3% of households and 6.5% of the population are eligible to receive GMI. The programme has a small but positive impact on reducing inequality. Furthermore, the analysis of the effectiveness of the GMI shows that it has a positive impact on reducing the poverty rate. However, the most important consequence of the GMI is the sharp improvements in the measures of poverty intensity and severity. The efficiency indicators associated with the programme show that 92% of the transfers are awarded to poor people and that 89% of the transfers effectively contribute towards reducing the poverty gap. A very preliminary assessment of the take-up associated with the program shows that only 72 per cent of the families entitled to receive benefits from the programme are actually receiving it.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Income distribution and poverty in Portugal [1994/95] : A Comparison between the European Community Household Panel and the Household Budget Survey

The aim of this study is to give a broad picture of the income distribution and the level of inequality and poverty in Portugal as revealed by the two most recent family surveys produced by the Portuguese Statistical Office: the European Community Household Panel and the Household Budget Survey. The results obtained consistently point to a very unequal distribution of income, with high levels of inequality associated with high poverty rates. These main findings are not influenced by the choice of survey, revealing a high degree of consistency between the two sources

Minimum income in Portugal : changing the rules in times of crisis

The aim of this paper is to estimate the impact on the distribution of household income and poverty of the 2010 reform of the law that establish the non-contributory social benefits entitlement conditions in Portugal, with particular incidence in the Social Integration Income (RSI). Carried out in a period of serious deepening economic and social crisis, the changes in the resources condition appear fundamentally as a way of limiting and reducing the resources earmarked for social policies usage, precisely at the time when increased social insecurity should lead to a significant increase in the importance of such social policies. Using micro-data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), we simulate the impact of the reform and estimate its effects on the income distribution and on different dimensions of monetary poverty. The change in the size of government expenditure required to finance these programs will also be estimated

The redistributive impact of the guaranteed minimum income programme in Portugal

In this paper we evaluate the impact of the Portuguese Guaranteed Minimum Income Programme (GMI) on the income distribution in Portugal, and discuss its effectiveness and efficiency in fighting poverty and social exclusion in the country. We measure its impact on the distribution of household incomes and poverty, as well as the amount of government expenditure required to finance it. Our results show that 5.3% of households and 6.5% of the population are eligible to receive GMI. The programme has a small but positive impact on reducing inequality. Furthermore, the analysis of the effectiveness of the GMI shows that it has a positive impact on reducing the poverty rate. However, the most important consequence of the GMI is the sharp improvements in the measures of poverty intensity and severity. The efficiency indicators associated with the programme show that 92% of the transfers are awarded to poor people and that 89% of the transfers effectively contribute towards reducing the poverty gap. A very preliminary assessment of the take-up associated with the program shows that only 72 per cent of the families entitled to receive benefits from the programme are actually receiving it

Guia para implementação de um sistema de gestão da responsabilidade social (incluindo as dimensões qualidade, ambiente e segurança) no sector químico dos detergentes e produtos de higiene e limpeza

A indústria química dos detergentes e produtos de higiene e limpeza desenvolve e comercializa produtos que são essenciais na promoção da qualidade de vida. Neste segmento de mercado actuar responsavelmente significa actuar eticamente ao longo da toda a cadeia de valor. A performance do negócio pode ser melhorada de forma sustentável (económica, ambiental e socialmente) tendo em consideração as necessidades das Partes Interessadas. Esta Tese desenvolve um Guia para a implementação de um Sistema de Gestão da Responsabilidade Social, segundo a norma NP 4469-1:2008, neste sector químico de actividade, integrando no seu Modelo de Gestão as seguintes dimensões: Qualidade (Norma NP EN ISSO 9001:2008), Ambiente (Norma NP EN ISSO 14001:2004) e Segurança e Higiene no Trabalho (Norma OHSAS 18001:2007)