Suchergebnisse

A fundamental policy objective in developing countries is the
reduction of poverty and the provision of an adequate level of income
sufficient to allow for the basic consumption needs of the lowest income
group. It is not an easy objective because resources are limited.
Moreover, the definition of basic needs itself is difficult since these
needs vary from region to region, and over time. Nevertheless, the
poverty problem is sufficiently important to justify the development of
practical measures of at least the biological and physical needs: food,
clothing, and shelter. With such measures, a translation of basic
consumption needs from physical to expenditure units and the calculation
of an absolute poverty line is possible.

The Social Welfare Research Centre at the University of New South Wales organised a seminar entitled 'The Poverty Line: Methodology and Measurement' to which were invited interested academics and representatives of government departments and welfare agencies. Three papers were presented at the seminar and they are reproduced in the following pages of this report.