Vision 2015, your vision

Three years ago Malta embarked on the exciting yet challenging road of EU membership with a new Prime Minister at the helm. After nearly a decade of controversy over EU membership, the issue was finally settled in a referendum and a general election which saw the Nationalist Party sweep to victory. That issue is now history and the challenge since then has been that of translating membership into success.

So far we have as a country fared well. Over the past three years, thousands of jobs have been created, Malta has attracted the likes of Lufthansa Technik, HSBC and Tecom Investments, the latter being the biggest foreign direct investment ever to hit our shores; 5,600 jobs will be created in the next few years.

Faced with a drastic increase in the price of oil, the Nationalist government did not give up but proved to be truly, a safe pair of hands. Malta managed to maintain its competitiveness; government finance, your money, was put on a sound footing making Malta eligible to join the eurozone come January.

However, the Nationalist Party credo has always been that what is good is never good enough and, hence, the vision clearly laid out to make Malta a centre of excellence in the Euro-Med region by the year 2015.

The coming years are crucial for Malta and the Maltese. Short-term strategies and the future of our children do not go together, they are allergic to each other. The country needs a clear vision. Time and again the Nationalist Party has proved to be the party that can be trusted with the future.

ICT, financial services, tourism, education, manufacturing and health are the six sectors that make up this vision.

By 2015, Malta has to excel in all of these six sectors. Gozo too is included; Gozo and the PN go together.

This vision is based on three pillars: Work, education and the environment. When, three years ago, Lawrence Gonzi became Prime Minister, he mentioned these three pillars as the foundation of his Premiership. He kept his word; no one can deny that the Gonzi Administration has been very successful in all three. Yet, much more needs to be done. We have to ensure that more value-added jobs are created, more is invested in education for all our children to succeed and that Malta and the Maltese have a healthier environment to live and work in.

This weekend the Nationalist Party will convene its general council. Based on three consecutive days, this general council, themed Insahhu s-Success Flimkien - Xoghol, Edukazzjoni, Ambjent (Consolidating Success Together - Work, Education, The Environment), will discuss the Nationalist Party's vision for Malta, the way forward to reach the 2015 goals.

Party councillors, activists and deputies, together with the public, are invited to join in what will be a lively discussion on Malta's immediate future. No fewer than seven workshops will discuss, with the help of leading experts, the six sectors, as well as Gozo, that make up this vision.

It will definitely be a fruitful discussion. We shall discuss the bread and butter issues affecting people in their daily lives and we shall focus on people's aspirations because their aspirations are ours too. We shall continue to listen and reach out to all the Maltese and Gozitans.

I invite you all to join us in deciding our future, together.

Mr Saliba is secretary general of the Nationalist Party.