This morning, we wake up to a new reality. The euro is our official currency. Last night the changeover was appropriately celebrated. It was a joy to see the Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi, withdraw the first euro notes to highlight a radical change that has come about as a result of his determination in favour of moving the country forward to levels of excellence that are not merely certified by ourselves but are subject to the scrutiny of no-nonsense and independent European institutions.
Our eurozone membership proves that economic growth has been achieved and that it is sustainable provided that the Ship of State keeps steering in the same direction.
The transition process will be smoother than envisaged. The government will keep a careful watch on prices to ensure that the customers and clients are treated fairly. If that means strong enforcement, so be it.
The direction set out in the government's 2008 budget takes effect. Families begin to receive higher children's allowances. People will have more euros to spend as they benefit from lower rates of taxation. Pensioners will receive the full cost of living increase. Others will benefit through collective agreements and restructuring processes that could only have come about through judicious decisions that led to positive changes and economic growth.
The areas where the government will be concentrating its attention have been highlighted. The family remains at the heart of our decision-making process. This year we shall see further investment in the fields of education, job creation, tourism, culture and intensifying development of information and communication technology as an economic growth platform. We shall invest €326.1 million on projects that are geared to ensure a better quality of life in our towns and villages, in our roads, in our environment, in our health services and in other sectors that affect our way of life. This investment is being co-financed by the European Union.
As regards tourism, we shall work on improving further access to our country, by introducing more low-cost routes and by working closely with the legacy carriers, in particular with Air Malta. We shall invest as many euros as it takes to promote Malta and ensure further growth while the challenge becomes that much more exciting since last year we secured an absolute record in number of tourist arrivals as well in expenditure.
In the culture field, we shall organise more high calibre events that serve to peg our country as a reputable destination not only for our own sakes but also for the benefit of the thousands who visit us.
2008 is General Election year. It is the Prime Minister's prerogative to decide on what is the most appropriate date for the country to go to the polls. Another round of local council elections is due on the second Saturday of March. According to law, those elections may be brought forward or postponed by a maximum of four months in the eventuality that Parliament is dissolved before the automatic process for their taking place kicks off in the beginning of February. Since it may make sense to hold both the general and local council elections together, an indication about their potentially joint timing is likely by February.
In the Labour field, the focus will remain on the Opposition Leader's state of health. I genuinely wish Alfred Sant a quick recovery and am pleased to learn of the progress achieved after his operation. Methinks that over the coming weeks he will make an emotional and rousing return to active duty, leading the party through the election campaign and beyond.
The forthcoming electoral race will be close. Polls keep placing the two major parties neck and neck. It does not surprise me. If it can happen in as large a country as the United States of America where people ended up glued to their television sets to see where their votes had been punched, or in Italy or in France, why not in Malta with an electorate of less than a third of a million eligible voters?
The statement that every vote counts was never as true. The recent amendments to our electoral laws not only reiterate that it will be the leader of that party that has the larger number of No. 1 votes who will be Prime Minister, but also that parliamentary seat allocation will be made in exact proportional representation to the total number of the respective No. 1 votes garnered by each of the major parties.
The challenges facing our country go well beyond the general election date. I am confident that the people will choose wisely and judiciously. This is not a choice on what suits one party or another, but on what is in the best interest of the nation, to secure moving in the right direction after that date.