Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said today that remarks by Alfred Sant indicating that the achievement of a budget surplus by 2010 would not be a Labour government priority were harmful to the economy.

Dr Gonzi told a press conference that such remarks were of concern to potential investors and could harm jobs. They could also dent Malta’s credit rating.

Dr Gonzi was speaking at Bulebel industrial estate, where he renewed the PN’s commitment for job creation and for better jobs.

He said that at least 5,000 new jobs needed to be created annually if unemployment was not to rise. That the MLP was only promising to create 2,000 new jobs a year meant that unemployment would rise by 3,000.

The PN, he said, was going into the election with a record number in gainful occupation, and it was important to point out that the new jobs were in the private productive sector and not eve of election handouts.

He said EU membership had clearly helped to boost the economy, and hence, investment and job creation.

The government had accompanied these new opportunities with incentives to create the best investment climate, and this process would continue, especially through the business incentives and tax cuts which the PN was promising.

Dr Gonzi said the MLP was trying to forget its 22 months in government, when unemployment had soared, as had the deficit.

He said that in the MLP election campaign was a comedy of errors, as reflected in the reception class proposal and what the party was saying on overtime.