I feel privileged and honoured to be serving in Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's newly-formed Cabinet.

The Prime Minister offered me the post of parliamentary secretary within the Ministry for Finance responsible for government revenue and lands, a challenging task indeed but one which I accepted enthusiastically, albeit with humility.

Working closely with Minister Tonio Fenech is an added bonus for me. Mr Fenech, apart from being a close colleague and friend, is a hands-on minister, young yet very experienced and a pleasure to work with. Incidentally, Mr Fenech and I happen to be the youngest members of Dr Gonzi's new Cabinet.

The challenges faced by this Administration are numerous.

The Prime Minister himself, even before the March 8 election, stated several times that there are serious challenges coming our way. The price of oil has reached a record high. Malta has to remain competitive if we are to continue attracting the unprecedented level of foreign direct investment coming to our shores in the last few years. The fact that we have an extremely low unemployment rate is no guarantee that things will remain this way no matter what.

Another challenge which we have to face and win together is that of making a success out of Malta's EU membership. True, we now have no less than €855 million in our coffers. But this money alone is not enough. We have to secure synergies, tap and unlock our workforce's potential in order to excel. At the same time, economic success on its own will not be our sole yardstick. The ministry in which I have been asked to serve is tasked with both increasing wealth and distributing it fairly across all levels of our society. Economic and social progress are two sides of the same coin.

The people have given another mandate to Dr Gonzi and the Nationalist Party because they genuinely believe that, with Dr Gonzi at the helm, our country has a new vision. A vision that is being translated into a better future for all. Each and every one of us who happens to be part of Prime Minister Gonzi's new team has the huge responsibility of making Malta a better place for all Maltese and Gozitans alike. Rest assured that there exist among us the will, the competence and the enthusiasm to make it happen. On my part, I humbly commit myself to give my very best so as to ensure that the Parliamentary Secretariat bestowed upon me is a success.

Both within the revenue and in the government estate sector some very important decisions are needed. Crucial and critical decisions if we are to maintain and enhance the sustainability of both. We need to see how to maximise the potential of all government property. The government needs to know what property it owns. An estate asset book needs to start being compiled on a national level. We should start asking ourselves whether the government should keep on holding on to property that it manifestly does not need. The backlog of cases at the Joint Office needs to be tackled more forcefully. More people need to become owners of property they have been living in for years. The massive amount of money due by the government to those whose property has been expropriated needs to be brought down to more reasonable levels. Rent arrears due to the government need to be reduced.

This government believes that together everything is possible. Together we can translate the exciting challenges ahead into huge opportunities for each and every citizen in Malta and Gozo.

I am on record as saying that the March 8 election was not just a victory for the PN but a celebration of our nation.

The will to make it happen is there.

jason.azzopardi@gov.mt