Finance Minister unveils budget 2009 website

The Finance Ministry launched a website -wwww.budget2009.com.mt - in preparation for the budget 2009.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said the government wanted to widen public participation in the budget process as much as possible.

The government had increased the number of meetings held with the public over the budget.These meetings helped create debate and the people were now being given space, even electronically, to make suggestions.

Mr Fenech said the government intended to put the pre-budget document online. The document would be published in the first or second week of July.

An account of the debate taking place during meetings in the run-up to the budget and documents submitted by constituted bodies were also being put online and people could also give their feedback in the same way.

The website includes a forum, which is an interactive way of expressing thoughts and ideas. It will be updated continuously by a team of three people.

People can also give their feedback via SMS on 7979 2009.