Fingers crossed for compensation

People will be riveted to the television tonight as the budget is announced. The expectation is that this will be a green budget but it seems that what a lot of people want most is some form of compensation for the higher water and electricity rates, to have more money in their pockets and better pensions. Cynthia Busuttil asked people at the Valletta open market yesterday what they are hoping for.

Philip Cini of Rabat

"If it were up to me, the budget would simply not take place; it is not the first time that the minister has announced a measure which changed the following week.

"Since I am retired, I would like to see an increase in my pension. It is ridiculous that pensioners receive two-thirds of what they used to earn since our other expenses remain the same and do not go down. I think the government should ensure that pensioners receive the same amount that they used to earn before retiring. After all, I paid National Insurance for 42 years."

Evelyn Busuttil of Żabbar

"Whatever measures the government decides to include in the budget, it needs to make sure that people have money to spend because that's the only way to keep the economy going.

"The authorities also have to do something to put a stop to the increasing cost of living. With my widow's pension, I still cannot cope with the rising costs. Everybody is tight with cash and this budget needs to be a good one."

Żeppi Cassar of Nadur

"The government has to listen to what the people want. It is obvious that people want costs to go down so that they are left with more money to spend. The cost of water and electricity is already high and now it has gone up even further. It is imperative that people get some form of compensation for this increase in their bills."

Sandra Azzopardi of Qormi

"I will soon need to change my car and would like the budget to include incentives for those buying new cars. Before the election, the Prime Minister had announced that the registration tax would be changed and based on the polluter pays principle. I would like to see that included in the budget in a way that the registration tax on eco-friendly cars goes down. I hope that the government will implement whatever was promised before the election.

I also hope that we receive some form of compensation for the increase in water and electricity bills."

Adrian Sammut of Msida

"The government needs to raise pensions because they are still too low to cope with the rising costs, and many people cannot make ends meet. And the increase has to be a good one. The government cannot give us peanuts."

Charlie Farrugia of Żebbuġ

"I am hoping for changes in the tax bands, increasing them so that people have to pay high tax rates only if their income is substantial. I believe that I pay way too much tax as things stand, and am keeping my fingers crossed that this is changed this time round."

Janet Micallef of Floriana

"For sure I would like to see some form of incentive to make up for the increase in water and electricity. I feel that the increase was quite hefty and people need to be compensated for the extra cash that they will be forking out."

Mark Flores of Cospicua

"Now that water and electricity tariffs have been drastically increased, the government needs to compensate the public for their extra expense."