Jobs are No. 1 priority - Gonzi
Job creation is the government's number one priority and this should not be overshadowed by issues like the extension of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum, the Prime Minister said when speaking at Sannat today.
He said the governemnt could not control a situation where factories saw a drop in orders because of low demand abroad, however many investors were still interested in bringing their businesses to Malta, and this was the kind of action the government needed to promote as much as possible.
Dr Gonzi insisted that the country was still managing to retain its strengths throughout the global economic crisis and this was thanks especially to the fact that Malta adopted the euro and joined the EU. He said that the fact that Malta has remained strong was not out of coincidence, but thanks to the sacrifices that were made before this year.
Dr Gonzi said that the manufacturing industry was vulnerable at the moment, but all the government could guarantee is that it would work day and night to increase the number of jobs.
He said that the Opposition should stop trying to waste people’s time by distracting the public on petty issues. He criticised those who doubted the competence and seriousness of the Malta Resources Authority and said that in the same way it had been regulating fuel prices for the past four years, it should continue regulating the price of water and electricity.
He said that the unions’ biggest disagreement with the utility tariffs was that the eco-reduction for single-person households was not enough, but, he insisted that this did not make sense since the government should focus on helping those most in need, like families and those below the poverty line.
Speaking at the same event, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech told workers of ST Microelectronics not to lose faith because if they did so their productivity would decrease and the Maltese government would lose its bargaining position. The government, he said, had to convince ST to remain in Malta rather than move its business elsewhere as had already happened with the factories in many European countries, which were moved to Asia. He also stressed that the media should be careful in its reporting of such events because it could jeopardise the future of workers by creating more uncertainty.
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m. farrugia
Feb 2nd 2009, 16:09
@Donavan Galea
Have you still not got used to winning EP & LC elections but failing at every general election? So don't raise your hopes too high come next 6th June and think that a general election is round the corner, as Joseph and compania try to make us believe.
Graham Crocker
Feb 2nd 2009, 15:55
lgalea, it closed down the shipyard, because it was a white elephant.
This is another thing the PL got wrong, jobs. Instead of bringing in foreign investment or help entrepreneurs, they made the Useless Korpi and kept white elephants, where the person working knew he was doing more good to the country if he stayed at home on welfare.
Donavan Galea
Feb 2nd 2009, 12:11
Hahahaha, Dr Gonzi are you serious?? If the jobs are the number one priority then ask this to the Denim employees, to the Foster Clark Employees, to the VF employees, to the Shipyard Employees, to the Methode employees, to the Lloyds employees, to the Trelleborg employees and now even to the ST Micro employees!!!
Don't keep pulling our legs!! You have put disaster on our economy and for this you'll be punished. Your first lesson will be due on 6th June!!!
M. Magro
Feb 2nd 2009, 07:01
Is the PM saying here that the Government should focus on everyone except single-person households? And why is that? Don't these people pay more than others when it comes to income tax, utility tariffs and such like? These people do not get free or reduced housing, they do not get childrens' allowance, they do not get any 'special treatment' at all, and yet they pay all the bills, all their taxes and any other expenses the government thinks is right to heap on these people. I should know - I'm one of them, and what's more, I have been working on a 4-day week for the past 3 months. How has the government helped me???? We single people expect more from the Government, and soon!!!
J Martinelli
Feb 1st 2009, 23:35
@ lgalea - because you, the taxpayer, was paying full-time wages for part-time work.
@ Anthony Paris - why then is Iceland groveling to join the EU and the eurozone?
@ I Abela - so what you are saying is that these companies are coming over with their own people, paying them higher wages but not hiring Maltese and at the same time making larger profits? Most people are under the impression that foreign wages are substantially higher than Maltese wages. It follows that it would be more profitable for them to pay Maltese wages. You cannot argue on both sides of the coin.
@ Sylvana Micallef - right on - except how much more inept would a bunch of have-beens, out of government for 22 years less 22 months, be?
@ Isabelle Agius - Only the government can deliver - the best the Opposition can do is to refrain from throwing wrenches in the works, playing the gallery and spinning at every opportunity.
lgalea
Feb 1st 2009, 22:16
M.Buhagiar
You are perfectly correct.
All those who try to promote the feel good factor will not succeed because reality is not only staring the people in their face but they are feeling it very hard.
And the ship is sinking faster than you or anyone else thinks.
m farrugia
Feb 1st 2009, 22:14
It's a sigh of relief to hear our PM fill us up with courage, and convincing us that despite all the difficulties in the world economy, our country will manage to adapt to the new circumstances and weather the storm. After all a few years back, we already had manufacturing concerns shedding a considerable amount ofworkers, but the same workers were able to take up new jobs.
Lenny Micallef
Feb 1st 2009, 21:43
I am an ST worker and i am proud of it. i would like to say that a person that refers to 60% of ST workers (1900 jobs) as a "few jobs" is absolutely ridiculous. I can assure everybody that the 100's of workers that may lose their job does care about the cathedral but they care much more about their loans, and their lives that can be ruined. As a last comment we do not want pity or nice words, we do not want promises we just want work, the truth and a Future. thanks.
I Abela
Feb 1st 2009, 21:24
@ Dr. Francis Saliba - our ship is weathering a storm better than other countries !! You know why ?? Surely not because of Dr. Gonzi's pair of strong hands at the wheel, but because when you have almost nothing, you have almost nothing to lose. True some bigger economies are doing worse than us. But when their economies are functioning properly, their wealth is by far better than ours.
The metaphor of a ship sinking fast is what i have been saying for quite some time now....that the present government will see the end of this legislature prematurely. Actually I beleive that it will not last another 12 months.
P.Schembri
Feb 1st 2009, 21:09
@Dr. F. Saliba. Who's rubbing hands? We're all worried sick thinking who will be next tomorrow. If that's what you're thinking that you really have a warped sense of humour!
Carm Vella Diacono
Feb 1st 2009, 21:06
Yes Dr Saliba, IT IS OUR OWN SHIP!
BUT UNFORTUNATELY ITS CAPTAIN AND OTHERS FROM THE SAME CABINET ARE AVOIDING TO SHOULDER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR ACTIONS, because I believe that lots of PN mp's are very credible and must be agreeing with the Opposition on the majority of the major issues.
It is absolutely shameful how the Government is not aware of the irreversible damage that will be caused to the Co-Cathedral if the mentioned project impositions will be implemented. How come that the Government is not considering that everyone in this tiny island is against parts of its half-baked reforms, the alienating projects like the Ghadira Road and the Crafts Village, the w&e tariffs and also the project of the Con-Cathedral.
Dear PM, the stupid quarry suggested in Valletta is also a major concern to me. Maybe those in front of you still swallowing your baits do not care for the loss of this National Treasure, but I care and I know that the rest of Malta share the same opinion.
What the Government needs to do now is to come down to work by first realizing that the major problem with ST regards the threatening utility tariffs!
G.Hoare
Feb 1st 2009, 20:18
@IGALEA, I OFTEN read your comments and i believe that everybody have their own opinion but to ask why did they shut down the shipyard is a bit much , would you keep a business going if you are failing to make profit , it is the same with the shipyard , they were paying wages for these last 3 or 5 years just to keep them in a job some of the workers clocked in every morning and then sleep of all eight hours is a bit much it takes an idiot to keep a shipyard like that going
laurence schembri
Feb 1st 2009, 19:49
Yes Prime Minister.
Who is trying to distract who? And in what way? St.Johns Co- Cathedral? There are more opposition from your camp than from the opposition.
So according to the PM the W&E issue is petty. I tend to agree that the MRA Regulators have done a good job for the Government, ask the people in the street and they might see another side to it, for they have to fork out the money to keep the Finance Ministry from sinking into deeper waters. Better still ask the11 unions who`s interference made MRA to issue a denial on the tariff`s issue within a few minutes of the unions press conference.
Yes Prime Minister, the Sannat residents might be gullible enough to digest your words as bible, but then Malta is not just Sannat.
Yes the Euro. Read the financial Times (UK) and focus on what it say on the Euro, or the Daily Mail, a Conservative Tabloid, or better still ask the Germans, close to 5 million on he dole and more to come, France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus, they are all feeling the pinch.
Stop trying to depict Malta as the centre of the universe to the gullibles.
Dr Francis Saliba
Feb 1st 2009, 19:27
@MBuhagiar.
It is not Gonzi's ship at all - it is OUR ship. And it is not "SINKING fast" at all - it is weathering an international economic storm much better than bigger economies abroad! Your rubbing of hands at the inevitable at the discomfiture heaped on our workers from abroad will not endear you or your party to any suffering families.
lgalea
Feb 1st 2009, 18:47
If jobs are no 1 priority, why did you close down the Shipyards?
Anthony Paris
Feb 1st 2009, 18:20
Gonzi keeps saying that if we did not adopt the Euro the situation will be much worse. This statement ,also made by his finance minister, has been swallowed hook,line and sinker, by PN supporters. It is incorrect, and is a clear case where the PN is trying to take credit where credit is not due. Countries like Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece also adopted the Euro and they are in deep trouble. What kept us out of trouble is our relatively conservative financial system, not the Euro. The Euro has other benefits but not the one touted by GonziPN. Unfortunately one negative is its high value against the US dollar and the pound sterling , which is impacting ST and tourism. So the PN ought to take credit for that. The Euro should have also cushioned some of the effects of oil price increases since these are in US dollars. But so far we have not seen any goods coming down in price to reflect the strength of the Euro. But now that the Euro has started to weaken we will in no time hear that as another one in the litany of cover-ups for mismanagement.
I Abela
Feb 1st 2009, 18:16
Dr Gonzi is a lawyer and knows how to play with words. It is absolutely true that many companies, big and small are setting up shop here in Malta. These companies require employees, so it is also true that a lot of jobs are being created. So far so good. But what Dr. Gonzi is not saying is, that most of these foreign companies are not bound to employ Maltese people. These companies don't come here for the sun, they simply come here because government offers them tax incentives, so the companies make more profit. The least these companies could do in return is to employ Maltese people.
D Delia
Feb 1st 2009, 18:09
I hope that the prime minister does not mean that he is willing to compromise our country's heritage (extension of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum) for Euro16million and a few jobs.
Tony Caruana
Feb 1st 2009, 17:48
Dear Prime Minister do you not realise that hardly anyone believes you anymore ?
Silvana Micallef
Feb 1st 2009, 17:31
Seems as if Dr Gonzi has completely lost the plot. I'm sure he wakes up each morning dreading the fact that he somehow managed to win the last elections. How can one govern when he has a limp government hanging by a thread, when he's surrounded by a bunch of opportunists, big-headed know-it-alls and disgruntled backbenchers and when every single piece of news concerning the Maltese economy is negative. Thank god for Net TV, Radio 101 and In-Nazzjon for continuing to take for a ride most gullible PN supporters by calling black by every other colour.
M.Buhagiar
Feb 1st 2009, 17:23
Your ship is SINKING fast dear PM and your sailors are abandoning ship one after the other!!!
Mario Bonnici
Feb 1st 2009, 16:53
"He said that the Opposition should stop trying to waste people’s time by distracting the public on petty issues."
Look who's talking!!
And what about the rebuilding of the old opera house in Valletta. What do you call that?!
Isabelle Agius
Feb 1st 2009, 16:53
It is difficult not to lose faith in these circumstances .... and I am not only referring to the ST employees but to all those employees who are on a three day and four day week. Government and Opposition should try and boost the economy and not give the impression that Super Malta can brave all troubles..... after all we are feeling the crisis just like everyone else.
Maria Falzon
Feb 1st 2009, 16:48
Yea sure. Up till last week we had no problems, isn't that right? maybe the title should have read "Jobs for the boys are no. 1 priority".