Kurt Sansone
Abuse will not be tolerated, PM insists
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said he would not tolerate any abuse and anybody involved in the VAT fraud scandal would suffer the consequences.
"If the investigations unearthed evidence of abuse, all those involved would be taken to court, independently of who they are," he said.
Dr Gonzi condemned all abuse and said he expected the Labour Party (PL) to back the government on this case.
However, he avoided saying who should shoulder political responsibility for the whole affair.
Dr Gonzi was addressing a press conference under a tent erected in the car park of the Lufthansa Technik hangar in Luqa as part of the PN's electoral campaign.
The theme chosen for the third week of the MEPs election campaign was job creation.
In the face of fresh statistics showing a yearly increase of over 1,000 unemployed people in April, Dr Gonzi remained confident that the economy was still capable of creating jobs.
He insisted that the same statistics showed how the latest unemployment rate for November, which stood at 4.3 per cent, was lower than that for the previous year despite the international recession. Dr Gonzi acknowledged though that, after November, unemployment rose, partially because of the early retirement scheme at Malta Shipyards. He said the government had stepped in to safeguard 2,000 jobs in manufacturing industries whose markets were affected by the recession. The economy had also generated 7,000 jobs last year, which made up for the losses suffered in some sectors. He pointed out that Lufthansa Technik had just engaged 20 former dockyard workers.
Dr Gonzi boasted of his party's track record insisting that it believed in rolling back the frontiers of the state to allow space for the private sector to flourish. "No other government can boast of the same job creation record as each and every PN government," Dr Gonzi said drawing a distinction between the PN and the PL.
The PN agreed with extending maternity leave to 20 weeks from the current 14 as long as there was a level playing field among the EU member states. The issue was raised in the European Parliament earlier this month, when the European People's Party, of which the PN forms part, voted against.
Dr Gonzi said that while Malta had one of the shortest periods of maternity leave, at 14 weeks, mothers were paid their full wage. In other countries, despite having more maternity leave, employees were compensated at the average wage, he said.
He said 93 companies had applied for a recently-launched scheme to engage workers from disadvantaged categories, with the ETC partly meeting the salary bill. These applications involved a government commitment of €6 million.
Dr Gonzi urged the people to vote on June 6, saying that MEPs would be involved in decisions that affected everyone and covering issues ranging from the amount of overtime workers could work to abortion, to financial assistance for investment in the energy sector.
Meanwhile, employment figures were contested by Labour MEP candidate Edward Scicluna during a meeting with GWU officials. He insisted that when one factored out the seasonal change in employment, in the last three months of last year there were almost 1,600 jobs less than the previous three months. "The trend is towards job losses not creation," Prof. Scicluna said.
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mario gellel
May 27th 2009, 15:38
HOW CAN WE BELIEVE GONZI THAT HE WILL NOT TOLERATE ABUSE WHEN ACCORDING TO JPO HE IS GONNA PARTY ON PROTECTED LAND WHICH HAS A PENDING CASE IN OUR LAW COURTS? OR IS IT GONNA BE AS USUAL---STRONG WITH THE WEAK, WEAK WITH THE STRONG.
Joe Grech
May 27th 2009, 14:22
The P.M.assures us that all those who are found to have abused at the VAT ''would be taken to court''. Nothehing really out of the ordinary surely! He owes it to all citizens to do that! Question is: How many of those found to have abused will get by by having a ridiculous suspended sentence imposed? And will they pay back illegally gotten money? Now THAT is where the P.M., cabinet and the Opposition need to work together with the legislature. There is a crying need to put into force harsher penalties!
As regards who should shoulder political responsibility for the scandal - Minister Tonio Fenech should have been thrown out long ago seeing that it was he who let the Department, the P.N. and the taxpayers down. He should have checked on what was going on - surely he must have noted that VAT income was decreasing!
As regards unemployment I cannot say who is right - the P.M. or Edward Scicluna. What I certainly know is that practically all my past working friends who are pensioned off had to take up part-time work again because their pension is not enough to cope with the rising cost of living.
Christine Debono
May 27th 2009, 11:36
Seems like gonzi is admitting that the PL figures are correct.
That unemployment has indeed increased.
To deviate Gonzi decided to quote November figures when April figures provide a better reading of the current state of employment market. Interesting to know current situation given that latest figures speak about April
Then comes the VAT scandal...Gonzi should heed Joseph Muscat's call and state clearly the extent of abuse, how much euros were lost?
It is useless for Gonzi saying that abuse will not be tolerated...it is sine qua non, the least he can and is expected to do...
Gonzi however failed to ensure that this abuse did not take place to start with...yet again it shows he has lost all control!!!!!
Get out of the way Dr Gonzi!!
Michael Tabone
May 27th 2009, 11:05
Can Gonzi tell us in which sectors were the 7000 jobs (his party is advertising) were created?
Can he also tell us how many jobs were lost and in which sectors?
Can Gonzi tell us what were the wages in the sectors were jobs were lost and what are the wages in the sectors were these 7000 jobs were created?
John Dalli said that the figures show that only 2000 net jobs were created. Possibly Gonzi cannot perform a simply minus equation: 7000 jobs minus 5000 lost equal 2000 increase in jobs. Can John Dalli tell us for which period were these 2000 net jobs created.
The statistics are showing rising unemployment. What will Gonzi say about these? Probably Gonzi will say that people are quitting jobs and looking for better paid jobs. There is so much work being created in Malta, that people are comfortable quitting jobs because they know that they will quickly find much better paid jobs. Gonzi PN always twists the truth and tries to manipulate public opinion!!!
Roberto Vella
May 27th 2009, 10:55
Isn't it interesting how Dr Gonzi is admitting that the PL figures were correct; that unemployment has indeed increased. Was it intentional of him (perhaps to deceive the electorate?) that he chose to quote November figures given that April figures unfortunately provide a better reading of the current state of the (un)employment market? One wonders at how the current situation looks like given that latest figures speak about April!
re VAT scandal...Dr Gonzi should heed Joseph Muscat's call and state clearly the extent of abuse. How much of our tax euros were lost?
It is useless for Dr Gonzi saying that abuse will not be tolerated...it is sine qua non, the least he can and is expected to do. What should concern Dr Gonzi is teh fact that he failed to ensure that this abuse did not take place to start with. That is what we expect of the now notorious "strong pair of hands".
Yet again all this shows that he has lost all control of the country's management
R. Grech
May 27th 2009, 10:38
Yes the PN has the record for more jobless people. Good record indeed. It's funny how over the 20 years they still keep promising work, as if they are in the opposition. LOL
Nigel Lawrence
May 27th 2009, 10:25
tolerate any abuse and anybody involved in the VAT fraud scandal would suffer the consequences.---------
Oh yeah, I'll believe that, WHEN it happens.