'Opposition ignoring global trends'

Nationalist MP Michael Frendo criticised the opposition for implying that everything was wrong, ignoring the global political and economic circumstances when the Budget was drawn.

He was speaking in Parliament during the debate on the Bill to implement the Budget measures.

Dr Frendo said bigger countries had faced massive unemployment, banks on the verge of bankruptcy had been saved by government intervention, and national debts had increased.

On the other hand, although Malta's economy was small and fragile, the government had kept it stable through direct and considerate interventions in specific sectors.

It was thanks to the government's actions that the country's position had remained stable throughout the international economic crisis.

He warned that more than ever, each public officer should go beyond his call of duty to ensure that public funds entrusted to him were not squandered.

Dr Frendo described the tax credit to self-employed and small companies as a good incentive, and augured that the voted funds would not be lost in bureaucratic knots. He also agreed with the credit to businesses in Gozo being higher, saying that one had to consider the difficulties Gozitans faced from double insularity.

Jesmond Mugliett (PN) said that the Budget offered a number of incentives to create employment opportunities, measures directed towards local councils and investment in a number of projects to stimulate the economy. It also included measures of expenditure control, but there were no tax measures. The Budget was a positive one for enterprise.

He said that removal of the Mepa subvention would increase expenses to the stakeholders in the construction industry at a time when it was passing through a hard time.

Mr Mugliett said that measures taken on the transfer of property were not enough to stimulate the property market. He proposed a cut in the amount of duty paid on documents.

He spoke on the maintenance and upkeep of industrial estates, which were still not being kept up on a regular basis. At €17 million, exceptional funds had been voted for this year and tenders had already been issued, but the sum was not enough to cover all industrial estates.

The Corradino industrial estate was in a dire state and no investment in its upkeep had been made. Mr Mugliett said the government's investment in research could lead to a society built on knowledge.

The position of the self-employed was also well addressed in this Budget, with this sector being offered a number of measures, such as micro-credit with advantageous conditions. The establishment of the micro-business unit within Malta Enterprise was a step in the right direction.

He described the sport sector as one that was capable of attracting tourism to Malta, not only through the organisation of conferences but also international or regional competitions. He praised the capabilities of the sport sector and said the government should help it with the required investment for the organisation of events.

Mr Mugliett called on the government to ensure that other counter-measures, such as the energy tariffs and the high fuel prices, would not erode the benefits introduced by the Budget. Continuing where he left on Wednesday, Nationalist MP Ċensu Galea said that the Budget addressed Malta's present circumstances, with more women entering the world of work and family conditions changing continuously.

Social reality included foreigners who had been residing in Malta for a number of years and whose offspring were marrying into Maltese families. The government had a responsibility to address these realities.

Local councils had changed too. The physical infrastructure was also changing, but a number of roads were still under construction. The Budget had allocated money for this infrastructural expenditure.

The government had to ensure that regulating authorities had the necessary tools and personnel to work properly, said Mr Galea. A case in point was the National Audit Office, which needed technically-trained personnel.