US consultants to draw up plan

A weakness dogging the economy is the low education level achieved by students when compared to EU standards, a report by government-appointed foreign consultants has found.

The report says the "well developed education system" is a strength, but insists high levels of early school leavers are a threat to economic and social development.

It also identifies weak connectivity between secondary and post-secondary schools and university as another weakness, among others.

Texas-based consultancy company Angelou Economics was appointed by the government to perform a thorough analysis of the economy and come up with a blueprint of actions to implement the government's Vision 2015, which aims to turn Malta into a centre of excellence in seven sectors.

Some of the strengths listed by the consultants included a multilingual workforce, cultural and historic assets, a desirable quality of life, lower labour costs when compared to the EU average, excellent harbours, problem-solving ingenuity and a stable political and regulatory environment.

The consultants yesterday laun-ched a public consultation exercise during a glitzy event where they briefly presented some of their market research findings conducted over the past six months.

Guests, which included representatives of the social partners, employer organisations, businessmen and other stakeholders, were also addressed by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.

Angelou Economics' top man, Angelos Angelou, said the company would prepare an "actionable and implementable development plan" to help the country achieve its goals for 2015 and beyond. The final plan is expected in three months' time.

"We like to think of ourselves as problem solvers. Our goal is to create an avenue for a knowledge-based economy creating higher value job opportunities. We will aim high," he said, insisting economic development had no place for "naysayers and negative attitudes".

In a quick question and answer exchange with The Malta Independent on Sunday editor David Lindsay, Dr Gonzi said Vision 2015 was not born out of thin air.

When it was launched in May 2007, he added, the EU had just approved €1 billion in funds for Malta as part of the 2007-2013 budget. Dr Gonzi said the country had also been in its last leg to adopt the euro and Smart City had given Malta international investor visibility.

"We were also embarking on reforms to close or sell loss-making state companies while consolidating public finances. All this came together in Vision 2015, which is not an end in itself but the next phase in this country's development," Dr Gonzi said.

Taking a leaf out of a complaint made by the president of the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation, that disabled people did not seem to feature in the consultants' presentation, Dr Gonzi emphasised the concept was also a social vision.

"It is fundamental to understand that economic development would have to make a difference in the quality of life of people if it is to be meaningful. This means it will also address people with disability," he said.

Winding down his brief intervention, Dr Gonzi sounded a warning note about the controversial Delimara power station extension.

"Vision 2015 requires solid investment in our infrastructure including the supply of energy. Anybody who tells me not to expand Delimara not to create controversy cannot tell me to go for Vision 2015," he said.

The market assessment reports conducted by Angelou Economics and the public consultation survey can be found on www.vision2015.gov.mt.