Families not feeling economic growth - PL

Dr Joe Brincat

Sep 11th 2010, 08:46

Eurostat publishes other statistics. Inflation rate for Malta is 2.5% placing us 13th highest in the Euro Zone. Malta had a drop of 1.6% in volume of total retail sales between May and June, while in Euro Zone there was a slight increase. This drop was the highest. In May compared to April the drop was 8.6% again the highest. (These are two months when tourism is not at its peak and consequently it reflects mainly residents).

No comment from me. But how do you interpret these figures ?

l fenech

Sep 10th 2010, 14:19

However, all ministers are convencied that the economic growth is there, the solution is to be a minister.

C.Camilleri

Sep 10th 2010, 13:59

@ Joseph Apap

15% of those who queue to negotiate payment terms adds to hundreds of people as I said earlier. Simple facts.

P Gatt

Sep 10th 2010, 13:43

He is right - when Labour was in power we all felt the economic downturn. Now that the Nasty Nats are in power life goes on normally. In one case we brace ourselves for the rough ride and in the other we complain that our increase in quality of life is not as high as we would like it to be.

Spot the difference.

C.Camilleri

Sep 10th 2010, 13:25

There is always two sides of the coin. There are those are are well off, and there are many who are not making ends meet.
Just a visit to the water services corporation at Luqa to see for yourselves the hundreds of people who daily queue from the early hours so they negotiate utility tariffs payments by installments. Just ask those who's only income is a minimum wage, or that their only income is a part-time job, or those who works only on monthly renewable contracts. Just ask those un-employed and also the micro businesses and what the GRTU had to say only yesterday in this same paper.
Mind you if you read and listen only to the PN media and its allies you get the impression that heaven is here in Malta.

N.Farrugia

Sep 10th 2010, 12:50

Sour grapes dear Dr. Gulia!! How do you consider yourself a shadow minister of economics when you cannot even judge these statistics objectively. Do you watch international TV and read foreign newspapers? Don't you know that many European countries, especially those run by Socialist governments are still passing through negative economic effects with huge deficit and mass unemployment. These press releases do not fool any one except your One Tv station and l-Orizzont!!

James Dimech

Sep 10th 2010, 12:50

Fine. But we would like to see the working habits of the families who are not feeling the growth... certain families cannot expect to get the same earnings as other familes who work more, risk more and use their brain more than they do !

Anthony Castillo

Sep 10th 2010, 12:38

@John O Scerri and Joseph Camilleri.Agreed 100% of your comments but these poeple never learn and that's why they've been where they are and they've gone a been for a very long time. The money spend on elections is all waste of money but we are living in a democratic country thanks to the PN GOVENMENTS because they practice what the preach, so we have to make elections.

Paul Smith

Sep 10th 2010, 12:33

Thats because there is no real economic growth, just the illusion of growth.
Banks are doing dandy, very low ECB Interest rates whilst banks are charging 5% on top of the base rate - good business if you can get a banking licence - a licence to print money.

Stymulus via your tax dollars in the form of corporate welfare to support companies that would have overwise gone bust......

The party is over, the limits to growth have been reached, prepare to get a lot poorer with aging populations all over Europe, resource scarcity and a capatalist model that is broken beyond repair

Joe Micallef

Sep 10th 2010, 12:32

So Mr.Gulia you do not seem to contest economic growth, but argue that ordinary families are not feeling it.

Can you let us have a piece of your wisdom as how you intend helping more families feel this economic growth? Maybe increase corporate tax so that the governing elite can distribute more "equally" after subtracting elite royalties from the accruing fund?

You have been in politics for donkey's years and haven't yet realised that your role is to provide solutions and not analysis. For the latter given the quantum improvements over the last 20 years in real and tertiary education and information access, most people can do that themselves. In a nutshell you are (well you should be) a politician not a journalist. I know that may be difficult for you given that your leader, and to a lesser extent one of your deputy leaders, are “journalists” (with due apologies to the professionals) themselves!

Karl Abela

Sep 10th 2010, 12:16

Dr Gulia, are you serious?

I vividly remember George Vella saying ''alla hares jizdiedu l-pagi f'dal-pajjiz'

...and he was right !!!

If other competitive countries are offering cheaper solutions with cheaper salaries they are going to steal your foreign investment. Unemployment shoots up and the country's economy immediately starts contracting.

In this day and age, even PL agrees that the security of jobs to the masses and receiving an average salary is more important than seeking growth in salaries. As we have seen in the past, increase in salaries has made foreign investment much harder and has even eradicating most of the foreign manufacturing industry.

Adrian Borg

Sep 10th 2010, 12:16

To get a true picture of what the average household is feeling. An exercise is to be made, taking the average household income and plot it against the average household costs through a number of months.
Politicians, red and blue, tend to quote that part of the statistics that tends to give them political mileage and omit the rest.

We can only believe in what is left in our pockets after the taxes and bills are paid.

JOHN O SCERRI

Sep 10th 2010, 11:52

As usual on side on the coin is shown.

What is the brighter Dr. Gavin Gulia?

Was Malta's economy hit as hard as other neighbouring countries ?
Was Malta's economy so hard hit by recession that austerity measures had to be taken to reduce or eliminate any social services?
Was Malta's unemployment figure shooting upwards during the recession like that of neighbouring countries ?
Are there no jobs avaiable for us Maltese and not even for those former illegal immigrants who have a refugee status to work here?

Is this the way your MLP will inform us citizens when you will be in power?
Will YOU be deciding what is in the interest of the citizen (Cittadin) ?

Will your MLP in power twist the facts in such a way as to make us believe that your MLP in power is doing everything in the right manner?

If this is so than we might as well remain as we are today and not waste any more money on elections.

@ ALL politicians making press conferences and speaking in public quoting statistics .

Either tell the WHOLE truth or just shut up. You will do less harm .

Joseph Camilleri

Sep 10th 2010, 11:32

If labour does not feel economic growth the people are feeling it. Otherwise how do you explain the restuarants full of clients, paceville full of young people, etc. etc. How do you explain that even labour MPs are purchasing properties here and there. If they want to remain in opposition for their lack of vision, it's their problem. A pity we dont have a true opposition party.