The necessity of making decisions pervades our life. In politics, decisions we take today influence the path of the country for the future. When faced with the options that will determine our decisions, while mitigating the immediate effect, at the same time we need to have the vision and courage to make those decisions that will assist the nation from a strategic perspective in terms of what is most important and valid for the future of the country and the well-being of the Maltese people.

This is what distinguishes quick-win based opportunism from long-term strategic decisions.

What we have witnessed yesterday, with the delivery of the first Easyjet aircraft by SR Technics’ maintenance facility, is another significant result of a number of decisions based on foresight and inspired by a vision: that of Malta being a modern economy, which attracts better and higher quality jobs and which contribute to the overall well-being of the country.

The government was instrumental not only in attracting the interest of SR Technics to Malta but also of luring the key target customer, Easyjet, for which this facility was intended. From the signing of the agreement, in November last year, we had to ensure that SR Technics was provided with the necessary facility in order to allow it to honour its tight schedules with Easyjet, which today is receiving back its first aircraft.

One of the areas that have been successful in the past decade was the growth of the aviation sector. Its rate of growth means it has become a pillar in our economy and one of the cornerstones upon which we are mapping the future. This sector has developed into a rather inclusive cluster offering a range of services that go beyond the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft, engines and components. This also includes numerous ancillary and support services such as airline call centres, financial services, software development and aircraft management, among others. We are committed to keep expanding the aviation industry through fiscal and non-fiscal incentives and the construction of facilities and infrastructure.

Indeed, the growing importance of the industry is credited directly to the excellence of local personnel as investors consider the quality and can-do flexible attitude of the Maltese workers to be the island’s greatest advantage. We strongly believe individuals are the main assets of society. At the same time, we believe a competitive and dynamic economy cannot afford to have a workforce that is static. It is essential that every effort is made to have an economy founded on key competences, skills and excellence. These demands necessitate increased cooperation between education and training. Coordination among these different sectors can deliver significant results if it is strengthened. Consequently, this entails that, in both the public and private sectors, the workforce adapts to changing demands through continuous training.

One of the ingredients of success and a crucial factor which helped us secure investment in this field is the collaboration between Malta Enterprise and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, which led to the development of specialised tailor-made courses specifically targeting the needs of this industry. We also re-trained people from other industries so they may have better jobs in this new field.

As a sign of our commitment, we are completing works on the €17 million investment in the 200,000 square metre park that is crucial if we are to fulfil our ambition and become a centre of excellence in this industry. We are building a park which also prepares us for the possibility of attracting further investment where new companies could benefit from the space available to set up shop and take advantage of a clustered environment where all sorts of airplane maintenance services could be located.

We all know the impact of globalisation and the challenges it brought with it. We also know the challenging times the global economic crisis gave rise to in the recent months. We retain our cautious yet optimistic outlook for the future. At the same time we in Malta are witnessing yet another economic success, we all have eyes to see and ears to hear the news that bombards us daily about the problems other European countries are facing. This should make us appreciate our collective achievements, yet keep us well grounded about the realities we are continuously facing.

As such, it is important that whenever faced with taking important decisions, while giving the necessary attention for the immediate, we should look ahead and plan for future generations. We need to build on our successes and continue to create further opportunities. This is the vision that inspires our decisions.

This is the vision on which the government will be presenting its Budget on Monday. This is the fruit of a number of decisions inspired by a vision. We always believed that Malta can excel and will do in the future.

The author is Minister of Finance, the Economy and Investment.

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