Save for a rainy day, President urges people
Malta had no guarantee that the economic storm around it would not affect it, President George Abela said yesterday, calling on the Maltese to save money and not to spend beyond their means. The country could not live in a world of its own, he warned,...
Malta had no guarantee that the economic storm around it would not affect it, President George Abela said yesterday, calling on the Maltese to save money and not to spend beyond their means.
The country could not live in a world of its own, he warned, referring to the surrounding economic climate and urging caution and restraint in terms of money.
“Think of tomorrow and not just today” was his message during the exchange of New Year’s greetings at the President’s Palace in Valletta yesterday.
Life was not easy and not always just, Dr Abela said, encouraging optimism, courage and hope that characterised the Maltese.
For the country to move forward, solidarity and unity were important, he said, adding that the latter needed to be worked on for the country to be able to face the storm ahead and build on what had been achieved in the past.
Dr Abela was addressing Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Cabinet members.
Dr Gonzi too referred to the economic “waves” ahead, which would affect the business community, saying the country had been wise in moments of need.
He described 2011 as “hard and full of challenges” but a year that left the nation “satisfied”.
It was characterised by the important values of solidarity, prudence and determination, which had to be carried on into the New Year to be able to overcome the challenges ahead.
The Maltese had proven to have an “open heart”, Dr Gonzi said.
“Confidence in our capabilities” was another value that was evident last year and essential to generate opportunities in 2012.
The Prime Minister said: “We are not commentators who sit on comfortable chairs. We are the ones who drive the country and our chairs are not always comfortable”.
The government, he said, would continue to carry the burden with a sense of duty,
Dr Gonzi praised the work of the Presidency and the values it promoted.
Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat and his wife, Speaker Michael Frendo, MPs from both sides of the House, former Presidents Eddie Fenech Adami and Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri and members of the judiciary also visited the President to exchange greetings.
Dr Muscat called for unity, stability and serenity in the year ahead to face the prevailing situation and insisted on a focus on the “real issues”.
Addressing the judiciary, Dr Abela mentioned the main complaint of delays in court, acknowledging that the problem was being addressed and insisting that the justice process needed to be speeded up because the people deserved it.