Economic reality better than what the figures show - minister

j brincat

Jul 4th 2012, 12:33

Who remembers the song "Make believe"?




(jb)

Vincent Grech

Jul 4th 2012, 10:31

@A micallef ,
dan tajdu int li ma tamilx differenza meta tisself mil xi pajjiz ghall li tohrog bonds u jinhatfu fi ftit sieghat , jien niextieq se tamlu intom tkomplux iziduh u skont kif iziduh ??? mill kliem ghall fatti em bahar jikubatti

Joseph M. Saliba

Jul 4th 2012, 09:00

Another Greece in the Mediterranean.

Mr Aaron Sammut

Jul 4th 2012, 08:58

U mela Tonio.......issa anki l-figuri dizastruzi huma pozittivi? AMAZING!!

Lawrence Fenech

Jul 4th 2012, 03:49

SurTonio you are right, you are stuck away from reality.

Cj Deguara

Jul 4th 2012, 03:26

Point 1: To any that have made the statement we have a very high standard of living - this is fiscally impossible. Average income in Malta 14k Eur UK 32k US 40k. Cost of owning a three bedroom detached house with a garden in Malta 300,000(Research real estate agents) UK - 220,000 (National Avg) US 145,000
Next food, electric, water, and general living expenses - nearly everything is imported! Either as raw material or as a finished product. Therefore cost is higher, for nearly all expenses. - So let us start by saying it is impossible based on our GDP & average income to have a higher standard of living no matter what we try to convince ourselves of.

Point 2.
Companies like ST microelectronics move to Malta for 1 main reason, cheaper labour force, secondary reason preferential tax rates (Applies alot to I-Gaming) This logic is flawed as it forces us to earn less, when living on an island with very limited natural resources and space; where to have a higher standard of living we need more income.

Point 3.
We are a small nation, your prime minister could easily be your next door neighbour as are most of the ministers, unlike larger countries the policies are created by your next door neighbour! What I mean is do not expect Gonzi or Gatt to solve the problem, unless they have a personal income level similar to Bill Gates they can only try to implement the right policies.

Point 4.
Our debt level is amazingly high in relation to our possible income - we owe a lot more as a country per capita then we can ever hope to repay on our current GDP.

Point 5. MOST IMPORTANTLY
Fact - If you import more than you export - you have a deficit - (Especially if you ahve no natural resources to counter balance it) We need to improve our export both in quantity and value. ST Microelectronics = lower value income to Malta - So we need to sell Malta.

SO HOW DO WE DO IT?
There are a number of ways a small island like Malta can improve it's export - First we require a mentality change: If your target is export stop evaluating your local markets needs, evaluate your foreign market needs and develop products for them! Change your focus, Step 2 promote your solutions, services, products abroad not locally. Step 3 foster a mentality via campaigning and media for the general public to promote our little islands beyond our shores! Social Media and online is a good place to start, if each Facebook account in Malta 204,000 of them was to promote Malta or a Maltese product or service 3 times a month. That would mean that yearly we would have promoted our island with 7,344,000 foreign individuals with a potential to spend, visit and purchase from Malta.

Furthermore local businesses especially catering and service establishments - group up! Work together, create bargain packages and cross promotions aimed at attracting foreign business to our shores.

A concrete example - 10 Restaurants + 5 Accommodation + 10 Health & Beauty Businesses + 10 Leisure Businesses with aid from our lovely Government via a tax break for such initiatives - Dedicate 10% of your local advertising budget to a joint campaign targeting foreigners offering a SPECIAL MALTA BREAK PACKAGE! - A national airline could help out a bit here to, but any way! If your pooled resources total 50k in advertising budget and provide a 5 fold return over a three year period you have stimulated our little tiny economy.

Lets face it your local target clientèle make an average of 14 k per year, their equivalent foreigner makes on average double, - spend should therefore also be higher, also factor in the fact that they are on holiday thus spend is generally higher per head then would normally be the case on a day to day basis.

I am not just a talker, I believe in walking the walk, let me help, are you interested in getting the economy off the ground tell me and we can get in touch !!!

To double the average income in Malta we need 280,000,000 in sales - is it achievable? We have to achieve 14,000 Eur of sales per adult outside our shores as an average. I can get 140k for sure but I cannot do it alone!

B. Cachia

Jul 3rd 2012, 22:32

The reduction of the income tax was not just one of many promises the Party made prior to the last election, it was the Party's main electoral plank. It will be difficult for people to believe anything the Party promises this time round, when they have deliberately broken their word.

As for the economy, I think the statistics don't lie. If exports fell, that is a reality not an illusion. If exports are dominated by one company and are therefore volatile, that is hardly a testament to the Government's development policy. If the Government has meddled with Enemalta and caused it to make losses, that fact cannot be brushed away. And while the economy has not collapsed, we have had anaemic real growth for over a decade now, and the Government's finances are very weak, for a country of our size and vulnerability.

Mr Stephen Borg

Jul 3rd 2012, 22:10

Give us a break Tonio, All we've got are exorbitant living costs, energy tariffs, and fuel prices and in the meantime we have substandard wages. An you want us to believe that the economy is doing better

Jessica Smith

Jul 3rd 2012, 21:29

living in fantasy land

Mr leo attard

Jul 3rd 2012, 21:03

mr fenech, well then the 1.16 euro raise you gave us is in reality better than what the amount means... but then, why wasn't it enough for you? You needed 500 euros a week ..... ah, the difference between the dream and the nightmare.

Mark Mercieca

Jul 3rd 2012, 19:41

Is anybody considering the black economy in their calculations?
Some sectors, more than others, have been cheating the people for donkeys' years in income tax, retaining VAT in their pockets by not issuing fiscal receipts - which is plain & simple theft, non payment of duty, VAT ect at the port to the detriment of legal and honest traders, ect.
The black economy is bigger than what we see on the surface and it is like an iceberg - making our deficit bigger at our expense.

Noel Abela

Jul 3rd 2012, 19:36

When he talks, Tonio Fenech seems to be living on another planet. Whilst it is very true that we had........sorry HE had and increase in wages, lest we forget, his increase of Euro500 weekly. To add insult to injury he states that the ONLY promise that GonziPn did not keep was the decrease in Income Tax Rates. This was the promise that won Gonzi the election. How pathetic can Toinio Fenech be. Does he realy think that we are all idots because if that is the case then it takes one to know one.

l vella

Jul 3rd 2012, 19:22

The number of persons registered as unemployed during May stood at 6,698 - an increase of 332, or 5.2 per cent, over the corresponding month last year, the NSO said.

i wonder..............

m. borg (slm)

Jul 3rd 2012, 18:46

I for one do not make much of statistics, they are manipulated and juggled around according to one's needs.

On the other hand taking into consideration Tonio's fly away tours on private jets and the lame excuse for it, the villa refurbishment case that was never given a proper account for and most of all the fact that Malta's national debt saw a drastic rise ever in the last for years compared to the sixteen before , I tend not to give any credence to what Tonio Fenech has to say.

Not mentioning the miscalculation of €40 million in last years budget as referred to by the EU.

Joe Tabone

Jul 3rd 2012, 18:21

Amid worldwide economic turmoil Malta has fared pretty well with low unemployment and a good standard of living, well done Dr Gonzi and your Government.
What is Labour offering, besides void promises like lowering the water and electricity rates?
The Last Labour government we had in 1998 promised a new taxation system, introduced CET and sent the economy spiralling downwards, this accompanied a steep water & electricty rates when oil was $12 a barrel (now it is $100/barrel).
Classic case of better the devil you know!!!

Charles Massa

Jul 3rd 2012, 18:09

Issa qieghdin taraw kif il wedgha fit tnaqqas fl income tax kienet biss biex tigbed il voti. U Tonio Fenech qal li l ekonomija ta Malta sejra ahjar minn kif juru l figuri. U dan ghaliex ma gholliex il prezz ta dawl u ilma. Sur Fenech il prezz taz zejt fi swieq internazzjonali ilu niezel u ghal hekk il kontijiet kellhom jorhsu. U xi nghidu fejn il qaghad zdied. Rigward l impiegi taf kemm hawn haddiema b xoghol prekarju? Il vera gvern maqtuh mir rejalta u l poplu se jtih il lezzjoni fl elezzjoni.

Gustav Svensson

Jul 3rd 2012, 18:09

Hahahahahah the best one I heard in a looooong time. Only in Malta ta.

Lawrence Fenech

Jul 3rd 2012, 17:25

Ghallekk ghandna 6 billjun dejn, 6,000,000 interessi, budget b'50,000,000 zmerc u min jaf gej jekk Gonzi jipprova jghamel budget iehor forsi iwarrab 500 euro fil-gimgha ghalieh ghal-shabu jekk ikun ghadu fil-gvern.

Hallina Tonio, Tremmonti kien bhalek kollox ileqq u ara fejn spicca.

Ronnie Callus

Jul 3rd 2012, 17:23

Dr.Tonio Fenech are we going to believe the figures given by the NSO or your wording, because one can easily say that everything is fine and plain sailing when in reality it shows differently. Sometimes we come to believe that we are being taken for a ride.

B Attard

Jul 3rd 2012, 17:22

Meta nismgha kummenti 'posittivi' bhal dawm aktar nithasseb u ninkwieta Sur Ministru

Mrs Monica Spiteri

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:56

Mr Minister?????????
Where is your resignation?????????

j brincat

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:50

Is the public debt lower or higher since Tonio took over as a minister?

According to NSO figures we now have a record public debt and we are paying for its debt service through our teeth.

I am, of course, referring to figures published by NSO. So they should be correct, no?



(jb)


(jb)

Victor Calleja

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:44

Go and tell it to the marines minister please.
B'Kara local council has a vacancy.

R Axisa

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:43

Mela allura nistenna l-ministru jnaqqas is-surcharge mil-kontijiet tad-dawl u l-ilma u jnaqqas l-income tax bhalma kien wieghed qabel l-ahhar elezzjoni b'mod immedjat! M'ghandux ghalfejn joqghod jistenna l-budget ghax daz-zmien il-gvern ma joqghodx jistenna l-budget biex jgholli l-prezzijiet!

Simon Bonello

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:37

tajba din mela meta l figuri ikunu posittivi jigi jurihomna l onorevoli , u meta jkunu negattivi jghidilna li mhux veru. Kemm qed tahsbuhom cwiec imma lin-nies??!!!!

Mr Alexander Azzopardi

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:35

re my last Comment: jien sincerament Ministru nixtieq nifhem min huwa il Gidieb jew int u l partit tijak jew ta l NSO. (with positive results being achieved in employment) u l NSO tohrog tighd li l Impjiegi naqsu f Malta.. u Int mhux tali tighd li zdiedu ima tali tighd li l export zdied ... ehh forsi Iva bil magni.... u tighd ukoll li il Pagi zdiedu-- xi hsibtna ...?

Cornelius Murphy

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:33

Normally governments fudge the figures. This time they're not even bothering with that and want to fudge our minds directly. Was that a joke or what?

Mr Alexander Azzopardi

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:26

Skond Tonio Fenech igifieri din Gidba ?? http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120703/local/unemployment-up.427043

Frans Aguis

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:22

It is probably the other way around.That's how it was in all other countries

George Azzopardi

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:07

fejn jaqbillhu jiqwota l-figuri ... ara veru!!

Ronald Cauchi

Jul 3rd 2012, 16:04

Yes reality shows better than figures show. So Im not 69, bald overweight and lazy. Im a young virile, hirsute and slim and overactive fellow.

A Micallef

Jul 3rd 2012, 15:47

issa anka il figuri allarmanti ed jghidu li mumix.... ma nafx jien....

Thomas Mifsud

Jul 3rd 2012, 15:46

For yourself its much better than the figures. But I encourage you to speak to the general public and ask them about their financial situation, not yours. No shame from GonziPN ministers.

Paul Ellul

Jul 3rd 2012, 15:17

A business breakfast was organised for the sake of the learned Minister to gather feedback from the social partners in preparation for the next budget, as the TOM faithfully reports.

So let me see. the Minister was gathering feedback? Or was he telling fairy tales instead?

Oh, I think I figured it out. the Minister was meaning .......

Good Morning Chaps.........listen, when I need your opinion, i'll give it to you!!!

Hope you enjoyed the working breakfast!

Anthony Grech

Jul 3rd 2012, 15:12

We the People do not care about Your Economy, which We are sure is Fantastic by now, We care about our Pocket Economy which is CAPUT.

m. borg (slm)

Jul 3rd 2012, 15:07

"Economic reality better than what the figures show - minister" (Tonio Fenech)

When it suits him he cites statistics and when not he mentions his own assumptions. We already know how accurate are his suppositions and projections are, ask the EU how accurate his last budget was and how his projections regarding the deficit missed the mark by a hefty 1.5% at least.

Ever though of giving up politics for acting Tonio?

Wenzu Cole

Jul 3rd 2012, 15:06

If I remember correctly, until a few months ago, the government used to quote positive figures and say they're the best certificate Malta can get!

So now the figures don't count anymore?

Doris Farrugia

Jul 3rd 2012, 15:06

'Economic reality in Malta was different from what was being shown by statistics' This statement is true,but what follows is the the biggest lie ever.The minister should go to the industrial estates eg. tal Handaq Qormi and ask the garage owners himself if he finds them open because obviously if there's no work, the owner just has to call it a day and go home.That's the reality Mr.Minister.

Nyal Xuereb

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:57

I'm sorry to say Mr. Minister, but I bed to differ. You are either living on another planet or you are not being told what the true picture is by your staff.

fred sammut

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:43

u mela, mela .... kollox kif timagina int Sur Fenech

B 500 fil gimgha ZIEDA bilfors li ma thossx li jhoss il Haddiem.....

Mr J. Bonnici

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:40

The economic reality is what the statistics show. Full stop.

Mr leo attard

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:32

so this is what malta has come to -- we no longer need to rely on statistics and other forms of proof. No! A politician's word is enough! The sad thing is that there are those who are presented with an ass and told it's a thoroughbred -- AND THEY BELIEVE IT!!!

Peter Murray

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:28

Of course it is and our cheque is in the post as well.You can fool some of the people some of the time-but not all of the people all of the time.

francis x caruana

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:24

hallina mr minister.ITS TRUE THAT GONZI PN IS LIVING IN A WORLD OF ITS OWN.

Robert Lewis

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:19

If you are referring to yourself and the ones close to you (tal-klikka) you are 100% right. If you are referring to the public in general you must be living in the moon. This is the same thing which happened to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, etc. The politicians used to tell the public that everything was brilliant, when in fact everything was bankrupt, that is the situation.

Roderick Micallef

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:11

IF the government will not implement its promise to reduce the highest income tax rate to a maximum of 25 per cent because the Government is dictated by the reality of the economy than that's full evidence that the economic situation is exactly or probably worse then what the statistics are showing and saying. I guess your attempt isn't very credible after all dear Minister

pat muscat

Jul 3rd 2012, 14:09

'Finanzi fis-sod'; 'Ir-ricessjoni mhix se tmissna;' 'Par idejn sodi' u issa 'reality better than figures show'! We are all past bed time fairy tales Mr Minister.

Eddy Privitera

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:41

ISSA AHJAR ! MELA LANQAS TONIO FENECH MHU QIEGHED JEMMEN IL-FIGURI TIEGHU STESS !!!

Lucienne Dimech

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:38

Positive results in employment when this same paper has just reported an increase in u employment? just how stupid does the minister thi k we all are? Will you please stop Insulting our Intelligence and for once co e up with the truth sad and serious as it may be .

GL Calleja

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:32

Here we go again " NO PROBLEM " Why not tell that to the people who can barely afford to pay for the high price of the Utilities, etc, etc and trying to make their pension money stretch from one paycheck to the next? " NO PROBLEMS " he says.

Joseph Brincat

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:32

@ stephen koludrovic
Have you ever known a politician to keep his promise.!!

YES Gonzi pn , if you can read between the lines , that say he
is going to destroy the PN !!!

Patrick Zammit

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:25

Does the minister still think that we are "xi cuc Malti"?

Roseanne Stevens

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:24

tell me about economic reality I am a graduate with 8 years working experience & i have been without a job for 2 months now. no one wants to employ & no one wants to pay especially if you are a woman

j brincat

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:23

@Joseph Micallef

"Mela rohhos l-ilma u d-dawl jekk ghandek zejda sur ministru!"

Don't worry this (reduction of utility bills) will be GonziPN's trump card in the coming election. The last time it was the revision of the tax bands and the guarantee given to various employees!



(jb)

Joseph E Briffa

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:15

Tony Zarb never ceases to amaze us.......the champion of the haddiema laments that the top rate of income tax hasn't come down to 25%, completely oblivious to the fact that such a measure would be beneficial solely to income earners of Eur30 000 +. One would be forgiven for asking how many of these income earners in the Eur30 000 to Eur120 000 bracket are memebrs of the GWU.

Joseph Arpa

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:12

wahahahahhahah aaaaa hahahahahahhaha aaaaaahhhaahhaaaa
Most probably Economic Reality MUST WORST than what figures show!!!!!!

Mario Camilleri

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:09

Mela milli jidher il-Ministru Fenech ser jimxi fuq it-teorija ta' kif kien jikkalkula l-andament ekonomiku Josef Bonniċi fejn dan kien iħares lejn kemm jixtraw vetturi u mobajls. Sintendi dan għax riesqa l-elezzjoni u d-diska "finanzi fis-sod" iżżarżret issa.

Lawrence Fenech

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:06

Issa ahjar, il-ministru Tonio mhux jaqbel mal-figuri tieghu, biex taqqadha l-anqas l-EU mhi taqbel mieghu.

Colin Camilleri

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:04

Tonio Fenech must be living in a world of his own!

pat muscat

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:02

Tonio Fenech is supposed to be a number cruncher; instead he wants us to believe in fairy- tales!

C. Spiteri

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:02

and pigs can fly.

Stef Azzopardi

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:01

LOL... what a douche! He believes he is over and above official figures!

James Tyrrell

Jul 3rd 2012, 13:01

So the bottom line seems to be that the statistics are wrong and the Government are right. Never mind what the figures show just trust Finance Minister Tonio Fenech! Do they really expect the people to swallow that one?

Mark Scicluna

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:59

U Johnny l-cowboy qallu "UZGUUUUUUUUURRRR!"

Joseph Brincat

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:48

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech
GET IT INSIDE OF YOUR HEAD THAT WE DO NOT TRUST YOU >> BYE BYE

Joseph Micallef

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:46

Mela rohhos l-ilma u d-dawl jekk ghandek zejda sur ministru!

Daniel Tabone

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:40

They are so cut off from the reality we're living in this country that they don't even now the harsh realities that Maltese businesses are living with, with the purchasing power of the Maltese people at it's minimum, thus reducing spending drastically. We're now in a situation that our Government isn't believing his own statistics with the Minister saying that reality is not showing what the statistics are showing!! Unbelievable. Minister Fenech should tell the EU not to take notice of statistics! We would be fired straight away! Statistics are there to give you a wide ranging picture of what's going on in the country. Tonio Fenech's disregard to statistics should encourage his master to show him the door!! Perhaps he's talking like this because all his projections done just a few months ago has gone haywire!

John Borg

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:39

Are we serious?
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. (Attributed to Abraham Lincoln)

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:38

If the Minister wants to see the recession in practice, he should go round the shops and see how much people are spending. Yesterday morning I went round the shops in Valletta and I honestly wish I had a camera to take photos of the shopkeepers either standing at the doorway or sitting around in their shop. Not much selling seemed to be going on.

M Grima

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:34

"He said that other measures which were not promised in the electoral programme had been taken".

Did these measures include the secret €500 weekly pay-rise which the prime minister and his cabinet received for their pathetic way they are governing our country? Did these measures include the shelving of the whistle blowers act which has been left to gather the dust? Did these measures include eliminating the waiting lists at Mater Dei Hospital? Did these measures include that medicines are never out of stock? Did these measures include not going to the Emergency unit at Mater Dei and not having to wait for than 12 hours to receive treatment? Did these measures include a reduction in the budget of education, health, Ngo's, and a dozen other bodies. Did these measures include that the cost of a gas cylinder would increase by over 300%.

The list is endless and I would probably bore you to death. Well the majority are bored to death with this government.

Peter Xuereb

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:33

That is exactly what the then Greek government said several years ago when questioned about the rising debt and worsening economy.

Abandon ship. Of course the eventual Labour government alone will get the blame. But as far as I'm concerned the whole political establishment should be thrown out for making a circus out of the running of this country.

M Grima

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:24

When the figures are in our favour we are the glorious PN, but when they are not the figures do not reflect a true picture. Is this our Minister of Finance?

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:21

U mhux hekk, Sur Ministru. Dan kollu ghax in-nies johrogu jiehdu hobza u drink jew pizza nhar ta' sibt.

Joe A. Borg

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:17

So when the figuers are good we flaunt them, and when these are bad we discard them as not real!

Come on Minister, what is this a commedy following a script? Please pull the other one as I have never seen a minister more amatuer than this.

Mr Peter Korsten

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:16

The funny thing is that, right underneath the five featured articles on the front page, the top national news headline read "Unemployment up". But surely the minister will explain why this in reality is better.

Joseph Grech Attard

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:15

If we are so good now with recession and 6 billion euros in debt, how much better were we when we had no recession and 500 million Malta Liri in our coffers?!!

Paul Gauci

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:09

"In his reply, Mr Fenech seemed to indicate that this promise will not be delivered, noting that it was the government’s only promise made in its electoral manifesto that had not been implemented."

and the surplus?
and the appointment of CEOs after a call for applications?
and the reduction of the deficit?
and the safeguarding of the Air Malta jobs?

and the list goes on.....hallina Tonio!

j brincat

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:08

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool ALL the people ALL the time"



(jb)

j brincat

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:06

AND yet we are in the second recession based on figures compiled by NSO!

But Mr Fenech wishes otherwise!



(jb)

Jeffrey Mallia

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:06

In other words............scrap the figures cos I'm always right.

K. Vella II

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:05

Int l-istess persuna li fit-2008 hsibt li ha nispiccaw bis-surplus. Ghala ghandna nergghu nemmnuk?

Edgar Apap

Jul 3rd 2012, 12:01

Figures Show The Facts . The Reality Is We Are In A Recession Of Your Own Making Because Instead Of You Increasing The Purchising Power Of The People Like President Obama Did , You Took Austerity Measures To ill Effect , Higher Water And Electricity Bills , Raised The Retiering Age , Sliced Half Of The Money Most Needy NGO' S Recieve , Raised All The Fees Possible In Goverment Departments Gas Prices Shot Up ,Thats Just To Name A Few . The Rich Get Richer And The Poor Get Poorer . Under Gonzi Pn Im Ashamed To Keep Calling Myself A Nationalist .

A Dimech

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:57

BOOH!!!

shouldn't the figures not represent reality?!!

Come on Tonio?!! have we fallen so low now?!!

victor bonello

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:54

The Central Bank is sending out a complete different picture.. who is telling the truth?

S. Caruana

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:53

So the ECONOMIC REALITY will not be guaged anymore by statistics and figures, BUT by the minister pespective! Sur Ministru jekk trid tkun taf kif qed thabbat l-qalb tal -ekonomija mur miss il-polz tal-poplu u bil-provi tkun taf kif sejjra l-ekonomija.

Mark Demicoli

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:51

a clear example when we don't use the figures when it suits us! pathetic!

Charles Micallef

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:50

The problem is that we are not sure as who to believe, the economists who produce these figures, or the politicians whose only ambition is to be re-elected?

Joseph Micallef

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:50

Hallina Ton... when figures are positive, tohrog tiftahar bihom, bic-certifikati tal-ewropa and when results are bad, tiksreditom and you try to give your own interpretation. I don't give a dam of what you are trying to feed us Ton, who cares about what you say and about what you make us try to believe???

What I care for is my pocket, my diminishing standard of living, my purchasing power loss, the explosion of the utility bills, the poor service of enemalta, the carelessness of the environment, the rise in unemployment, the €500 euro [a week!] which you stole from our pockets, the incompetence in governing etc.. x'jinteressani x'tghid inti Ton??

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120703/local/unemployment-up.427043

D.Witch Biggs

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:48

This Maltese gem gem would say that won't he, same as our gem gem back home, but what is the truth in reality, ahhhhhh that's something else Pal. So as it stands now Malta is looking rosy Yes. better then the rest of us in europe, so why not give a bit of a hand out to the unemployed and the poor people of this islands, or is that not on the agenda? Talking is good but in practice is not quite the same, at least this is the way i see it with politicians and not forgetting the lovely Bankers.

M Grima

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:48

Perceptions dear Tonio, just a perception that the economy is doing better. Some may agree with you, especially those who have been enjoying cushy and well paid jobs under this administration, while the rest of the population are hardly main ends meet.

fred sammut

Jul 3rd 2012, 11:20

Just to remind you that we were promised SUR PLUS from the 2010 onwards........

was is it a lie toooooooooooooo