Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this morning reiterated the government's commitment to continue to invest in education as a means to provide the financial services sector with the trained people it needs in order to grow.

Speaking at the end of a breakfast meeting with financial services operators, Dr Gonzi also referred to plans to introduce mandatory second pillar pensions, and said that while this would yield strong growth in the insurance sector, the government remained of the view that such pensions should be introduced only when the timing was such that the economy was not harmed.

Dr Gonzi praised the financial sector for its development into one of the pillars of the Maltese economy. Such development, he said, was not coincidental, but came about thanks to a strategic decision by the government in 2007  coupled with education, investment in services and the infrastructure, and promotion.

He noted that the sector now employs 12,000 people, 3,450 companies were registered last year and 2,570 so far this year.

He shared the sector's view that there was plenty of potential for further growth, and said the government would continue to work towards this aim.

The breakfast meeting was organised by the PN and was closed to the press, other than the concluding address.