'Our winning formula is lower taxes and more jobs' - PM
'Our winning formula is lower taxes and more jobs' - PM
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi reiterated his message of job-creation and lower taxes today. He also expressed confidence in the police in their investigations into corruption in oil procurement.
Speaking during an electoral campaign activity in Marsascala, the prime minister, who lives in the locality, said that the PN was aiming to create 25,000 new jobs in the coming legislature.
"We reduced or removed 25 taxes in the past five years and still raised revenue. This was only possible because we created more jobs and we want to continue on this direction," he said.
While stating that labour was already showing signs that it will not be able to create the amount of jobs necessary to sustain the economy, Dr Gonzi said that the PN electoral programme was full of new incentives to help more workers enter the job market.
He referred in particular to incentives for women, such as the provision of childcare services through a system of vouchers, and the right for working parents to utilise their sick leave when their children fall ill.
With regard to the ongoing investigations on alleged corruption in oil procurement, Dr Gonzi said that he did not wish to interfere in police investigations as he was sure that the police were doing a good job.
"We are not living under labour where the police were used for partisan purposes", he said. "Today we have a police force which can be trusted and has even acted against members of the judiciary."
Dr Gonzi said that he was sure that those found to be involved in illegalities would face the consequences independently of who they were.
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Charles Massa
Jan 31st, 19:15
Lower taxes u more jobs. Hallina. Jaf li hawn 7000 unemployed, partita haddiema xoghol part time bhala xoghol principali taghhom, xoghol prkarju. Less taxes - Mela nesa li ivvota bil qalb fiz zidiet ta dawl u ilma. U xi nghidu ghaz zidiet tal petrol/diesel u gas li jizdiedu kull xahar barra meta tkun gejja elezzjoni.
mario scerri
Jan 31st, 18:18
1, Tnaqqis ta taxxa? Kulhadd jiftakara il-weghda qabel l-elezzjoni generali tal-2008 li se jnaqqas l-income tax.
2 , Xoghol? Xoghol prekarju mhux problema ssib kemm trid.
Michael Magri
Jan 31st, 14:06
'Our winning formula is lower taxes and more jobs' - PM
I`m sorry Dr Gonzi.. Past experience makes it very Hard to Digest at this belated moment in time...!!!
B. Farrugia
Jan 31st, 13:47
THE WINNING FORMULA IS AN ENTHUSIASTIC, CORRUPTION FREE, AND UNITED TEAM,
and a trust worthy leader.
How about a patriotic vision, and free communication between all levels.
treating your members and the public honestly, and respecting the common man.
j brincat
Jan 31st, 13:44
@Joe Tabone
"Anthony,
PN is reducing taxes to let business flourish!"
In 2008 he also said that w.e.f. 1/1/2009 he was reducing tax from 35% to 25% so as to create a multiplier effect and so boost the economy?
Did he?
jb
Joe Tabone
Jan 31st, 10:38
A Government with a vision - PN can create these 25,000 jobs, but can Labour do it?
Look at the employment record of both parties.................................
Massimo Gatt
Jan 31st, 11:49
PN Didn't create 20,000 jobs. Unemployment has gone up by 3.4%.
PN's formula which they used to calculate employment is flawed as they don't follow standard rules of EU.
Employment is calculated by taking the amount of employed persons in 2008 and take the amount of 2012. Then check the difference.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130128/local/Jobless-total-3-4-higher.455153
Massimo Gatt
Jan 31st, 14:09
Unemployment rate up by 3.4% Where are the 20,000 jobs?
David C
Jan 31st, 16:55
Msg2.@Gatt out of those 7000 unemployed (do some maths) 40% (2800ppl)have been unemployed for more than a year! at the same time those who have been unemployed for less than 21 weeks went down! It means that realistically who wants a job will get a job! the 2800ppl don't want to work so i say pretty impressive unempl. rate! Also Malta is 6th best in EU! Does JM tell you this? Find facts don't rpt
Lawrence Fenech
Jan 31st, 10:29
No Gonz you loosing formula is more taxes and more jokes.
anthony sultana
Jan 31st, 10:02
This is what most of the people are not thinking about.After the election the self employed people, like mechanics, panil beaters, carpinters, house builders,lawyers,you name it ,all of them them are going to raise their services prices, which will smash us at full speed to the wall.GonziPN GonziPN I dont know,what I know for sure you are full of tricks.
Joe Tabone
Jan 31st, 10:41
Anthony,
PN is reducing taxes to let business flourish!
LABOUR says SAFE for Business but look at their track record...........CET and fiscal disaster!
Joe Bonanno
Feb 1st, 00:11
Joe Tabone
Look at track records? The PN has produced deficit budgets from day 1. The downgrades keep on coming fast and furious. We're nearing junk bond status. And you say that Labour, who left a billion euros in 1987, will cause fiscal disaster? The PN is the largest collection of fiscal incompetents this side of Idi Amin. Next you'll be telling us that they will pay off the debt.
Alex Cutajar
Jan 31st, 09:17
Lower taxes? How can taxes be lower under your government, if you need an additional yearly 120Million, not to mention the other bad planned expenses your party will get us into, as usual!
Alex- www.alexcutajar.com
David C
Jan 31st, 11:21
what a poor comment!... what about the 600 million your PL will fork out? how can utility bills be brought down after 1 yr if the project is said to be finished in 2yrs? Trends for the past 4 yrs show that the Defecit, i.e. the negative balance per year has been decreasing each year. you are brainwashed and repeat what your leader says. PL in 22 months = 20/30 new taxes? PN removed most of these!
Chris Borg
Jan 31st, 12:42
Mr.David C....it seems that you haven't understood nothing about the new terminal proposal by PL. Who said it will cost 600M - Tonio Fenech! The total amount done by KMV is 370M whcih will come out from private entities + a cleaner envirnoment when compared to BWSC. So ideally you read well the proposal before you comment.
David C
Jan 31st, 14:25
But Chris how can you be so sure that the private sector would want to invest 370M? Plus the fact that even you didn't understand anything about the PL proposal? how can they realistically reduce tarrifs in 1 year when the project will be finished in 2yrs? I got no reply to that. That's the whole issue. The PL would win more votes if they are more clear and realistic and simply issue the program!
Chris Borg
Jan 31st, 16:42
Dear David, as you know at the moment we are not paying the rates which are the equivalent to the oil prices. And for households that will be reduced from 2014, for businesses it's from 2015.
Regarding the private input, I'm sure that many of these will enter is such a business in the local market considering the potential. Many private companies already operate or develop such terminals in EU.
edward vella
Jan 31st, 09:10
Too little too late Dr. Gonzi!!! I think that the floaters have already made up their minds.Your track record re-jobs and taxes says it all!! Mela il-poplu ghadu daqshekk semplici u facli biex terga' tittradieh ghal darb'ohra??!!This time IT'S LABOUR! WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!
Eve Axiaq
Jan 31st, 08:47
Not so true. US has the lowest tax rates on earth when considering tax rebates, exemptions and incentives on the tax forms. Meanwhile they have a relatively high unemployment, debt crisis and money printing.
j brincat
Jan 31st, 08:34
"While stating that labour was already showing signs that it will not be able to create the amount of jobs necessary to sustain the economy"
What? When? How? Where?
Facts written in black and while, please!
jb
j brincat
Jan 31st, 08:29
What lower taxes?
The ones which had to reduce to 25% from 35% and this was supposed to come by 1s January 2009!
What happened to this promise made solely trap the middle class?
Please speak no longer about tax reduction because the proof of the pudding is in the eating and the eating has turned to be very state indeed!
jb
Giocchino Attard
Jan 31st, 08:24
1 job =3 part times, lower taxes one side, higher taxes on the other side.
Vincent Mercieca
Jan 31st, 07:55
Yes – lower taxes, but you forgot to mention that then you will increase tariffs.
That is what you did in the past and declared that you kept your promise as tariffs are not taxes but payments for services.
A case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Joseph Buhagiar
Jan 31st, 01:34
Lower taxes.
Apart from the fact that you have dumped on to all of of us Maltese families, loads of indirect taxes, how can you expect us to believe you when you never manage to control ministries from going over the budget year on year and an accumulated 5000 million euros dept. How we can believe you. You are wasting your time with voting voters this time.
David C
Jan 31st, 11:26
As far as i know Deficit has been reducing for the past 4 yrs. So heading on the right direction. 5bn euro may sound a lot to you and me but don't be intimidated by numbers. This number on it's own says nothing. you have to compare this over GDP. which is yes high but not alarmingly high. thinks have to be done still but it's not the end of the world like in other countries!
Joe Bonanno
Feb 1st, 00:16
David C
The debt grows because the government runs deficit budgets. Not exactly rocket science. The ratio of debt to gdp has been rising. Thus looking at the track record of the PN one can only conclude that they're incapable of ever balancing a budget, never mind having a surplus one. 5 billion is a lot of debt. Just look at the servicing costs that are a huge and growing part of the budget.
David C
Feb 1st, 15:06
Bonanno... That was my point.before you have a surplus budget u need to reduce the amount of deficit each year.. and for the past for years the deficit has been reduced.. so it's on the right track. With regards to the debt/gdp as i said it's high but still not alarmingly high. Compared to Japan 233% and rated AA Malta's is 75% so don't let parties fool you by showing only what's best for them
Joseph Buhagiar
Jan 31st, 01:26
Dr. Gonzi. This election will be decided by floating voters. Do not wast your time. All of us floating voters are intelligent enough to know that the police cannot find "those involved with illegalities" and make them "face the concequences" without tools. For ex.The Whistle Blower Act.......And why is it you did not want this effective for past instances too! I am not labour you know.
Massimo Gatt
Jan 30th, 23:19
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130128/local/Jobless-total-3-4-higher.455153
Was totally ignored by PN apologists. Where are the 20,000 jobs?
Massimo Gatt
Jan 30th, 23:17
Figures and data used according to PN’s own costings:
TAX Ratio = Tax collected / GDP which in layman's terms means What % of the GDP is made out of Tax.
This is increased due to deficiencies in budgeted revenue.
2011: € 2323m / € 6544m * 100% = 35.50% (CURRENT)
2017: € 3220m / € 8596m * 100% = 37.46% (FUTURE)
Higher taxes and NSO says unemployment rate has risen by 3.4% since last year.
A. Agius
Jan 30th, 22:11
Dear Gonzi, you did not lower my taxes as promised 5 years ago, how can i believe you now? I paid thousands of euros extra in taxes in these last 5years while you did not think twice to increase your income by €26,000 per year (€500 week). Some people do not even get close to that figure with their normal income. If this is not arrogance and hypocrisy, what can you call it?
A Vella
Jan 30th, 21:56
5 years ago hekk smajna sal-lum l-istess bqajt nhallas taxxi anzi zdiedu dawk fuq l-ambjent u ohrajn
Emanuel Farrugia
Jan 30th, 21:51
Low Taxes
Qieghed jidher sew issa li GONZIPN jinsab fit-triq 'l hazina. Low taxes meta mbaghad matul is-sena, jaraw kif jaghmlu u joholqu t-taxxi? Mela veru fuq din in-naqra ta' qoxra ghal gol hajt sejrin? Dan jaf x'qieghed jghid jew? U xi nghidu ghal 'more jobs'? Fejn qeghdin dawn 'l jobs? Ezempju tajjeb huwa dak ta' 'Smart City' success fuq success. IPOKRITI
Emanuel Farrugia - TARXIEN
A Spiteri
Jan 30th, 21:41
But you failed to mentioned the most important thing...cut spending!
J. Tabone
Jan 30th, 20:58
Lower income tax. Introduce property tax. Many have been investing their money in property for years tax free.. hence the over-inflated property market where as someone collecting interest from the bank pays interest. Even taxing 2nd or 3rd properties onwards would make a significant difference. Let along fining people who don't complete properties... enough shell form monstrosities.
anthony sultana
Jan 30th, 20:24
My son makes 165 euros a week. How can he have a decent living with this high cost of living?
C. Bartoli
Jan 30th, 21:33
Your son should avail himself from the various courses, which are not only available free of charge but he will also earn an additional 25 euro a week for doing so!
Mr Stephen Borg
Jan 30th, 22:00
For Gonzi it is more of importance that he states he created twenty thousand new jobs then the kind of Jobs which where created. Malta's labour market remains focoused on cheap labour and explotation thanks to GonziPN.
Neil Dent
Jan 30th, 22:08
Simple - he takes advantage of one on the MANY incentives, introduced my THIS government, to further his studies, train or re-train, in order to give himself more and BETTER options, and so improve his employment and life status. But you already know this, or at least you should do.
X'mentalita fjakka u fqira jahasra. Tridx xi plott tal-gvern bxejn ghalieh wkoll, povru tifel?
S. Calleja
Jan 31st, 01:11
Just some ideas: attend one of the free evening courses available, seek another employer if his current one does not offer a career advancement path, temporarily work part-time until better income is achieved, set goals and work hard at achieving them. We've all been there Mr Sultana. Money doesn't grow on trees, you actually have to ask for it and provide value in return!
C. Vella
Jan 31st, 08:38
Mr. Dent and S. Calleja: I work in the IT sector and I know people who work in this sector and are employed with Euro 4.30 per hour with a 6 month contract and they have an advanced diploma in IT. Please get out of your glass house and talk to people so that you get the feedback of the type working conditions that some companies are giving. On the other hand not everybody is good in academics.
Joe Bonanno
Feb 1st, 00:21
Neil Dent
Just because you train and retrain doesn't mean that you'll be able to find employment, just ask the many part timers who despite all their efforts still can't get full time jobs.
Your last comments were gratuitous, offensive and uncalled for. Just say your opinion and don't make juvenile cracks.
Please choose the reason of your report below: