The government found two errors in European Commission reports on the island's economic performance, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said this morning.

The mistakes were related to the island's projected output and the structural deficit. They were highlighted by experts working within the Finance Ministry.

Addressing a press conference, Prof. Scicluna said the government would not be apologetic when it came to dealing with Brussels.

He said he had instructed ministry officials to rework all reports drafted by the Commission which did not tally with the government's projections.

Asked if the ministry's findings had had any effect on his rumoured appointment as European Commissioner, Prof. Scicluna declined to comment, insisting the appointment was the Prime Minister's prerogative.

The government's belief in its own experts, the minister said, had also had a positive effect on the economy's performance.

Giving a round up of the government's first year in office, Prof. Scicluna said the economic growth recorded since last March came from the lack of shocks to the economy.

"We kept much of the budget that had been set and underwent no austerity measures despite many not agreeing with our decisions," he said, adding that the government's action taking approach had also stimulated he economy.

Many of he measure adopted this year, had not yet had an effect on the economy, he said, adding that these would likely see more growth in the coming months.

The government's international credibility, he said, had also been strengthened, particularly since the announcement of the gas powered energy plant and the Chinese partnership.

This, he said, had had a positive effect on business psychology.

Asked about the creation of new jobs, Prof. Scicluna said that some 1,500 of the 5,000 new jobs had been created in the public sector. Of these, 900 had been created before the election.

On the planned merger of the government's fiscal collection entities, Prof. Scicluna said progress had already been made.

The merger will see the unification of the VAT, Inland Revenue and Customs departments.

Prof. Scicluna said the government was also working on a review of the way the budget is drawn up. Describing it as out dated, the minister said the drafting technique had been trimmed to focus on government expenditure.

The 'trim' will also see a new tax unit, responsible for the drafting of tax policies.

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