Energy generation at a reasonable price, waste management and the sustainability of the pensions and public healthcare were the biggest challenges ahead for Malta, former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday at a conference in Germany.

Dr Gonzi was speaking during an annual event organised by the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, which this year was held in the German capital to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The event was addressed by a number of diplomats and former world leaders including Massimo D’Alema, who was Italian Prime Minister between 1998 and 2000.

Dr Gonzi remarked that Malta’s ability to generate energy at a reasonable price in line with rates paid by its competitors in Europe would be crucial for the country’s competitiveness especially in the manufacturing sector.

He noted that sustainability in this sector depended primarily on Malta’s ability to build on green technology within its geographic constraints.

“Much would depend on major infrastructural projects that will link Malta to the European grid, both through an interconnector cable as well as a gas pipeline,” he said.

The former Prime Minister also referred to efforts to increase the female participation rate which was still below the EU average. He said that the major challenge was with respect to women above 35 years as most of them lacked tertiary education.