The government has denied an Opposition claim that a reduction in debt shown in Eurostat figures is the result of a statistical revision.

It observed that the revision had also included a revision of the economic output (GDP) of Malta and other countries. This meant that the revision had no impact on the debt figure as a percentage of GDP.

The government also denied that public spending was exaggerated in a way which raised the gross national product, reducing the percentage of the debt to GDP.

Had that been the case, spending would still have been reflected in the debt, it said.

In response, the Nationalist Party called for a serious discussion on the economy. The PN said it was a fact that between October 1, 2013 and October 1, 2014, public debt rose by €220 million.

The number of public sector workers in the year to August 2014 was up by more than 2,000. Between 2013 and 2015 the government would have raised spending on salaries by more than €57 million, or nine per cent, the PN said.

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