When will the Finance Minister stop treating the pre-budget document as a propaganda tool for his party in government? Some of the statements and remarks Edward Scicluna makes would give the distinct impression to anyone unaware of the Malta economic development scene that economic life in the island stood still before the Labour Party won the 2013 election. Or, worse, that the Labour government had to start from scratch when it took over from the previous administration.

In the very first sentence of the foreword to his document, he says: “The last two years have been characterised by growing confidence and optimism in our ability to achieve economic and fiscal success.”

This makes it sound as if the country had no confidence before in achieving economic success, an impression that is far from the truth. Just before Labour came to power, the country hadsuccessfully managed to fight an economic recession that came about in the wake of the financial crisis. The previous administration had managed to steer the economy in the right direction and was quick to help out firms that were hit by the recession.

But in Prof. Scicluna’s pre-budget document, there is no hint of the task the country had to face to wriggle out of the financial turmoil that led to other countries taking austerity measures. Had the country failed to tackle the crisis well, the Labour government might not have been able to reduce the deficit to below the threshold required under EU rules in so short a time.

All this goes to show how pathetic politicians can be when they fail to place achievements in their proper context. The government puts its credibility at stake every time it bends over backwards to seek political mileage out of every move it makes.

Another statement that jars reads: “The climate of certainty and stability fostered by this government during the last two and a half years is leaving its mark.” The implication is that the previous administration had not fostered a climate of certainty and stability, which is far from having been the case. Of course, there were a number of problems then, as there are now.

In the pre-budget document, which, in essence, is a statement of intent plus a review of performance, and an overview of projections, the minister speaks of the importance of investment, both in enhancing human capital by providing training and education, as well as productive investment in terms of foreign direct investment. He feels confident this vision is shared by the stakeholders and the overwhelming majority of the Maltese.

Again, this may give the impression that this is a new ‘vision’ for Malta when in fact it was precisely this motivation that had propelled the country forward ever since the first steps were taken to move away from dependence on defence spending.

To its credit, the Labour government has done well, helping to keep the economy going in the right direction and taking new measures to expand the labour market. Other measures in the pipeline are also expected to generate growth.

As the country takes pride in the progress it is making on the economic front, it should not lose sight of the hot spots in the economy and of the challenges it faces as it moves along in its drive to generate greater economic growth and improve the standard of living. The government is far too prone to take all the credit for the country’s progress when in reality this ought to be shared by all, including past administrations.