Opposition leader Simon Busuttil demanded yesterday that the government publish a list of all those who benefited from the citizenship-by-investment programme and their nationalities.
Speaking on Radio 101 ahead of a meeting of the programme’s monitoring committee tomorrow, Dr Busuttil said he hoped the “dirt” uncovered at Identity Malta did not extend to the citizenship scheme.
In a reaction, the government said that the names of all those granted citizenship had already been published and that no politician had the right to access the information Dr Busuttil had requested.
“The government is committed to abide by the law, which provides for transparency, and also relies on the work of the regulatory body, which issues a public report,” it said.
Referring to the scandal surrounding the granting of residence permits, Dr Busuttil reiterated his call for Identity Malta executive chairman Joe Vella Bonnici to “resign or be dismissed”. He said that if Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela continued to defend him, the minister would have to shoulder political responsibility, adding that what had emerged so far was simply “the tip of the iceberg”.
“What is needed is an independent inquiry,” Dr Busuttil stressed.
“The government doesn’t want this because it will have no control over the findings.”
Speaking ahead of next week’s Budget Speech, Dr Busuttil said that the government should do more to address the 100,000 people – and an increase of 2,500 elderly people – living at risk of poverty.
“The overall theme of our pre-Budget document is sustainable growth and dignity for all,” he said. “The economic benefits of growth should be distributed fairly and not enjoyed only by those close to the government.”
Dr Busuttil also supported the call made by the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU for energy bills to be lowered further in light of the low price of oil globally.
Turning his attention to the traffic situation, Dr Busuttil said the equivalent of an entire working day was being wasted every week due to people being stuck in traffic on a daily basis.
“The problem is not the weather but [Transport Minister] Joe Mizzi and [Prime Minister] Joseph Muscat,” he said.
“The transport minister is incompetent; he can’t blame the previous administration, because traffic has increased under his watch.”
Dr Busuttil added that despite a threefold increase in the public transport subsidy, the service had not improved and could have even worsened.