The pension reform measures in the new Budget are not enough to address the problem of pensioners living at risk of poverty, PN deputy leader Mario de Marco said this morning.  

Speaking during an interview on Radio 101, Dr de Marco said the increase in minimum pensions was positive but insufficient in the context of nearly a quarter of all Maltese living at risk of poverty. 

Speaking about the Budget as a whole, Dr de Marco insisted the government still did not have a strategic vision for the future of the economy.

Malta’s economic success had always been built on identifying new niches of activity, which the government had failed to do, he said.

“I wanted more measures to strengthen the competitiveness of our industry. Instead, the government has given us the weak excuse of fuel prices being kept high to reduce traffic.

“All that’s going to happen is that the people continue to pay for the government’s inefficiency while industry finds it even more difficult to remain competitive with other countries.”

Dr de Marco also criticised the plan to replace eco-tax on certain products with an excise tax, which he described as a further blow to competitiveness.

“The GRTU itself is saying the scheme doesn’t make sense and should be suspended immediately. If the government is truly ‘one that listens’, it would not go ahead with the measure.”