Job creation over the next five years is crucial as it will help the economy grow and create more wealth, according to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
If we continue to create jobs, then the country will move forward and generate more wealth
“If we continue to create jobs, then the country will move forward and generate more wealth. If we don’t manage we can’t do anything,” he said yesterday during a political activity in Qrendi.
The Government had to create the right environment to allow the private sector to grow, he said.
Dr Gonzi reminded party supporters that a Nationalist government had implemented projects not only in the south but all over the country.
He recalled how concerned he was when jobs and factories were at risk of closing.
However, 5,000 jobs were saved thanks to the Government’s decisions.
Turning to Labour’s proposal to reduce the electricity rates, Dr Gonzi said there had been “a great mistake in their calculations”.
“They are saying that the proposal will cost €270 million but we know they made a mistake of €300 million. Everyone is telling them that it’s impossible to build it in two years as they are saying they will.”
Malta was among the most advanced in the EU for e-gov services and offered schemes such as Micro Credit and Invest which were a huge success and created more investment, he said. These schemes would be extended to businesses with a maximum of 30 instead of just 10 employees.
He referred to recent statistics which revealed that, last year, Malta had a record number of cruise liner visits and said the country also had a record participation rate of women in the labour market – 44 per cent.
He emphasised the importance of education and of constantly learning new skills, saying it was “crucial for the country to go forward”.
Over the next seven weeks of campaigning, the Nationalist Party was going to explain its policies. “We still are waiting for an explanation from the Labour Party about what it means when it says there is a change in direction. They will change for the worse,” he said.