Former finance minister Tonio Fenech feels the Government has no strategy to stimulate economic growth despite making it a central plank of Labour’s electoral plans.

Commenting on the pre-Budget document released last week, Mr Fenech said the Government had no concrete ideas on growth and job creation.

He noted that the only proposal for job creation was linked to childcare facilities.

“This will encourage women to join the labour market but this is not enough because a woman also has to apply for a job and the document says nothing on how work vacancies will be created.”

Mr Fenech also noted that the Budget target of 1.4 per cent growth for next year did not match the Government’s pre-electoral commitment.

“The PN is worried because if this document represents the Government’s vision, it is a vision of the past with nothing new,” he said.

The document had no concrete incentives and was simply built on the previous administration’s strategy without realising that things change, Mr Fenech, the PN’s spokesman on finance, added.

However, Mr Fenech said the 10-year economic analysis presented by the Government was testimony to the PN’s good economic management.

The pre-Budget lauds the economic diversification over the years, the resilience despite the recession and the achievement to remain competitive.

“This document is a certificate for the PN and coming from a Labour Government it carries more credibility, even if these achievements were never recognised by the Labour Party when it was in opposition.”