Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi agrees with the positive spirit behind the President’s message of unity during the electoral campaign but believes there is “unity in diversity”.
“It boils down to a matter of choice – people will have to make a choice between a difference in values and what is being offered,” Dr Gonzi said when asked to react to the President’s message.
On Thursday, in the wake of a record €3.3 million collected during the fundraising marathon L-Istrina, President George Abela pointed out that politicians had a “big responsibility”.
Dr Gonzi “fully endorsed” the message put forward by Dr Abela, who called for the sense of unity that emerged during the fundraiser not to disappear during the electoral campaign.
Dr Gonzi augured people would make the right choices and that there would be an “honest campaign”.
“I hope it will be a strong, active campaign that will not take us back to the 1970s, for which I’m not responsible,” he said.
Dr Gonzi gave his comments to The Times after he officially inaugurated Daniel’s shopping complex in Ħamrun – a €35 million investment that transformed the former Hollywood cinemas into an “establishment that further consolidated Ħamrun as the country’s commercial centre”.
The complex, which opened to the public for Christmas shopping, is named after the son of one of the owners Steve Delicata – four-year-old Daniel, who died in 2002 from a rare intestinal condition.
Dr Gonzi praised the owners’ €25 million investment, while businesses that have outlets in the centre put in a further €10 million.
“This investment is the fruit of the faith they have in the economy and on the economic results achieved over the past years,” he said.
The wholesale and retail sector contributed to the growth of the economy – over the past four years it grew by five per cent, Dr Gonzi said.
More than 1,800 business owners have taken advantage of the MicroInvest scheme and invested more than €28 million.
“The Government is committed to continue investing and widening this scheme to benefit businesses that employ up to 30 people,” he said.
Over the past months, more than 390 small businesses have invested €60 million through the Micro Credit scheme. The majority are from the wholesale and retail sector.