President Eddie Fenech Adami told the new Parliament today that the government’s main goal is sustainable development.
In a 21-page address from the Speaker's Chair, Dr Fenech Adami listed the government's legislative programme, which includes tax cuts, new measures to curb tax evasion and benefit fraud, rent law reform, and measures on cohabiting couples. There will also be legislation to improve the electoral system and the government is considering merging of the various law enforcement agencies (excluding the police).
“The government’s plans and actions are to be underpinned by the notion of sustainable development of the economy, of society and of the environment, “ Dr Fenech Adami said in his address at the State Opening of Parliament.
At the opening of his address, which as is traditional, was prepared by the government, Dr Fenech Adami said numerous challenges lie ahead, the most immediate of them provoked by the current international crisis caused by inflationary pressures on the price of oil and of cereals.
Touching on the government’s legislative programme, the President the rent laws are to be revised to encourage the efficient use of existing buildings.
“The new legislation will seek to reconcile the twin aims of protecting current tenants and of ensuring that landlords receive what is their due.”
He said the government had committed itself to increasing the rate of home ownership, and would improve and adapt existing schemes while introducing new ones, to make it possible for more people to buy their own home.
The title of tenant-farmers to state-owned land would also be strengthened.
He said the government’s economic plans were designed to provoke greater economic activity, by incentivising work and stimulating demand.
“The aim is to shift the current deficit into surplus by 2010 – an ambitious aim in the light of the international economic situation, but one that the government firmly believes can be realised.”
Public expenditure would continue to be restricted without compromising social services, healthcare and education.
The government would also intensify the fight against tax evasion and the abuse of social services.
He said tax reforms would include: a lowering of the income tax rate; incentives for women to return to work; the exemption of certain assets from exposure to inheritance tax; the abolition of departure tax, credit card levies and television licences; adjustments to the car registration tax system; tax exemptions for monies spent on residential or home care for the elderly and the disabled; exemption from income tax for the rent received in respect of rent-controlled properties.
At the same time the government would also work for Malta to attain the Lisbon agenda targets for higher productivity and greater competitiveness and eliminate abusive work practices.
Investment in the tourism sector would be incentivised and encouraged. The government would work with the private sector to improve Malta’s tourism product. It would seek to improve the country’s air connections with as many destinations as possible, while ensuring that Air Malta was able to maintain its strategic role.
On social policy, Dr Fenech Adami said the health, safety and sound development of children, where possible in stable families with parents who were married and supportive of each other, remained of primary importance.
“This does not mean that the government remains oblivious to the social realities of the present day, and that is why it is to propose legislation that will protect those who are in cohabiting relationships.
Efforts at eradicating social services abuse would continue, but the government would also: continue to subsidise water and electricity for those households most in need; strengthen the regulatory set-up for competition and for the protection of the consumer; this will monitor the prices of essential commodities like basic foods and medicines; improve schemes that help the aged to carry on living in their own homes, while modernising state-owned residential homes for those who need more care; improve pensions; develop programmes for the employment of the disabled so that they may participate actively in society; work harder to enforce the regulations on accessibility by the disabled to commercial and public premises; ratify the United Nations Convention on the rights of the disabled; reform and update social support structures so that the good work they are doing may be even better.
Dr Fenech Adami reiterated the government's commitment to improving primary health care, improving health screening programme for children, intensify measures to prevent and control cancer, control the price of medicines, modernise Mt Carmel Hospital and develop programmes for the support of mental health patients in the community.
The President then outlined government commitments in various sectors – as promised in the PN electoral programme.
With regard to the environment he reiterated the commitment to MEPA reform “with an eye to greater efficiency and transparency in its operations, and with commitment to ensuring that there is consistency in its decisions and enforcement.”
There would also be increased effort at the improvement of air and water quality, the cleanliness of the seas, waste management, and the protection of people from the hazards, pollution and nuisance of construction.”
The government would also incentivise the use of energy-efficient systems and appliances and those which use alternative sources of energy. It would also encourage and promote the collection and use of rainwater and would support to research projects which focus on ecological innovation, clean energy and reduced emissions.
He said public transport services will be strengthened and traffic management schemes would be developed, including those for the control and reduction of air pollution.
Steps would be taken to promote animal welfare.
He said the government would strengthen the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development and maintain a dialogue with the representatives of civil society.
He said the government would work with the Opposition to ensure that Parliament had the required resources to meet its obligations under the Lisbon Treaty.
The government was also proposing legislation on: public administration (the Public Administration Act); for a special investigator within the Permanent Commission Against Corruption; on freedom of information (the Freedom of Information Act); on the protection of whistleblowers (the Whistleblower Act); for the empowerment of the Ombudsman in coordinating all administrative complaints in the public service as a whole; on the financing of political parties;
There will also be legislation on: the strengthening of the electoral system, within the context of a revision of the Constitutional provisions; the regulation of conflicts of interest of members of the House of Representatives (MPs); the placing in ‘blind trust’ any commercial interests and nonfixed/ public investments held by government ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
He said the fight against crime will be intensified, with practical measures that include the setting up of a DNA laboratory, the introduction of electronic tagging for those who stand accused of having committed serious crimes, and the implementation of a register of sex offenders.
He said the possibility will be considered of bringing the ancillary law enforcement systems (local wardens, the enforcement officers of the Public Transport Authority and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, green wardens and others) into a single organisational body.
Dr Fenech Adami also reiterated the government’s commitment to growth of financial services and ICT services, tourism and the manufacturing sector.
He said there will be tax incentives for families who host foreign students. There will be strong investment in tourism areas and in the restoration and upkeep of heritage sites. The Grand Harbour and Marsamxett harbour projects will be implemented. Dock No. 1 in Vittoriosa will be regenerated as a recreational area with a promenade that links it to Fort St Angelo.
Concluding, Dr Fenech Adami said the government was opening the doors wide to cooperation with all those who wished to work to ensure that Malta not only survived, but thrived.
“The government invites everybody to join in a sustainable development pact. To get there, we must do away with resentment and division, and work together to achieve the common end of the common good. Together we can overcome the challenges we are facing. Together, our most ambitious goals can become a reality,” Dr Fenech Adami concluded.
The full text of the President's speech can be viewed at http://www.timesofmalta.com/downloads/20080510_parliament_address.pdf