UPDATED - Adds government reaction, Opposition reply- The latest statistics showing that the government had continued to increase the number of people in the civil service were of utmost concern, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said today.
Speaking during a visit to Iklin, Dr Busuttil said that, according to these statistics, the number of civil servants employed between March last year and last June totalled 4,420.
These figures, he said, confirmed that dependence on the government was on the increase and this meant a bigger tax bill for the people.
Dr Busuttil noted that while employing all these people, the government did not find the required funds to employ health professionals who graduated earlier this year and who were still waiting for a job.
He said that this was not the way to hide the unemployment problem.
The decision was unsustainable and should be addressed as soon as possible.
The Budget, Dr Busuttil said, should address this problem specifically and make sure that there were enough incentives for the private sector to absorb these workers.
GOVERNMENT DENIES OPPOSITION CLAIMS
In a reaction, the government said that while, at the beginning of this legislature there were 41,519 full-time employees in the public sector, by the end of last June there were 43,939, a difference of 2,420 and not 4,400 as claimed by the Opposition leader.
The 2,420 included 959 bus service employees taken on by the government when Arriva ceased operations. Once a new operator started operations, these workers would be transferred back to that sector.
Of the remaining 1,461 new workers, 970 were engaged in essential services such as health and education, the government said.
OPPOSITION REPLIES
In a reaction to the government statement, the PN said some 2,000 people retired from the public service in 16 months. The government had promised the EU that fewer people would be engaged to replace them. Yet not only had all the retired employees been replaced, but a further 2,420 workers were taken on, as NSO statistics showed.
This meant that in 16 months the Muscat government had engaged 4,420 workers.