Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning pledged to give businesses a fresh impetus, by giving them the opportunity to work while ensuring they operated in the context of a level playing field.

In a meeting with the Malta Chamber for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Dr Muscat said he had no problem with foreign businesses importing and selling products in Malta but expected them to pay the same taxes as the Maltese businesses, be it VAT, eco-tax or any other tax regime.

He said this would not only benefit local businesses, but also consumers.

Dr Muscat spoke about how the Government was already working on its first “proper” budget, and how it had “tested the waters” on the willingness of the private sector to invest in certain projects such as land reclamation, the energy sector and others.

“It will be a budget which will see the implementation of the electoral pledge to reduce water and electricity bills, giving people more disposable income, while at the same time giving certainty that the country’s financial targets are met,” he said.

Dr Muscat said he was concerned that industry in Malta was not finding the right people to fill their vacancies and the skills mismatch that existed. While continuing to expand on strong sectors such as those of financial services, remote gaming and IT, the government wanted to focus on convincing youths to choose career paths in the manufacturing and tourism sectors, for example.

He said the government was working on an employability index, for youth to be given clear guidance of chances of finding a job if they chose a particular career path.