The Prime Minister this morning denied that various initiatives announced by the government in the past few days were prompted by a possible general election in the near future.

"It is only logical, in the fourth year of the legislature, moving to the fifth, that a number of projects are coming to fruition," Dr Gonzi said.

For example, the government had been working on a revamp of the censorship laws for the past two years, he said.

Asked if an electoral campaign had already started, Dr Gonzi replied in the negative.

The no confidence debate would be held next week. The vote would be held on Thursday, and then one would see, he said.

Asked if he was calling for Franco Debono's resignation, Dr Gonzi referred to the statements issued by the PN executive and its parliamentary group and said those statements were made on the basis of declarations to date.

Dr Gonzi was speaking as he visited the offices in Qormi of FTIAS Ltd, a subsidiary of tourist services company FTI.

The company carries out back office work for its parent company, the former Frosch Turistik, and employs 130 people. It is also involved in a language school in Malta.

Dr Gonzi was accompanied on his tour by Tourism Minister Mario de Marco.

In comments to the employees, Dr Gonzi praised the company and its staff, and said that its success mirrored that of the economy.

The economy, he said, grew faster than the EU average last year and unemployment figures were among the lowest in Europe, thanks to government action to protect vulnerable sectors. Malta, he said, had managed to ride the storm because it had diversified its economy and invested in human resources.