A new Labour government would carry out an unprecedented fight against bureaucracy for economic growth and to create employment, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this evening.

Speaking during a political activity in Qormi, Dr Muscat said his government would build a coalition between workers and employers to create wealth.

He referred to a World Bank report which placed Malta as the worst country in Europe to start a business in and said that although the government seemed shocked at the report, businesses and the self-employed were not because they were living this reality every day.

Under the GonziPN administration, businesses were burdened with excessive bureaucracy which was stifling investment, he said.

Dr Muscat said that while it took a businessman in Germany two weeks to get electricity, in Malta he had to wait four-and-a-half months. To start a business, it took a businessman in Germany two weeks, in Malta a month-and-a-half. Building permits in Germany took around three months to be issued, in Malta they took eight months at the very least.

Dr Muscat said that, in September, unemployment had increased for the seventh consecutive month. It increased by nearly five per cent. This showed that there was no truth in the GonziPN claim that 20,000 jobs had been created.

Dr Muscat also said that one of his government's priorities would be to enact the Whistle Blower Act to protect those who uncovered political corruption.