Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning that he was sure that the PN was bluffing when it said that it would withdraw citizenship granted under the Individual Investment Programme when it was returned to power.

He insisted that despite what the PN said, a future government would not be able to withdraw citizenship, even with a change of law. That would be in breach of the Constitution and the European Charter on Human Rights, as confirmed by the Attorney General and the Dean of the Faculty of Laws.

Speaking at a political conference in Qormi this morning, Dr Muscat said a government priority was to create wealth. It was doing so by seeking new means which the former government never even dreamed about. The former government only thought of raising taxes.

To increase taxes should only be part of the strategy, but there should also be a reduction of spending, a reduction of the debt, and new revenue streams which did not burden the people.

One such stream would be the individual investor programme which was expected to yield revenue of €30m, some of which would go to the National Development Fund for eventual investment in health, education and the social sector, where this government found empty coffers.

This scheme would attract some of the best people to Malta, creating more activity and jobs.

Dr Muscat said the PN was a party in panic because the government had come up with an idea which would be a major success.

The PN was split into three. One section agreed with the individual investor programme to the extent that 'one of them' had submitted a tender to handle the programme himself. Another section disagreed on a point of principle. He had no issue with those two sections, Dr Muscat said.

But then the third section, led by the Leader of the Opposition, disagreed, but then wanted changes. This section was being disruptive and seeking to harm the country. 

The Opposition was playing into the hands of a company which wanted the individual investment programme stopped because it did not win the tender. This company might have an interest to try to delay the launch of the programme in Malta while another country, which was planning a similar scheme, completed its preparations.

But the Maltese government would take the required decisions, without delay, Dr Muscat said.

He insisted that despite what the PN said, a future government would not be able to withdraw citizenship, even with a change of law. That would be in breach of the Constitution and the European Charter on Human Rights, as confirmed by the Attorney General and the Dean of the Faculty of Laws.

Dr Muscat said it was becoming more apparent that Simon Busuttil did not have a grip on his party.

Dr Muscat said that when the Finance Minister tomorrow announced a reduction in the power and water tariffs, the people would be right in recalling how other people had said this would be Alice in Wonderland when it was announced.

"Tomorrow we will continue the change of direction in this country to build a stronger and fairer society," Dr Muscat concluded.