(Adds PN statement)
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told a Global Citizenship seminar in New York today that that the government’s aim behind ‘Citizenship by Investment programme’ was not money, but talent.
“We want to enhance our competitiveness by increasing our talent pool and our global network.,” he said.
“Does it mean that we do not have talent? Of course we have. From John Pace, who cast America's Liberty Bell to John Zarb, former chairman of Nasdaq. From Edward de Bono, innovative creator of the methodology of lateral thinking, to Johann de Bono of Britain's Institute of Cancer Research. From tenor Joseph Calleja, currently headlining at the Metropolitan here in New York, to Arvid Pardo, remembered at the United Nations as the father of the Law of the Sea.
“This is so much talent. But put simply, we want more. This is the input we are after because we believe that these are the new borders of a brave new world.
“To be clear. Malta wants your talent, not your money. Your networks, not your accounts. This is because we are about the future, not the past.”
Dr Muscat stressed that those who apply for Malta’s citizenship programme endure ‘tight due diligence and scrutiny,’ and get selected to join the exclusive and limited pool of Maltese citizens to be part of Malta’s future.
“They will be part of a country that has registered the highest Q2 to Q1 economic growth in the European Union, that has the third lowest unemployment rate in Europe and that is recording some of the highest job creation rates in the region.
“That is why the Individual Investor Programme is a unique international success. That is why we are inviting you to be part of it,” Dr Muscat said.
PN proud of Maltese talent
In a statement, the Nationalist Party said the Prime Minister lost a golden opportunity to boast about Maltese talent and instead said he wanted foreign talent.
It said the PN was, on the other hand, proud of Maltese talent and appreciated the Maltese people’s efforts in their everyday life.
The PN said Dr Must should start acting as a Prime Minister and keep to his promise to call a meeting of the citizenship monitoring committee for the people to know who were those who applied to become Maltese citizens.