The Malta Employers' Association has called for a plan on how the country’s economy is to move forward in the coming years particularly as foreign workers continue to flow into the island.

The MEA said today that the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development should conduct a demographic study to determine what demographic changes Malta could handle in a short span of time.

READ: Thousands more foreign workers are needed to keep economy on track

Director-General Joe Farrugia said that while the economy was moving forward there was a need for a strategic plan to make sure that the current expansion was sustainable.

While the government had opened the country’s doors wide, with some 40,000 foreigners working in the formal economy, this increase was creating problems for other sectors including education, mobility and population density.

He said that it was imperative that Malta’s economy was directed into areas of value added.

“The time has come for difficult choices to see where we are going. No one really knows the country’s direction at the moment “ he said.

The MEA called on political parties to plan beyond a legislature cycle to avoid and possible sudden mishaps in the economy.

In August, Clyde Caruana, who heads the state employment agency JobsPlus,  said the agency was drafting proposals on Malta’s labour force requirements. He said there was no doubt thousands more were needed to meet the demand from employers.