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Pre-budget document aimed at increasing spending power
Finance Minister to present the pre-budget consultation document today.
9 August 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
The front cover for 2014's pre-budget document... no it's not a travel brochure
Social partners and the civil society are set to start discussing Budget 2014 as finance minister Edward Scicluna presents the government's pre-budget consultation document today.
This will be the second budget presented by the Labour government in less than a year following the presentation of Budget 2013 in April.
The document, which the Prime Minister has insisted should be in the form of a green paper, will aim at leaving more cash in hand and increasing spending power.
Government sources said that in terms of institutional reforms, the government is proposing a comprehensive spending review to ensure fiscal responsibility while seeking longer-term economic management.
As declared and expected, the budget will include the first reduction of energy tariffs as government is also set to invest in renewable energy. The government also wants to push for better preservation of water.
Maritime, aviation and the iGaming industry are three of the sectors which the government is expected to focus on and expand while seeking to tap into different tourism niches. With the Valletta 2018 in the pipeline, government is looking at Malta as a cultural and heritage destination for tourism.
Like with all budgets, work, education, health and pensions remain a top priority. As trade unions have highlighted, access to work must be facilitated through the development of family-friendly measures that encourage more women to return to work, while also extending after school services.
On pensions, the government wants to evaluate the feasibility of introducing third pillar pensions - something that was pledged by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat during the electoral campaign.
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Lost because we had a government that went nuts!
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Preservation of water should start by the closing down of all illegal boreholes and the imposition of crippling fines on offenders. The use of well-water is not encouraged under the present system since very little is saved from the W&E bill by using one's well. Could not a scheme be introduced to encourage the use of water caught from roofs? A subsidy to install a secondary pipe-distribution system in houses allowing for the use of well-water where it is safe (toilet flushing, washing machine, floor washing) etc would be a good idea. Alternatively, the government could help by subsidizing the treatment of well-water for general use in houses.
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I hope those who aren't getting what they paid for, the REAL 2/3 pension, and not the capping will get what is their rightfully. In this area discrimination exits since those who paid the least NI are getting their 2/3 but those who paid the highest Ni are getting not more than the capping introduced more than 30 years ago. This doesn't apply in the case of Politicians who believe they are Divine and can do and treat themselves the best they can. What about those who have 200 to 500 euros in pension or these doesn't fall into the category of Malta Taghna Ilkoll?
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"The preservation of water" is a battle which has already been lost.
