[WATCH] 'Too little for the people, plenty for government' – Busuttil

PN says budget gives too little to the people, yet takes plenty for the government

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had harsh words for the Budget, describing it as one that "offers only a little to the public, but a lot to the government".

In particular, he criticised the Budget for failing to offer concrete solutions to Malta's notorious traffic problem. 

"Instead, it simply announced a public consultation process," he said. "It didnt even have the humility to accept my concrete proposal to subsidise school transport for children of private schools. The tax rebate offered to parents who send their children on private school transport clearly hasn't made a difference."

"Traffic is an economic problem, that people are forking out of from their own pockets. The global market price of crude oil has been low for a whole year now, and the government has finally announced that it will reduce fuel prices in January - petrol by only 3c and diesel by only 4c, when petrol should have gone down by 35c and diesel by 28c."

He hit out at the government for failing to reduce electricity tariffs, which he argued can be buffered thanks to the interconnector, the low price of oil, and a more efficient BWSC. 

He also said that the budgetary income tax reductions, Cola, and national minimum pension increase were nowhere nesr enough to elevate people from poverty.

He hit out at a a new daily 50c 'tourist tax', warning that it could discourage tourists from visiting Malta.

He criticised the Budget for failing to adequately mention new economic niches to invest in,  finance for smes, the retail sector , disability, culture,fishing and farming.