Joseph Muscat says Opposition is not credible on economic policy

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the Opposition has no idea on economic policy and is ultimately not "credible" to deliver, taking a stab at ridiculing the Nationalist Party's economic vision ahead of the 2020 Budget. 

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Speaking on One Radio on Sunday, Muscat said that this was reflected in the fact that the Opposition had said that the word 'surplus' had disappeared from the government's vocabulary on the same day that the National Statistics Office revealed that the government's consolidated fund was enjoying a surplus for the first eight months of 2019.

"If there is a word that disappeared from the Opposition's vocabulary bank, it's credibility. Especially in the sector of economic governance, the Opposition has no idea and because they are amateurs, they didn't realise that Malta is getting another surplus," Muscat said, adding that if the government promised something, it would deliver. 

"The Opposition is amaterish. No wonder they're in the position that they are in, even in terms of their finances," Muscat said, implying that the government would deliver yet another budgetary surplus for the fourth time running. 

Commenting on PN leader Adrian Delia's claims that the government had increased spending, Muscat said that he wondered how Delia aims to cut spending if he is ever elected prime minister. 

"We increased the wages of civil servants. If Adrian Delia is elected will he lower their wages again?

"The question is not that our spending is increasing but that it does vis-à-vis the revenue. Revenue from VAT has increased because people are spending more, revenue from social security contributions has increased because more people are working," Muscat said.

He added that no matter what the PN was proposing, the electorate had previously experienced their lack of credibility and that it knows that the party would not deliver on its promises. 

"It's a problem when the government is talking to itself on matters of economic policy because the Opposition simply has no idea," Muscat said.