Prime Minister condemns Ukraine atrocities; government committed to cushion economic impact

Robert Abela has condemned the "atrocities" happening in Ukraine, insisting that Malta was sending out a harsh message in all forums.

What is happening in Ukraine is "condemnable", the Prime Minister said during a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry on Thursday.

He added that the government is mindful of the effect the Russian invasion of Ukraine is having on the economy and government will be taking all necessary action to cushion the impact on people and businesses.

This was the first time Abela has spoken since the Bucha massacre came to light earlier this week. After Russian troops withdrew from towns around Kyiv, Ukrainian forces discovered horrible scenes of civilians that were killed and tortured. Russia has been accused of committing war crimes in areas it has occupied in Ukraine.

Abela told the Chamber representatives at Castille that it was important that Malta continues on the road to recovery, adding that more relaxation of COVID-19 measures will be announced soon.

He said Malta recorded good economic growth last year but this should increase to pre-pandemic levels. He said areas such as hospitality should be helped and were showing very good prospects for the summer.

Abela said the private sector should be a partner of the government in this regard and argued that what was seen as a burden or a challenge should be seen as an economic opportunity.

Chamber President Marisa Xuereb congratulated Abela for the election victory and said the strong mandate given to the government should be used to cut out rampant clientelism within the public sector.

“Prime Minister, you have a strong mandate that will translate into a change in the way politics is conducted in this country, a mandate that gives you the opportunity to get rid of the clientelism that exists at every level of administration,” she said.

Xuereb praised the appointment of the Cabinet, adding that decisions were taken in this regard that were not easy.

"We feel that there has been a lot of thought in the choice of the new Cabinet, and efforts have been made to enable us to continue to build on the work that has already been done. We also appreciate that decisions have been taken that may not have been easy but that have sent a significant message about the government's commitment to renewal."

She called for clear political direction when it comes to the environment and planning, and education. 

"In recent years, we have suffered from a lot of bad press... we need to become more credible, particularly on those issues that most concern the international community: money laundering, arms and drug trafficking, treatment of foreign workers, the passport scheme, and the way we relate to both Europe and third countries," she added.

Xuereb said that there was still a lot of work to be done at a sectoral level, particularly in sectors with growth potential, such as maritime and the digital economy.

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli and Economy Minister Silvio Schembri accompanied the Prime Minister.

Journalists were invited to cover the introductory speeches. The meeting continued behind closed doors.