'Government's confusion is harming Malta's credibility' - PN

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The Nationalist sees no reason why Malta should be put in an Excessive Deficit Procedure if the government takes the necessary steps to address the situation.

Finance minister Edward Scicluna needs to come clean and be clear on whether negotiations with the European Commission regarding the Excessive Deficit Procedure are underway, the PN said today.

The PN pointed out that it urged government to review its position and heed to the Commission's warnings - avoiding the Excessive Deficit Procedure - followed the Prime Minister's clear declaration that the Commission intended to go ahead with the Excessive Deficit Procedure and that this was now "a matter of semantics".

"That the Minister of Finance issued a press statement yesterday evening claiming the negotiations are still ongoing and that the Nationalist Party comments where in some way undermining these ongoing negotiations is confusing to say the least," the PN said.

The Opposition added that it is clearly in favour of these continued discussions if they are indeed happening.

The party urged the government to react proactively to the Commission's warnings, and take the necessary measures to reduce further the projected deficit for this year and thus avoiding the commencement of the Excessive Deficit Procedure.

"We are in this position because of this Government's choice and doing. With the more careful attention to last year's closing figures which have been over accrued and the presentation of this year's budget, the present situation could have been avoided. The deficit for the first three months of this year was €57 million less than the first 3 months of the previous year, and this Government cannot ignore that it has sufficient time in hand to remedy this year's situation."

The PN added that according to the finance minister the fact that last year deficit slightly surpassed the 3% mark does not automatically trigger the Excessive Deficit Procedure, as long as the Government is able to convince the Commission that it is able to reduce the deficit to under 3% and sustain it.

However, "From what Prime Minister Muscat has said it seems this Government has not convinced the Commission," the PN added.

"Therefore it is useless for the Minister of Finance to try and put the blame on the previous administration in the same week that the IMF issued a favourable report on the Maltese Economy and on the massive fiscal consolidation effort undertaken by the previous Nationalist administration in the wake of the biggest financial and economic crises the world had ever faced."

This Government needs to stop acting like still it is still in Opposition and realise that it needs to start acting, the PN said.

"It needs to convince the Commission that it is doing all its efforts to curb spending and be credible in doing so, rather than continue dishing out pre-electoral promises in jobs, consultancies and uncontrollable engagements of people outside the public sector, in the record-breaking number of Ministries and PS secretariats this Prime Minister decided to have. Such actions have reduced the credibility of this Government's arguments of being able to meet the deficit targets."

The Nationalist Party added that it sees no reason why Malta should be put in an Excessive Deficit Procedure if the government takes the necessary steps to address the situation it has put the country in in the first place.

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Priscilla Darmenia •

Oh my God! What cheek has the PN. As the Maltese saying goes “wicchom u s…hom xorta”. If he EU will place Malta in the Excessive Deficit Procedure; it will be because of the result of 2012 and not of the last 10 weeks. They really have short memories to have forgotten that in the whole of 2012 they were managing the country’s finances. Not to mention that the incompetence of the PN led them to make a mess of the party’s finances too. – They always maintained “Money no Problem” attitude now they are in a situation “Problem no Money”.

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PN thinks that people are gullible. First the PN administration ruined the country's finances and brought about this situation. Now they want us to believe that it is the doing of the new Labour government! Can you believe it? Certainly not, but then prepare yourselves for a 5 years spokes in the wheel strategy by a Party that has been rejected by a conspicuous 37,000 vote majority. But in the course of their doing they will find the people of Malta solidly behind the Labour government.

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The Government needs to start lying, to convince the commission, like the PN did these last 10 years.

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TITFA IL-GEBLA U TAHBI JDEJK. This Maltese saying perfectly characterizes the heart of the PN, then when as GonziPN and now under BUSUPN. According to their own statements, naturally after the result of the election, they knew they were going to loose the election. So they gave handouts to their own people, promotions at the very last minute, and handouts to Shell and others as if the money was theirs and not the People's Money. Now, as a result of their betrayal even of the budget they had presented to the EU, they want to blame the Excessive Deficit Procedure on the PL which came in, used the SAME budget of the PN, and found the betrayal of the PN on their doorstep. And now the PN blames the PL for their very own doing, their very own corrupt system. And these people want to appear as more Christians than Christ.!!!!

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Why does the expression "wicchom u sor*om ......." spring instantly to mind?

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The PN using the same tactic during the 80s to scare industrialst will not work this time.Your wishes for the PL not to fulfil its promises will backfire to your faces as it backfired to you with thatWipe Out of which you have to carry for another 5 years at least..

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'Government's confusion is harming Malta's credibility' ???????? How would the PN describe the state of finances the PN left the country in , not to mention the state of the Party's finances " PN's DEFICIT & DEFICIENTS ~ GonziPN Pool of limited talent, that Gonzi used to complain of, even to the American Ambassador !"