A budget for those who want to work - Prime Minister

Tomorrow's budget will be addressing the middleclass and can be themed as the Budget for busy people, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning

Addressing the Annual Meeting at the Qormi PL Club Dr Muscat explained the government's agenda will focus on wealth generation. "Contrary to the previous administration which generated wealth through new taxes, the PL will explore new means such as the individual investor programme", Muscat said.

With an expected revenue of €30m, this scheme would also be used to attract new talent to the country, resulting in more jobs and economic activity. "We will not be spending the €30m, but would introduce a National Development Fund giving the country the idea of saving for a rainy day. The NDF would be used for investment in health, education and the social sector", the Prime Minister stated, saying the country lacked strategy when it came to national debt.

Muscat held the PN's statement to repeal the citizenships issued through the IIP is a bluff resulting from panic. The party's instance of changing constitutional law to be able to repeal citizenships has been slammed by the Attorney General and the Dean of the Faculty of Laws, "neither of who has been placed there by this government", Dr Muscat said,

The PN leader has no grip on his own party and is playing into the hands of a company, which did not win the IIP tender. "The company has an interest in delaying the programme's launch because other countries are also running on the same rails. But we will not wait and be overtaken", Muscat said. "Decisions will be taken in an expedite manner and the government will not allow sections of the PN who aim to harm the country. Who would have told us that the man who battled so hard to join the EU is now willing to breach the European Charter of Human rights and the Maltese Constitution".

Praising the Finance Ministry for the hard work leading to tomorrow's budget, Muscat said the budget will deliver more electoral promises such as the reduction in utility bills. "Another measure the PN described as Alice in Wonderland, yet we will be delivering again".

In eight months government has succeeded in pushing the country's deficit from 3.3% to below 3%. "This has been reached without raising any alarms or burdening people with further taxes. Addressing issues through the implementation of strategy is what made this country change its direction towards a better economy", he said.

Dr Muscat concluded that the PN should stop insisting the opposition was never consulted about certain measures. "We have held consultations and discussed with the opposition for months on end. The whole issue here is that the opposition members do not communicate between themselves@, Prime minister Joseph Muscat concluded.