Economy stronger than ever after two years of Labour – Muscat

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat lauded his administration’s economic achievements over the last two years, emphasizing the recognition of credit rating agencies of Malta’s strong and stable economy.

“This government pledged it would ensure that the betterment of the economy will benefit all the members of society and that wealth will be distributed amongst the whole population,” Muscat said, while stressing that the Labour government will never forget its roots as a worker’s party.

He said the government’s had encouraged more women to enter the workforce through free childcare centres for children under three. “This ultimately means that parents can get back to work sooner than before and that they save around €6,000 that childcare would normally cost them,”

He also referred to efforts at ensuring better literacy after damning reports revealed the shockingly low level of literacy in Malta. “I was very proud to discover that the government has already bought some 5,000 books for various public schools and that some 8,000 children were already benefitting from various literacy programs,”

He said Labour’s plans for criminal justice reform in drugs would provide a solution that does not simply incarcerate users, but give them a chance to better themselves before taking drastic action.

This year’s local council elections will be the first to provide suffrage for 16-year-old voters. Muscat said that he was sure people’s reservations on widening the voting population would ultimately be proven wrong. “We look forward to a time when 16-year-olds will not only be allowed to vote, but when they will be able to participate as candidates themselves,” Muscat said to the enthusiastic applause from the audience.

He insisted that his government was doing its best to make sure Malta could have as wide contact as possible and ensure it does not become too dependent on just one source of energy.

Muscat has come under fire after energy minister Konrad Mizzi was found to have directed Enemalta’s advisory and finance committee to contact Azerbaijan state oil compay SOCAR, a partner in the ElectroGas consortium that will build Malta’s LNG power plant, to look for better prices for fuel.

“The difference between this government and the Opposition is that we are willing to own up to our mistakes and learn from them, whereas the Opposition continues to operate with arrogance and accuse us of shortcomings that we have inherited from the previous government,” Muscat said.