The government is aiming for a manufacturing industry with high added value, to make Malta a regional centre of excellence in information technology and to strengthen the financial services offered, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told guests invited to a working breakfast organised by the Nationalist Party.

He emphasised the importance of education, saying that human resources were the basis on which Malta could compete in a globalised world.

The government said it was fulfilling its promise that more and better job opportunities would be created for Maltese workers, and the SmartCity project, which would create at least 5,600 jobs, was only one of the successes achieved by the administration. When SmartCity is still only 30 per cent operational, Malta will have become one of the top countries in the IT sector.

The government, with the help of the people, was transforming the economy to enable the country to meet today’s challenges. In spite of the difficulties encountered in the last year, unemployment had fallen over the past 12 months, and 6,100 jobs had been created.

Dr Gonzi said the government would continue to invest in the country’s history and national heritage, making use of EU funds, to attract more tourists to visit the country.