In the past year, our country achieved further success that will be leading us towards additional goals. The investments carried out in the sectors of education, job creation and the environment are the platform for reaching our vision by 2015. This year will be remembered as the year when Malta managed to strengthen its economy while at the same time continuing to carry out capital projects for the benefit of the whole society.
The Nationalist Party under the leadership of Lawrence Gonzi has set specified targets. Targets that we have already started to reach. This does not mean that the work is completed. A political leader that puts first and foremost national interest among his top priorities always strives to achieve more to see the population enjoying a better quality of life.
A better quality of life may only be achieved if the person is equipped enough to make good use of the opportunities presented. The inclusive educational policy that was adopted by the government is offering our children a brighter future. The building of new schools that offer state of the art educational services for the whole community, the investment planned for the new MCAST campus and the increase of students reaching post-secondary and tertiary education are giving better possibilities of employment for present and future generations.
The investment made and being made in our educational system is attracting quality investors to our shores. Multinational companies such as Tecom Investments, HSBC and Lufthansa recognised Malta’s potential by investing millions of liri and creating thousands of quality jobs.
These projects are strengthening our country’s economic development. It is a pity that these investments are not being given the importance they deserve by the Opposition Leader. It is really a disappointment that Malta Labour Party media did not accept the Prime Minister’s invitation to attend the launch of SmartCity in Dubai.
It is contradictory that Alfred Sant’s party media did not consider of news value a project that will create thousands of jobs while a visit to Dubai by MLP delegates and friendly contractors was considered of high importance.
It comes as no surprise since Alfred Sant in recent years has adopted a policy of either hindering national projects or else discard them as useless. This type of strategy has been witnessed on more than one occasion; the Opposition Leader has attacked viciously projects such as Mater Dei hospital and SmartCity, investments that have been carried out in Maltese families’ interest.
The list of projects commenced by the present administration is endless and this is thanks to our accession in the European Union. Once again, Alfred Sant opposed heavily a step taken in national interest. He used to say that Malta’s funding from the European Union would not exceed Lm1.5 million; once again, he was proven wrong. In our first three years of membership, our country received EUR300 million and now we will start benefiting from EUR855 million that will be invested in projects that will improve our standard of living.
According to Dr Sant’s declaration, our country is on the brink of poverty. Once again, the MLP leader was proven wrong, not only by the Maltese government but also by the European Union and other international institutions that confirmed our country’s economic sustainability. We are living a better quality of life from that proposed by Alfred Sant. The Opposition Leader once suggested that the Maltese lira should be devalued by 10 per cent, a measure that has been condemned worldwide with the International Monetary Fund describing such initiatives as massive errors.
If this policy had been affected, the result would have been:
• that instead of having Lm100 you would have Lm90;
• that the oil prices would be increased by 10 per cent;
• 10 per cent less in your bank savings;
• imported goods prices would increase by 10 per cent;
• 10% less in your family’s pockets.
The Gonzi administration can go in front of the electorate and present in detail the work carried out and the plans for our country up to 2015. This cannot be said with regard to Dr Sant since he openly declares ‘we will see when we are in government’. What we really know about the MLP policy for a Labour government is what Jason Micallef revealed, that a Labour government would be a government for labour supporters only.
The work of the Nationalist Party in government means our country becoming a European Union member state, means more schools for our children, it means more students completing their studies; it guaranteed generation of investment and better jobs, it also means national investments for the building of a new state of the art hospital and European standard roads. The Nationalist Party in government is an investment in our country, our lives and our children’s future. It has always been the vision of governments led by the Nationalist Party to invest in the future of the country. We do not bank on cheap propaganda. We deliver what we promise!
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP
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www.davidcasa.eu