The extra €13 million contribution to the EU did not take the government by surprise as Malta's economic growth meant the contribution would inevitably have to go up, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said today.

Speaking after a conference, he said Malta will be asking the European Commission for clarification on the figure to make sure that all the workings are in order.

Asked if a certain amount has been kept in reserve for this possibility, Professor Scicluna said the government always has to work towards contingencies.

"We are always faced with uncertainty. Not just this, even internally health comes up with surprises, education, church schools. That's why you need economic growth. With economic growth at least you have room for manoeuvre," he said.

During the conference, Professor Scicluna said that China has chosen to invest in a very "sensitive" sector, "which unfortunately we have messed up over the years, we did not invest enough.

He said that despite the recent economic and financial crises, none of Malta's financial institutions were severely impacted by the global financial crisis and the global recession.

Photo by Jonathan Borg