PN leadership candidate Chris Said has expressed his worry that "Malta's attractiveness as a financial services centre slipped eight places since March."
Said was reacting to the Zyen Global Financial Services Index released yesterday.
"The index is compiled by means of an analysis of 102 factors, ranging from business environment, to risk, price competitiveness and corruption," the statement read.
"Malta's financial services industry is the backbone, and to date the flagship, of our economy. Should its attractiveness continue to slip, thousands of jobs and the country's economic wellbeing will be in jeopardy."
"The government cannot take this news lightly. Unfortunately, this slip confirms what the Nationalist Party has been saying for the last months: the government's inability to fight corruption, and the effects of the Panama Papers scandal have tarnished Malta's financial services reputation," Said argued.
"As leader of the opposition, I will keep the government in check, and hold it accountable for good governance, or the lack of it."
Chris Said added: "as I have been saying throughout the Nationalist Party leadership campaign, if we lose our reputation, the results would be catastrophic. This applies to the financial services industry as much as it applies to the Nationalist Party. This explains what's at stake this coming Saturday: reputation."