Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has called on the government to come up with solutions to counter the effect of the rising price of bread, adding that bread was the basic food for many families.

According to reports, the price of a large loaf will increase by 24 cents while the price of a small loaf will increase by 20 cents. The increase is due to a rise in the international price of wheat. 

Speaking on the PN’s radio station, Delia said that the party had received messages from people who were concerned with what rising prices on bread could mean for them and their families. He added that it was useless for the government to blame the rise in the international price of flour for this increase when the overall price of food in Malta was going up. The government was offering no solutions, he said.

The Leader of the Opposition spoke in general about the problems pertaining to rapid economic growth, claiming that the government has not revealed its true plan or roadmap for the country.

Focusing on the tourism industry, Delia questioned whether the island was looking to be a country which attracted as many tourists as possible, which could threaten our environment further, or to be a country which attracts quality tourists, where stakeholders can make more money per head.

“The tourism trend is showing clearly that more of the tourists we have visiting are staying less in hotels and more in B&Bs and people’s homes,” he said. “We keep attracting foreigners to come work here but most of them do not spend their wages here but instead send the money back home,” Delia said.

He stated that it is the government’s job to equally distribute economic growth, and that this was not happening.

Delia was also asked about the migration feud between Malta and Italy, where he gave his full support to the government’s stance, adding that Malta was observing International law fully.

“We are not going to allow bigger countries to bully use and force us to do something we are not obligated to do” he said adding that Malta has and will continue to offer help in such humanitarian crises.”

Delia also spoke about the newly passed amendments to the Embryo act, stating that the law was introducing inequality before birth. “We were the government to introduce IVF and we will always be in favour of new technological advancements that can help more couples have children but which do not go over the morality border line,” he said.