The 2019 budget presented by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna is the biggest financial package in Malta's history, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said while delivering his thoughts in Parliament this evening.

Yesterday, Opposition Leader Adrian Delia had delivered his reaction. Delia had said that this government is one of public relations (PR) and not a labour party, and also insisted that the budget did not solve any of the problems government itself created.

Muscat, in his first reaction to Delia's speech yesterday, had said that Delia's speech verged on the extreme right political sphere, calling it xenophobic

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In today's speech, Muscat said that "the economy is growing, and we are strengthening it," he said, adding that there is now a new middle class.

"Reading the budget, one would run out of breath before we would have even began to speak about what we are giving to the people."

For the second time, he said, the budget presented gives to everyone yet does not raise any taxes.

"It had never happened in our country's history, yet now we have done it twice in a row. It is a budget with no tricks just treats."

He said that this budget was the biggest financial package in the country's history, giving back around €142 million to the people.

"This has been possible thanks to a turnaround of our economy, in sectors like healthcare, energy and tourism." This is possible due to a strong economy that is creating jobs. He said.

He highlighted economic growth, and said that the private sector invested the most. 12,000 businesses opened, he said.

"Almost 80% of investors are showing intent of investing and expanding. Malta has become a magnet for international investment."

He said that Malta's population grew by 10% but the economy has grown by 40%.

Turning to Delia's figures regarding immigration, he said that Delia's statistics were wrong, and went on to quote different figures from a book issued by the PN itself.

"Yesterday we heard language used that skirted with the far right and had racist undertones. He is losing the Christian democratic policies and moving towards the far right. This is not only anti-EU rhetoric, but anti-business rhetoric."

"To us there is no difference between being pro-business or pro-worker because they are one and the same."

He questioned what Delia meant by 'intelligent immigration'. "Does he only want rich immigrants?  Then why come out against the IIP?"

He mentioned that there are jobs like garbage collection, which Maltese people won't choose as a form of employment. "This isn't intelligent immigration, but a stupid idea."

"Foreigners are now working for the Maltese people," he said.

They left us with the largest deficit in history

Turning back to the economy, he said that Malta went from one of the largest commercial deficits in Europe, to one of the largest surpluses in Europe.

They left us with a present back in 2012, the largest deficit in our history. Today we have the largest surplus in our history, and in Europe. The National Development fund became one of the 50 largest sovereign funds in the world, Muscat said.

"When people come and speak to me about the morality of the IIP scheme, I ask them about the morality of selling arms to developing nations."

"Our economy is depending less on public spending but more on private investment." He said that over the past five years, the debt was reduced to the amount it was at three administrations ago.

He said that for the first time in history, they are relieving some of the weight that comes from national debt.

"In spite of paying back €210 million in debt, we still saved money, and we still raised pensions."

He said that government is able to spend because Malta has a solid economy. "We spend to upgrade the economy, for social justice and to improve social services.

"He highlighted criticism regarding spending on the environment. "We were told that we're not allocating funds for the environment. This year we will spend €100 million."

"We increased revenue by €1 billion even though we reduced taxes for 7 years in a row. We managed this by bringing more people into the workforce."

'Foreigners living here temporarily are paying for the pensions of Maltese people'

"Foreigners living here temporarily who won't be getting a pension form Malta are paying for the pensions of Maltese people."

Turning to the children's allowance, he said that it is better than the nil amount which was given by the Opposition in ten years.

Muscat also spoke about poverty, and said that the only poverty is the lack of ideas coming from the opposition

"I m going to have to agree with my friend the leader of the Opposition - he said it was a recycled budget. Its true, we repeated a bit. They raised the pension age, and we raised the value of their cheques"

The Prime Minister also spoke about Gozo, and said that today there are 15,700 people working in there, an increase of 3000 people. He said that the majority are with the private sector.

"Others had to pay people to go and work in Gozo, we get people to work there through providing jobs."

He admitted that government needs to pay more attention to bicycle lanes. "However during the Opposition's time in government cars couldn't even pass in some roads."

He highlighted that government intends to spend €100 million on roads in the coming year.

"Our goal is to reach a situation where there is free public transport for everyone." He highlighted the strides made in this regard with regards to students, persons with disability and others.

Muscat, speaking about the energy sector, said that the transition to gas resulted in a massive leap in quality of life for the Maltese and Gozitan people.

He turned to criticism regarding recycling. "I cannot understand how after focusing on how Malta is last in terms of recycling, the opposition came out with a motion to drop the law for enforced recycling."

"I call on children to teach and lead their parents and grandparents when it comes to recycling," he said.

Sports federations need to work on strategy

Turning to the sports sector he said that they worked on it.

"I would like that we have a discussion on competitive sports. We need a proper strategy in order to start achieving results, not only like Iceland, but also like Singapore who earned their first olympic medal."

He spoke about the need to incentivise sports federations to come up with a strategy for their individual sports.

He also spoke about the culture and creative sector, and encouraged children to take their parents and grandparents to museums around the Maltese islands.

He highlighted Delia's many criticisms about government, and said that while the Opposition Leader had preached about a new way, he has perhaps lost his way.

"We have a stronger weapon than fear... hope and optimism that everyone will live successfully.

Photos by Alenka Falzon