Only appointed Minister in November 2020, an economist by training and lecturer on the same subject together with accountancy, and having occupied various positions related to labour policies and financial principles, he has ably managed to make great strides on the political scene on his first foray. True, he was finance minister only because he was co-opted into Parliament at Robert Abela’s request. Yet when he stood as a Labour candidate for the last general election, he obtained a substantial number of votes and was elected in two districts.

Clyde’s valuable experience during his tenure at Jobsplus and as Prime Minister’s chief of staff showed that he had all the makings of an ideal technocrat who could greatly contribute to the country’s social progress and economic stability. He authored several position documents and policy papers, which have been central to the government’s labour force policy. Additionally, he was the main driver in implementing these policies and reforms most notably, related to free childcare, in-work benefits and others. For example, it was he who has been consistently inculcating the idea that it is about time that Malta shifts away from its dependency on construction to build and improve its credibility on the environment. As a true technocrat, he had the courage to speak out and explain that the mistake that politics has always made over the years, both on one side and the other, has always been to turn to construction as it is the easiest way to boost the economy. Economy-wise and drawing from his expertise as an economist and accountant, he brilliantly expounded how every vital sector of Malta’s economy is intertwined and interdependent. Balancing the construction industry with the environment, prioritising education so that more people are educated with more opportunities as well as income coming their way and investing in people in every possible way in order to have the country’s finances on their feet are just some of his revolutionary thoughts and approaches.

He quickly realized that the time had come for Malta to move to a new mechanism where government helps those with a low income affected by particular circumstances which push up prices.

In the long run, Clyde Caruana might be a breath of fresh air, in that he does not speak like a politician tasked with the eternal job of vote-seeking.

 

Dr Mark Said LL.D

Msida