Beyond the inevitable political rhetoric, this year’s budget speeches by the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader hinged on one simple yet devastating point....

The electoral fever is beginning to rise at a time when the promise of a “new spring” is turning sour....

The 2006 budget, presented by the Prime Minister slightly earlier than usual this year, had the theme Nibnu fuq Hilitna (Building on our Abilities)....

Scene 1: Reading the Budget – 31.10.2005...

The best label for Budget 2006 is “out of focus”. While it should aim for achieving fiscal sanity through economic growth, it is instead trying to achieve it at the expense of economic growth....

Viticulture in Malta is one of the principal agricultural sectors and has an important socio-economic and environmental bearing....

One need neither be an economist, financial wizard nor political analyst to realize that Budget 2006 had one sole purpose – that of trying to camouflage the damaging effects of “hurricane Gonzi” that took Malta by storm a few days earlier....

Exactly 10 years ago the first internet-service-provider, or ISP, licences were granted in Malta. At the time, the internet was a new and exciting innovation dubbed as the “information super highway”. ...

If you exclude those in this country who speculate on property for a living (and some of their hangers-on), the budget measures on property should generally be better for most of us....

At all times and in every country, budget time presents opportunities for political tightrope walkers and prestidigitators, who try all sorts of tricks to mesmerise their audiences. Some manage to steal the show....