Addressing the 13th annual engineering conference of the Chamber of Engineers entitled Engineering and Management, Dr Gatt expressed his faith in such people to make the best of the social revolution that is shaking up lives.

Speaking as investment minister, Dr Gatt said that engineers are not only valued for their technical knowledge but can also contribute to the effort to make Malta’s investments financially and administratively sustainable in the long term. “To manage technology and services, we must engineer the best administrative and financial set up,” he continued.

It cannot be that dissent remains the monopoly of political parties in Malta, said the minister. “The economy must question authority and overcome conventional deference and the old way of doing things.”

Malta is quickly turning into a true centre of excellence in the field of information technology, Dr Gatt continued, and this drive and enthusiasm should be replicated to improve the rest of the economy. A large number of workers tend to go to work meaning to do as little as possible for as much payment as possible, he said, and this must change.

People are the country’s source of wealth, the source of opportunity and inspiration, continued the minister, and they must be put to good use. “They need to be given the space to grow and innovate to think out of the proverbial box”, said Dr Gatt. The minister also mentioned that the engineers attending the conference are extremely competent and know their subject as well, if not better than, their peers abroad.

He looked forward to people giving less importance to titles like “manager” and “engineer” and to “working less hard at pushing paper and harder at thinking of something new”.