Last month I attended the first session of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In the Economic Affairs Committee, held on 25 January, we had an exchange of views with Mr Sun Shuz-hong, consul-general of China.
The information was staggering. China has had a constant growth of nine per cent per annum for the past 27 years. It has tourist agreements with all the countries within the EU for their outgoing traffic. Its economy was overheated due to incredible figures. Competitiveness, productivity and no more street protests were all given as important factors to attract foreign investors. China is part shareholder of the Thomson empire. It is truly a monster economy, alive and kicking, that has and will have repercussions on all the world’s economies. Malta is no exception.
I must tie this up with the news that it has been impossible to conclude a social pact involving all parties, notwithstanding nearly six months of discussion, due to the intransigent attitude of the General Workers Union.
Coupled with the street protests we have witnessed lately, and with more to come apparently from the aspiring alternative government, the Malta Labour Party, then it has become more unlikely that any new investor, local or foreign, will be convinced to invest in Malta, and thus create jobs.
It is unfortunate, and a sorry state of affairs, that a section of our unions is so shortsighted, and therefore not safeguarding jobs. Rather than protesting and inciting action against a government which is doing all it can to safeguard jobs, should it not, with its feet on the ground, be helping the government? Or is the political advantage so great that even the possible loss of jobs is not so important?
The people should realise, for their own good ultimately, what is going on in our world, and not be led by people whose goal seems to be to upset applecarts instead of filling them.
And these protests in the streets? Did they increase jobs or pull in new investment? Isn’t the MLP doing a disservice to the nation? How can they do this if they aspire to lead Malta and will have to attract the same investors that, today, they are scaring away? Certainly they will have to do so much bridge-building, that the ultimate result is already doomed before it even begins. In the end, the middle class, now targeted by the MLP, should be wary of the path taken by the so-called alternative government.
Have you heard of any new sound alternatives, or concrete solutions to make us more competitive? All that we have heard and read about is criticism of measures taken, measures which will, in the long run, prove useful. Readers should realise that these necessary measures are being taken in the context of a wider five-year plan, and not isolated to a one-year budget. Maybe the style of governance has changed, maybe it is too fast, but this is the only way forward in today’s world.
I have read some staggering figures, published by the National Statistics Office, on this government’s spending on social services. No less than Lm156 million in the first nine months of 2004. Retirement pensions, which the opposition says are being eroded, have increased over the years to Lm66.3 million. Widow/widower pensions rose to Lm25.6 million, always over nine months, and government has paid out some Lm1.4 million in sickness benefits.
Who knows the amount of abuse going on here? Strangely enough, another stark comparison shows that most of the sick leave taken by public service employees differs in the months taken by employees in the private sector. Notwithstanding living on one island, we tend to get sick at different times, depending on our work.
The Employment and Training Corporation, functioning in a pro-active way during 2004, has found 3,650 jobs for people, and if seen against a figure of 2,450 lost jobs, then we are on the right track.
The above are all examples of putting one’s money where one’s mouth is. An example that words are worthless unless backed up by a government that delivers. Facts and undeniable figures that may not be public knowledge but which, when made known, give a different picture of today’s world.
This is but a part of what is being done, maybe silently, but certainly fast.
A credit to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Wasn’t all Malta critical of government entities losing money, year in year out? We did not forget that criticism. The government acted and millions have started to be saved. We certainly cannot continue to criticise these actions by a government whose goal is to reduce the deficit figure, and figures prove it right. This has been achieved in barely one year since Dr Gonzi took office as Malta’s new Prime Minister.
Robert Arrigo is a Nationalist MP