The opposition insists that the people’s purchasing power is decreasing and more people are closer to the poverty line. On the other hand, the government insists that bank deposits are increasing, stocks and shares are always over-subscribed and that the economy has improved.

Both statements are correct. What both parties fail to state is that while the majority of the population are continuously witnessing a fall in their purchasing power, the minority are contributing to an improved economy. The majority includes all fixed salary employees, while the minority includes property developers and negotiators, building services contractors, bank shareholders and established retailers. This means that the wealth gap has widened and we are more and more living in a capitalist society.

The increased ease with which foreigners can purchase local property, coupled with low productivity and industrial investment, has been the major driving force in this regard.

Moreover, the government is not willing to stop major stakeholders in our economy from making extremely high profits. This is unlike other countries like China, where the government ensures that every business is a win-win situation, both for the whole country and the stakeholder, in order to have a fair distribution of wealth. The government’s main concern is only how to reach the targets of the Maastricht treaty. It will succeed, probably with a great risk of losing the next general election. This is the situation and no PR strategy can hide this simple fact.

Christopher Sant

Mosta