The Malta Labour Party’s action plan to regenerate industry shows that the party wants the country to take up trades such as salt production, the repair of boots, shoes and leather, watch repairs and car maintenance, said IT, Industry and Investment Minister Austin Gatt yesterday.
Giving his views on Labour’s plan, Dr Gatt said the MLP wanted Malta to return to outdated and low-cost industries. “But,” he said, “we do not want that for this country. We do not want our workers to have poor conditions of employment.”
Dr Gatt said that the MLP had been in opposition for almost 20 years. “That should have given them enough time to come up with something new and innovative, yet 80 per cent of the measures in the plan have already been put into place by this government.”
He added that the remaining 20 per cent of Labour’s proposals was just a wish list, with nothing concrete. Three years ago, said Dr Gatt, the government had come up with a plan and that plan was now being re-evaluated. “We want a new and updated plan, not only for industry, but also for businesses,” he said.
Dr Gatt said that the MLP’s fundamental problem was that it still spoke of industry, and never of micro-enterprises. He also said that Malta should not be a low-cost country and neither should it attempt to attract low-cost industry.
PN governments had brought about investment, phased out industry that was no longer viable and, at the same time, had created more jobs, he said. In 2003, unemployment had stood at 7,819 and this had been brought down to 7,693 in 2006. On the other hand, the number of those gainfully occupied had increased to 147,907 in 2006, from 145,568 in 2003.
He said that one must also bear in mind that some 4,600 workers in the manufacturing sector had lost their jobs, and some 3,700 had been phased out of the public sector.
“Unemployment has decreased, while manufacturing jobs were lost and the public sector was trimmed. That shows that people are finding jobs, even those who need to be retrained,” he Dr Gatt.
He pointed out the difference in MLP and PN administrations’ ability to attract Foreign Direct investment:
These figures, said Dr Gatt, excluded the investment that will be made in SmartCity@Malta.
He said that this investment included the opening of 15 pharmaceutical companies, employing around 500 people. These companies export e200 million worth of merchandise annually and the number they employ is set to increase to 800 in the future.
“And the value added factor is 100 times that which is offered by the textile sector,” said Dr Gatt. He pointed out that ST Microelectronics had announced it was going to set up a 50-strong R&D team in Malta, while other companies, such as Lufthansa Teknik and Nylon Knitting, 6pm and Crimson Wing, were also employing highly trained Maltese staff.
“We have also now seen the advent of call centres being set up in Malta. The reality is that this government has a vision for business,” he said.
Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo announced that plans for seven new industrial zones were currently awaiting approval from the Malta Environ-ment and Planning Authority. Some 95 tenants had already signed a promise of sale for their 65-year leases at Ta’ Qali Crafts Village, he said.
Dr Gatt confirmed the bet he made in parliament that the textile manufacturing sector would die out in Malta in the near future. A journalist asked whether he would put his money where his mouth is. “Of course. I don’t make bets for nothing,” he replied, tongue in cheek.