Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday led a Nationalist Party delegation to a company to mark Worker’s Day and give a message of thanks and appreciation to local investors who create employment.

He was speaking at Bajada Group where they were shown round by managing director Mark Bajada and saw the production and manufacture of solar panels.

Mr Bajada said the market for solar panels was expanding and the company was investing in more products which used solar and alternative energies.

Lawrence Gonzi said the government was giving importance to the environment and had an important role to play, both through policies and through giving an example. In fact PV panels have been set up on ministry buildings and government schools to generate solar energy, which would eliminate the production of 95 tons of CO2 emissions each year.

The government was also incentivising the use of environment friendly products, such as by rebates on solar water heater installations. So far, he added, 6,000 people have also applied for the financial assistance, up to Lm50, on the purchase of energy efficient appliances.

There were also companies, Dr Gonzi said, which were maximising the economic potential of protecting the environment. There were some 15 companies involved in processing or recycling waste, and they had been set up as a result of the government’s environmental policies.