It was ironic that Labour MP Karl Chircop had issued a statement accusing the government of neglecting the manufacturing industry, when Labour leader Alfred Sant was visiting factories that had opened shop or expanded in the last two years, the Investment, Industry and IT Ministry said yesterday.

It added that the Labour Party could not decide whether to criticise the government for the closure of old manufacturing industries where Malta was not competitive, or praise the government for the sector where Malta was competitive and attracting investment.

Although it did not want to admit it, the Labour Party knew that the situation today was that factories that had operated here since the 1960s could not remain competitive, the ministry said. But the government had invested in education and training and developed new incentive schemes to attract economic activities which last year had created 6,100 jobs and drawn Lm575 million in foreign investments.