Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday listed six of his government’s ambitious plans for the future of Malta.

Closing a national conference on work, entitled More Work, Better Work, organised by the Nationalist Party on the occasion of Worker’s Day, Dr Gonzi listed the challenges facing Malta in the years to come and detailed what can be done to turn these challenges into opportunities for the Maltese and the country as a whole.

While admitting that some of the plans to which he referred are ambitious, he insisted they are “achievable” because “the government believes in the capabilities of its people”.

The Prime Minister said that by 2015, the government wants to see Malta as a European centre of excellence in the field of Information and Communication Technology. Malta was already considered to be among the best in this field, he said, but “with SmartCity in the bag”, the country can improve its ranking and because the European hub of ICT.

Similarly, in the financial services sector, Malta already has a good reputation and has the potential to establish itself as the best provider of these services in Europe.

Turning to tourism, Dr Gonzi said people should not be disheartened. “Malta has a unique package it can offer its visitors. We have a wonderful port and 7,000 years of history. We have a wonderful seabed that people can explore and equally breathtaking open spaces. But we must make sure that the level of service matches the reputation of the Maltese as being welcoming. We cannot expect to become wealthy in the space of a day. If we all work together, the tourism industry will grow,” he said.

Dr Gonzi said another plan is that by 2015, Malta will have a strong manufacturing industry, especially if companies are determined and choose specialised sectors in manufacturing. He said Malta is competitive in the manufacturing industry mainly due to its strategic geographical position.

Speaking about education, the Prime Minister said this has always been an important subject for the present government. He said the government intends to continue investing heavily in education because investment will, in turn, provide more and better human resources for those who are investing in businesses in Malta.

He said that while the stipends system is seen as an extra perk, and admitted that the government is

frequently tempted to abolish it, the government firmly believes in using the stipends system as an incentive for young people to continue their studies.

Last but not least, Dr Gonzi said that with the new Mater Dei Hospital, Malta can improve its ranking in the sector of the provision of a quality health service. Presently, Malta ranks fifth in the world in this regard, he said, and he believes that with a continued investment in human resources, Malta has a golden opportunity to provide quality health care, not only to residents but also to foreigners.