Underlining that the formulation of the budget is neither a bookkeeping exercise nor a shopping list, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi spelt out the government’s six-pronged vision for 2015 to members of Malta’s constituted bodies and business leaders yesterday morning.

The 2015 strategy as outlined by Dr Gonzi encompasses the areas of information and communication technology, financial services, tourism, industry, education and health services.

This year’s pre-budget document, entitled Families Growing Stronger, is the fruit of six months’ consultation and contains a “full envelope” of some 200 proposals aimed at taking the country forward and meeting a raft of challenges facing the country from the international front.

While the goals that have been set are indeed ambitious, Dr Gonzi conceded, the country was already on the road towards attaining them.

The government’s strategy is built on three fundamental pillars – the economy, education and the environment.

On economic development, Dr Gonzi stressed that courageous steps would be needed for the economy to grow in the face of stiff international challenges such as inflation and the continuously fluctuating price of oil. Malta, he pointed out, was one of the only countries in the world that still subsidised household and the private sector energy use.

Within the economic realm, the government is looking to develop the industrial policy formulated as part of this year’s budget, as well as a socio-economic plan for Gozo. The government’s strategy, Dr Gonzi observed, fits well with the National Reform Programme – aimed at developing the country’s competitiveness and productivity.

Malta’s tourism, information and communications technology, research and innovation sectors are also in for further development through the 2015 strategy.

But, Dr Gonzi stressed, such development would be undertaken with sustainable development as a top priority, adding that the country must strike a balance between development and sustainability.

Addressing the controversy over the siting of a waste treatment plant in Marsascala, Dr Gonzi said it was somewhat perplexing that everyone agreed that the environment needed to be safeguarded, but when it came to the actual implementation of such measures people objected.

In terms of the country’s physical infrastructure, Malta’s energy sector was to be developed through synergies with the wider European power supply, while also developing alternative energy sources.

Although Malta is devoid of natural energy resources such as oil, Dr Gonzi remarked how Malta’s human resources were, in fact, a valuable source of energy that needed to be cultivated at all educational levels. To this end, it was important to use the stipend system to encourage students into areas such as the sciences, information technology and engineering.

The EUR855 million granted to Malta through the European Union budget, he added, would ensure that the financing to meet the goals set out for Malta were achieved.

The SmartCity development, he added, was a “golden opportunity” for Malta in terms of job creation, a EUR300 million investment and placing Malta’s ICT sector on the global map, where it could truly come into its own.

The government has invested heavily and will continue investing in the country’s infrastructure, in the health and education of the people, as well as in addressing the participation of both men and women in the labour market – where Malta’s workforce is shifting from the traditional careers and moving to new areas.

Matters were also looking up for Malta’s health care system, with Dr Gonzi noting how Malta had already been placed as one of the world’s leading countries in terms of health care provision by the World Health Organisation – before the new Mater Dei hospital had even opened, let alone once the hospital opened for business.

In terms of financial services, one of Malta’s fastest-growing sectors, Dr Gonzi remarked how the government had set a goal of becoming a centre for excellence in the area by 2015, but that if today’s momentum is maintained the country could very well reach the goal sooner.