Since publicly announcing the Nationalist Party’s strategy and plans for the future when he addressed activities on Worker’s Day, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has made it a point to stress the need for the people to understand that we must all work together to reach the targets that have been set. Each and every one of us is important for the country to succeed.

Last May, Dr Gonzi had given a list of six aims that the Nationalist Party will be pursuing – if it is re-elected to government – to give Malta a brighter future. These same six aims are now also highlighted in the pre-budget document that the government has drawn up, and will also form the basis of the PN’s election manifesto when the time comes.

Dr Gonzi does well to assert that these are all “challenges” that can be turned into “opportunities”, as this is a positive message that the government wants to put across. It shows confidence in the people. It shows that the government believes that, if we all pull the same rope, we will succeed in making Malta a better place to live in.

In between replying to accusations of mismanagement coming from the Malta Labour Party, Dr Gonzi wants the people to understand that we all stand to gain if Malta were to continue on the path it has taken. The road ahead is difficult and full of obstacles, but this “ambitious” project is “achievable” – to use two words that are dear to Dr Gonzi – if we all work together.

The six targets that have been repeatedly mentioned by Dr Gonzi are investment in education, the transformation of Malta as an ICT hub, the development of the financial services sector, the move from a manufacturing industry based on low-end products to one based on high-value products, the growth of the tourism industry and the improvement of medical services.

At first glance, the “revolution” that Dr Gonzi wants to bring about is already “in the making”, because all the six targets have been on the government’s agenda for quite some time now. The government has already invested heavily in all the areas that have been mentioned, or taken measures by which the changes that are taking place create as little negative effect as possible.

What the government is therefore suggesting is that we continue building on what has been achieved so far. The foundations have already been laid.

Of the six targets mentioned, the major focus should be in education, a sector that the Nationalist Party believes wholeheartedly in as can be seen through the attention it has given to it since being elected in 1987. Education is the rock on which Malta’s future will be built. Without a solid base in education, Malta will not be able to “produce” the human resources to cater for the growing financial services and ICT sectors, and it will not be able to improve the services given in the tourist industry or shift to a manufacturing industry geared up for high-end products.

The government has set 2015 as the year when its “vision” should be fulfilled. Eight years might seem a long time – and in between there will be two elections – but considering what this “project” will entail, the country cannot afford to waste time.

We must also keep in mind that, in a world that is changing fast, we must continue to update ourselves to keep in touch with what is going on and adjust to the circumstances. Trends shift as competition increases, and Malta cannot afford to be left behind.