The Budget that will be presented today is the last of this legislature.

Normally, when presenting their last plans before calling an election, governments tend to take the opportunity to try to win votes, particularly from among that growing sector of the population that considers itself as neutral.

It is often the case that the last Budgets before an election are aimed to raise the feel-good factor, or try to make up for the sacrifices that the electorate would have had to endure in the first years of an administration.

But this Budget should be different from the other pre-election Budgets. Because it would be wrong if the government had to introduce measures that on the one hand will earn it a few points in general election terms, but on the other hand risk damaging what the country has managed to build over the past few years.

Malta has emerged from a period of difficulty, and is now reaping the fruit of the sacrifices that were needed to get the country back on track. Now that the deficit is under control, the government should not risk a derailment just for the sake of winning a few votes.

This is more so considering that it will also be the last Budget before the changeover from the lira to the euro. No matter the preparations that are taken in hand, a currency changeover is always a time of concern and of instability too, perceived or real, and therefore the government must exercise great caution tonight when it presents its financial plans for 2008.

One also has to keep in mind that 2008 cannot be taken on its own. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has already made it clear that the Budget he will be presenting tonight, as Finance Minister, will be the first step of the government’s plans towards what has been called Vision 2015.

The intentions are to make Malta a centre of excellence in education, health, ICT, financial services, the industrial sector and tourism, and the government tonight will explain how it will go about doing it.

One particular characteristic of this Budget is however the widespread public participation in its drawing up.

Until a few years ago, the Budget was a closely-guarded secret right until the day it was made public in Parliament. Over the past few years Dr Gonzi’s government rightly thought it fit to involve the public more in such an exercise which, on the whole, affects each and every one of us.

The publication of a pre-Budget document gave a clear indication of the road the government wanted to take. Constituted bodies began giving their feedback but gradually the public’s contribution started to increase too. Public meetings were held during which the people were asked to make their suggestions, and some 4,500 emails, letters and telephone calls were received at Castille from people who wanted to voice their opinion.

Naturally, it is impossible to expect that all the suggestions received found their way in tonight’s Budget. Every organisation or individual seeks a particular interest which may not be consonant with the general good. And the government must take everything into consideration, thinking solely of what would be the national interest, and not that of a particular sector.

Although it is the government that will be presenting the Budget tonight, it is overall a collective effort that has been in the making for several months.

A final note. As said before, this will be the last Budget of the legislature. But it is also expected to be the last Budget to be presented by Dr Gonzi. If Labour is elected, then it will obviously be a Labour minister who will get the job. If the PN retains the government, it is highly likely that Tonio Fenech will get the deserved promotion to Finance Minister, and therefore he will be the one to present the Budget for 2009.