We may not be a nation of shop keepers, but the role of small entrepreneurs in our economy is vitally important. Thous-ands of families depend on the income generated by their breadwinners who choose to take risks to earn a living rather than opt for relatively more secure employment.
Self-employed people provide most essential services to the community ranging from medical services to house maintenance, from running small restaurants to corner grocery shops in our towns and villages. One thing is common to all these small entrepreneurs: they have to work hard every day to secure their living.
It is wrong to equate all self-employed people to substantial importers who rely on the strength of branded goods to guarantee a regular flow of income. Many of our small self- employed work long hours to provide whatever service they specialise in to satisfy their clients and in the process earn a decent living. These entrepreneurs know too well that we, their clients, are their best assets and they will not jeopardise their future by out pricing themselves.
The recent currency changeover showed how most small self-employed operators are being sensible by helping out their clients cope with the adoption of the new currency. The increase in prices experienced over the past several months has nothing to do with the role of small shop keepers and service providers, but rather we have to assess whether lack of consumer protection by the authorities, market imbalances, lack of a level playing field and dominant positions within the local market are having their effect on the cost of living increases (especially in essential commodities) afflicting a lot of families.
The government is wrong to ignore these facts for political convenience. It keeps burying its head in the sand despite the warnings about the need to curb abuse by the few powerful operators in our economy. It was not just the Labour opposition who gave voice to the complaints of thousands of families who are increasingly being crushed by exorbitant pricing, but also trade organisations and the EU representative in Malta.
A future Labour government will improve the plight of the self-employed by increasing the spending power of Maltese families with the implementation of the pledges made by Dr Sant during the last Budget debate.
We will reduce the water and electricity surcharge by 50 per cent, and we will also free overtime income from tax. We will help young people to buy their first home by subsidising interest rates. All these measures will no doubt generate a good flow of economic activity which will benefit also the thousand of small self-employed business men who serve our community.
We need to incentivise work, reward risk taking and entrepreneurship, ensure fiscal rectitude, and responsible management of our resources to enable our economy to grow at a much faster rate than it is doing at present. A new Labour government will welcome the participation of all those who can contribute to help us reach this important landmark in our road map to success.
The time has come for the formation of an alliance of all those who feel that our country deserves a better future. This can be done if employed workers, self-employed entrepreneurs, pensioners, students and all those who put the interest of our country before any misguided political allegiance to join forces and vote for change.
We want our young people to value the choice of working for themselves, take risks, and use their initiative and creativity, to find their fulfilment as valid contributors to the well being of our society. We believe that such young people can bring about change in their own way by making our society more self-reliant and confident about the future.
This is why a Labour government will work with the self- employed to ensure that they continue to create economic wealth for the benefit of all our families.
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