Labour in government will be aiming for real and sustainable economic expansion as a priority, Labour leader Alfred Sant told a consultation meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise.

Malta needed economic development of between four and six per cent, which in the past used to be the norm. EU members which had joined the EU with Malta were having economic expansion that was double or triple that in Malta, he added.

The reduction in the deficit, Dr Sant said, was positive but it had been achieved through means which were hurting economic expansion. Malta had the highest rate of tax increases in the EU, to make good for the squandering of public investments and an uncontrollable recurrent expenditure, which harmed competitiveness.

Labour would lay emphasis on the creation of jobs because employment generated more employment and investments. This was the origin of Labour's proposal to remove income tax from overtime earnings.

Dr Sant said the rumour going round at present that Labour would weaken social services was nothing but a lie. Labour was not only committed to promote social services, it would improve them.

Chamber president Tancred Tabone said that like the Labour Party, the chamber was committed to exploit Malta's EU and eurozone membership. They had to have more women in the workforce, he said, and added that many commercial sectors were not finding enough qualified workers.