I listened with interest to Minister Tonio Fenech’s budget speech yesterday. While on the surface, it seems that nothing much has changed and that we are praising ourselves for how well we did during the recession, the budget offers nothing to the average worker.

The Minister was very proud in announcing the training schemes and cash allowances for those who want to train themselves to escape the minimum wage bracket. I ask, how am I supposed to do that while trying to earn a living to feed my two daughters?

What am I supposed to do? Send my wife out to work while the children are ‘given’ to our parents so I can ‘train’? This does not makes sense. The initiative looks very good on paper, but in practice it would be very different. This budget offers nothing to me or to my family.

John Grech

Ghajnsielem