Time flies. Eleven months have passed since the general elections in March 2013. It feels as if it was yesterday that the Labour Party won a landslide victory at the polls, the magnitude of which has never been witnessed before and which gave the Labour Government a nine seat majority in Parliament.  Still, we have kept our feet on the ground and continued to keep in touch with the electorate in various ways not least through public dialogue meetings between Cabinet members and the citizens.

In fulfilment with our promise to keep an on-going rapport with the general public, last Tuesday, Government launched a second round of public dialogue meetings with the theme “Government that Listens”. We will continue where we left off in June 2013 when Cabinet Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries, yours truly included, gave an account of what was done in the first hundred days in office. But even more important, these meetings gave the public the opportunity to question and address Cabinet members directly about their concerns and to make their own suggestions on issues which affect them and their families. 

From the feedback received, these public sessions were very welcome and appreciated by one and all. Although Government maintains a continuous flow of information to the general public about its performance through the media and the social networks, nothing beats personal contact.

This time round there is even more scope for these public dialogues sessions. A lot of water has gone under the bridge during the past eleven months. A great deal has been achieved by this administration. Several electoral promises have already been honoured. Others have been launched and are at implementation stage.

Worth mentioning are initiatives aimed at generating economic growth and at attracting foreign investment like the Global Residence Programme, and the expressions of interest for the development of the former Marsa Shipbuilding Yard into a maritime hub and the development of a cruise liner terminal in Gozo. In a recent report, rating agency Standard and Poors commended Malta for generating economic growth beyond its expectations.

In the social sector we have increased, and not decreased stipends.  We have introduced free childcare centres, launched the process to address the problem of poverty and above all we are on track to reduce the water and electricity rates.

With respect to good governance, we have enacted the Whistleblower’s Act and removed prescription in cases of corruption by politicians.  More recently we have launched a white paper on the long awaited legislation on party financing. 

Significant achievements have also been made in the health, education, transport, justice and civil liberties sectors details of which will be given during the public dialogue sessions by the respective Ministers. This is a track record to be proud of. 

Through these public dialogue meetings we are also putting into practice the concept of an open Government which not only strengthens transparency and accountability but gives scope to the direct participation of the public in the shaping of government policy as was the case with the reforms at MEPA, public transport, justice and others.

We even went beyond our commitments. A case in point is the Individual Investor Programme which now has the backing of the European Commission and which is expected to attract to the Island people of calibre apart from injecting one billion Euros in the Maltese economy.  And all this has been achieved, despite the spokes in the wheel by the Nationalist Opposition.

On a different level, we have infused new energies in the country.  All Cabinet members have hit the ground running and are still performing with the same enthusiasm. We have introduced a new way of doing business by thinking outside the box. We have brought about political stability following the turbulent years of the last Gonzi Administration. Through various measures, and especially following the first budget planned and prepared by the Labour Government, we have given a new lease of life to the economy and brought about a feel good feeling amongst the people.

In the case of my portfolio, these public dialogue meetings are giving me the opportunity to explain even further what and how we can make better use of EU funds for the benefit of SMEs, education and training programmes as well as the creation of employment opportunities.  Whilst the previous Administration was more concerned with blowing its trumpets about the amount of EU funds that Malta will benefit from under the Financial Framework 2014-2020 we are more focussed on ensuring that all EU funds are taken up in support of the Island’s social, cultural, educational and economic development. As announced last week, through our efforts and hard work, not a single euro has been lost from the EU funds available under the previous funding programme.

Over the last few months we have also witnessed the performance of both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.  I know that comparisons are odious but what has really come out over the last ten months is the difference that exists between both leaders. Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat has proved himself a strong national leader with a positive approach, full of dynamism while always keeping in touch with the man in the street. On the other hand, the Nationalist Leader Dr. Simon Busuttil is proving himself very weak, too partisan and always taking a negative approach to whatever initiative is taken by the Labour Government.  

Dr Ian Borg is Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds and EU Presidency 2017.