The excise duty on fuel amounting to 130 million euros has been paid back to government by Enemalta, an amount overdue for a number of years, Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech announced in Parliament today.
This had a positive impact on this year’s deficit, he added.
He mentioned this right at the end of his speech regarding the budget and use of EU funds.
Regarding the budget itself, he said; “we will continue to work for those in precarious working conditions and the disabled, as shown in the budget”.
“We will continue to reduce the deficit to 1.6% and will also reduce public debt,” he added. “Yes there is still much to do but we are moving along with our plan to reduce the deficit so that in 2018 we would break-even in terms of debt”.
“We have a budget full of ideas and proposals. This will give another boost to society and the local economy with both EU and national funds. “Funds will begin to be used much earlier in the year in order not to waste them”.
He mentioned several projects including the increase in pensions, benefits for disabled persons. “Did we lose the public trust when working on civil rights and on income tax reduction? Are we antisocial when we are going to reduce the cost of transport for children?” He asked referring to a statement made by the PN.
“They said we are doing nothing to fight poverty. So then we did nothing when making contractors working with government pay their employees equal pay to their public sector counterparts.”
“They claim that there is nothing in the budget for Gozo, yet we are working on a site to accommodate new businesses, and the new medical hub proposal,” he quipped. “This all shows that the budget isn’t just a vision, but full of measures and proposals”.
He mentioned that funds will be used to create recreational areas in the south of Malta.
He mentioned initiatives for training. “We will strengthen our competitivity of the manufacturing sector through EU funds,” he said.
“The EU is undergoing a continuous process of change”, he said,
He spoke about irregular migration, stating that “we need to keep working to end the problem once and for all”.
“The future of our country must not depend so much on EU funds, and over the coming years we will strengthen our economy to not depend these funds as much as we do”.
Malta and the Presidency
Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg spoke about the Presidency of the European Commission Council, mentioning the need to further use the Committee for EU and Foreign Affairs.
“The most crucial point to get across through this presidency is to let the Maltese people know that they will have more opportunities to understand and participate in the EU”.
“As a structure, we will continue to use existing entities like the EU Secretariat we must see how to strengthen our permanent representatives in Brussels. We held public calls and in the coming weeks will see how to expand the staff and improve their training”.
Regarding the current Parliament building, he spoke of his wish to have the highest level EU meetings held there.
“I will keep up the pressure to ensure Malta meets its targets in regards to projects funded by the EU”, he said.
He mentioned that the past government used to drag its feet on EU funded projects and proceeded to mention a number of projects under this administration that are on track or are further ahead than planned. He mentioned the Fort St Angelo project and the Cottonera project that “we saw people die before it was complete. This government saw this complete”.
He also spoke about the flood relief project costing over 50 million euros.
“Over the past year, we have paid for ETC schemes that had launched 2-3 years prior to the beginning of this administration, such as the training-aid framework, saying that we will be giving money to companies to hire staff within four months, not four years”.
Dr Borg mentioned the 8 million euro investment to Gozo General Hospital and a project to build two new wards in Mater Dei.
Referring to the low-grade concrete found at the A&E ward of Mater Dei, he said that if people paid for concrete of one standard, they should not accept the low-standard of concrete found in the emergency ward of Mater Dei.
Continuing on the topic of EU funds, he reiterated the PL’s electoral promise to give Gozo 10% of EU funds.
“This morning a discussion took place regarding the cost of traffic in Malta, where the opposition said it costs the people 45 million euros”. Dr Borg mentioned that 150 million euros worth of projects had begun under the PN which, had they finished them, would have helped traffic. “These must be finished by the end of next year, like the Salina road project and the flood relief etc”.
Regarding the conservation of historic sites, he spoke about Mdina, where “half of the bastions are restored and the other half are not. “These works will be done”, adding that the Greek Gate will also be restored and so will Casino Notabile, he said.
He mentioned a new project that will see the Isla bastions restored.
Regarding irregular immigration, he explained that over the past year the government worked to get more help for emergency funds, resulting in 8.3 million euros invested in the centres. “We were the first state to introduce the action fund to help Malta continue to fight irregular immigration”.
'What we propose, we deliver' - Carmelo Abela
Carmelo Abela said that this is a budget built on optimism. "Could we have done things better, of course, but what we proposed as a government has seen results," he said while speaking in Parliament.
"We have worked to ensure that no EU money is lost or wasted". 81 EU projects are being utilised, he said.
9 new projects began in 2014, valuing 2.2 million euros, he said.
Parliament is discussing the Budget estimates for the European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto ministry headed by Louis Grech, who is also the deputy prime minister.
Clean and alternative schemes have also been possible through EU funds, and 2.5 million which went towards the training of our human resources, resulting in 9 projects in this regard. He also mentioned 170 Gozo businesses that saw employers hire new employees with the help of EU funded projects.
He spoke about Simon Busuttil's budget speech, calling it negative. Simon Busuttil claims the problems in the new Parliament are due to this government, "which is an outright lie. I'd like to remind people that the new Parliament was supposed to be finished by 2012, under the previous administration. In fact all the tenders came out under the previous parliament".
Erosion of public trust began in 2008, when the PN shortly after the election, added 500 euros, not now when this government is reducing energy tariffs, he said.
"For the first time a report was published to show what was done that was promised in the previous budget. This is very positive as I had wanted this to occur for many years".
"After the Prime Minister created this post to focus of EU Affairs, I believe Dr Grech and Dr Borg are working very hard".
The government is gearing towards the EU Presidency PL MP Luciano Busuttil said, adding that committees relating to this are meeting frequently.
"I hope that as a priority, projects like Erasmus, however for youth in sports be introduced,” he explained.
The Committee for Foreign Affairs will continue to work and scrutinise with the help of expert opinions. "We have always been alert on what one needs to be done, especially when it comes to EU and Foreign Affairs".