Official national statistics show that retail sales have increased by one per cent during the third quarter of last year when compared to the same period in 2013, the government said in a statement.

This, in itself, shows that the Opposition got it wrong on this issue, it added.

“Sales in the wholesale sector increased by 9.9% during the third quarter of 2014, after it increased by 4.4% during the previous quarter. This means that shops are purchasing a good amount of merchandise from wholesalers,” the statement read.

The government added that on 24 January this year, the Opposition leader called for a serious debate on the current situation since he claimed there are sectors which are suffering losses.

“Statistics show that employment figures in the wholesale and retail sectors are continuously increasing, apart from the fact that employees of such sectors are working additional hours. The salaries of these employees were also raised,” the government noted.