It’s been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Malta and Gozo. Its effects on us were no different to what citizens in other countries felt and endured. But what ultimately made the difference was how governments managed their countries.
From the get-go, the Maltese government sought to protect citizens, their lives and their economic and social wellbeing. The world quickly learnt that there was no “one size fits all” solution to the recovery. The second clearer lesson was that attaining long-term sustainability is now a necessity.
I took up the responsibility of the energy, enterprise and sustainable development portfolio in the midst of the worst crises ever faced in recent history.
Since day one, I ensured that workable solutions are designed with the direct input of the industry and stakeholders themselves. I wanted to ensure that the industry pain points are correctly identified and policy is directed towards mitigating these risks and simultaneously deliver a framework which allows the long-term prosperity of our companies.
This approach was crucial during the last months. Indeed, one of my initial decisions since taking office was the modification of the wage supplement scheme which departed from segregation by NACE code and shifted towards supporting those companies whose revenues were hit hardest by the pandemic. Simultaneously we also allowed for the wage support to be extended to new employees which were replacing essential staff who resigned on their own request in the first months of the crisis. Listening carefully and adapting quickly to the changing dynamics truly allowed us to save lives and livelihoods.
My vision is embedded in sustainable economic prosperity which needs to be supported by strong governance, forward-looking education and infrastructure which will take the country on course to achieve our long-term carbon-neutrality targets. We are also actively working to ensure a stronger capital flow and access to finance for Maltese businesses particularly when it relates to green and sustainable projects.
Looking back over the past year, the Government has been successful in responding to the socio-economic instability brought about by COVID-19. Indeed, we have been successful at protecting 100,000 jobs. Malta and Gozo’s unemployment rate remained well below the historical average.
To sustain economic continuity, the government supported businesses through resilience measures such as the wage supplement, the quarantine leave, support for teleworking measures, strengthening public service delivery (including e-services), and encouraging the shift towards a new normal that includes safe co-existence with COVID-19.
The key to all of this remained the Government’s openness to engage with employers and trade unions, to forge a new social pact that would see us ease pressures on the liquidity of businesses, protecting jobs and helping the most vulnerable during this challenging period.
The government introduced new temporary social security benefits so that workers with disabilities, parents which could not telework and vulnerable persons, such as the elderly and those with particular conditions, could retain their employment while remaining at home.
The pandemic has taught us many lessons. First, the importance and urgency of full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and other sectoral international Agreements is now felt more than ever before. These are crucial to help better equip the world for future systemic shocks and to strengthen our resilience. In this sense, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic must go beyond immediate response measures, but we should look at the mid- and long-term policy response needs and encompass the principles of sustainable development by integrating its economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
Malta recorded a 70% decrease in air pollution during the semi lockdown period. The pandemic brought a break to the normal routine and have initiated a transitionary path with actions to boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy, address climate change issues, revert biodiversity loss and reduce emissions. This situation has also created an opportunity to address competitiveness and innovation, job creation and lasting prosperity for the future, and strengthening policy coherence.
We need to invest in more enhanced skills set and an education platform that needs to drive our competitiveness, employment, and innovation. This does not necessarily relate to an investment in digital skills but also towards enhancing the skills which will allow our workers to seek quality jobs in the different economic sectors.
Dr Miriam Dalli is Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development