A Nationalist government plans to modernise the law courts and public services for them to provide a more efficient service, Opposition leader Bernard Grech and Spokesperson for Political Renewal, Research and Innovation Claudio Grech said.
In a report published on Monday, the PN’s proposals take into account three main themes in terms of research and innovation: Socio-economic vision for Malta until 2030; Human values in a modern society; and, good governance. They are also sub-divided these into 14 clusters.
The PN wants Malta to have a strong economy and that workers have a decent living wage, the Opposition leader said.
“Our forefathers gave us a strong country, now is the time when we have a responsibility to strengthen it… we believe in every Maltese person to help with this,” Grech said.
Grech remarked that the PN doesn’t want to share its politics “behind closed doors”, but rather by communicating and consulting with people who face such issues.
“Not only with words and rhetoric, but with facts, we are showing that with this determination and enthusiasm, we are doing all that is needed so that everyone in Malta can follow their aspirations,” Grech said.
PN MP Claudio Grech said that this is “an important step” that the PN is taking.
“A political party should not pronounce itself a few weeks before an election,” the MP said.
In the next few weeks, every cluster will meet with the media in order to explain the process even further, the MP remarked.
“In the heart of everything there is quality of life… we are obliged to improve it and we have seen how much it was ravaged during the pandemic,” the MP observed.
“The aim of the process is that it wants to open up the PNs politics for everyone who wants to contribute. If a person has an idea and wants to share it, we are open to listen and that person is welcome to work with us,” Grech said.
Social welfare
The PN said that it wants to invest much more in social mobility in order to tackle poverty in Malta. It also stated that it wants to go beyond social benefits and start looking at strengthening social welfare in preventative fashion by helping everyone to earn an adequate income.
Quality of life and health
The PN said that it wants to improve quality of life by looking at various nodes, such as the open spaces, work-life balance, and sports and activities in order to keep people healthy. It also remarked that it will improve the public and private health services to their highest level on a global scale by investing in prevention, primary care and a range of centres for specialisations in certain conditions.
Tomorrow’s economy
Innovation and research into new potential sectors and ecosystems will also be taken into consideration, so that the economy is diversified. This should happen with more sustainability, the PN said, as more open spaces should be promoted and with an industry of tourism that focuses on the quality and not just on the quantity of tourists.
Environment
The PN said that it will drive a radical change in the environmental policy by forming a strong alliance with those who really care about the environment of Malta. It said that it won’t look at the environment as an isolated subject, but that it will build a framework where protection is a priority and where the environment is an integral part of any sector of the country’s policy.
Infrastructure and resources
Cleaner energy at fair prices is something the PN also said that it will address. The report stated that the PN will design an infrastructure master plan of development that allows for no compromise over sustainability and see that the country is competitive, modern and advanced in this field.
Security
Security policy was also addressed, and the PN proposed a new framework which unites all disciplined corps so that they work with competence, integrity and credibility. The PN also added that it will work on an innovation and modernization programme to make extensive use of technology tools to strengthen the work of law enforcement against crimes such as drug trafficking, cybercrime and money laundering.
Justice and strengthening democracy
Another proposal was that the PN would carry out a reform “where political interference in appointments and the administration will end once and for all.” The party also proposed the use of modern digital media so that the operation of the Courts of Malta is modernised and focused to serve people effectively and efficiently and to guarantee administrative reassurance in terms of integrity of processes and speed of cases.
Gozo
The PN said that Gozo must become a centre of sustainability, industrial sophistication and natural beauty. It stated that the sister island will be given a distinct socio-economic identity to build on its particular characteristics and not only those of Malta. Strong and comprehensive public services, infrastructure and governance would be improved so that there is appropriate investment in Gozo, the PN said.
Taxation and tax revenue
A fair tax system which “does not discriminate against Maltese businesses” should also be introduced, the PN said, while being built on principles that incentivize enterprises to invest increasingly in their workforce and operation. The modernisation of the taxation model should also be considered so that “Government can generate more income while maintaining the tax burden on Maltese families and Gozitans as low as possible.” The PN also promised to work for more funding from the European Union.
Public service
Public services should be independent from local and central government, the PN remarked. Furthermore, the PN said that it will continue to apply the use of technology in the way public services is delivered with a view to enabling people who work in this sector to serve people better and more efficiently.
Advanced technology and innovation
Advanced technology and innovation should be introduced in every aspect of public administration and the private sector, the PN said. It added that it wants to bring together academia, researchers, the industry and Government in order to build competences in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and the internet of things, and develop them in strong economic sectors.
A society built on wisdom
The PN proposed building on the academic and educational skills and to strengthen them by designing training and educational models to nurture local talent and attract talent from abroad. It also promised to make education a new economic sector.
National identity in a global world
The PN said that it will make a local, European and global effort to “repair the damage done to our country’s reputation” by delivering the message of “how our country cherishes the rule of law in a modern, innovative and secure jurisdiction”. The PN also promised to give “unprecedented importance” to Malta’s cultural heritage.
Population, integration and immigration
Finally, the PN proposed to formulate a policy so that the country’s infrastructure, systems and communities (local and national) be sufficiently prepared for population changes on a seasonal basis as well in the longer residential one. An immigration policy would also be introduced, they said, which would “eradicate populism and racism” and be built on methods “that while never harming life, they respect the limitations of our country’s capacity” so that everyone “can live a proper and dignified life”.