The Nationalist Party, if elected to government, pledges to cut down income tax to €15% on the first €500,000 profit made by businesses, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said Monday.

This was one of the proposals put forward by the PN as it seeks to come up with a more modern taxation model that will be of an incentive to businesses to continue investing, while at the same time reducing taxes.

Grech said that people who end up unemployed will be receiving the minimum wage for up to 12 months, while at the same time offering them the possibility of retraining.

The PN wants to tackle poverty and social exclusion head on, aiming to stop the increase in the number of people who end up below the poverty line.

The party will also work to address the "devastating" effects that the increase in the cost of living is having on many families.

The PN will also see that 50,000 square metres of public land - roughly the size of seven football pitches - is included as a outside development zone, and for this to be reversed, there should be a 2/3 consensus in Parliament. Such a consensus will also be needed for land which is already ODZ.

A scheme of support for workers and the self-employed who have had to stop working due to illnesses will include financial benefits, support as well as personalized therapy if needed, Grech said.

He added that the PN believes in the radical transformation of the environment of the country, where with his politics favouring conservation, the party will create alliances with NGOs and groups for the environment, to ensure the matter is of integral importance to Malta.

€10,000 spread over the course of 5 years will be given to families who decide to get rid of their old personal vehicles to reduce the number of vehicles powered by fuel in the roads, Grech said. Asked by the media regarding proper infrastructure to be built in Maltese roads for the safety of cyclists, Grech confirmed that with the reduction of vehicles on the road, roads will be safer for cyclists.

VAT refunds will also be given to home and business owners amounting up to €3,000 a year, which can increase to up to €6,000 a year in the case of pensioners or persons with disabilities in the household.

Grech was asked what he thinks should be done regarding the the VGH deal, to which he further affirmed that Prime Minister Robert Abela’s government is one incapable of making decisions. He said that the public needs a government who makes decisions and affirmed that under a Nationalist government, the deal with Steward will be eliminated, and those currently working within Steward will not remain unemployed. Grech also said that there needs to be further investment in the Gozo General Hospital.

 

The question was asked after The Malta Independent on Sunday reported that Vitals Global Healthcare had used public funds for automobiles and apartments. This newsroom also reported that Steward Health Care, when taking over the concession, had to reconstruct years of general ledger accounts and audits that had not been done by VGH.