Less than 1,000 people are now registering for work, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday as he promised that his government would continue to sustain the employment sector.
Addressing a mass rally in front of Castille to commemorate Worker’s Day, Abela said that this is the kind of news that is worthy of being shared on this day.
“Today I am determined more than before to remain a force in favour of workers, work and its creation” he said.
Speaking about the situation pertaining to the war in Ukraine and the price rises which have come as a result, Abela said that his Cabinet closed deals with flour and grain importers in order to keep prices out of control.
Abela said that the government will be making a direct investment worth millions in order to alleviate importation duties in an effort to keep price inflation of essentials under control.
He said that the government is keeping a close eye on what is happening in Europe and is managing the country’s finances very diligently.
Abela said that when compared to the rest of Europe, Malta had only seen half of the inflation in prices of what other countries are experiencing.
He added that this was not the case back in 2008, as Malta, then under a Nationalist government, had the highest rate of inflation when compared to other European countries.
Speaking about the country’s debt, Abela said that Malta’s debt to GDP ratio is still below 60%.
The Prime Minister said that a strong economy is the basis to accomplish everything that the PL proposed before the election, such as its environmental proposals, the improvement of pensions, and a guarantee for a better future for children.
He reminded that as from Monday many of the Covid-19 restrictions will come to an end, and said that, despite some not wanting this, the current government wants to return to “normality with responsibility.”
“We have been clear that while we are going to do everything necessary to take care of the nation’s health, we also want to give people their lives back; we want tourists to come back, businesses not to be hindered, and people to enjoy time spent outside with their family,” said Abela.
He added that in facing the new challenges that the world is facing, the PL wants to be a motor that generates and promotes wealth.
When comparing what workers had to face in the past, he said that today having a job is not considered as a privilege but rather a right as “nowadays people are provided with more opportunities to find work, and thus an opportunity to increase their quality of life.”
The PM assured the crowd that such job opportunities are not going to stop, whilst reminding that foreign investment is ever increasing, given that lately some €300 million has been invested in the country to create new opportunities.
Speaking on behalf of the government he said that it wants to give more importance to the education sector, as it is creating more jobs and it wants more people to benefit from these jobs.
He added that whilst in the past the manufacturing sector has been categorised as a dead industry, it is now one of the economic pillars which the country depends on. He cited the specialised printing industry as one example of a manufacturing industry which has thrived in recent years.
Another sector which has also benefitted from an investment was the aviation sector in its repairs department, Abela said.
The PM also said that Malta is now one of the leading countries when it comes to the microchipping and start-up businesses. He added that the sector of research and innovation is one of the economic niches which is generating economic growth.
Addressing the crowd, Abela said that the PL government will be with the nation in every step of the way, ready to face every challenge and not ignore the pleas of the public.
“The solutions are not easy but we are taking a series of decisions that will allow us to look forward. That is the difference between the PN’s administration and ours: in their case, the source of the people’s pain was the government itself, while a PL government is the people’s source of support,” he said.