Prime Minister Robert Abela today denied that the government is dishing out cheques and allowances because the election is approaching, stating that what is being distributed in the past weeks is been part of an ongoing programme since the general elections of March 2022.

Abela has criticised the timing of the conclusion of a magisterial inquiry into the hospitals deal, saying that it was planned to cause harm to the Labour Party. But he has then been criticised for using the government’s power of incumbency to distribute money in a bid to sway the election.

Over the past weeks, since the election campaign started, the government has distributed an income tax refund, additional COLA, and today also announced that parents whose children continue studying beyond the age of 16 will be getting another €500 this coming weekend.

But Abela does not see this as being “timed” to coincide with the election.

Abela did not agree that the government is using its position of power to influence voters, saying that “the way we worked over the past weeks is consistent with the way we worked these past years. During a pandemic we created a lot of measures to protect people’s health and the economy,” he said, mentioning the wage supplement and direct assistance for businesses, soft loans for businesses and the vouchers among others, as examples.

What Abela did not say is that, in past years for example, the tax refund was distributed in March whereas this year it was handed over in May, closer to the election.

The PM was being questioned after the government had just announced a new €500 yearly cheque for parents whose children have chosen to further their education beyond the obligatory age of 16. This €500, coincidently, will also start to be distributed this week, just two weeks before Malta goes to the polls.

Then when the war broke out, he said in reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “we guaranteed stability in energy prices. Through that we gave hundreds of millions in people’s pockets. That strategy, when international oil prices were exploding upwards, created a cushion for all that impact. From 2022 until today we have consistently, from one budget to the next, increased pensions. We also saw the highest increase in the children’s allowance in the last budget. From day to day and week to week we are continuously investing in people,” he said.

In this frame of time, the country’s debt has exploded to reach almost €10 billion, nearly half of which were accumulated since Abela took over as PM.

Further pressured about the matter, he said that the electoral manifesto contains 1,000 proposals which need to be implemented.

The PM was also asked why he said the PN was setting up a "trap" for Labour supporters who will gather in a solidarity meeting in support of Joseph Muscat next week, when the former Prime Minister will be arraigned in relation to the hospitals’ deal.

He said that he is concerned for the people because he has the best interest of citizens at heart and that the event could lead to tension. The PM also expressed concern over the possibility of people hurting each other and appealed for “responsibility in general” and for “no one to make any provocation”.

He also said that whoever, falls into the “trap” he has been mentioning all along, there are going to be repercussions for both the organisers of the trap and those falling in it

“There is currently a judicial process and we need to let it work,” he said.

Abela was also questioned on how the government is planning to mitigate the infrastructural pressures caused by three million tourists expected to come to Malta by the end of the year.

He said that the government is targeting more quality tourism in order for the sector to sustain itself. Asked whether there were any plans to cap tourist numbers or to make them pay to enter certain areas, he did not exclude it, but said that Malta will never say no to tourists.

Additionally, he said that certain numbers of tourists are needed, given that there was much investment in the sector.

The PM said that Malta is expecting a very fruitful tourism summer and that hotels owners have already noticed a difference in numbers.