Quality means investing in the future, but the government is doing the opposite. ADPD The Green Party said Saturday. 

Instead of investing in a stable, shock-proof economy and improving the quality of life of the people, the government is hanging on to subsidies that were essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the result that hundreds of millions of euros in subsidies are now being wasted. 

Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that while saying that it wants 'quality', government is failing to invest in the future and for future generations. "When borrowing money is done with a sound economic and social plan in mind, used for long-term investment for the benefit of present and future generations, you have a very important tool.  However, what is happening is this. Despite the fact that the pandemic is now a thing of the past, the government is still borrowing to pay subsidies on fuel and electricity, for everybody and all sectors, irrespective of use, waste and lack of efficiency in the use of energy.  This leads to misuse or waste of resources and more pollution." 

Borrowing for recurrent expenses and borrowing to spend money for the purchase of foreign-sourced resources is simply an economic loss for the country, she said.  The Minister of Finance has told us that our national debt has gone up another billion euro, and by the end of 2025 it will be close to 12 billion Euro.  In spite of this debt, as an EU country, Malta can be found at the bottom of the list when it comes to renewable energy.  We have wasted hundreds of million of Euros on roads and flyovers which have not solved any traffic problems, she added.  We have not seen investment in public transport, such as our proposal for a Bus Rapid Transit system, that reserves whole routes on roads for the exclusive passage of public transport.  And in spite of this huge debt, we remain a country heavily dependent on fossil fuels." 

"While the changes in income tax brackets may help low-income earners, true reform lies in having the minimum wage becoming a living wage to allow earners to live in dignity.  With nearly 12 billion euros in debt, one would have expected the government to find ways of making up for uncollected tax by introducing reforms in other taxes, in particular focusing on those sectors that received heavy subsidies and made huge profits during the pandemic," Gauci said. 

This is especially important in these times where we are witnessing the catastrophic effects of climate change in Mediterranean countries, and such emergencies cannot be ignored.  Sources of additional government income could include polluting activities, closing capital gains tax loopholes, taxing the use of private jets and yachts. This income should be used to really invest in the future, additionally such taxation can be used to push investment and business in a carbon neutral direction. Instead government chooses to support waste, pollution and business as usual, she said.