The Nationalist Party continued to raise concerns over the rising cost of living, saying that people have resorted to using self-checkout machines at supermarkets to avoid the embarrassment of asking cashiers to remove items they cannot afford.

In a press conference Tuesday, PN MP Janice Abela Chetcuti and PN Secretary General Michael Piccinino criticised government for failing to address the higher cost of living, and for not adopting the PN's solutions to address the matter.

Abela Chetcuti said that the PN is closely following a study which indicates a 37% increase in the prices of essential daily products such as milk, dairy products, and other staples.

"This worries me, as there are people who find it difficult to make a daily meal," Abela Chetcuti said.

She continued that people from all ages and walks of life have said that they have resorted to using self-checkout while shopping, to avoid getting embarrassed that they may have shopped over their budget.

Abela Chetcuti said that once they reached their Budget, they would return the remaining items in their cart.

"One cannot not empathise, and this is a reality which we all face," she said.

She continued that people are also choosing to have less children as they cannot afford the expenses which come with having children.

"The PN is not only being vociferous for these people who are going through these types of situations, but also for us, who also experience the higher cost of living. We must give this matter more importance," Abela Chetcuti said.

Piccinino said that government has failed the country as the rising cost of living is not considered a priority.

He said that in the past weeks, despite several price increases in various basic products, government has refused to adopt the solutions the PN proposed to help the public.

Among those are removing tax from the Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA), aid to employers, exporters and importers, and a new economic model which provides quality jobs, Piccinino said.

He continued that the Opposition proposed these solutions as public interest is of priority.

Meanwhile, government is preoccupied with protecting itself, by passing laws which protect its Ministers (the magisterial inquiry reform).

He said government has failed as it has the responsibility to protect the public but has focused all its time in addressing its own problems.

Piccinino appealed to the public to attend next Sunday's protest, raise its voice and demand that government addresses the country's problems.