The Nationalist Party expressed its full solidarity with the 140 employees of Carlo Gavazzi Limited and their families, who are currently facing uncertainty and hardship following the company's decision to shut down its operations in Malta.
"This decision by Carlo Gavazzi to close its doors in Malta and lay off its workforce is a clear sign of the instability that is hitting the manufacturing sector in our country - a vital sector that makes a significant contribution to the Gross Domestic Product and the creation of quality jobs."
"For years, the Labour Government has spoken about the importance of manufacturing and the supposed investments it was making. Yet the facts show otherwise. This is a Government that promises a lot and delivers little. It has failed to retain existing companies, let alone attract new ones, and has not created a single new sector in our economy capable of generating quality jobs. This is a stark demonstration of failure in both industrial policy and national vision."
"The Government continues to turn a blind eye to Malta's serious competitiveness challenges. Its failure to invest in technology and innovation is reducing productivity and leaving us at a greater disadvantage as a small island economy that must compete on a global stage," the PN.
"Instead of using public funds to strengthen our businesses through investment in strategic sectors and to help companies embrace new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and automation, the Labour Government prefers to squander taxpayers' money on empty consultancies and jobs-for-the-boys, as seen in the cases of Chris Cardona and Neville Gafà," the PN said.
"By contrast, the PN reaffirms its commitment and pledges to channel national funds seriously into technological advancement, innovation and automation. This is how more quality jobs will be created, existing companies retained, and new businesses attracted to Malta," it said.
The PN said that the lack of government investment in training workers with the skills demanded by industry is evident "and was even highlighted by the company itself." The PN promised that unprecedented investment will be made to provide workers with every opportunity to develop and acquire new skills.
"This will ensure access to high-value jobs, while also providing the necessary financial support for workers to invest in their own future, the future of their families, and the future of the country. The Government now has the opportunity to adopt the Opposition's proposal to invest directly in these workers."
The PN believes that the manufacturing sector in Malta can and should remain a pillar of growth and prosperity, but said that this can only be achieved through serious leadership, a clear vision, and concrete action.
The PN statement was signed by Joe Giglio, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Capital Projects; Ivan Castillo, Shadow Minister for the Maritime Sector, Social Dialogue, and the Fight Against the Rising Cost of Living, and Jerome Caruana Cilia, Shadow Minister for the Economy and Enterprise