There was no mention of a mass transport system in the budget announcement, despite Prime Minister Robert Abela saying that enacting one would be feasible, PN Leader Alex Borg said in his initial reaction to the 2026 Budget.

It seems that Finance Minister Clyde Caruana got his way, Borg said.

Giving his thoughts on the budget announcement, Borg remarked that everyone needs to be safeguarded and that no one should be left behind, as he commented that Budget 2026 has various shortcomings.

Borg said that the budget has no solution for overpopulation and that the government will continue to focus the economy on increasing the population. He also said that the €4.66 COLA increase will not help people face the rising cost of living and property. Additionally, he spoke of how capital expenditure on infrastructure has been reduced by €100 million, which he described as a certificate of serious shortcomings that need to be addressed.

The Opposition Leader said that the PN will address such shortcomings so that there is wealth for everyone, and not the few.

He said that the government partially adopted a PN proposal to support families who have a second child, but remarked that the PN's proposal would have gone further, as he said that more should be done to help alleviate the pressure on families.

Borg commented that the budget includes positive measures, but added that the PN will offer its vision so that everyone would be safeguarded and so that any shortcomings are addressed.

The PN Leader said that under Abela, Malta's national debt will have tripled to €14 billion by 2028. He also spoke of how the budget made no mention of various projects related to Gozo, including a new hospital, a new court, and the Marsalforn breakwater. He added that there was no mention of interconnectivity between Malta and Gozo.

Borg questioned what the government would do to address overpopulation, and reiterated calls for a labour market study, which he said would provide an idea of where to go and what to improve. He also questioned how the government intends to address inflation in property prices in order for there to be more affordable accommodation.