The Nationalist Party presented its reaction and proposals to the Malta Vision 2050 document on Wednesday afternoon to the Minister for the Economy, Silvio Schembri. The PN has declared that Vision 2050 should be more ambitious, better prioritise people’s needs, and strive for quality over quantity.
The PN has finally presented its feedback to the government’s Vision 2050 document – the document that outlines Malta’s long-term future over the next 25 years, with a list of final objectives set for 2050.
The Nationalist Party had missed the deadline to formally submit its feedback for the Vision 2050 public consultation at the end of last month, even though the Government had accepted its request to extend this deadline from 9 September to the end of October. Since then, Prime Minister Robert Abela has made several passing remarks to note that the PN had missed this extended deadline.
In its statement, the PN said that Wednesday’s meeting with Economy Minister Schembri has been long scheduled “as part of a commitment by both sides to cooperate on a vision that truly reflects the interests of the whole nation.”
The PN believes that Vision 2050 should also provide a clear direction for a more sustainable and inclusive future, specifically one that “genuinely improves the lives of Maltese and Gozitan people.”
The Nationalist Party’s spokesperson for the economy, Jerome Caruana Cilia, declared that while the present Vision 2050 document features “several positive elements,” his political party believes that it could be much more ambitious. He said that through Vision 2050, Malta should aim to lead in key sectors, “rather than merely follow others.”
Caruana Cilia stated that while Vision 2050 includes many good objectives with strategic targets, “the primary focus must be on the quality of outcomes.”
He added that this long-term vision should outline a clearer link between the country’s economic growth and promoting “tangible improvements” in people’s daily lives, in order to reduce widening societal inequalities.
PN Deputy Leader Alex Perici Calascione stressed that Vision 2050 should leave no Maltese citizens behind, thus emphasising the importance of reaching a national consensus for the country’s way forward in the long-term.
During this meeting, George Vital Zammit presented the PN’s formal position and outlined numerous initiatives that the party believes could further strengthen the strategy.
He also went over several marked shortcomings, in the party’s opinion, “that could undermine the credibility or effectiveness of the Vision.” This included weaknesses in governance, the rule of law, social challenges like housing and inequality, and environmental targets.
One major criticism highlighted by the Nationalist Party is that Malta Vision 2050 retains the strategy of expanding the economy through population growth, instead of addressing key issues related to education, mobility, and productivity, it said.
Also present for the PN was Damien Spiteri, its Head of Secretariat of the Leader of the Opposition.