Fort Campbell will be restored and will become an open space for Maltese and Gozitan families, Prime Minister Robert Abela has said.

Abela said that after the massive environmental projects of Manoel Island and White Rocks to become parks, in recent days he thought to give a third site to the people, Fort Campbell.

He said that these projects are possible because the country has a strong economy, "to the extent that we will exit the excessive deficit procedure ahead of the deadline set with the European Commission," a statement by the Labour Party said.

Abela made the announcement in an interview with Times of Malta editor Herman Grech.

Abela said that while the 26 European leaders are looking at how to attract investment to their country, the Maltese economy continues to grow so much that the Government will deliver €9.3 million worth of measures through the Budget for next year. The Prime Minister said that people welcomed the Budget positively, as it is the budget that will leave money in their pockets.

He explained how in the first month of next year people will start experiencing the tax cut that maximizes in three years, and over 25 years a middle class couple will save up to €250,000.

Abela said that he experiences the people's sentiment everyday, through meetings with people from different backgrounds, like for example families, elderly people and entrepreneurs, and the majority are telling him that they will be benefitting a lot from the Budget, more than expected.

Abela said that the people continue to believe that it is the Labour Party that can address the country's challenges and the Government's priority will remain to further improve the current situation, by offering better education, more free time, and improved quality of life.

One of the main objectives of the Malta Vision 2050 is to measure life satisfaction and therefore the Government will continue to work to address the challenges like for example affordable housing, traffic, and foreign workers, he said. Asked about foreign workers, the Prime Minister replied that the aim of the Labour Migration Policy is to have foreign workers in sectors where needed, the PL said.

He added that this policy will oblige foreign workers to know basic Maltese language and employers will not be allowed to reinstate new workers if they dismiss those who have hired. He referred to AI as an important tool to address the challenge of foreign workers, and mentioned the case of a private old people's home that is developing a constant watch pilot project instead of adding foreign healthcare workers, explore the use of AI without compromising the quality of service.

Abela said that the Government is giving priority to the projects of the Emergency Department building and the Mental Health Hospital adjacent to Mater Dei, the continuation of the Ħal Far motor racing track, and the completion of the horse race track. He added that he wants the Government led by him to be remembered for other projects such as the regeneration of the Grand Harbour, and the three environmental projects of Manoel Island, White Rocks, and Fort Campbell, and will therefore be focused on their realisation in the near future.

Abela said that a Prime Minister's role is better understood by experiencing it and responsibility does not ease with each passing day. He said that the Government must continue to grow the country's economy to support measures such as the tax cuts and other measures in the wake of international challenges that are taking place abroad.