This was a different Budget to what the country has grown accustomed to from a Labour government.

Rather than offering a gift-giving bonanza, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana stood up in Parliament and took aim at some of the issues which the Maltese are most unhappy with – and those are over-population and over-tourism.

With regards to the latter, Caruana had already mooted that it was perhaps time to look at the tourist sector and make adjustments – but the scale of the adjustments will have come as a shock, particularly to the industry itself.

This is as the eco-contribution paid by tourists will increase from €1.50 per person per night to €8 per person per night for those staying in hotels and €10 per person per night for those staying in short-lets.

The eco-contribution paid by tourists arriving on cruise liners will also increase to €10, there will be a new €5 eco-contribution to be paid by tourists visiting Comino, and ticket prices for the Gozo fast ferry and Gozo Channel will increase.

These are notable and significant increases – and they very clearly aim to target the now unsustainable masses of tourism that the country attracts, and essentially make them open their wallets in order to sustain the country.

Supporters will say that it is the sector paying up for strains to the country’s infrastructure and quality of life that it has caused, while critics will say that it is targeting what is one of Malta’s most lucrative economic sectors.

Likewise, there has been a target put on Third Country Nationals.

If the measure that all TCNs that are not long-term residents will no longer be able to take advantage of free public transport was reported on Sunday was greeted with raised eyebrows from some quarters – then the announced measure that the same restrictions will apply free childcare, an atypical work benefit, and the government’s so-called super bonus as well.  Even driving licences will be subject to a huge €83 monthly fee for TCNs.

Furthermore, there will be an increase to the fee for new applications for single work permits for TCNs from €600 to €800 and the introduction of a new tariff as a “contribution for the infrastructure” of €400 which must be paid by both individual new applicants and those renewing their work permit.

The message to TCNs is clear: be ready to pay your way and sustain yourself, or else leave.

Caruana told Parliament that the measures with regards to TCNs will generate around €126 million and the measures on the tourist sector will generate around €195 million.

This means that these measures alone will pay for over two-thirds of the government’s main expenditure from this Budget: the continuation of the energy subsidies.

However major question marks remain on other areas. 

Caruana’s Budget speech was uncharacteristically short, and also bereft of details in a lot of significant sectors which require significant investment: be it education, transport, Gozo, the environment, culture, sports, housing and a host of other areas.

It is understood that details will be announced in the days and weeks that are to come by the individual ministers – something which shows even more that the government’s priorities are simple: sustain things such as pensions, pre-agreed minimum wage increase and income tax cuts, and generate the money for that in ways that will not directly touch Maltese pockets.

But at the same time it also indicates that we might not be expecting any great increases to things such as stipends, alternative mobility, or housing grants – with the latter particularly a concern for younger generations struggling to contend with property prices that are skyrocketing.

It is a Budget that has definitely pandered to the sentiments of a significant chunk of people: sentiments revolving around the simple notion that there are too many people in the country.

Will we, however, see any tangible new investments beyond the much-spoken-about super-bonus and the all-important energy subsidies?  Those following Caruana’s speech and hoping for an answer to that question will have come out disappointment.

It remains to be seen whether the coming days and weeks will offer any such answers.