Government has lost all sense of priorities, PD says

The Partit Demokratiku (PD) criticised the government over social housing yesterday, stating that it “has not embarked on the construction of a single housing unit when in each budget since 2015, €50 million has always been set aside for this purpose.”

The PD said in a statement that the works had never started. “With all the boasting of a surplus and all the funds obtained through the sale of Maltese passports, one would have expected otherwise.”

The PD said that the Labour Government, historically known for its social conscience, has forgotten its roots.

The government had no problem employing 700 persons of trust at €30 million a year, the PD said, had no problem finding funds to “bail out Gaffarena and Premier to the tune of around €7.6million, no problem doubling the size of the cabinet at an added cost of €6 million a year, passing on €55 million to Vitals Global Healthcare with nothing to show for it, giving the db Group a plot of land worth over €200 million at today’s rates for €15 million, and signing a contract causing fuel hedging losses of €14 million, paying €30 million per annum extra to buy gas from brokers at pre-agreed prices.”

“The above amount to €490 million in five years,” the PD said.

“But the people, especially those who are struggling, should be grateful that government will be rolling out the first units within two years, that is, a full seven years after being elected. The people are expected to be grateful for the €60 tax rebate they are being given with so much pomp by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna. This rebate does not even cover the recent hike in fuel prices, let alone the rise in bread and other staples. It is high time that government gave an account of its financial priorities,” the PD added