‘Bernard Grech wants to see Malta greylisted’ – Robert Abela

PN leader Bernard Grech is inviting the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to grey-list Malta, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday, as he expressed his “great disappointment” at a letter sent by the PN to the FATF.

Abela was asked on Sunday in an interview on Labour Party media about a letter sent by Grech to the FATF as news emerged that Malta may be grey-listed, where he promised that a PN government would fix Malta’s economic reputation.

“If you analyse the Opposition leader’s letter, the last paragraph effectively means that Bernard Grech is inviting the FATF to greylist our country. If he’s doing that on purpose or he just doesn’t know how the process works is not up to me to judge; but if you read the last paragraph of that letter – that’s what it means,” Abela said.

The paragraph in question from Grech’s letter is as follows: “As a government in waiting, we stand determined to do all in our competence to ensure the continuation and upscaling of current efforts to align to financial scrutiny rules under the direction of FATF and to promote financial transparency and integrity as a policy priority both in our roles within the European Union and beyond.”

Abela said that he was shocked at the letter, saying that in a sensitive period of the evaluation where they should be united, the Opposition was instead calling on the FATF to grey-list the country.

“We are changing systems and regulations which have been in place long before 2013, problems which those before us pushed under the carpet – even just based on that they should be supporting us!”, Abela said.

He questioned why the letter was sent: “Why, as a political party, would you damage your country? I’d like to debate Bernard Grech on what his vision is for the country, as I’m yet to see anything about that.”

Abela said however that he would leave negativity to “others” as he feels that the people are behind him to keep bringing about the necessary change to the country.

Planning Authority needs to take development decisions ‘holistically’ not just in line with policy – Abela

Abela also spoke about the environment during his interview, particularly referring to the need for “intelligent choices” in the planning sphere.

He said that the environment and development need to live in harmony with each other – much like, he said, the Government had created harmony between health and the economy during the pandemic.

“We need to make intelligent choices. If the Planning Authority is accepting a permit, it needs to look at the aesthetics as well, not just whether the proposal is in line with development policies,” he said.

“It could be that the project is in line with all the policies but, when you see it in the context of the road, there is no visual harmony whatsoever”, Abela said.

He said that the Government’s planned €500 million investment in industrial infrastructure around the country has to serve as a “template” for how development can take place in a holistic and environmentally conscious manner.

Abela was also asked about the country’s reduction in emission targets, wherein he stated that the two sectors which need the most focus in this regard are the transport sector and the construction sector.

On the former, he said that the Government iss already incentivizing a shift between Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and electric or hybrid vehicles, adding that incentivization is the way forward rather than adding more financial weight onto people’s shoulders.

Likewise, in the construction sector, Abela said that a scheme from the last Budget where contractors could apply for funds to make their vehicles more environmentally friendly had been snapped up, and that this was further evidence of the direction which the Government wants to take the country in.

Abela also touched upon the subject of education – one of the five pillars of the Government’s economic strategy for the next decade, saying that the Government wanted to address early school leaving and promote the concept of lifelong education.

The Government, he said, wants to improve educational opportunities for those in lower spheres of society, improve the methods used in the education sector, improve the quality of courses, and give the necessary support to adults so that they can take informed decisions on their education.