The budget contains a number of contradictions, ADPD says

The budget contains a number of contradictions, ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo, said.

“It is good that the government will invest heavily in an afforestation project in the Inwadar Park - limits of Marsaskala, an area that the government recently wanted to develop into a university. The government has been forced by public opinion to change these plans. On the one hand however, government will encourage afforestation, but on the other it plans to ruin Marsascala Bay by converting it into a yacht marina.”

“It is all well and good to plan improvements in industrial areas, something which is referred to year on year. But it doesn’t make sense for the scarce industrial land in Ħal Far to be taken up for car racing.”

“It is good that various measures have been announced to aid farmers, but then why didn’t government also help farmers when roads were planned in farmland in Attard? Are farmers only ‘helped’ on the eve of an election?”

“This budget, while offering various benefits, does not directly address the outstanding problem of a decent minimum wage. Repeated Caritas studies show that the minimum wage must be substantially increased to become a decent living wage which lifts people out of poverty. Earlier this year, the European Union launched a draft Directive for consultation on establishing a uniform way in which the minimum wage should be calculated throughout the Union. An analysis of this Directive leads to similar conclusions reached by Caritas in Malta. The minimum wage needs to rise substantially. The Maltese government is opposing all this.”

“If the government believes what it says, it should change course and see to it that the minimum wage is one on which people can live decently. Once again, the budget has failed to solve the issue of the workingpoor,” the ADPD said.

“Finally, we are pleased that the Minister for Finance said that he will not tolerate delays in the payment of taxes. Is he going to lead by example and start by ensuring that the Labour Party’s and the Nationalist Party’s private companies, which have millions of Euros in arrears, pay their dues? Can we really and truly believe him when he says that he will not tolerate delays from anyone?”