PR09/11/2009 ‘Budget with a hazy vision’ AD

Commenting on Government’s 2010 Budget, Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson,
said: ‘The Budget has a hazy vision. It has positive and negative aspects, but
all in all, it remains to be seen whether the quality of life of most low and
middle income earners shall improve. Various positive proposals are not clear,
and it remains to be seen whether they will actually be put in place.

It is positive that Government shall increase investment in education, and we
agree with Government’s direction for a more comprehensive educational system.

It is also positive that Government shall increase investment in childcare
centres, though this needs to be a national priority so as to have a proper
work-life balance. Much more needs to be done so that parents who work can have
affordable and accessible childcare services.

Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party also agrees with the help given to
small businesses in the forms of microcredits, the COLA revision and increase in
help to foster carers. The increased expenditure in research is also positive,
but we hope that this is actually carried out unlike previous years where funds
sometimes remained unspent.

On the negative side, Government has confirmed that it will keep penalizing
people who are careful in their use of water and energy, as the compensation
given is not realistic. AD believes that wasteful practices and not social needs
should be penalized.

As regards Government assistance for solar energy, it is positive that the
budget for photovoltaics has increased, though this is also not enough. But it
is negative that Government will restrict help for solar water heaters only to
certain groups, who probably do not afford such investment in the first place.
Malta needs around 50,000 solar heaters to meet its energy targets, and yet many
people who live in apartments cannot avail themselves of this type of energy.

Government is also stating that it will see how drainage waste water will be
re-used, yet fails to say how. The same can be said for Government’s vague
proposals on reduction of hospital waiting lists and the pharmacy of your choice
scheme. The country needs action, and not rhetoric.

Government has confirmed that it will encourage use of old Euro 3 buses, rather
than the cleaner Euro 5 buses.

As regards motorboats, it is ironic that Government shall reduce tariffs mostly
to those which pollute the most. This goes against the polluter pays principle.

AD – The Green Party would have liked the budget to properly address Malta’s
social, environmental and economic priorities by introducing an increase in the
minimum wage and by generating Government revenue through taxing speculation of
vacant properties (from the third vacant property onwards), taxation on Banks’
windfall profits and introducing meters for those who extract water illegally
from boreholes’.