Bernard Grech Promised To Make Malta Home To Technical Giants Like Facebook And Google
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech this evening promised to make Malta a hub for internet giants such as Amazon, Facebook and Google, as he set out the Nationalist Party’s vision for the future.
Grech announced a number of tax incentives to be introduced by the PN government, such as the abolition of the tax on every reinvented profit in companies and their workers.
He compared Malta to a restaurant that had developed a bad reputation but was now under new management, while insisting that the PN’s vision was one based on more responsible governance and an emphasis on people’s quality of life.
“We will pay for the proposals we have put forward,” said Grech, insisting that a new PN government have the credibility to restore Malta’s reputation.
He said the PN was already talking to governments and foreign investors. “We’re going to hit the running ground.”
Addressing Parliament this evening in response to last week’s budget, Grech passed a number of proposals put forward by the party ahead of a quick potential election next month.
There have been many rumors that Prime Minister Robert Abela will announce a general election in the coming days, with Grech’s speech serving as the launch of a manifesto for the party.
Government only interested in the words of the words
During his speech, Grech confidently accused the government of focusing only on buzzwords and low hanging fruits and of not being able to offer a coherent vision to the country.
“People can see through you and understand that this is a government that is all bluff and no substance,” Grech accused, recalling how Malta set itself up as a blockchain island had been a flop.
The government had similarly promised to monitor a changeover with the country for electric vehicles but failed to install the 200 charging points that were promised.
PN government, Grech said, will keep a number of proposals announced by the government, including those related to part-time work, to give more medicines to people for free, as well as the promise to change the way with which water and electricity bills were calculated.
However, he said that the Maltese economy needs more courage than that shown by the Minister of Finance Clyde Caruana.
25% increase in wages of essential workers
He welcomed the government’s promise to increase stipends, but said the PN would go one step further and increase wages in key sectors such as nursing and education by 25%, in order to incentivize more students to pursue careers. It has also promised to offer all young people over 16 € 500 grants to travel to any European city in order to broaden their horizons.
He said that the PN government also sees to it that employers who choose to invest in the education of their employees benefit from tax credits.
On the government’s proposal to introduce free public transport, Grech said that while the proposal was positive, it also reflects the government’s lack of a clear vision on transport. “We first spent € 700 million on the roads, then we were told they want a metro, and now it’s free public transport.”
The Leader of the Opposition also promised to increase the limit for the 25% tax category of the country from € 60,000 to € 80,000.
Nothing about greylisting in the 2022 Budget
Grech accused the government of presenting the nation with a budget that was only meant to come to the next election, and that it did not think about future challenges, such as the greylisting of the country.
In addition to restoring Malta’s reputation, he also proposed setting up a specialized unit to assist the private sector with new due diligence requirements, while insisting that it was not unfair to expect local professionals. make up for the effects of government. corruption.
Money saved from direct orders to go to the frontliners
One of the many segments of the population that was ignored by the government budget, Caruana said, was the country’s front lines.
Grech promised that when elected, he would cancel some € 14 million in contracts for trusted people and give the money to the country’s frontliners as a bonus.
“This money comes from the money you are currently wasting on trusted people, in an unprecedented investment in waste,” Grech said.
A two-thirds majority required for ODZ land to be granted
Grech said that of all the government’s environmental proposals, the proposed afforestation project in Marsaskala was the only one that responded to a real need.
“It is good that despite the fact that they have spent eight years trying to destroy our environment and urban centers. Now because they did a few focus groups they noticed that people are sick and tired. Well, better late than never, ”said Grech.
Grech pointed out that the identified area was right next to the Żonqor point, which had been given to the Sadeen Group for the construction of the American University of Malta.
PN government includes the land given to Sadeen in the afforestation project. You also see that giving a ODZ land in the same way would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
He also stressed that the construction of solar farms on agricultural land would not be tolerated under a PN government.
At the end of the day, Grech said, all Maltese citizens and businesses wanted equal conditions and a chance to succeed. A PN government was the only one that could provide the country with a holistic vision, which was not only based on greed and the desire to make more money, and which emphasized the importance of quality good life for all.
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