Another year, another strategic budget | Chris Bonett

Every budget in a legislature counts, and this one is no exception. As the Finance Minister presented the budget speech yesterday, we are reminded that social democratic Malta wants investment that reaches every corner of our society and improves our daily lives. 

Consistent economic growth ultimately equates to a better quality of life for the Maltese islands. However, just because the numbers add up, that does not mean that our work stops here. When it comes to our infrastructure, continued investment in every facet of our work – improving accessibility, modernity and efficiency – is the ultimate priority in this year’s budget. 

When one looks at Malta through a prism, our biggest and perhaps, our most underrated commodity is the Mediterranean Sea that wraps our shores. After making public transport free for all in the last legislature, we will now extend this scheme to boats that operate between Valletta and Birgu and Sliema.

We will conduct a studied approach on designing transport corridors that connect the north of Malta by maritime transport with the rest of the public transport available on land. This, combined with continued investment in the islands’ fast ferry service and planned underground parking lots closer to ferry access points means we can rely on maritime transport as a reliable and sustainable source of transportation. 

But our focus on sustainability and pollution management should not be restricted only to the blue economy. Indeed, the launch of the recent ‘Vjal Kulħadd’ scheme is a testament to the Labour government’s dual focus on mitigating town pollution and strengthening our communities. This can also been soon through a new project which will see a revitalised green lung in Gzira’s Council of Europe Gardens.  

The use of technology to manage the country’s traffic and monitor air quality is also a main focus of this budget. Technological advances mean that all aspects of transport operations are improved but these are also not immune from potential cybersecurity challenges. The budget will see an investment in the Intelligent Traffic Management System, a tried and tested system that deploys AI and monitors traffic influxes at specific hours of the day and optimises traffic routes. Coupled with this, in the coming days, we will put forward initiatives that can decrease traffic congestion during peak traffic hours and look at reducing the number of cars as a theme in future measures. 

After Monday’s speech, the people of Malta will come off feeling they genuinely have a social democratic budget to look forward to. One that remains loyal to the party’s 2022 manifesto, but more importantly, one that focuses on longevity and sustainability. 

Chris Bonett is Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Transport