PN to publish costings to electoral proposals on Monday

Speaking on Radio 101 this morning, Prime Minister and PN leader Lawrence Gonzi outlined the main aspects of his party's 125 electoral proposals, which were approved last night by the PN's general council.

He said that for the first time in Malta's political history, the country is being presented with a detailed and costed electoral programme.

"We will be presenting all our costings during a press conference next Monday," Gonzi said, adding that the theme chosen for the electoral programme - 'A Further Leap in Quality' - has been built on a fundamental principle: solid finances.

Gonzi stressed that unless the country had sound finances, no proposals of this sort could have ever been made.

"We just cannot be irresponsible and shoot from our hip, make wild promises, which are unaffordable or worse, made when there is no money to pay it," Gonzi said.

He said that the press conference on Monday will demonstrate that the PN's proposals are "reliable and doable."

Explaining some of the major points which emerge from the electoral proposals, Gonzi said that when a voter will attend the polling station on March 9, he will have an important choice before him on whom to trust with the best vision and policy for the country in the next five years.

Tablets

Gonzi made it clear that contrary to Muscat's frivolous tablet give-away, a PN government was aiming to give all students and teachers, in public and private schools, a tablet which will be loaded with their curriculum.

"We are not handing games, but a real study tool," Gonzi said.

Property transfer

The Prime Minister said that the PN was proposing to keep the Budget measure that no stamp duty is to be paid on transfers of residences as inheritance or donation to children, and another proposal actually widens that measure to all properties.

Contributions

Gonzi said that workers who opt to work only part-time can pay an adjusted pro-rata national insurance contribution to improve their pension. Secondly, those who work full time and part time can opt to raise their contribution and have a higher pension.

Those under 25 and the long-term unemployed who open a business will not pay a single cent in tax  for two years and their national insurance will be credited to them. These benefits will be extended to three years for Gozitans and all women.

Gozitans who open a business and employ at least two people can also have additional incentives.

Pensions

On pensions, the Prime Minister said a PN government has been cautiously but gradually addressing the injustice caused to those who had their overseas services pension deducted because of the two-thirds pension scheme. "Such deductions would stop," he stressed.

Gonzi said that the PN was now proposing that pensioners who paid for a private pension would now receive a full pension, along with the state pension. 

With regard to those who commuted their Treasury Pension, the party which was commuted would no longer be deducted from the social security pension.

The PN was also promising improvement to a range of other allowances, such as the Widows Pension. Widows/widowers who lost their pension on remarriage would again be eligible for it.