[WATCH] Finance Minister says budget addressed social challenges

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said he wanted to ensure the budget addresses the social issues faced by a number of people in society.

“I felt government did well to ensure the social aspect of this budget was addressed,” Caruana said.

The minister was speaking during a Labour Party political discussion on the Budget 2022.

Caruana said surveys carried out by the ministry showed that more than 70% of respondents said it was a “good or very good budget”.

“More than 50% said government is doing well to address environmental challenges, and the majority said government has addressed the increase in cost of living,” he said.

He said “the budget success” was down to government staying humble and listening to people’s concerns.

“If we continue to address the challenges, the government’s relevance increases, and we can do so because people believe in us,” Caruana said.

Addressing the event, Labour Party President Ramona Attard said Opposition leader Bernard Grech’s criticism on the budget was unfair.

“People don’t want polarizing arguments, people expect a realistic reaction. Criticism has to be constructive,” Attard said.

She said that if Grech was Prime Minister, “he wouldn’t increase stipends, he wouldn’t increase pensions, he wouldn’t implement free public transport, because for him it’s a waste of money.”

“When in government, and were faced by challenges, the Nationalist Party adopted austerity measures, and went as far as taxing minimum wage,” she said. “He has no respect for people, because the budget is a result of people’s sacrifices.”

Minister Aaron Farrugia said government presented a long-term vision for the environment.

He said the budget looked to present and implement measures which cover a range of sectors.

“The environment is not just trees, but the circular economy, its waste management, its planning,” he said.

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri praised the PM’s work, saying that while other larger countries are still suffering from the pandemic’s effects, Malta is starting to look forward.

“Yet after the pandemic we presented such a strong budget. This was possible through the PM’s leadership,” he said. “Good news for the country is bad news for the PN.”