Opposition would approve IIP 'if PN amendments are accepted' - Busuttil

Nationalist Party ready to approve Individual Investor Programme if its proposed amendments are taken on board by the government, Simon Busuttil says.

Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil
Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil

The Individual Investor Programme would enjoy the Opposition's approval if the government were to change the legal notice according to the PN's proposed amendments, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said.

Addressing the media after a meeting with the Attard Local Council, Busuttil said that although the government's IIP was endorsed by the EU Commission, the government was not abiding by the agreement, in particular on the 12-month effective residency.

It is sitll unclear what a 12-month effective residency means, but the amendments proposed by the Opposition seek to ensure that the applicants and their dependents give adequate proof that they actually lived in Malta for twelve months.

"It is only natural that should the government address our concerns by adopting the amendments, we are ready to vote in favour of the legal notice in Parliament," Busuttil said.

He reiterated that as the IIP is today, the citizenship programme was not in the national interest. "We will continue to oppose it unless the amendments are carried out," he said.

Asked on the presidency, the PN leader said the Prime Minister had not yet consulted him.

"It seems that everyone is informed except the Opposition," Busuttil said.

The Nationalist leader called on the Attard local council, where he met the councillors who on their part voiced their concern on financial limits that the council had to face.

Busuttil acknowledged this and said that local councils will be successful only if they are given adequate financial resources that would enable them to carry out their competences. 

“A reduction in money allocated to the councils, as was done in the last budget, will only serve to hinder the council’s work.”

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I will approve if you do it my way. Who needs your approval? We have the blessing of the EU. That is enough, we don't need your blessing. Remember one thing Simon, you are in opposition with a nine members deficit. So shut up and don't try to blackmail the government and hold him at ransom. We don't need your approval.
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Jekk ser nibqghu sejrin hekk qatt mhu ser naslu - Issa inhallu lil gvern prezenti jahdem bil kwiet bla tenzjoni ghalxejn!!
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Kemm tifilhu tkunu iktar kumidjanti.
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Morru ndifnu ghax qed iddahhqu l-Malta kollha bil-hmerijiet li qed tghamlu. F'sena shiha ghadna ma smajniex nitfa sens minghand l-Opposizzjoni. Veru Opposizzjoni tal-vavi!
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Skusani Dottore, but whoever is asking for your approval? Nobody is. And the last one......after hearing a million press conferences, declarations, etc., is the sale of passports suddenly ok now, if approved by you? Kutrumbajsa first class.
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Mark Fenech
Ara veru trid tkun arroganti biex taghmel dan l-istatement. Imma kif ma jistħux, u dawn għandhom 9 deputati anqas mill-gvern. Nies arroganti kontu u hekk tibqgħu taħsbu li Alla ħalaq lilkom biex tmexxu l-pajjiż, u issa kulħadd induna kemm il-poplu Malti kien żbaljat meta ghal kważi 25 sena ħalla l-pajjiż fidejkom.
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Simon Metsola and Casa went to Brussels and all they got was a lousy (not T shirt) but a lousy rebuff!
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Il-Gvern ghandu jghid le ghat-tuzzana emendi li jrid Simon biex ikompli ifixkel. Jekk irid jista iqabbad lil Metsola u Casa biex jigzawna...imma dan mhux se jaghmlu: ghax Brussels bezqitlu fis-sunnara! Losers can't move forward: they are stuck in their past!
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Ga bdejt tilghaq it-trab tal-hsara li ppruvajtu taghmlu lil pajjizna Malta. So you are after prostitutes now. Shame on you Simon. You are no longer afraid of terrorists now. Shame on you Simon.
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Il-poplu xeba bil-buzullotti tan-Nazzjonalisti. Mexxi Joseph ghax interess wiehed ghandhom li jfixxklu l-program tal-Gvern!
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PNers must be ruing the day they appointed this "bravu vavu", (sounds nicer than clown)!!!
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Dear Dr.Simon unfortunately for your stupidity over the I I P scheme, you will never be associated with its success and the prosperity it will generate, but rather how you continued to subversively try to stop its implementation at all costs. Too late now sorry
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Can you tell us who is governing this country please Dr Busutill the P.N. or P.L. lets the good work continued by the present government do its toll and why you always moan day by day and with this attitudes you presenting time will tell.
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GET LOST SIMON YOU SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IS WHAT IN POLITICS
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Is this April fools day ? let us be Simon and PN dont make us laugh too much or we will end up at mater dei hospital.Simon and his shambled clan of PN activists should be ashamed to show their faces in public! And should not make anymore press conferences with this kind of cheapish joker motivated politics.
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Illum il gvern ghandu l-barka ta l-EU.You missed the train Simon.Vera ma tafx tisthi, int ftit ghar min ta qablek.
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Have you asked David Casa and Metzola if they agree wioth your U Turn. Hallina trid,. jekk trid tigbor giehek itlob apologija.
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Igor P. Shuvalov
When the IIP discussion was at its height, somebody wrote that a time will-come when the PN would state that this project was their brainchild. It seems that we are moving quickly towards that time.
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imsieken it tradituri uil faxxisti xebaw ippurcinnellaw f ewropa hahaha
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HELL NO!!!! I would rather that the Opposition goes OVERBOARD than the Government moves one iota to please the childish stubbornness of wanting to get his way at all costs. There is no way the Government can accede to such childish demands.
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Ara vera no other word is suitable for Simon ghax ghandu wiccu u sor_u xorta, Tost and shame on you and your party that you lead.
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il gvern ghandu l opprovazjoni ta europa u mandux bzonn taghkhom issa !!!wara li provajtu twaqu lil pajjiz ghac cajt sur simon
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get it through your stupid head, that the government dose not need your approval, we had enough of your kinder garden attitude, for once say something with substance.With or with out your approval, the IIP is there to stay and the presidency is the government choice, when the time comes you will be told.
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Who gives a bamboo shot Simon how you would vote PL has a sweeping majority, the EU blessing and the people behind it. You threatened to remove this scheme and the citizenships, bestowed now keep to your word and stop making a fool of yourself and wasting people's time. Get a life Simon the present one stinks.
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.... aqtaghha trid buzu ghax issa dejjaqtna .... issa tid tapprovaha l-iskema ghax sibt ruhek izolat u daharek mal-hajt? .... b'min tahseb li se tghaddi z-zmien? .... waqat wahda ghac-cajt u issa kollu ta' xejn li tipprova tigbor giehek wara dak it-tghajjir kollu .... issa oqghod bi kwietek fil-kantuniera u oqghod soff subghajk ..... flimkien mat-tradituri li ghandek madwarek ....