WATCH | Overpopulation a challenge arising from government’s success, Alex Muscat says

Overpopulation is a challenge which arises from government success, and while it needs addressing, does not require turning radically changing the economic model, Labour MP Alex Muscat has said.

Interviewed on TVM’s XTRA by Saviour Balzan, Muscat rejected the notion that Malta is too densely populated, comparing it to Paris, saying it makes more sense to compare it to a large European city than a country. Malta has a population density of 1,700 per sq.m while Paris has 20,000 people per sq.m.

On the other hand, Nationalist MP Ryan Callus insisted on the contrary, saying the problem needs addressing through a Labour Market Study which would help identifying issues.

The study, Callus argued, would help identify economic niches which are more labour intensive, while pushing others which aren’t.

“Clyde Caruana saying we need a population of 800,000 to sustain this economic growth is what worries me,” Callus said.

Muscat replied to this comment by saying this is attainable by having proper management of the people in Malta and the ongoing investments by the government.

The Labour MP also took a jab at recent comments made by Opposition spokesperson for finance Adrian Delia, accusing him of fuelling xenophobia when speaking about overpopulation, and was set on turning Maltese people against foreigners.

Callus retorted by insisting Delia was speaking about numbers and not foreigners.

Government consultant David Spiteri Gingell was also interviewed on XTRA, saying another factor which contributes to overpopulation is the upward mobility of Maltese people. He explained that through social changes, most Maltese people have higher aspirations and are not interested in low-skill jobs, opening the door for these vacancies to be taken up by foreigners.