PM indicates need for maritime hub, says sites in Grand Harbour must be used in best way possible
Prime Minister Robert Abela has stressed the need to utilize prime maritime related sites in the Grand Harbour in the best way possible, highlighting that Malta has no maritime hub.Abela mentioned the maritime sector while delivering a political spee
Prime Minister Robert Abela has stressed the need to utilize prime maritime related sites in the Grand Harbour in the best way possible, highlighting that Malta has no maritime hub.
Abela mentioned the maritime sector while delivering a political speech on Sunday at a Labour Party event.
One sector which grew under successive governments was the maritime sector, he said. Abela described the sector as one of quality, in which many Maltese and Gozitans work, and a sector that doesn't rely on volume, but on quality.
"But can we continue discussing strengthen our country's maritime services, that we will continue to strengthen maritime infrastructure and the maritime industry, yet we do not have a proper maritime hub? That is why one of the challenges we have before us is that we need to utilize in the best way possible the prime sites that are found in the Grand Harbour, to ensure that the maritime industry is completely supported - those that offer small, medium and larger services... to have the infrastructure utilized in the best way through which we encourage investment, to have a masterplan that shows what needs to be done in the best sites that the country offers in this sector." This is a sector that generates wealth for the country and that government wants to further incentivise, the Prime Minister added.
While Abela made no reference to it, on Sunday, MaltaToday reported that the government will be setting out the way forward to take back a public concession that has failed to deliver its owners the level of business they had first expected less than a decade ago. It reported that government has agreed to have its industrial parks regulator, INDIS Malta, commence negotiations with MMH Holdings, the operators of the former Malta shipbuilding site, to terminate the 65-year concession for the land they took up in 2016.
During his speech on Sunday, Abela also took aim at the Opposition for its unpublished pre-budget document, which, he said, the Labour Party then published for them. He said that the PN had spoken about the importance of the financial services sector and the need to grow it, and that when elected to govern, it would increase the number of jobs in this sector to 15,000 within eight years. "They don't even know that today we already have 18,100 people working in the sector. They have no idea what they are talking about."
He said that the PN gave up on its pre-budget document and didn't publish it. "Imagine if they had to be in government, start drafting the budget, give up and not do it. That is the reality the Opposition offers."
He said that the country over recent years faced a pandemic, an economic recovery from the pandemic, two wars internationally, increases in international oil prices and logistical challenges. "Despite all this, while other countries are tightening their belts, we responded with a budget that included the biggest tax cut in Maltese history, an increase in pensions, an increase in the Children's allowance. We again provided subsidies in energy and fuels."
He called the Opposition divided. He said that a sensitive internal document was shared among a small group of internal people, referring to the PN's pre-budget document, but "they felt they had to leak it as they are divided down the middle. They try and paint a façade of a party that is united, but they are more divided than ever before and have nothing to offer this country."
He spoke about the government regulating agencies that bring in foreign workers. Abela mentioned the regulations regarding the food courier and y-plates sectors. "For months the Opposition tried to create sentiment against foreign workers and then because we closed the market for foreign workers in those sectors, they asked for the studies to be published."
He said that the government works in the interest of Maltese and Gozitans.
He said that government is working on a Labour Migration Policy, that will be discussed in Cabinet at the end of next week, so that by the end of the year it will be launched. He said that it is a Labour Market Policy "that will address the realities that our people discuss." He said that a balance has to be found between creating economic growth "but for the country not to be burdened with too much weight of foreign workers."
"We will carry out a calibrated study that addresses the realities of the labour market. Only workers the market needs will come in. Those who are needed will come, but those not needed will not come in."
He referred to the news regarding Glenn Micallef, Malta's next European Commissioner.
He said that when he proposed him for the post, while the Opposition was saying it believes in youths and the quality of youth leadership, said he was too young and had no political experience. "Not only did he not fail, but passed with flying colours," Abela said. He said that Micallef made the country proud.
Regarding the Malta Vision for 2050, he said that today the discussion should no longer remain focused just on economic growth, but must be on economic development.
While economic growth focuses on growth of the GDP, economic development, he said, focuses more on how that economic growth reflects on improving peoples' quality of life.
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