Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1254968
opportunity for socio-economic change in open areas, using as efficiently as possible the available space and limited land, how such land is de- veloped, and other issues, such as environmental sustainability. And the current situation is a golden opportunity to move in this direction. If we fall back on the sys- tem employed by the government of building the economy on con- sumption instead of value added, we will end up missing the opportu- nity. Economists are stressing that we need a socio-economic vision which takes the country in the right direction. Another proposal the PN put forward is for the creation of social pact involving all the constituted bodies, social partners, civil society and political parties. How will this help the economy? This fits in very well with the so- cio-economic vision we discussed. It is important to realise that we cannot look at the economy only in terms of statistics and figures, with the government boasting of eco- nomic growth while thousands are in poverty or at risk of poverty. We still have many people living in sig- nificantly substandard conditions. What the PN is proposing that that, while we must look at how the country can reach its econom- ic aims, such aims should not be the end itself, but a means to an end. As a country, we can contin- ue building upon the existing so- cial bond, where the Maltese are known for their strong degree of empathy and social consideration. This has to be given a renewed push so as to tie social concerns with economic aims. Issues such as living income, which has un- fortunately not been discussed in recent years, come into place here. We are still a country which bases [living standards] on a minimum wage. Malta must think over and above this. Our aspiration should not be to provide the minimum for a person to live, but to ensure every level of society has jobs which allow them and their family to live a decent life. Moreover, our aim should not be for competitiveness based on how many low wages the country can pay, but on how productive its enterprises can be. This is where the social pact comes in – it relates to how, on a socio-economic level, we can improve productivity in the country – how we can strengthen practices in sectors such as the digital economy. The social pact will enable us to bring together such elements and map out how, going forward, we can translate this into an increase in salaries, or how a family can live well with the income of the main breadwinner. Crucially, it also related to the way in which the work-life balance which is often mentioned can be translated into not only a state- ment of intent, but into the way we function. Therefore, social and economic aspects must be tied to- gether – both have to be consid- ered in tandem. The PN is proposing prioritising public spending, including by focusing on the strengthening of Malta's infrastructure. Don't you feel that increased spending on Malta's infrastructure is already being done with the many investments in this regard? God forbid if the government did not undertake this kind of invest- ment. But we believe infrastructur- al investment should be done less haphazardly, and should follow a certain structure. We are pushing for the government to aim for a mul- ti-annual framework of investment for infrastructure. This should not only include investment in roads, but all Malta's principle network, to enable the island to aspire towards having an infrastructure which can compete with the most highly de- veloped nations and cities. In the end, competitivity doesn't only come from low wage – we don't advocate this. We want to advocate competitivity through creating an infrastructure which compares with the most advanced countries in the world – be it when it comes to our airport, sewage systems, under- ground structures, and so on. Malta's goals should not only be limited to opening a few new roads – we have to go beyond this. The government should prioritise an in- vestment in the country's complete infrastructure. The Nationalist Party is underlining that EU funding should be positioned as a main means for economic recovery. The EU last week announced a post-COVID-19 recovery package through which Malta could get almost €1 billion in loans and grants. However, concerns have been raised that, to raise this money using the "own resources" mechanism, the EU might increase taxes in member states on digital services, which would impact Malta badly. What is the PN's position on this? Firstly, let's acknowledge that Mal- ta is in a position to obtain such funds because it is an EU member. Past Nationalist government ne- gotiated two recorded EU funding packages for Malta, and although Labour has been in power for seven years, the country is still benefiting from the last package of funds ne- gotiated under Lawrence Gonzi. The coronavirus is a specific fund aimed at recovery and transforma- tion – and this ties in to the eco- nomic transformation we spoke about. Therefore, we believe the package is very positive for Malta. At the same time, it most definite- ly does not mean that we should in any way let go of any of our sover- eignty when it comes to matters of taxation. I want to be categorical about this: the fact we can benefit from the fund should not mean we should reduce any of our sovereign power to decide on taxes. Malta must therefore keep making its point about this issue, and, when it comes to negotiations on how the EU recovery package will be fund- ed by member states, a lot will de- pend on our country's credibility on issues such as fiscal evasion and money laundering. Unfortunately, in the last years, our standing on these issues has been compromised and complicated. 04.06.2020 9 INTERVIEW