Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1528615
12 maltatoday | TUESDAY • 29 OCTOBER 2024 BUDGET2025 BUDGET 2025 was drawn up to save Prime Minister Robert Abela's skin, Opposition leader Bernard Grech has said. "It is clear the Budget was drawn up to save Robert Abela's political career after the results of last June's Europe- an Parliament election," he told jour- nalists outside parliament on Mon- day evening. He was speaking after Finance Min- ister Clyde Caruana read out govern- ment's financial measures for next year. "The government knows what the people's problems are – the quality of life, infrastructure, over population, services, power cuts, drainage prob- lems – the Budget fails to address these problems," he said. "These prob- lems not only affect people in Malta, but also those who seek to invest in the country. It is a Budget which will leave you in traffic and waiting at the hos- pital. This is a Budget which will leave you without the medicines you need." He said it is "useless" to have the Budget theme centred around quali- ty when that same quality is not then provided to people. Grech also said the Budget fails to listen to the calls by social partners for government to provide a direction in which the country should head. "A lot of words were said, but at the end of the day mean your quality of life will not improve," he said. Grech said government has admit- ted the population will continue to increase. He said a rudderless government cannot give the country a direction, and Malta needs a government which prioritises quality of life and a clean environment. "That is why we will continue to consult with social partners and peo- ple in general to prepare a clear vision for the country," he said. "We will not be a government of cliches, but a gov- ernment improves people's lives." Bernard Grech: Budget to save Robert Abela's political career Activists from NGO Moviment Graffitti interrupted Finance Minister Clyde Caruana in the first few minutes of his Budget 2025 speech. Graffitti staged what is possibly the first ever protest in history during a Budget speech. They unfurled a banner, and threw flyers in the air, accusing the government of being beholden to the influence of construction magnates. ENERGY subsidies are set to re- main especially if wider conflict erupts in the Middle East and energy prices skyrocket, finance minister Clyde Caruana stated. Following his budget speech, MaltaToday asked Caruana whether government has tak- en the fragile situation in the Middle East into consideration when basing its 2025 projec- tions for fuel subsidies. Caruana said that government is "very conscious" of the on- going conflict, adding that "we have to continue doing what we're doing for the months and time to come." The finance minister noted that it is clear that "exploding" energy prices could lead to en- tire economies being brought to their knees. He reiterated that protecting the economy during this time is crucial. During his speech, Caruana said that energy subsidies are here to stay, despite pressure from the EU to scale them back. He noted that this wasn't being done to defy the EU, describ- ing the subsidies as the fruit of government's work to keep the economy afloat throughout the years. During the same press con- ference, Prime Minister Robert Abela was asked to comment on the fact that next year's budget only speaks of a transport mas- terplan to address the country's traffic crisis. For instance, no reference was made of mass transportation systems like a metro or mono- rail. Abela stated that transport minister Chris Bonett will be unveiling a number of short- term measures in the coming days, noting that the country had previously "never explored any short-term or medium-term measures." Abela said, "it would be a mis- take to kill off any solutions that would be feasible in the long term." Abela also commented on the fact that the preservation of ev- idence in traffic accidents takes "hours". However, he acknowledged "it is unrealistic to completely eliminate traffic". MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt Subsidies to stay, especially in the case of wider conflict in the Middle East Robert Abela addressing the press after his finance minister delivered the budget for 2025