Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/585489
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 14 OctObEr 2015 3 MiriaM Dalli The long-term solution to traffic remains introducing alternative means of transport – including underground tunnels – and in- creasing sea connectivity, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said. Flanked by deputy prime min- ister Louis Grech and finance minister edward Scicluna, Mus- cat said he would speak more in depth of the government's plans to address traffic congestion in his budget reply in parliament. "This is not a new situation and we have to understand all the causes," Muscat said, listing the increased number of people in employment, the investment in economy and the daily introduc- tion of 40 new cars on Maltese roads every day. Addressing a press conference in Castille yesterday afternoon, Muscat insisted that the past planning of one-lane roads has created bottlenecks. "Whilst we need to improve in- frastructure, the long-term solu- tion remains alternative meth- ods such as sea connectivity and underground tunnels." The traffic problem also re- quires a change in mentality, Grech added. "We can allocate as much funds as we want but nothing will work unless people decide to change their habits. Grants and incen- tives given will all be in vain if there is no uptake. This problem needs a profound discussion and not criticism scratching the sur- face," the deputy prime minister said. In the post-budget press con- ference, Muscat spoke of the measures introduced to help low-income earners and the in- crease in pensions. In-work ben- efits and child supplements to help families with lower income have been retained and, in some cases, new ones introduced. Asked whether the minimum wage should be increased to avoid dependency on govern- ment generosity, Muscat said the government believed in incen- tivizing work – one measure by giving a child allowance to those joining the workforce. "Increasing the minimum wage won't affect government as the 'paymaster' but it will make a difference to the private sec- tor and its competitiveness," he said, explaining that wages at all levels would then be pushed up. he explained, that experience had shown incentives worked more: football clubs were now declaring their players' salaries after a 7.5% tax was introduced; landlords declared their income from rentals following the in- troduction of a 15% withholding tax. Muscat said a new measure introduced would help 3,700 families with one breadwinner on minimum wage. "There are families that, irrespective of the incentives, only one parent will go out to work. So we are giving them up to €150 per child. This is just one example of how we are fighting poverty." he insisted that the best way to tackle poverty was through work and educa- tion. Muscat also spoke of the rate of employment, where seven out of every 10 jobs were created in the private sector. In their introductory com- ments, the three Cabinet members expressed their satisfaction that the budget had been welcomed by social partners and NGOs. News 'long-term solution' to traffic includes underground tunnels, sea connectivity Prime Minister Joseph Muscat says work remains key to pulling people out of poverty PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ray attard Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said his government believed in incentivising work rather than raise the minimum wage