Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/651042
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 9 MARCH 2016 3 News Muscat hails 'historic high' as GDP shoots up by 6.3% PRIME Minister Joseph Muscat hailed the latest economic results showing a 6.3% increase in GDP in 2015 as a "historic high", adding that the government would "work hard to deliver more and better". Malta's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in real terms shot up sharply by 6.3% last year, national statistics show. The GDP last year amounted to €8,796.5 million, an increase of €712.3 million (8.8% in nominal terms) when compared to 2014. During 2015, Gross Value Added (GVA) expanded by €626.3 million when compared to 2014. This was mainly generated by wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehi- cles and motorcycles; transporta- tion and storage; accommodation and food service activities, which increased by €154 million or 9.6%; professional, scientific and techni- cal activities; administrative and support service activities, which in- creased by €144.9 million or 17.9%; and public administration and de- fence; education; human health and social work activities which went up by €93.1 million or 6.9%. A drop of €2.9 million or 0.4 % was regis- tered in manufacturing. In 2015, total final consumption expenditure in nominal terms increased by 6.2% and by 4.9% in real terms when compared to 2014. Gross fixed capital forma- tion increased by €401.8 million in nominal prices and by 21.4% in real terms. Real exports and real imports increased. Compared to 2014, GDP at cur- rent prices went up by €712.3 mil- lion, and is estimated to have been distributed into a €189.9 million increase in compensation of em- ployees, a €449.2 million increase in gross operating surplus of enter- prises, and a €73.2 million increase in net taxation on production and imports. Considering the effects of income and taxation paid and re- ceived by residents to and from the rest of the world, Gross National Income (GNI) at market prices 2015 is estimated at €8,567.5 mil- lion. 'Debate me on live TV if you have the balls', Marlene Farrugia tells Mizzi Independent MP Marlene Farrugia challenges minister Konrad Mizzi to live debate about his offshore company in Panama, and says Labour MPs 'too scared to air their true views in public' TIM DIACONO INDEPENDENT MP Marlene Farrugia has challenged health and energy minister Konrad Mizzi to a one-to-one debate on his offshore company in Panama on live TV, "if he has the balls to do so". "Mizzi told me yesterday to table a no confidence motion against him, which he knows he will win because he and his friends have a parliamen- tary majority and are stuck to their seats of power," she wrote on Face- book. The former Labour MP said that her for- mer PL parliamenta- ry group colleagues are "scared of air- ing their true views in public", but that she is ready to file a no confidence mo- tion "when the time is right". "I challenge Mizzi to a one-to-one debate about the subject on the state broadcaster. If he has the balls, he will try and beat me outside parliament and not inside it, where he enjoys the comfort of his scared and dis- illusioned friends. "I'm ready when you are Kon- rad. Let's have a phenomenal debate." Marlene Farrugia attended the PN-organised protest against corruption on Sun- day, in light of revelations that both Mizzi and the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Keith Schembri, own offshore com- panies in Panama and trusts in New Zealand. Mizzi in Parliament on Monday urged his oppo- nents to file a no-confi- dence motion against him, and said he was will- ing to hold the debate as early as Wednesday. "Hand on heart I will do it. I made an error of judgement [when setting up the company], but my intent was noble from the start, to help my family out." Marlene Farrugia challenged energy and health minister Konrad Mizzi to a televised debate Prime Minister Joseph Muscat with finance minister Edward Scicluna Man injured while manufacturing fireworks A 45-year-old man has been hos- pitalised after sustaining injuries while manufacturing fireworks. The incident took place this morning, at about 9.40 a.m., at a fireworks factory in the area known as Tal-Lombardi, Żejtun. The man, who lives in Naxxar, was administered first aid on site by a medical team. He was then conveyed by ambulance to Mater Dei Hospital. His injuries have been reported to be of a serious nature. Investigations are ongoing. MaltaToday.com.mt targeted in cyber attack MEDIATODAY'S online portals, MaltaToday.com. mt and Illum.com.mt, were yesterday the targets of two cyber attacks. MediaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan said "the attacks were inten- tional, aimed directly at blocking MaltaToday.com. mt." While noting the highly polarised political cli- mate, Balzan said "we will nonetheless continue re- porting the news." He add- ed that MediaToday would be filing a police report and "request the police to investigate the cyber at- tack which we believe has its origins in Malta." The two news portals were down for over two hours in the afternoon and later on in the evening as the company's technical staff sought to locate the source of the attack. The aim of the cyber at- tacks was to render the web- sites unavailable to intended users. It is understood that the source of the attacks on the servers that host the news portals could have originated in Malta. MediaToday apologises to its readers for any inconvenience.