Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/885114
14 maltatoday, TUESDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2017 Budget 2018 Nationalist Party Press Conference BUDGET 2018 did not ade- quately address pensions, traf- fic and infrastructure, tourism and education, according to Opposition leader Adrian De- lia in his first official reaction to the budget speech. On pensions, Delia said the government did not focus on the second pillar of health- care. "The government left them where they were. The Nationalist party will see that pensioners are treated as a re- source, not a burden," he con- tinued. The Opposition leader also said that the seven-year road plan touted by the government is being implemented poorly, with no concrete plan as to how the seven years are to be spread out. "What is the definitive plan for traffic congestion?" he asked. Delia went on to highlight the crisis in the education system, insisting that the government failed to address the teacher and LSA shortages. On tourism, Delia said that this year's budget did not ad- dress Air Malta. He once again criticised tourism min- ister Konrad Mizzi for shut- ting down concerns from the industry's cabin crew. The Labour administration's proposals have been repeated from one year to the next, Delia continued. The Kirkop health centre proposed by the government in the 2017 budg- et, for instance, has once again cropped up in the 2018 budget. The Opposition also accused the government of having no concrete plan to deal with traf- fic congestion. Despite its criticism, the Op- position said that it is ready to help the government create and implement a concrete plan for the country. "We're ready to help the gov- ernment prioritize the envi- ronment, workers' rights and jobs. We're ready to help the government with rent prices, to decrease crime and to ad- dress the traffic challenge," Delia said. The Opposition praised some of the government's incentives, describing the state's proposi- tion to add an extra day of leave, its plan to give free transport to church and private schools and €10,000 to adoptive par- ents as "positive plans". Delia also said that the gov- ernment failed to address the sports sector, the middle class, and farmers and fishermen. Local councils were also no- where to be found in this year's budget, he said. "How are we going to fight crime?" he asked. "We once said that Malta is the safest place on earth. Studies are now showing that Malta is on its way to become the centre for modern slavery. How was this addressed in the budget?' The state also failed to point out the surplus from the IIP scheme and concrete energy plans. "We need to talk about where Malta is going to be 20 years from now," he insisted. Malta's debt has gone up by €1,000 million in the last five years. COLA prices have not increased, Delia continued. "In whose pockets is the surplus going?" he asked. Asked by MaltaToday on what the Opposition would have done with the surplus, Delia said it was not up to the Opposition to tell the govern- ment what to do with the in- crease. Delia: Budget confirms the government 'has no plan'