The Government did not consult the social partners on the Budget measures
Although the Budget includes positive measures, it is clear that others were adopted without consultation, either internally or with stakeholders.
The PN says the Government failed to communicate with stakeholders and did not invest enough in research and innovation
Next year’s Budget confirms that this is a Government that neither consults nor communicates on the issues that affect us all in our daily lives, particularly the impact of population growth on traffic, health services and other areas.
Speaking at a Partit Nazzjonalista press conference, Shadow Minister for European Funds, Social Dialogue and Consumer Protection Bernard Grech and PN Spokesperson for Research and Innovation George Vital Zammit said that this Budget showed how the Labour Government appeared to have suddenly realised it had a problem and rushed to introduce measures that took matters from one extreme to the other.
They said that, after both the social partners and the Partit Nazzjonalista had spent years warning the Government about uncontrolled population growth, it had now rushed to introduce measures without consulting the social partners. In their reactions following the Budget, one after another, the social partners stated that the Government had not communicated with them about these measures before announcing them.
Seven years ago, the Labour Government had in its hands a report drawn up by the current Finance Minister showing the impact of population growth. But this is a Government that does not even listen to its own people, let alone anyone else, and the report was buried.
Although the Budget includes positive measures, it is clear that others were adopted without consultation, either internally or with stakeholders.
The PN speakers said that, to deliver its vision for 2050, Malta must invest substantially in innovation. However, the Government failed to do so in the Budget it presented. They said that one cannot speak about productivity without prioritising research and innovation. In a rapidly changing world, Malta cannot afford to fall behind in these two areas.
The speakers said that, to pave the way for the future, we must provide the tools needed for Malta’s research community to grow, but this Budget failed to address these needs.
12.11.2026
