The Nationalist Party on Monday reiterated its call to the government to stop wasting public funds and instead work towards easing the burden that the increased cost of living has left on people.
In a statement released by the PN, it appealed to Prime Minister Robert Abela to work on easing the burden of the cost of living by supporting families and businesses who are suffering, instead of blaming it on the business owners themselves.
The PN pointed out that Malta has a higher inflation rate than that of the EU, which affects essential food products. As a result, Maltese families and businesses are struggling every day, it said.
The PN said that it is concerned because the government is not doing enough to overcome the impact that the cost of living has on people, in particular families and the elderly who are struggling to make ends meet every month.
It further called for the government to reduce any excessive and unnecessary, such as using public funds for advertising, consultancies and direct orders.
In light of this, the PN recalled its vision to combat this issue, which would include creating a new economic model with new sectors that targets quality jobs and pay workers more, untaxing the cost of living adjustment (COLA), the government giving fiscal incentives to combat the cost of living increase, and a national fund with an annual budget dedicated to supporting the import and exporting industry.
In reply, the Labour Party said that the government had taken unprecedented measures to mitigate the effects of inflation. The PL said inflation would have been double under a PN government.
The government had maintained stable prices in the energy sector to lessen the burden on families and busineses. Stability is important to give peace of mind to consumers, the PL said.
The PN, on the other hand, had argued against the stability of prices in the energy sector, the PL contended. The government had also improved pensions, children’s allowances and extended in-work benefits.