For the second time in a week, figures published in recent hours by the National Statistics Office (NSO) confirm the growing daily burdens faced by the Maltese people, the Nationalist Party said Saturday.
While the annual cost of living rate rose from 2.1% in March to 2.4% in April, it is evident that the prices of food, beverages, and personal care products – the most essential items – are among those rising most sharply, leaving many struggling to maintain a decent standard of living. In fact, the largest price increase was recorded in the food index.
Compared to the same month last year, the cost of living rose by nearly one percentage point – from 1.6% to 2.4%, the PN said.
Instead of addressing this growing concern seriously, Robert Abela’s Government continues to ignore the situation and embrace an economic model that further burdens families and workers.
In contrast, the Partit Nazzjonalista, even in Opposition, has put forward concrete proposals – measures the Government has dismissed, as it did when it voted against the Opposition’s motion in Parliament to tackle the cost of living.
The PN’s proposed solutions include: Removing tax on the first €10,000 earned from part-time and overtime workMaking the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) non-taxable; offering tax credits to employers so they are not forced to raise prices; creating a National Fund to support import and export industries; providing a new economic direction based on emerging sectors and quality jobs that pay better wages.
The PN said it will continue to fight for a policy that puts people at the centre and ensures fair distribution of wealth.