ADDRESS BY HIS
EXCELLENCY DOCTOR EDWARD FENECH ADAMI, PRESIDENT
OF MALTA ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE
ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT – VALLETTA, 10th
MAY 2008
Mr Speaker
Honourable Members
of the House of Representatives
It is my
constitutional duty, as President of this
country, to present at the state opening of
Parliament the government’s plan for the five
years ahead. Based on proposals presented to the
electorate, this programme is planned so that
our country can seize all opportunities and
succeed in the challenges being faced.
For the first time,
this ceremony is taking place with Malta as a
member state of the European Union. Our country
is now well integrated into the Union; we are in
the Schengen area and the Eurozone.
Now the government’s
declared intent is to work together with
civil society towards the betterment of the
common good, a process which cannot but be based
on cooperation and mutual respect.
Numerous challenges
lie ahead, the most immediate of them provoked
by the current international crisis caused by
inflationary pressures on the price of oil and
of cereals. In these last few weeks, the crisis
has deepened, and the indications are that
matters will take a further turn for the worse.
Yet the battle must go on, in the face of
intense competition in manufacturing and
services, and in the generation of investment.
The government has
made clear its faith in the ability of this
country to withstand and even to overcome the
difficulties that lie ahead, just as Malta did
at other points in its history when the threats
were greater still.
We know that certain
industrial operations are concerned about their
imminent prospects in the face of the global
crisis. The government firmly believes that the
solution lies in an ever greater commitment to
high productivity, greater creativity in adding
value, and an ability to predict and anticipate
the demands of the market. We cannot take
anything for granted.
Sustainable
development: a main goal
The government’s
plans and actions are to be underpinned by the
notion of sustainable development of the
economy, of society and of the environment. When
making decisions today, serious consideration
will be given to the generations of tomorrow.
Sustainable
development has three main dimensions -
economic, social and environmental.
Our challenge is to ensure continuous economic
development, promoted by education, social
development, with particular attention to
environmental protection. When we evaluate our
activities in view of these three inter-related
dimensions, we would be placing every person at
the heart of the Government’s actions.
Land use remains a
key issue, but so are our airspace and our
territorial waters, and Malta must maximise the
use of its ports, harbours and coastal zone.
The use of land
owned or held by the state will be planned
according to the principles of sustainable
development. In a separate exercise, the rent
laws are to be revised to encourage the
efficient use of existing buildings. The new
legislation will seek to reconcile the twin aims
of protecting current tenants and of ensuring
that landlords receive what is their due.
The government has
committed itself to increasing the rate of home
ownership, and will improve and adapt existing
schemes while introducing new ones, to make it
possible for more people to buy their own home.
The title of
tenant-farmers to state-owned land will be
strengthened, which will give them the basis
they require for investment. Fishing and animal
husbandry are small in terms of their financial
contribution to the country, but significant in
other ways. They play an important part in
Malta’s livelihood and will be nurtured through
further support and investment made possible in
part by European Union funds.
Economic Development
The government’s
economic plans are designed to provoke
greater economic activity, by incentivising work
and stimulating demand. The aim is to shift the
current deficit into surplus by 2010 – an
ambitious aim in the light of the international
economic situation, but one that the government
firmly believes can be realised. Public
expenditure will continue to be restricted
without compromising social services, healthcare
and education. Public information campaigns will
endeavour to make the true cost and value of
these services known to all, the truth being
that there is no such thing as a free service,
that everything comes at a cost, and what is
free is actually paid for through taxation. The
government will intensify the fight against tax
evasion and the abuse of social services.
Its tax reforms
will include:
• a lowering of
the income tax rate;
• incentives
for women to return to work;
• the exemption
of certain assets from exposure to inheritance
tax;
• the abolition
of departure tax, credit card levies and
television licences;
• adjustments
to the car registration tax system;
• tax
exemptions for monies spent on residential or
home care for the elderly and the disabled;
• exemption
from income tax for the rent received in respect
of rent-controlled properties.
The government is
determined to create more and better job
opportunities that can only be attained if
we adapt to global competition while wholly
exploit the opportunities available in the
global market through our membership within the
European Union. In the meantime we will continue
to work towards the targets laid out in the
Lisbon Agenda, primarily:
• higher
productivity and greater competitiveness;
• improvement
in the circumstances of business operators,
particularly the self-employed and SME’s, by
cutting down on bureaucracy and related
expenses, and improving the efficiency of the
public sector;
• betterment of
existing levels of education and training;
• production
and provision of higher-value-added goods and
services, leading to improved generation of
work, more women in the workforce, and better
pay, terms and conditions of employment;
• anticipation
of market changes to ensure that Malta remains
competitive;
• more
competition and less bureaucratic red tape as
the economy continues to open up.
Through the
Employment and Training Corporation, and with
the financial support of the European Social
Fund, the government will invest in projects
that help people to re-enter the job market or
to retrain for new work in case of redundancy.
In the occupational
health and safety areas, the government will
intervene where bad practices are followed as
well as strive to eliminate abusive work
practices and employment contracts which seek to
deny people their rights and deprive them of
benefits at law.
Although
agriculture and fisheries are a relatively
small sector in our economy, the government
believes that these are two important areas, not
only for those involved but also for the whole
country. They contribute to the political
strategy the government is adopting towards
sustainable development and in view of the
international food crisis. In the meantime, the
government will continue to invest in structures
employed by farmers and fishermen even through
European Union funds.
Investment in the
tourism sector will be incentivised and
encouraged. The government will work with the
private sector to improve Malta’s tourism
product. It will endeavour to improve the
country’s air connections with as many
destinations as possible, while ensuring that
Air Malta is able to maintain its strategic
role.
The government is
convinced of the fact that it must not interfere
in any economic activity that can be regulated
effectively and efficiently by market forces.
The government respects the role played by
business, trade and industry associations. It
sees its role as that of regulator and
coordinator.
Social development
Without social
cohesion and concern for the common good,
there can be no economic growth or sustainable
development. While remaining committed to the
protection of the rights of each and every
individual regardless of his or her situation in
life, this government believes that the
family has a crucial role to play, and that
those who work to build families are owed a
great debt by society as a whole. The health,
safety and sound development of children, where
possible in stable families with parents who are
married and supportive of each other, remains of
primary importance.
This does not mean
that the government remains oblivious to the
social realities of the present day, and that is
why it is to propose legislation that will
protect those who are in cohabiting
relationships.
The government will
continue to work with employers and the unions
to build better circumstances for a proper
work and family balance, so that the
pressures on family life are, where possible,
reduced. This involves a long-term commitment
towards education, training and the betterment
of work opportunities, which gives men and women
more flexibility in working while raising a
family.
Efforts at
eradicating social services abuse will
continue, but the government will also:
• continue to
subsidise water and electricity for those
households most in need;
• strengthen
the regulatory set-up for competition and for
the protection of the consumer; this will
monitor the prices of essential commodities like
basic foods and medicines;
• improve
schemes that help the aged to carry on living in
their own homes, while modernising state-owned
residential homes for those who need more care;
• improve
pensions;
• develop
programmes for the employment of the disabled,
so that they may participate actively in
society;
• work harder
to enforce the regulations on accessibility by
the disabled to commercial and public premises;
• ratify the
United Nations Convention on the rights of the
disabled;
• reform and
update social support structures so that the
good work they are doing may be even better.
The government will
continue with its commitment to the problem of
illegal immigration, using an approach
that strikes a balance between compassion for
those who deserve help and a hard line taken
with those who have no right of refuge.
Health is a key
element in human development. Mater Dei Hospital
will continue to be the pivotal point of the
national health service, which will carry on
providing quality care at no charge. Meanwhile,
the government will focus on public information
campaigns to promote a healthy lifestyle,
adhering to the adage that prevention is better,
and certainly less expensive and emotionally
problematic, than cure. Improved focus on
primary care will help towards this end by
identifying incipient health problems.
The concrete
measures that this government will take include:
• linking
health centres and the clinics of family doctors
with Mater Dei Hospital;
• broadening
the range and scope of the
pharmacy-of-your-choice programme;
• improving the
health screening programme for children;
• intensifying
measures to prevent and control cancer;
• price
controls on medicines;
• programmes
that seek to attract more young people to
careers as health care professionals;
• building a
fully-equipped rehabilitation centre for those
who are recovering from serious illness or
injury;
• modernising
Mount Carmel Hospital and developing programmes
for the support of mental health patients in the
community.
Equal access to
better education will continue to drive
government policy in this field, the aim being
the fulfilment of individual potential, and the
strengthening of people’s critical faculties and
their ability to assess and sift through
information. Access to information technology
and the internet will be widened at all
state-run schools and colleges, in line with the
government’s e-Learning programme.
Education reforms
will continue through all levels and with
increased commitment to lifelong learning for
adults. The steps to be taken include:
• a
continuation of the college system;
• the setting
up of more child care centres;
• the putting
in place of systems that allow those with
special needs to carry on training or studying
after they have finished compulsory schooling;
• the lending
of support to the parents of children with
special needs who receive their education in
private schools;
• the provision
of an ‘after school’ programme of sports and
creativity for children in state-run schools;
• continued
commitment to the refurbishment and building
programme for state-run schools;
• increased
focus on the use of information technology in
all areas of education;
• the
improvement of the scholarship and stipends
systems;
• the proposal
of legislation that will allow the University of
Malta to implement the necessary reforms;
• the
development of a new campus for MCAST;
• a greater
commitment to sport in the education
system.
The government will
maintain and increase its provisions for the
development of the arts and for the safeguarding
of our cultural andhistorical
heritage. The plans include the maintenance
and repair of bastions, the regeneration of
Valletta, and the setting up of arts facilities.
environmental
development
Over the next five
years, the government will focus on
environmental concerns and issues, which
have become matters of national importance.
Working with civil society, it will endeavour to
provoke the growth of a civic conscience that
seeks to minimise environmental damage in all
areas. A decision has been taken to allocate to
environment projects a significant part of the
funds that Malta will receive from the European
Union. At least Ä300 million in EU funds and
other public monies will be allocated to this
purpose.
The Malta
Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) will
be reformed with an eye to greater efficiency
and transparency in its operations, and with
commitment to ensuring that there is consistency
in its decisions and enforcement.
There will be
increased effort at the improvement of air and
water quality, the cleanliness of our seas,
waste management, and the protection of people
from the hazards, pollution and nuisance of
construction.
The government will
incentivise the use of energy-efficient systems
and appliances and those which use alternative
sources of energy. It will also encourage and
promote the collection and use of rainwater. It
will lend its support to research projects which
focus on ecological innovation, clean energy and
reduced emissions, and which are particularly
suitable for a small country like Malta.
The government will
work towards a 20 per cent reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions by 2020, and towards achieving
the aim of having 10 per cent of the energy we
use come from alternative sources.
A sewage treatment
plant will be built in the south of Malta so
that untreated sewage will no longer be
funnelled into the sea.
Urban spaces will
continue to be improved. There are plans for the
management of sites that fall within the
Natura 2000 scheme. New areas will be given
over to afforestation projects. The ability of
people to enjoy the countryside unhindered will
be safeguarded.
The road-building
programme will continue. Public transport
services will be strengthened. Traffic
management schemes will be developed, including
those for the control and reduction of air
pollution. Steps will be taken to promote animal
welfare.
Good Governance
It is a given that
the principles of good governance must be
adhered to in the running of this country. The
people of Malta already enjoy high levels of
respect for the law and for civil rights, and
for the institutions that safeguard them.
This government will
build on a reputation for clarity in procedures
and for transparency in operations, and will
carry on with the process of widespread
consultation. It will strengthen the Malta
Council for Economic and Social Development and
will continue to maintain a dialogue with the
representatives of civil society.
The Maltese
Parliament must evolve in readiness for the day
when the Lisbon Treaty comes into force and its
commitment to European Union decisions is
increased. The government intends to work with
the Opposition to ensure that Parliament has the
required resources to meet its obligations.
The government also
proposes the following legislation:
• on public
administration (the Public Administration Act);
• for a special
investigator within the Permanent Commission
Against Corruption;
• on freedom of
information (the Freedom of Information Act);
• on the
protection of whistleblowers (the Whistleblower
Act);
• for the
empowerment of the Ombudsman in coordinating all
administrative complaints in the public service
as a whole;
• on the
financing of political parties;
• on the
strengthening of the electoral system, within
the context of a revision of the Constitutional
provisions;
• on the
regulation of conflicts of interest of members
of the House of Representatives (MP’s);
• on the
placing in ‘blind trust’ any commercial
interests and non-fixed/public investments held
by government ministers and Parliamentary
secretaries.
Good governance is
essential too at Local Council level. The
government will use funds from the European
Union to support Local Councils in their efforts
at performing ever more efficiently. The
government will debate the notion of holding
Local Council elections every year.
Security
The fight against
crime will be intensified, with practical
measures that include the setting up of a DNA
laboratory, the introduction of electronic
tagging for those who stand accused of having
committed grave crimes, and the implementation
of a register of sex offenders.
The government will
work to strengthen and modernise the police
force and to render it more efficient than it
already is in enforcing the law and battling
criminality. The possibility will be considered
of bringing the ancillary law enforcement
systems (local wardens, the enforcement officers
of the Public Transport Authority and the Malta
Environment and Planning Authority, green
wardens and others) into a single organisational
body.
The army will
continue to be brought up to date, with the main
emphasis being on training and on opportunities
for specialisation in those areas most relevant
to Malta.
Vision 2015
During the course of
its history, the Maltese people have
demonstrated an ability and a willpower to shape
and implement a vision which helped us to
develop into one of the most successful small
nations. Inspired by this, the government has
identified seven sectors for development which
will give the Maltese islands a comparative
advantage by 2015.
The government
believes that this vision is embraced by the
Maltese and Gozitans alike. However, it will
allow a particular room for Gozo, an island
region, to assist in addressing the Gozitans’
particular challenges, thus enjoying to the
utmost in the success of the whole country.
Financial services
This sector has seen
unprecedented growth over the last few years,
with the registration of hundreds of companies
and the generation of thousands of jobs.
Financial services already account for 12 per
cent of Malta’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The government will work to strengthen Malta’s
position as an important financial services
centre in the Euro-Mediterranean region, so that
the part played by businesses in this sector in
the growth of the Maltese economy will be even
more significant still by 2015.
Information and
communication technology (ICT)
SmartCity is the
exemplar of the government’s belief in the
importance of this sector. The project will
generate thousands of jobs, directly and
indirectly. This is an important growth area for
Malta. Last year alone, around €1 billion were
invested in ICT businesses here. In terms of
e-government, Malta ranks second on the list of
Europe’s most advanced. The government will
extend the ‘smart’ concept to the whole of the
country, making it SmartMalta. This will help
attract ever greater investment from ICT
businesses.
Tourism
By 2015, the tourism
industry will be facing fresh challenges,
competing with new destinations and product
offerings, and dealing with new operators and
customer trends. The government will work with
stakeholders to make Malta a unique
Mediterranean destination. The National Tourism
Plan will be updated to anticipate these shifts
and changes. There will be tax incentives for
families who host foreign students. There will
be strong investment in tourism areas and in the
restoration and upkeep of heritage sites. The
Grand Harbour and Marsamxett harbour projects
will be implemented. Dock No. 1 in Vittoriosa
will be regenerated as a recreational area with
a promenade that links it to Fort St Angelo, and
right through to Pietà and Sliema.
Manufacturing
Malta will move in
the direction of high-value-added production,
which offers higher pay for greater skills, in
sectors that include pharmaceuticals,
biotechnology and sophisticated technology.
There will be incentives for industrial
investment and industrial zones will be
developed, including new factories at Hal Far,
Mosta Technopark and the Artisans’ Village in
Ta’ Qali. The Kordin Business Incubation Centre
will be extended to offer improved support
services to fledgling businesses. Programmes
financed by EU funding will offer incentives for
research and entrepreneurship. The government
will work to improve and to capitalise upon
Malta’s air and sea links.
Health
The government will
continue to develop health services to the
highest degree possible. Mater Dei Hospital,
together with private hospitals, will serve as
the basis for the development of the healthcare
industry and medical tourism in Malta.
Education
The development of
Malta’s educational structures and systems -
both private and public - will create scope for
the provision of training and higher education
to students from other countries, with a
particular focus on our comparative advantage in
areas like maritime studies.
Gozo, an ecological
island
Gozo’s situation is
conjoined with that of Malta, but at the same
time distinct from it. The economic and social
progress that has taken place in Gozo over the
last few years is a direct result of policies
which recognise the fact that the smaller island
cannot be run like a mere district of the main
island. Over the next five years, priority in
Gozo will be given to the environment and to
agritourism, crafts museums and heritage sites
will be developed, country lanes will be
maintained, and there will be investment in
fishing-ports and in facilities for cruise
liners and for sport-based tourism. Gozo will be
the model for sustainable development.
MALTA, AN ISLAND BUT
NOT ISOLATED
Malta aims to
contribute in a world that has shrinked into a
global village through its creative
participation.
The government will
carry on with its commitment to the
Euro-Mediterranean region, using Malta’s
membership of the European Union and its
geographical location as a cultural bridge for
peace and prosperity. The maintenance of sound
relations with neighbouring lands will assist in
the smoothing of negotiations related to illegal
immigration, oil exploration, fishing rights,
and maritime affairs, among other matters.
Great challenges lie
ahead of us. We must face them together, with
courage and not with a sense of defeatism. The
government is opening the doors wide to
cooperation with all those who wish to work to
ensure that Malta not only survives, but
thrives. This will be one government for all the
people.
Malta is on the
right track and reaping the rewards of the sound
decisions taken in recent years, including the
decision taken by the people of Malta to place
the country within the European Union. The
government has an ambitious but realistic plan
to reach the goals that will put Malta into an
even better position by 2015. These goals are
rooted in sustainable development in all areas.
They depend on the cooperation of the people of
this country in pulling the same rope, rather
than pulling against each other. The government
invites everybody to join in a sustainable
development pact.
To get there, we
must do away with resentment and division, and
work together to achieve the common end of the
common good. Together we can overcome the
challenges we are facing. Together, our most
ambitious goals can become a reality.
