“Qisu Ġibed Il-Handbreak”, Says PN MP Darren Carabott On Budget 2027

‘I believe this Budget has come as a major shock to people in business,’ said Nationalist Party MP Darren Carabott.

‘It feels as though the Government has pulled the handbrake on every message it has been giving over the past 13 years.’

‘It seems to me that this Budget has finally recognised what the problem is. We have long been saying that Malta needs to move towards higher quality tourism and address overpopulation, but the Government has chosen the wrong measures and the wrong approach.’

‘I can imagine the Minister asking himself, "Where am I going to find the money to make up for years of irresponsible spending?" His answer was to turn to the tourism sector, businesses and foreign workers. First, the Government encouraged businesses to bring in as many foreign workers as they wanted, and now that they have become dependent on them, it has imposed more taxes on them.’

Carabott said that, instead, the government should have started by cutting waste, which include the ‘millions spent on political appointments and favours.’

‘Alternatively, it should have guaranteed that the additional taxes it is collecting would be reinvested to address the infrastructure pressures created by population growth.’

‘Most importantly, who does the Government think will ultimately pay for these increased costs imposed on third-country nationals? It will be consumers. All of us will end up paying through a higher cost of living.’

He also asked whether the measures intend to maintain the current population and tourism levels while increasing government revenue or they are intended to reduce the population and tourist numbers.

‘However, let me make one thing clear before anyone misrepresents what I am saying. We are the party that has consistently argued that Malta's economic model must evolve. We cannot continue bringing in 14,000 people every year.’

‘We are also the party that proposed creating an authority responsible for managing population levels, assessing the country's infrastructure needs, including roads, schools and hospitals, taking a sector-specific approach, and implementing a long-term plan to tackle the overpopulation created under the Labour Government.’

What do you think of Carabott’s statement?

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