“The results in the implementation of the electoral manifesto in the first three years are excellent testimony to the commitment for the remaining time in the legislature.” This was stated by the Minister for Lands and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi when he was addressing a press conference during which he gave details about the implementation of the Malta Flimkien Electoral Manifesto which was approved by the Maltese electorate in the general election three years ago. He said that in three years, the rate of work carried out in the implementation of the electoral manifesto is 66%.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi stated that this administration is consistently adhering to the electoral promises made before the election and is actually implementing them. He recalled that in just the first hundred days of this legislature, this Government had fulfilled the main promise of amending the law so that IVF could be carried out by more families and this led to achieving success in this area. Thus, more people began to become parents in our own country.
Evidence of the importance that the Government attaches to the implementation of the Manifesto is the fact that since 2013 there has always been a Minister who has been responsible for the implementation of the Electoral Manifesto. Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi gave details about what the process of monitoring the work being done by all Ministries involves in coordination with the Ministry for which he is responsible and with the Office set up specifically within the Office of the Prime Minister. Detailed reports are made every month on what measures are being implemented and the work that remains to be done on the implementation of other measures.
“The purpose of this press conference is to give an account of the work carried out during the past year, particularly when it comes to initiatives that are in favour of Maltese and Gozitan workers and families. As announced by the Prime Minister in recent days, the rate of work carried out in the implementation of the electoral manifesto is 66%. This is in addition to the fact that 60% of the measures announced in the last three Budgets of this legislature are all initiatives taken from the Electoral Manifesto,” explained Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi.
The Minister stressed that this success achieved in the first three years of this legislature bodes well for the remaining two years in order to complete the work on the implementation of all the initiatives that remain to be implemented.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi gave many details about key measures that were carried out in favour of workers, families, young people and the elderly. He mentioned among others that with the creation of jobs in the country, Malta today has the lowest unemployment rate in history, the minimum wage has been increased and the principle of equal pay for equal work has been introduced even in the private sector. He mentioned how urgent family leave was extended to 32 hours, while for 33,000 civil servants the best collective agreement that these workers have ever had was signed.
He also mentioned the Stability scheme which led to a drastic reduction in inflation. He mentioned how 100,000 families are once again benefiting from the additional COLA mechanism while €140 million is being poured into the pockets of Maltese workers through the largest tax cut in history. A further €250 increase was given to the Children’s Allowance so that now the promise that was to be fulfilled over a period of five years, was fulfilled in the first three years and increased by more than what was promised.
Among many other initiatives, the Minister also referred to the repeated increases and larger amounts than the COLA that are being given each year to pensioners, with the latest increase being €8 per week, including the COLA. Regarding young people and the education system, the Minister recalled the excellent collective agreement that educators were given while €10 million is being invested to renew the Youth Guarantee. He also mentioned the supplementary aid that families receive for students and the increases in stipends for those young people who take particular courses at the University of Malta and MCAST. The Minister also said that young people who are first-time buyers are now receiving a second payment of €1000 per year for ten years as assistance for their investment in the property where they live.
In the field of the environment, the measures in the Electoral Manifesto demonstrate the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that Maltese workers and their families enjoy a better environment in the country. He recalled that Project Green, which was a key promise of the Malta Flimkien Manifesto, and which during the past year completed more than 16 open space projects. Works were carried out on the rehabilitation of 10 valleys and works began on 19 other projects, including 11 projects under the Community Greening Grant scheme, the second phase of the Bengħajsa project and the Community Garden in Qrendi. He also mentioned other projects in Pembroke and Xewkija, Gozo. Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi recalled that the Lands Authority is also identifying Government lands which, although they could be sold to the private sector for building purposes, the Government has nevertheless decided to hand them over to Project Green to be converted into open spaces. Among these are the lands in Luqa, Lija, St Julian’s and Kirkop.
The Minister also referred to the electoral promise that the Government would continue to keep energy prices stable and in fact spent no less than €930 million in subsidies so that energy prices, including electricity, water and fuels, are maintained at the same level as they were many years ago. He recalled the strong investment being made in the energy distribution system and that the project of the second interconnector between Malta and Sicily was approved by Italy.
In line with the Malta Together Manifesto, the Minister also referred to the various reforms being carried out including in the construction sector, the Family Court, the national strategy against poverty and the National Policy for Children. He also referred to various initiatives carried out in aid of communities including the purchase of 12 band club premises and the inauguration of the International Space for Contemporary Art, MICAS.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi concluded by thanking all those involved in the Public Administration who are coordinating and overseeing the implementation of this Manifesto, which from electoral promises today we have an intensive work program that the same public administration is coordinating to carry out.
Present at the press conference were, among others, the Principal Permanent Secretary within the Office of the Prime Minister, Tony Sultana, the Cabinet Secretary, Ryan Spagnol, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Lands and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme, Carlos Tabone, together with officials from the Secretariat and the management of the Coordination and Implementation Directorate within the Office of the Prime Minister.
