During a discussion at Cittadella, Gozo, Prime Minister Robert Abela launched the basis for the Malta Vision 2050. This meeting, which was a form of open discussion in the presence of the Cabinet of Ministers, gathered speakers of various ages and other members of the community including Gozitans, to discuss a common direction for a sustainable country.
The Prime Minister presented the main declaration of this vision, “A safe and resilient nation, inspired by its historical heritage and driven by progress, which promotes a healthy quality of life for all.”
Speaking about the county’s future the Prime Minister said, “I see Malta as a strong, sustainable and inclusive country. A country that cares for its people. Protecting what makes us unique. Preparing for the future with courage, creativity and diligence. A strong Malta. Malta attracting the best technological investments. Our children will be in the prime of their life. They shall bear the results of their studies, seizing the best opportunities that shall be created.”
The Malta Vision 2050 will be built on four main pillars:
- Sustainable Economic Growth, where Malta continues to record an average economic growth of 5% per year between now and 2035, which is achieved at a more sustainable pace and driven by the financial services, digital, innovation and research sectors, high-end manufacturing, quality tourism, gaming, and other aviation and maritime related sectors, among others.
- Accessible and citizen-centred services, to ensure that everyone’s experience is based on quality and inclusiveness. With excellent social services, including affordable housing, vibrant communities, and with good quality services, particularly those related to health and mobility, driven by advanced technology and digitalisation.
- A more resilient country with a modern Education system, to ensure that our country, despite its small size and geo-physical realities, minimises the excessive vulnerability caused by foreign dependence, particularly in strategic and nationally important areas such as energy, water, food and workers. Critical in all this is to ensure that we continue to have a great and innovative, forward-looking education system that is aligned with our country’s goals and needs. Above all, we must ensure that our country is also resilient and adaptable to climate change.
- Intelligent use of Land and Sea, to ensure efficient planning and conservation of our country’s natural resources in order to achieve a good ecological balance. A special focus will be provided to more efficient urban planning, for more green and open spaces, and land reclamation, in line with the current development taking place at the Malta Freeport.
These pillars are combined by four facilitators: namely politics and good governance, funding that will be strategically allocated to the forthcoming initiatives and projects, the digital transformation, and finally the update of brand Malta to reflect our country’s renewed aspirations.
This vision and pillars were shaped thanks to extensive consultation with constituted bodies, Ministries and entities. Surveys and focus groups with business and private citizens were coupled with sentiment analysis. Whilst other meetings included the MCESD, the Opposition and the Youth Advisory Forum, among others. In line with this vision, public and accessible Key Performance Indicators will be established whereby the general public can monitor Government’s progress on these indicators, making our people active watchdogs of the progress of this vision.
During the presentation, Prime Minister Abela said, “This is not merely the Government’s plan for the future, but a national conversation that goes beyond a political cycle or one party in Government.” The Prime Minister also focused on Gozo. He said that the Malta Vision 2050 also offers a unique opportunity for Gozo. “The vision sees Gozo as a model for the whole country. Gozo is among the first to benefit because Gozo is the model that the Maltese want. Gozo represents a microcosm of the key challenges and opportunities addressed by the Malta Vision 2050, from sustainable development and quality of life, to improved connectivity, innovation, and economic resilience,” Dr Abela said.
Minister for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri explained that in the process of drawing up this vision, more than 30 key sectoral strategies were analysed, providing a comprehensive overview of current policy directions. This exercise led to the review of more than 1,800 individual initiatives, of which more than 90 macro initiatives have been consolidated in the framework of this vision. An in-depth analysis of mega trends applying to our country was also carried out, and a comparison was also made with other countries such as Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark and Singapore.
Minister Schembri referred to the new way in which we will start measuring Malta’s success: “We are focusing on the quality of life of the individual, not just on GDP. This means that from now on, we will measure our nation’s progress based on how healthy, happy, and fulfilled our people are.”
In his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Abela called for unity: “Let us face this challenge with humility, imagination and determination. Let us continue to write this vision together, not just by word, but by deed. This is Malta which we need to build for ourselves and for future generations.”
The public consultation process will continue over the coming months, including throughout the summer, with the final launch of the Malta Vision 2050 will follow. Those interested in contributing with their ideas to a national vision of our country can find the necessary details and information on envision2050.gov.mt.
Photos (OPM-DOI)
