ADPD-The Green Party has dubbed the Government’s 2026 Budget as a missed opportunity to invest in Malta’s sustainable future and instead warned that the country is accumulating debt while failing to promote wellbeing. The Budget continues to finance growth through unsustainable borrowing rather than channeling funds into long-term social and ecological investments.
“The Government is borrowing against our children’s future,” ADPD stated. “We are piling up debt to support a growth-model that exploits resources, deepens inequality, ignores our ecological limits and hampers future generations from taking their own decisions. This is fiscal irresponsibility, not sustainability.”
Whilst the motivation for the family-friendly income tax measures in the budget speech may be laudable, the actual proposals are regressive and consequently do not implement social justice – those who are at the lower end of the income bracket should benefit much more than those at the upper brackets, for the simple reason they require much more help. This inversion seems to be beyond the Minister of Finance’s so-called socialist vision. It is a myopic vision.
ADPD-The Green Party reiterates that real prosperity demands a shift to a wellbeing-economy based on fairness, justice and ecological limits. The central plank of this vision is dignified wages: the minimum wage must become a living wage. We remind the Minister that the current minimum wage levels are roughly 40% below what studies identify as necessary for a decent standard of living for a typical household. This has not been addressed in this Budget.
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ADPD-The Green Party jirreaġixxi għall-Budget 2026: “Budget b’qalba rigressiva”
ADPD-The Green Party jiddeskrivi l-Budget tal-Gvern għall-2026 bħala opportunità mitlufa biex jinvesti fil-futur sostenibbli ta’ Malta u wissa li l-pajjiż qed jakkumula d-dejn filwaqt li qed jonqos milli jippromwovi l-benesseri. Il-Budget ikompli jemfasizza t-tkabbir ekonomiku permezz ta’ żieda fis-self li mhux sostenibbli, flok ma jinvesti fit-tul fl-oqsma soċjali u ekoloġiċi.
“Il-Gvern qed jissellef bi ħsara għall-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri,” sostna ADPD-The Green Party. “Qed inżidu d-dejn biex insostnu mudell ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku bla rażan li jisfrutta r-riżorsi, jkattar l-inugwaljanza u jinjora l-limiti ekoloġiċi tagħna filwaqt li jnaqqas l-opportunitajiet għall-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri li jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet tagħhom. Din hija irresponsabbiltà, mhux sostenibilità.”
Filwaqt li l-miżura tat-taxxa fuq id-dħul favur il-familji fid-diskors tal-Budget tista’ tidher pożittiva, fil-fatt hija waħda rigressiva u għalhekk m’għandha xejn mill-ġustizzja soċjali. Dawk li jaqilgħu l-anqas għandhom jibbenefikaw ħafna aktar minn dawk li jaqilgħu l-aktar, għas-sempliċi raġuni li jeħtieġu ħafna aktar għajnuna. Dan ir-raġunament huwa bil-maqlub tal-viżjoni suppost ‘soċjalista’ tal-Ministru tal-Finanzi. Hija viżjoni mijopika.
ADPD-The Green Party itenni li l-benesseri jitlob bidla lejn ekonomija bbażata fuq il-ġustizzja soċjali, u l-limiti ekoloġiċi. Il-qofol tal-viżjoni tagħna hia paga dinjitużi: il-paga minima trid tkun paga li tista’ tgħix biha (living wage). Infakkru lill-Ministru li l-livelli attwali tal-paga minima huma bejn wieħed u ieħor 40% inqas minn dak li l-istudji jidentifikaw bħala meħtieġ għal livell ta’ għajxien diċenti għal familja tipika. Din ma ġietx indirizzata mill-Budget.
