Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo u d-Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali Mario Mallia illum indirizzaw konferenza stampa fil-Belt Valletta dwar il-Budget 2026 tal-gvern.
Jekk budget ta’ pajjiż ikollu l-elezzjoni ġenerali li jmiss bħala l-iskadenza tiegħu, l-boxxla tintilef u l-effett fit-tul partikolarment fuq il-vulnerabbli jiżdied. Fil-budget il-Gvern għamel minn kollox biex jaljena lill-pubbliku billi jroxx il-bżar fl-għajnejn u jibqa’ jsostni narrattiva li budget qiegħed hemm biex l-istaġun tal-Milied u rigali jibda minn kmieni. Filwaqt li miżuri meħudin waħedhom jistgħu jidhru tajbin, perspettiva usa tindika pjan politiku mċajpar , insostenibbli u rresponsabbli.
ADPD-The Green Party terġa’ tinsisti fuq l-immoralita` li pajjiżna jibqa’ jixħet il-problemi finanzjarji fuq il-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ għada. Infieq li jkompli jżid mad-dejn li għandu pajjiżna flok ma titrawwem kultura ta’ prudenza fiskali, turi kemm il-politika tal-Gvern tibqa’ tibbaża ruħha fuq l-illum, fuq kunsiderazzjonijiet elettorali, u politika ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku bla rażan li qed ikollu effett ħażin fuq il-kwalita` tal-ħajja tan-nies.
Għalxejn li l-Gvern iniedi budget li fih jelenka d-dħul u l-infieq meta tul is-sena, jaċċetta budget overruns, ħafna drabi bid-doppju jew tripplu ta’ dak ippjanat , b’numru mdaqqas ta’ proġetti u inizjattivi li jingħataw id-dritta li jonfqu kemm iridu. L-infieq mill-kummissarju tal-films huwa biss każ wieħed minn ħafna inkluż fin-nefqa infrastrutturali. ADPD-The Green Party tfakkar fl-għażla tal-Gvern li jaħli l-mijiet ta’ miljuni mill-kaxxa ta’ Malta għal sussidji fuq il-fuel anke għal min jaħli. Dan huwa sinjal ta’ politika bla viżjoni u b’nuqqas qawwi ta’ sens etiku.
Il-budget saħansitra rnexxielu jaqleb il-kejl ta’ ġustizzja soċjali rasu ‘l isfel. Filwaqt li b’mod ġenerali għajnuniet għall-familji huma tajba, fl-istess waqt, b’loġika rigressiva li ma titwemminx, il-Gvern qed joffri l-ikbar għajnuna lil dawk il-familji bi dħul għoli u l-inqas għajnuna għal familji bi dħul baxx. Gvern ġust kien jaħdem bil-maqlub, biex ir-riżorsi tal-pajjiz imorru għand min l-iktar li huwa batut jew vulnerabbli. Fuq l-istess tema tal-ghajnuna lill-familji, il-Gvern ftaħar li fi żmien 25 sena, ser ikun qed iħallas ammont li jagħmel tajjeb għal nofs ix-xiri tal-propjeta`ta’ familja. ADPD-The Green Party issostni li dan l-argument żbaljat daqskemm kien żbaljat l-argument li s-sussidji fuq il-first time buyers kien ser jaġevola liż-zgħażagħ li jixtiequ li jkollhom saqaf fuq rashom. ADPD-The Green Party tinsisti li dan is-sussidju, fil-prattika spiċċa fil-but tal-iżviluppaturi hekk kif il-prezz tal-propjeta` baqa’ jogħla. Huwa evidenti li miżuri bħal dawn qed jispiċċaw ikollhom effetti nflazzjonarju fuq il-prezz tal-propjeta’. ADPD-The Green Party issaqsi lill-Gvern hux tabilħaqq qed ikun tarka taż-zgħar kif jgħid li hu. Qabel xejn, il-Gvern għandu jieħu miżuri biex ma jkunx hu stess li jgħolli l-prezz tal-propjeta’. Dan jista’ jagħmlu billi jindirzza l-għajnuna direttament lill-vulnerabbli u jevita li din l-istess għajnuna sservi biex tiġġustifika żieda fil-prezz. B’hekk l-għajnuna li tingħata mill-Gvern ma tispiċċax fil-but ta’ ftit nies.
Li Gvern jibqa’ jinsisti li l-flus jiġu fuq kollox, saħansitra fuq il-benesseri tan-nies, tixhed gvern li ma semax biżżejjed l-għajta tal-pubbliku biex il-prioritajiet jiġu indirizzati. Il-protesta quddiem il-Parlament fuq il-liġijiet infami tal-iżvilupp hija xhieda biżżejjed ta’ dan. Li troxx il-flus lill-familji meta l-ambjent ta’ madwarhom qed jittiekel bil-minuta mhijiex aċċettabbli. Li l-budget iroxx il-flus bħala inċentiv biex il-familji jkollhom it-tfal hija kontinwazzjoni tal-istess loġika. Il-problema fundamentali tal-istress ta’ familji li jkollhom jaħdmu t-tnejn u jieħdu ħsieb il-familja tagħhom fl-istess ħin baqa’ ma ġietx indirizzat. ADPD-The Green Party tħoss li kien ikun ħafna iktar produttiv li l-Gvern jinvesti f’miżuri li huma family friendly u li jgħinu lill-familji jibbilanċjaw il-ħin tagħhom milli jitfa’ l-flus biex jiksi fuq il-problema prinċipali mingħajr ma jindirizzha.
ADPD-The Green Party tilqa’ b’sodisfazzjon li l-proposta tagħha biex l-ecotax fuq it-turisti li jżuru pajjiżna tiżdied mill-ammont redikolu li kienet s’issa. ADPD-The Green Party tisħaq li l-Gvern kellu jimxi pass ieħor biex l-ammont li jinġabar jgħaddi għand il-kunsilli lokali biex ikunu jistgħu jagħmlu tajjeb għall-impatt tal-industrija tat-turiżmu fuq il-lokalitajiet rispettivi tagħhom. Fil-fatt qed isir bil-kontra għax l-allokazzjoni diretta lill-Kunsilli Lokali naqas b’6 miljun Euro.
Għal darba oħra l-budget injora l-problema tal-konġestjoni tat-traffiku. Dan jikkuntrasta mal-kummenti tal-Ministru tal-Finanzi barra l-Parlament li qed jirrikonoxxi li huma meħtieġa miżuri drastiċi li l-Gvern qed jibża’ jieħu minħabba l-impatt politiku tagħhom. Il-Gvern m’għandux il-kuraġġ li jieħu deċiżjoni iebsa dwar it-traffiku li huma meħtieġa sabiex tiġi indirizzata l-kwantita’ esaġerata ta’ karozzi fit-toroq.
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Budget 2026: What should have been top priority was left out
ADPD-The Green Party’s Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo and Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia today addressed a press conference in Valletta about the government’s Budget for 2026.
If a country’s annual budget holds the general election as its yardstick, all direction is lost, and its long-term effect will continue to impact the most vulnerable. The government has used the budget to distract the public by dishing out benefits and upholding the narrative that the budget is there to kickstart the Christmas season with early presents. Whilst the measures taken appear to be good in isolation, a wider perspective indicates a political plan which is unclear, unsustainable, and irresponsible.
ADPD-The Green Party once again insists that it is immoral to burden future generations with the current financial problems. Spending in a manner that increases the national debt rather than creating a culture of fiscal prudence shows that the politics of the incumbent government is one of based wholly on the present, electoral expediency, and a politics based on limitless economic growth which is inevitably having a negative impact on the quality of life of the public.
It is useless for the government to unveil a budget in which revenue and expenditure are listed, but which in reality is typically a budget which frequently overruns projections twice or triple the amount originally set for projects, besides other initiatives in which money is spent without any concerns. One such case of many is the film commissioner’s spending sprees. ADPD-The Green Party also points out the government’s decision to waste millions of taxpayer money on fuel subsidies, including on those who are wasteful. This is a sign of a lack of political vision and a lack of ethical awareness.
The budget has also managed to subvert every single measure of social justice. Whilst overall family-oriented measures are good, at the same time, it is regressive; take for example the decision to give the greatest support to high-income families and the least support for the low-income earners. A fair government would have done the opposite so that the country’s resources are channelled to those who are the most vulnerable. In addition, the government has boasted that over the next 25 years it would be financially helping families to afford a home by paying part of the mortgage. ADPD-The Green Party insists that this argument is wrong, just as the argument on offering subsidies for first-time young buyers. In practice, these subsidies will end up in the pockets of property developers whilst property prices continue to increase. It is evident that such measures are having an effect on inflation and property prices. ADPD-The Green Party asks whether the government is truly the shield of the people. Indeed, it is the government that should take the necessary steps so as not to be responsible for the increase in property prices. This can be addressed by directly assisting the vulnerable and preventing any assistance leading to property price increases. That would ensure that any assistance that the government gives will not end up in the pockets of the few.
Having a government insisting that money is the top priority, even at the expense of the wellbeing of the people, reveals that the government has not listened to the public in order to address these priorities. The protest on the planning permit bills opposite Parliament earlier this week is proof of this. Simply spending money when the environment that families they live in is being eroded by the minute is not acceptable. For a budget to dish out money as an incentive for families to have children is also an extension of this faulty logic. The stress that families face, with both parents having to work and raise their families has not been addressed. ADPD-The Green Party believed that it would have been more productive for the government to invest in more family-friendly measures and to help families balance their time, rather than handing over money to gloss over the real problem without even addressing the issue.
ADPD-The Green Party is happy to see that its proposal to increase the ecotax for tourists, which was ridiculously low, is being taken into consideration. ADPD-The Green Party insists that the government should have taken the next step, which is to allocate money from this ecotax to local councils so that they may spent directly on projects which would help localities impacted by the tourism sector. On the contrary the direct allocation to local councils has been decreased by 6 million Euro.
Once again, the budget has ignored the problem concerning traffic congestion. This is in direct contrast to the comments of the Minister for Finance, who has recognised the need for drastic measures which are necessary, but which the government is afraid to take because of the political fallout. The government lacks the necessary courage to take tough decisions about the traffic problem.
