L-uffiċjal għar-relazzjonijiet pubbliċi ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Brian Decelis qal li meta nhar it-Tnejn il-Ministru tal-Finanzi se jħabbar il-Budget għas-sena d-dieħla nistennew li flok logħob bin-numri u l-GDP tas-soltu, nisimgħu aktar dwar il-benesseri reali tan-nies. 

Fil-fatt, il-Green Economy Coalition li hjia koalizzjoni ta’ aġenziji tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti, trade unions, NGOs, negozji u gruppi ta’ ċittadini, isemmu dan bħala waħda minn ħames nuqqasijiet fis-sistema ekonomika: kif il-kejl tal-Prodott Gross Domestiku għadda żmienu. Isemmu ukoll, id-difett li wieħed iħares lejn gwadann ta’ malajr minflok miri għat-tul; ekonomija iffukata fuq aktar u aktar konsum; il-fatt li mhuwiex veru li il-kunċett ta’ “trickle-down” ħadem għaliex il-ġid huwa ikkonċentrat f’idejn numru żgħir ta’ nies; u dak li l-mudell ekonomiku ma jirrikonnoxix il-valur ta’ assi naturali u soċjali bħalma huma l-arja nadifa u l-kontribut ta’ dawk li jieħdu ħsieb l-oħrajn mingħajr ħlas, vitali għall-ekonomija tagħna.

ADPD-The Green Party jipproponi Viżjoni Ħadra 2050 li tħares lilhinn mit-tkabbir tal-GDP imma tagħti valur lil ekonomija li tħares l-ambjent u ittejjeb il-benesseri, ekonomija li tfittex li l-attività umana u l-ekoloġija ma jkunux għedewwa.

Il-kelliem ta’ ADPD-The Green Party qal ukoll li wieħed ma jistax ma jsemmix id-dejn akkumulat li qiegħed jagħmel tajjeb għal ħafna mill-miżuri u l-impatt li dan id-dejn se jħalli fuq il-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri. Skont figuri mill-Uffiċċju Nazzjonali tal-Istatistika, f’perjodu ta’ tnax-il-xahar sal-aħħar ta’ Lulju ta’ din is-sena, id-dejn kien qiegħed jiżdied b’rata ta’ kważi €4 miljuni kuljum – Sibtijiet, Ħdud u festi inklużi!

Dan qiegħed iwassal għal żieda fl-imgħax imħallas biex jagħmel tajjeb għal dan id-dejn – żieda ta’ €40 miljun fuq l-ispiża tal-2024. Forsi wasal iż-żmien li ma jkunx aċċettabbli li il-Parlament japprova il-Budget mingħajr ma dan ikun wieħed bilanċjat, jiġifieri bla defiċit? Li hu żgur li mhux aċċettabbli l-Ministru tal-Finanzi qiegħed jgħaddi dan il-piż fuq il-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri, li riżultat ta’ hekk se jkollhom inqas possibilitajiet li jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet dwar il-prijoritajiet tagħhom temm jgħid il-kelliem ta’ ADPD-The Green Party.

Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party qalet li l-ebda miżura tal-Budget m’hi se tpatti għall-ħsara li t-tibdil propost fil-liġijiet tal-ippjanar se jġib miegħu. Għalhekk nhar it-Tnejn se nkunu hawn biex ningħaqdu fi protesta biex nuru li meta hemm din il-mannara imdendla fuq pajjiżna, il-Parlament ma jistax jibqa’ għaddej bix-xogħol normali tiegħu qisu xejn m’hu xejn.

L-hekk imsejħa “riforma” tal-ippjanar hija ta’ theddida għall-ġustizzja soċjali u għad-demokrazija. B’mod partikolari se tippermetti aktar żvilupp bla rażan u tillimita d-dritt tal-appell minn deċiżjonijiet żbaljati jew dubjuzi. Qegħda tiġi proposta ukoll amnestija totali għal bosta illegalitajiet.

Dan m’hu xejn ħlief attakk dirett fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna, id-drittijiet tal-komunità, protezzjoni tal-ambjent, rikonoxximent tat-tibdil fil-klima, sostenibbiltà, trasparenza u kontabilità. Hemm bżonn li il-gvern ma’ jibqax jinkina quddiem dawk li bil-flus jemmnu li jistgħu jiddettaw l-aġenda ta’ dan il-pajjiż. Is-saltna tad-dritt għandha tapplika fl-ippjanar ukoll.

Għalhekk nhar it-Tnejn ningħaqdu ma’ dawk kollha ta’ rieda tajba biex nirreżistu dan l-attakk fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna. Irridu inwasslu l-messaġġ li minkejja dak kollu li se jiġi imħabbar fil-Budget dawn ir-riformi jirritornaw l-ippjanar f’pajjiżna lura għal żmien li nixtiequ ħafna li jintesa. Flimkien, inwaqqfuhom.

***

Pre-Budget Press Conference – Green Over Greed

ADPD-The Green Party PRO Brian Decelis said that when the Minister for Finance announces the Budget this Monday, we expect him to present us with real solutions for the country and not playing around with figures and the Gross Domestic Product.   

In fact, the Green Economy Coalition, a coalition of trade unions, businesses, NGOs, UN agencies and citizen’s groups, has mentioned this as one of the drawbacks of the economic system: it is a yard stick that is past its expiry date. Other drawbacks is that it takes stock of immediate returns instead of those that are long-term, it focuses on more and more consumption. Another defective assumption is that trickle-down economics works, it does not. GDP does not factor in the value of natural and social assets such as clean air and the contribution of those who look after others without compensation, which is so vital for our economy.

ADPD-The Green Party proposes A Green Vision 2050 which looks beyond GDP but gives value to an economy that values the environment and improves wellbeing. An economy that seeks to make human activity and the ecology complimentary rather than ‘enemies’.  Decelis also said that one cannot not mention the accumulating national debt which is funding these measures, and that the impact of this debt will be felt by future generations.  According to the National Statistics Office, over the last 12 months, our national debt is increasing by 4 million Euros a day, weekends and public holidays included!  

This is leading to an increase in interest rates paid to service this debt – an increase of 40 million euro over and above the expenses for the year 2024.  Maybe the time has come for it to be unacceptable for Parliament to approve a budget which is not balanced, that is with no deficit.  What is certain is that it is unacceptable for the Minister for Finance to pass on this debt to future generations, with the result that they will have fewer possibilities for them to make their own decisions about their priorities, concluded Decelis.

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that no Budget measure will ever be able to compensate for the havoc that the proposed planning bills will bring. That is why on Monday we will be here for the national protest to show that whilst this sword is dangling over our future, Parliament cannot just proceed as if it is business as usual.  The so-called planning ‘reform’ is a threat to social justice and for democracy.  It will allow more haphazard planning and restrict the right to appeal erroneous decisions.  Moreover, it is proposing amnesty for a number of illegalities.

This is nothing other than a direct attack on the quality of our life, the rights of the community, environmental protection, recognition of the realities of climate change, sustainability, transparency and accountability.  The government cannot be influenced by those who think that their money can dictate the country’s agenda.  The rule of law must also apply to our national planning system. 

This is why on Monday we will be joining others of good will to resist this attack on our quality of our life.  We want to pass on the message that whatever will be announced in the Budget, these reforms will take us to a time that we wish to forget. Together, we can stop this.