In view of the fact that EU Commissioner Olli Rehn is contradicting Maltese Finance Minister Scicluna’s deficit projections for 2014, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Prof. Arnold Cassola, said “On 4 November our Finance Minister said that for the year 2014, Malta’s deficit would be reduced to 2.1% of of our GDP. Less than twenty our hours later, the EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs predicted that Malta will continue to have an excessive deficit of more than three per cent of GDP next year, indeed reaching 3.4% of GDP. This 1.3% difference would translate into millions of Euros.It is unacceptable that two economic experts of the calibre of Scicluna and Rehn should come up with such different projections.
“We therefore reiterate AD’s request that Prof. Scicluna publishes the Auditor General’s verification report immediately as in the circumstances it is more important than ever to ensure that the Finance Minister’s projections are based on hard facts.”

…

Fid-dawl tal-fatt li l-Kummissarlu Ewropew Olli Rehn qiegħed jikkontradixxi l-projezzjonijiet tal-Ministru tal-Finanzi Scicluna għad-defiċit għall-2014, ic-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika Prof. Arnold Cassola qal “Fl-4 ta’ Novembru il-Ministru tal-Finanzi qal li għas-sena 2014, id-defiċit ta’ Malta ser jonqos għal 2.1% tal-Prodott Gross Domestiku. Inqas minn erba’ u għoxrin siegħa wara, il-Kummissarju tal-UE għall-Affarijiet Ekonomiċi u Monetarji bassar li Malta ser tkompli b’defiċit eċċessiv ta’ aktar minn 3% tal-PGD is-sena d-dieħla, u li saħansitra ser jilħaq 3.4% tal-PGD. Din id-differenza ta’ 1.3% tissarraf f’miljuni ta’ ewro. Mhux aċċettabbli li żewġ esperti ekonomiċi tal-kalibru ta’ Scicluna u Rehn joħorġu bi projezzjonijiet daqshekk differenti.
“Għalhekk aħna ntennu t-talba tal-AD li l-Prof. Scicluna jippubblika r-rapport ta’ verifika tal-Awditur Ġenerali immedjatament billi f’dawn ic-cirkostanzi huwa importantissimu li nizguraw li l-projezzjonijiet tal-Ministru tal-finanzi huma bbazati fuq fatti konkreti.”