Edward Scicluna

European Commission to comment on the Budget

The European Commission is due to give its reaction to the Budget on November 22, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said this afternoon.

The reaction will be given during a meeting of finance ministers which will also involve the Budgets of the other member states.

Prof Scicluna told a press conference that he was optimistic of the Commission’s reaction.

 

 

This, he said, was a Budget which was narrowing the deficit to 2.1 per cent while encouraging investment and ‘making work pay’.

Although the EU was projecting a widening of the deficit, the government was showing discipline in its spending, and its GDP growth projections were more conservative than the EU’s, Prof Scicluna said.

Investment was not created just through financial incentives, but by cutting bureaucracy and creating the proper business environment, something which the government was working on throughout the year, he added.

 

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Il-KE tikkummenta dwar l-istimi tal-baġit il-ġimgħa li ġejja

 

“Dan il-baġit kien hemm min faħħru u min ikkritikah, li hu żgur u li miż-żewġ naħat (kritika u tifħir) kien hemm min ma fehmx il-pjan tal-gvern.” Dan qalu l-ministru tal-Finanzi, Edward Scicluna waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet dwar il-baġit ippreżentat bħal-lum ġimgħa.

Scicluna spjega li l-għan tal-baġit kien li ma jinqabiżx il-qafas finanzjarju li fih għandu jaħdem il-gvern u ma tinqabiżx ir-rata ta’ defiċit ta’ 2.9%. “Ħdimna b’lura minn dik ir-rata biex naraw il-gvern xi jrid idaħħal u jonfoq,” qal il-Ministru. Huwa żied jgħid li l-gvern se jkun qiegħed jissellef inqas u d-dħul żejjed se jkun ġej mill-attività ekonomika.

“Il-gvern iffokka fuq it-tkabbir tal-ekonomija. Dan trid tistimulah fl-ewwel sena ta’ leġiżlatura,” qal Scicluna. Huwa żied jgħid li dan ma sarx billi jitfa’ aktar flus fil-but, iżda permezz li jneħħi l-ostakli biex b’hekk aktar nies ikunu jistgħu joħorġu jaħdmu. Huw semma l-miżura li l-benefiċċju tal-qagħad ma jinqatax mill-ewwel u child care centers b’xejn għall-ġenituri li jaħdmu.

 

Dwar is-servizzi tas-saħħa u l-benefiċċji soċjali, Scicluna qal li bihom pajjiż jew jirnexxi jew jegħreq. Huwa qal li fir-rigward ta’ xiri tal-mediċini hemm sitwazzjoni tal-biki fejn hemm nuqqas ta’ ħażna u nuqqas ta’ software u li s-sistema trid tinbidel kompletament.

Scicluna żied jgħid li apparti l-aspett ekonomiku dan il-baġit ħaseb ukoll fl-aspett soċjali, huwa qal li ma jemminx li hawn nies għażżenin. Dwar il-mira li d-defiċit ikun taħt it-3%, Scicluna qal li huwa fiduċjuż li hi mira li se tintlaħaq.

“Jekk il-ministri jżommu mal-istimi, is-sitwazzjoni finanzjarja għandha tkun ok,” kompla Scicluna. Huwa żied jgħid li fit-22 ta’ Novembru se jkun hemm laqgħa tal-Ecofin (il-Ministri tal-Finanzi tal-Unjoni Ewropea) u hemmhekk il-Kummissjoni tħabbar l-aspettativi tagħha dwar l-istimi fil-baġit.

 

 

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– Monday, 11th November, 2013

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