The upcoming budget will be “the best budget in the country’s history”, Robert Abela promised on Sunday.
“We’ll soon be announcing a date for the budget and I can say from now that this will be the best budget in the history of our country,” he said during a live telephone call on the party’s TV station.
“We will continue to strengthen those who need help, support the middle class and improve workers’ conditions.”
More than 70 per cent of the electoral manifesto has already been implemented, he added, and assured the public that the remaining promises would be fulfilled by the next election.
Among them a significant measure for businesses: a corporate tax reduction from 35% to 25% on the first €250,000 of profit, which he said would ensure the government’s policies have a positive impact on every sector of society.
Abela spent most of the live link defending the highly controversial planning reform laws, saying they will be essential for achieving “discipline, clarity, and certainty” in the development sector.
The reform, currently in a public consultation phase, aims to address long-standing frustrations for both developers and citizens, he said.
Last month, the government tabled two bills in parliament – Bills 143 and 144 – which introduce sweeping planning reforms.
These include halting construction while a permit is subject to an appeal, stripping the court’s power to revoke a permit, giving the planning board more discretionary powers, and more.
Environmentalists have blasted the proposals as a “developers’ wishlist”.
On Sunday, Abela said current planning regulations often conflict with one another, leading to confusion and frustration. The proposed reform aims to streamline these documents to create a clearer, more predictable system.
One of the key changes is an amendment to appeal procedures, he said. Currently, development can proceed even while a project is under appeal. Abela cited cases where people bought apartments only to find out later that they were illegal, causing immense distress.
The new law will prohibit the start of construction until all appeal processes are fully exhausted, providing a much-needed layer of security for prospective homeowners.
Through a public consultation process kicked off last week, the government also published legal notices that will allow owners to pay a penalty to regularise their illegal developments. Some of the contents of these legal notices were revealed by The Sunday Times of Malta.
Abela said the laws are designed to address the thousands of illegal structures built over the decades. It is a long-standing problem that the state has not yet addressed, he said.
It would be morally unjust to demolish structures that the state has allowed to exist for 30 years, for instance, especially those owned by elderly pensioners.
While some may argue this penalises those who followed the law, Abela insisted it strikes a fair balance.
The revenue generated from these fines will be directed toward greening projects for the common good.
The public’s feedback is currently being collected, and a ministerial working group has been set up to analyse the proposals and discuss with stakeholders before parliament reconvenes to discuss the new laws after the summer recess.
“When we’re back from summer holidays, parliament will begin discussing these laws immediately, so that we can get this important reform through without delay,” Abela said.
