FOI leadership exchanges views with Opposition leader

In the course of the past week a delegation from the FOI headed by President Joe Zammit Tabona called at Malta Labour Party Headquarters in Hamrun where it was welcomed by a delegation led by MLP leader Dr Alfred Sant.

Among the topics discussed at the meeting were: the FOI's reactions to the MLP report The Maltese Economy: Present State and Prospects - June 2002; the MLP policy on exchange control; the MLP policy on VAT; and the MLP policy on a free trade area with the EU.

The meeting was held behind closed doors but both Dr Sant and Mr Zammit Tabona made short statements at the beginning of the meeting in the presence of the media.

Dr Sant stated that the MLP considered the strengthening of industry as part of the strategy for economic recovery that it would be working on after the forthcoming election.

The MLP would ensure that the Malta Development Corporation worked as it should, he added, and emphasised that the level of collaboration between the Labour government and the private sector would be much higher than at present.

Dr Sant stated that the MLP was not happy at a number of developments in the economy - as evidenced by the recently published findings of the Labour Force Survey. The MLP was as concerned as the FOI at the erosion of competitiveness of industry and it felt that the present Government was dedicating too much attention to the EU issue at the expense of other areas.

On his part, Mr Zammit Tabona said that industry was facing increases in costs in a number of areas which, overall, were having a negative effect on the competitiveness of industry.

This was the motive behind the FOI's call for the setting up of a National Competitiveness Council - something that the Malta Council for Social and Economic Development was actively considering. Mr Zammit Tabona said Malta needed new foreign direct investment.

However, it was encouraging that a number of large foreign-owned firms that established themselves in Malta many years ago had now decided to increase their investment on these islands.

The MLP delegation included secretary general Jimmy Magro, spokesperson for Economy and Finance Leo Brincat, spokesperson for Tourism Karmenu Vella and spokesperson for Self Employed, SMEs and Competition Policy Joe Cilia.

The FOI delegation included deputy president Anton Borg, vice-presidents Ian Mizzi, Adrian Bajada, Joseph Pace and Andy Gatesy, and administration manager John B. Scicluna.