The Nationalist Party has accused the government of ignoring the plight of people struggling to make ends meet due to an increase in the cost of living.

In a press conference on Thursday, PN deputy leader Davis Agius urged the government to focus more on the problem.

Agius said the PN would be open to discussing the introduction of a living wage, a revision to the annual cost of living increase as well as ways to tackle rising property costs.

PN candidate Francine Farrugia suggested the setting up of a poverty watch unit to help those struggling the most.

She said families struggling to make ends meet was one of the most common problems encountered during home visits.

Farrugia said some people were even being forced to make a choice between paying for their car insurance and buying food for their children.

PN MP Claudette Buttigieg said the government was in denial about rising costs. 

“You need to realise you have a problem to be able to address it,” she said.

She accused the government of first mocking a PN proposal to introduce vouchers to be used in shops and restaurants, and then going on to introduce such voucher schemes.

Buttigieg questioned whether the government was planning how to mitigate the impact of the eventual phasing out of the COVID-19 wage supplement.

She also criticised the government for failing to consult with the opposition on how best to use the €350 million in EU COVID-19 recovery funds.