Many people are struggling to make ends meet as living expenses outstrip wage increases, Opposition leader Adrian Delia said on Saturday.

Speaking during a phone interview on Net FM, Dr Delia said only small pockets of people were benefitting from the country’s economic growth.

He said price hikes impacted vulnerable people who had no safety net.

Dr Delia accused the government of not having any tools to control the problem it had created. 

He questioned whether economic growth was translating into a better quality of life for the people.

The Opposition leader said Malta’s economic growth was being driven by the government “importing” workers from abroad and packing them into what was already the most densely populated country in Europe.

He said many youngsters were struggling to get on the property ladder thanks to the rise in prices.

Many more people were facing eviction from their rented properties as they were unable to keep up with the rental prices.

He said there were cases where tenants used to pay €1,200 yearly to rent a property and were now being asked for that same amount per month.

Similarly, property which used to house three persons was now being offered to six at exorbitant rates.

Dr Delia criticised the government’s “late reaction” to the problem by virtue of the recently introduced rent laws.

The new law sought to offer more price stability to tenants.

He said that rather than simply regulating the market, the government had to actively help make affordable properties available to those who had been priced out of the market.

Money-laundering concerns

The Opposition leader slammed comments by the Finance Minister playing down money-laundering concerns in Malta.

Minister Edward Scicluna said in a recent interview with The Telegraph that money-laundering issues being faced in Malta were also being faced in other countries.

Dr Delia said such dismissive talk by the minister continued to harm Malta’s reputation.

He said Prof. Scicluna should not be speaking about the problem with such nonchalance.

Instead, he should highlight the efforts being taken by the government, together with the Opposition, to fight money-laundering.

People dependent on the financial sector to earn a living cared about what was happening in Malta, not other countries, he said.

He said the minister either had no respect for these people, or he simply did not care.