The PN on Friday slammed Robert Abela's government for doubling the debt to over €10 billion.

The prime minister, the party said in a statement, had reached a record-high debt: "Prime minister Robert Abela is responsible for nearly half of this entire debt, with little to show for it. Our country had a debt of just over €5 billion when Abela took the helm, meaning the debt under Abela has doubled@.

"Ironically, although in recent months the government has continued to clash with professionals in various sectors, including educators, denying them deserved and long-promised increases, it has managed to increase its own expenditure by no less than €557 million in the first nine months of the year."

The Opposition warned that this record debt was leading to another record – the amount of interest the government must pay from taxpayers' money.

Between January and September, the government spent €194 million of taxpayers' money - €40 million more than last year - solely on interest on the debt. This translates to €710,000 every day, the PN said.

The party referred to a survey among leading entrepreneurs which showed that Malta was becoming less attractive to foreign investors as the country struggled to convince companies that its political and regulatory environment is up to scratch.

"The alarming increase in debt certainly does not help to offer stability and peace of mind, and this is a factor that also contributes to the fact that, as the survey showed, fewer investors feel comfortable investing in our country," Shadow Minister for Finance Graham Bencini added.