Watch: Budget 2026: No plan to address traffic, overpopulation – Alex Borg
PN will retain and build upon positive measures
Budget 2026 failed to address problems like traffic and overpopulation, Opposition leader Alex Borg said on Monday.
In a reaction following the budget speech, Borg said the government had failed to come up with plans for a mass transportation system.
While Prime Minister Robert Abela has said in recent days that a proposed metro system was feasible, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana poured cold water on the plans.
Borg said that the lack of any mention of the metro meant that the finance minister had got his way.
The Opposition leader also picked upon a lack of proposals to address overpopulation, and said the €4.66 cost of living increase would not mitigate the increase in prices.
He further noted that capital expenditure is set to drop by €100 million next year, with no plans for new hospitals after the PN’s “historic” victory to strike down the Steward/Vitals contract.
Government debt has continued to increase, and was set to triple under Abela’s government, Borg said.
The Opposition leader said a PN government would address the shortcomings found in the budget, and ensure wealth was distributed equally among everyone.
He welcomed the introduction of a new tax bracket for parents, but claimed the government had basically taken on board a watered-down version of a PN proposal.
Borg aknowledged that the budget contained a number of positive measures, which the government will keep and continue to build upon.