Improving the environment we live in and ridding the country of hate speech are among the Prime Minister's priorities for the new year.
Addressing the nation at the end of 2021, Robert Abela said the country needed to address "a new priority: the environment and our quality of life".
Climate change, Abela said, was a global threat. And while Malta might be a small state, and, consequently, a small polluter, it too needed to do its part.
"I very much look forward to seeing the results of the greenest incentives we have ever introduced – both to improve overall air quality and also safeguard the core of our towns and villages.
"Hence, our resolve in 2022 is to reinforce our efforts to improve the environment in which we live. Thus, allowing us to breathe cleaner air, have more open spaces for the community to enjoy, and ensure smarter planning methods.
"We are not taking the easy road, as a shift in mentality is required for us to move forward. We must understand that in an effort to deliver a better future for our children, we need to make the right decisions now," he said.
'There should be no space for hate'
In his address, the Prime Minister insisted that in the new year he would really like to see a change in how people acted with each other.
"Unfortunately, we still see a lot of hate speech, especially online. If there is any resolution that we should have in place for 2022, it should be to stop hate speech by setting an example and not engaging in tit-for-tats.
"There should be no space for hate in our hearts, in what we write, and in how we behave. We can change laws and enforce law and order, but the real power to stop hate speech lies in each and every one of us."
Abela stressed this point more than ever because 2022 will see the government's mandate will come to an end.
"The people’s choice must be respected, and debates on thoughts and ideas must not allow for personal attacks," he said.
"We should use our words to enhance unity, not division. Taunts and insults will not get us anywhere. Let us use our ideas to build a better and brighter future for our country.
"I am truly optimistic that our country will continue moving forward steadily, as a fair and ambitious society that addresses challenges and creates opportunities. We will get there as long as we work together in a spirit of unity."
The pandemic, he added, has shown how people were stronger when they stood united.
Abela noted that the fight against COVID was ongoing, adding that the country's efficient vaccine rollout programme allowed people to experience "what we call 'normality' in our everyday lives once again."
It was encouraging, he said, that in "various areas and sectors, we are better off than we were before the pandemic".
Malta had the lowest unemployment rate in history, the lowest number of people on social benefits and the highest rate of homeowners ever.
And foreign experts were now saying that in 2022 Malta’s will be the fastest growing economy in Europe, he said.
Abela warned people not to let their guard down in the face of COVI and that the bold decisions the government has taken so far will continue to be taken.
He urged people to get vaccinated and also vaccinate their children in line with the health authorities' advice.