Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today dedicated a short interview on One Radio to speak about what he termed as Malta’s “economic miracle”.

Dr Muscat said great strides forward had been made on the economic front while government spending had been controlled.

He said new employment records had constantly been broken by the government since 2013.

Parents could now put their minds at rest that their children would find jobs once they completed their studies, Dr Muscat said.

The government had inherited a situation of 7,000 people on the unemployed list, with this figure now being reduced to fewer than 3,000 people, Dr Muscat said.

The Prime Minister said his government’s pro-business attitude and efforts to attract foreign investment had clearly paid off. He said those people who had yet to find a job would not be forgotten.

Dr Muscat spoke of the need for people to have well-paid careers rather than just a job.

The government's first task was to stabilise the job market, he said, with the focus now turning to improving people’s income.

A total of 60 per cent of disabled people who were jobless prior to 2013 had now found work, and youth unemployment drastically reduced, Dr Muscat said.

He said the government was refraining from overspending. Long-term debt had been reduced to 60 per cent of GDP.

This was an “economic miracle” the Prime Minister said, as taxes and energy tariffs had been reduced and pensions increased, while spending was kept in check.

On Malta’s infrastructure, Dr Muscat said the government had finished off the Coast Road project and works on the Kappara junction were on target.

Works would continue in a structured manner, and once the junction was completed the focus would turn to the Marsa junction.

The Prime Minister said school children would soon start receiving their government tablets.

This technology would be made available to everyone, not just those who could afford it, Dr Muscat said.

He said the results of this initiative would be seen in the next generation of children, who would be more IT-savvy.

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